I saw an exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum several years ago of unreleased Marilyn Monroe photos, some of which had a big red (transparent) X over them, indicating that she'd asked the photographer not to print or distribute them.

I know how my paintings look when they're unfinished, and I'd hate for them to be on display in a state that I didn't want seen.

[–] tate@lemmy.sdf.org 6 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I'm not taking this side, but just pointing out: there is an argument to be made that the artist's choices are irrelevant once they're dead. By becoming a public figure in life, they have made their life's work the property of the culture. This idea was hotly debated after Kurt Cobain's private notebooks were published after his death. I'm still not sure what I think about that.

I have a printing of Einstein's private notebooks too, and I'm so glad that was possible.

[–] FlashMobOfOne@beehaw.org 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I get that it's a complicated issue, but as an artist myself, just feels a tad dirty.

[–] andyburke@fedia.io 4 points 3 months ago

I agree.

No artist gives themselves to the public, they give their art. The public doesn't have a right to everything an artist has ever done, especially if those pieces were not completed to the standard the artist wanted.