Essay - The Preference for the Persona: Why We Admire Artists More Than Their Works?

Introduction: The Rise of the Artist Cult

Contemporary culture has transformed artists into icons, whose biographies and personalities often overshadow their creations. Beyoncé, for example, is celebrated not only for her music but also for her narrative of female empowerment [1, 2, 3, 4], while BTS transcends K-pop, becoming a symbol of Korean cultural resistance [5 and 6].

This phenomenon reflects a paradigm shift: the audience no longer simply consumes art, but projects values, aspirations, and identities onto artists. Research indicates that a significant portion of fans, > 53%, value personal connection with artists via social media, not just their musical work [7].

This essay briefly explores the theoretical foundations of this dynamic, correlating psychological, sociological, and marketing concepts with empirical data to understand how the artist's persona becomes a more relevant object of admiration than their works.

Theoretical Foundations: Psychology, Sociology, and the Construction of Worship

Parasocial Interaction: The Illusion of Proximity

The theory of parasocial interaction, proposed by Horton and Wohl (1956) [8], describes one-sided relationships where the audience develops a sense of intimacy with media figures without reciprocity. In the digital context, social media intensifies this dynamic, allowing fans to feel close to celebrities through personalized content. Studies suggest that a significant portion of users on platforms like Instagram develop emotional connections with influencers [7]. For example, Taylor Swift uses platforms like TikTok to share content that reinforces the illusion of proximity, such as direct messages to fans, strengthening parasocial bonds [9].

Personality Cult and Weberian Charisma

Max Weber (1922) [10] defined charisma as an extraordinary quality that legitimizes a leader's authority, a concept applicable to artists whose persona influences the reception of their works. Frida Kahlo exemplifies this: her biography, marked by physical pain, political activism, and a vibrant cultural identity, is as valued as her paintings. Reports from exhibitions, such as those at the Brooklyn Museum, indicate that many visitors are attracted by her life story [11,12]. Kahlo's personal narrative, including her struggle with polio and a bus accident, amplifies her cultural impact [13].

Halo Effect and the Commodification of Image

The halo effect, a concept in social psychology, explains how positive traits of an individual, such as charisma or media visibility, influence the perception of their works. Virgil Abloh, known for his work at Louis Vuitton and Off-White, had his collections acclaimed in part because of his "visionary" cultural status. Studies on the art market suggest that an artist's media presence can increase the perceived value of their works [14,15]. After Abloh's death, his works fetched high prices at auctions, reflecting the impact of his reputation [16].

The Persona vs. The Work: The Divorce Between Creator and Creation

The Artist-Brand in Cultural Capitalism

Pierre Bourdieu (1993) [17] argues that, in cultural capitalism, artists are often reduced to brands, where their public image and personal narrative outweigh the intrinsic value of their works. A paradigmatic example is Banksy, whose anonymous identity and "enigmatic rebel" persona amplify the impact of his art. In 2018, during a Sotheby's auction, his work "Girl with Balloon" was partially destroyed by a hidden mechanism in the frame, transforming into "Love is in the Bin." This act, interpreted as a critique of the commodification of art, elevated the work's value, which was auctioned again in 2021 for $25.4 million, a record for the artist. This event illustrates how Banksy's narrative, more than the aesthetic of the work, drove its market value [18, 19, 20].

Art as Biographical Extension

Artists like Andy Warhol and Yayoi Kusama built careers in which their stylized biographies are central to the reception of their works. Warhol, known for his phrase "15 minutes of fame," turned his own image into a brand, selling not just paintings but a lifestyle philosophy that celebrated pop culture and the fleeting nature of fame. His works, such as "Campbell’s Soup Cans" (1962), reflect this view, blending art and consumption.

Similarly, Yayoi Kusama integrated her hallucinations and struggles with mental health into her art, especially in her Infinity Nets and Infinity Mirror Rooms. Her personal story, including her voluntary hospitalization in a psychiatric facility since 1977, is often highlighted in exhibitions and contributes to the public's fascination [21].

A study from MoMA allegedly indicates that most visitors to her exhibitions associate her works with her personal story before analyzing techniques, but this statistic has not been confirmed by available public sources. In turn, Kusama's popularity, with exhibitions like "Infinity Mirrors" attracting 570,537 visitors at the National Gallery of Victoria in 2024-2025, suggests that her personal narrative is a significant factor [22, 23].

Democratization vs. Elitism

The traditional distinction between "high" (erudite) and "low" (popular) art becomes less relevant when the artist's persona becomes the primary focus of cultural consumption.

Artists like MC Carol, a prominent figure in Rio de Janeiro’s funk scene, are admired for their overcoming journeys, including her rise as one of the first transgender artists in mainstream Brazilian music, facing racism and discrimination. Her music, often associated with favela culture, resonates with audiences for its authenticity and personal narrative, regardless of whether it is considered "erudite" [24, 25].

The popularity of artists like MC Carol reinforces the idea that personal narrative can transcend cultural and aesthetic barriers.

The Audience and the Search for Authenticity: Psychological and Cultural Connections

Music as an Identity Mirror: Neuroscience and Behavior

Schwartz and Fouts (2003) [26], in their analysis of adolescent musical preferences, argue that the choice of certain genres or artists reveals much more than mere aesthetic tastes. They propose that music acts as a mirror to the internal reality of young people, reflecting personality traits like introversion or extroversion, as well as personal values and emotional conflicts, such as rebellion or the search for belonging. This perspective suggests that music transcends entertainment, becoming a channel for self-expression and a bridge for identity construction.

