Myth Of The Suffering Young Artist

Does art have to be worth dying for?

- by Zene Yong

From tuberculosis and heroin chic to the slim-thick Kardashians and the Pilates Princess, the pendulum of what we consider beautiful seems to swing between illness and health when the people who can afford to perceive beauty as a trend decide so.

So often, these discussions of beauty fall upon the subjects of our ideals and desires. Think Gia Carangi, who was ostracised when her struggles with health were active and inconvenient, but later idolised as a pioneering force of the supermodel industry postmortem.

And we let history repeat itself with Kate Moss, who was only supported when empathy later became a source of ammunition for her philanthropic work.

Despite the existing weight of this gaze, what is left out of its periphery are the young artists whom the industry only rewards if they are sickly, starved or destined for tragedy.