Discrediting Art

Since hearing about the verdict of the Rolf Harris sex scandals I read an article today on how since the verdict of his trial his work has dropped in value!

This got me thinking about the Ian Watkins trial and the work of Lost Prophets. In some ways Rolf Harris work produced came from one source.... himself! Lost prophets were a band, their work a collective produced from a team of people. I always felt an overwhelming sense of sympathy for the band. Everything that Watkin produced in some respects is completely discredited, I mean who is going to play any Lost Prophet albums again and ever listen to it in the same way?

With regards to Rolf I was never a huge fan of him or his work but the fact that he has been found guilty of molesting young children has now impacted greatly on his place within the media and his work produced. I for one was deeply effected by the Watkins trial and my reflection on how I felt seeing them live as a band in 2009 after the verdict of his trial was heavy.

Only the other night I was having a discussion with friends about successful artists in the music industry and the fact they were violent towards women. I am completely opposed to violence of any kind but had this stopped me from listening to the music from these artists?

Can people ever really distance themselves from the attachment of an artist and the work created by that artist? Can the work still stand alone as a piece credible in its own merit for being a skilled piece of work without the stigma that is now attached to that work due to the hand which produced it? And at what level do we have a cut off point? What is considered to be that line in which all work is discredited?