Interesting discussion on this thread. This post will be a bit of a ramble, but the discussion got me to thinking about the nature of artists and creativity. The thread brought to mind a tweet from the Metropolitan Museum of Art several months ago:
"When I am no longer controversial, I will no longer be important." - Gustave Courbet, 19th century French artist(Courbet was one of the leaders of the Realist movement in painting and a controversial figure in the art world, because he used painting as a means of social commentary, which was revolutionary in his time.)
What has this got to do with Adam? Well, it occurred to me that most great artists were considered to be controversial at some point in their careers. The Impressionists, so beloved today, were criticized when their paintings were first exhibited. When Picasso first displayed "Demoiselles d'Avignon", now considered to be one of his most important paintings, it was judged by many to be crude, vulgar and an artistic disaster.
Moving on to music, I think we forget that even The Beatles were criticized in their day, particularly by more conservative elements in society. Their long, "unkempt" hair and their "bizarre" suits were considered to be a challenge to established societal norms. Many of their fans were disappointed when in the late 60's they began to experiment musically (and with drugs). Elvis and the Rolling Stones were criticized by many for being too sexual and too vulgar.
I think artists by definition are never going to please everyone. Artists create, and the word "create" means to bring something into the world that doesn't exist. Creation is disruptive, and the result is invariably something outside the norm or established order. The greater the artist, the more likely that they and their work will cause uneasiness and discomfort in the audience.
As an artist, Adam is pushing at boundaries, and if he were to try to please as many people as possible he would be limiting the possibilities of his creativity. I expect that Adam, like other artists, will always make some people uncomfortable. He pushes at boundaries in his personal style, his approach to performance and, I suspect, will do so with his new music. And given that he is an openly gay man, the level of discomfort will be that much higher for some people. But to reach his full potential as an artist and as a man, I think he needs find his own path, even if it means shocking or offending some people along the way.
Sorry for the ramble. Cheers!
