Irina Aristarkhova Featured in Christian Science Monitor

In a recent feature for Christian Science Monitor, staff writer Harry Bruinius considers the question ​“can I love the art but deplore the artist?” In his article, Bruinius explores the question by gathering the perspectives of leading scholars, including Stamps Professor Irina Aristarkhova.

“The value of art is decided by human beings, and the value of human beings is decided by human beings,” says Irina Aristarkhova, a professor of art history and women’s studies at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. ​“When one of those value judgments is in conflict with another, forcing us to take sides, our discussions reveal how moral decisions are being made and on whose terms and under which circumstances.

“I welcome an acknowledgment that we should discuss the value of human beings and not just art, and seeing it from that perspective is useful,” Professor Aristarkhova says.

In #MeToo age, can we love the art but deplore the artist? | Christian Science Monitor