In an interview with the A.V. Club posted on 16 September 1999, Yoko Ono said, “Controversy is part of the nature of art and creativity.” The American artist who is most famous for her perceived involvement in breaking up the Beatles is certainly no stranger to controversy, but it seems there may be instances where controversy could be detrimental to the appreciation of art and the artist who created it. An example of such would be the March 2015 claim by renowned portrait artist Nelson Shanks that he surreptitiously included the shadow of Monica Lewinsky’s dress in a portrait of President William Jefferson Clinton he was commissioned to paint for the National Portrait Gallery. There are certainly multiple considerations to ponder following this highly respected painter’s bizarre claim. One of the first which comes to mind is that Shanks was commissioned to paint this portrait — paid to produce a work fitting in quality and decorum to hang among other portraits depicting past leaders of the free world in this prestigious gallery. Considering that Shanks’ painting of President Clinton was a commissioned work, Shanks’ revelation comes off as unprofessional if not downright nefarious. The best analogy which comes to mind is [...]
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