Billie Eilish exemplifies this dynamic by vocalizing the anxieties of Generation Z – such as climate anxiety ("All the Good Girls Go to Hell") and social isolation ("Bury a Friend") – with lyrics that function as collective sonic diaries. The connection between fans and Eilish goes beyond melody, delving into narratives that validate the emotional and existential struggles of this generation, reinforcing the idea that music can be a powerful means of identification and validation.

Neuroscientifically, this connection is mediated by the activation of the medial prefrontal cortex, a brain region associated with empathy, which is most stimulated when there is perceived human intentionality in the artistic creation [27].

Authenticity in Postmodernity: Vulnerability as Symbolic Capital

On the other hand, Reckwitz, in The Society of Singularities (2020) [28], offers a complementary reading by exploring how postmodernity elevated authenticity to a dominant cultural ideal. He describes a society where uniqueness and originality are celebrated, and authenticity becomes a key criterion for appreciating individuals and their cultural productions.

In this scenario, artists who expose their vulnerabilities and personal experiences – like Selena Gomez, who openly addresses her battle with lupus and mental health issues [29, 30] – gain an aura of legitimacy that sets them apart in a saturated market.

For Reckwitz (2020) [28], this valorization of authenticity reflects a shift in public expectations, where audiences seek not only artistic talent but also a genuine emotional connection.

Counterpoints: When the Work Outshines the Artist

The Death of the Author (Barthes) and the Autonomy of the Work

Roland Barthes, in his seminal essay The Death of the Author (1967) [31], argues that the interpretation of a literary work should be detached from the author's biography, as meaning is constructed by the reader through their interaction with the text. This perspective is particularly relevant for William Shakespeare, whose plays, such as Hamlet, are celebrated for their universality and thematic depth, often appreciated without reference to his personal life, about which little is known with certainty.

The reader response theory, developed by Wolfgang Iser (1976) [32], reinforces this idea, suggesting that readers shape meaning by filling in "gaps" ("Leerstellen") in the text with their own experiences and expectations. For example, in his analysis of Richard II, Iser interprets changes in Ricardo’s legal politics as a form of self-assertion, applying Hans

Blumenberg’s theory of modernity without relying on Shakespeare's biography [32].

Although there are no specific data confirming that most Hamlet readers are unaware of Shakespeare's life, the universality of his works suggests that the text itself is the main focus of appreciation.

Faceless Art: The Case of Jackson Pollock

The art market reinforces this duality. The "Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting 2024" [33] reveals that 88% of high-net-worth collectors bought works by new artists or galleries in recent years, indicating that while the artist's reputation is relevant, the aesthetic quality and emotional impact of the work are decisive factors.

An Artsy report (2023) [34] shows that 50% of collectors consider abstract art the most important genre in their collections, highlighting its ability to connect emotionally with the audience.

In abstract art, like Jackson Pollock's iconic "drip" paintings, the work often takes precedence over the artist, with collectors attracted by the visual and emotional impact of his creations. His paintings, such as "No. 5" (1948) and "One: Number 31" (1950), are celebrated for their technical innovation and influence on abstract expressionism, often valued for their ability to evoke intense emotions and convey personal meanings.

On May 22, 2006, the painting "No. 5," created in 1948, one of Pollock's most iconic works, was sold in a private transaction for $140 million, a record at the time for the highest price ever paid for a painting [35].

Similarly, "Number 17A," another 1948 painting demonstrating Pollock’s "dripping" technique with complex layers of paint creating a "vortex of colors," was sold in September 2015 by the David Geffen Foundation to hedge fund manager Kenneth C. Griffin for $200 million. This sale set a new record for the highest-priced painting at the time, surpassing Gustav Klimt's Water Serpents II ($183.8 million in 2013) [36].

Thus, while Pollock’s biography enriches his legend, it is the intrinsic power of his works – their technical innovation and ability to move people – that makes them timeless and highly desirable.

Final Considerations: Persona, Work, and the Paradoxes of Contemporary Culture

The primacy of the artist's persona over their work has solidified as a structural phenomenon of our time, supported by three interconnected pillars: the psychology of parasocial connections (Horton and Wohl, 1956), amplified by social networks that transform artists into emotionally accessible entities; the symbolic economy of charisma (Weber, 1922), which alchemizes biographical narratives into cultural capital; and the commodification of authenticity (Bourdieu, 1993), where human vulnerabilities are instrumentalized as market assets. This theoretical triangle reveals insoluble paradoxes: the supposed democratization represented by artists like MC Carol, who reframe peripheral journeys as political art, contrasts with the elite of the institutional system, which turns anti-capitalist gestures – like Banksy’s self-destruction of his work at Sotheby’s – into luxury commodities, transacted for $25.4 million. The exposure of vulnerabilities by figures like Selena Gomez and Yayoi Kusama generates genuine identification, yet simultaneously feeds an economy of empathy that monetizes suffering.

While Shakespeare and Pollock prove that canonical works transcend biographies – as evidenced by the $200 million paid for Number 17A – contemporary logic, however, privileges personal mythologies, exemplified by the posthumous value of Virgil Abloh, more anchored in his aura than his output. Undeniably, we live in an era of the spectacularization of authorship, where the figure of the artist is simultaneously a vehicle for emancipation (as seen in Beyoncé and BTS's narrative empowerment), a product of the cultural industry (according to Adorno and Horkheimer), and a response to the postmodern crisis of meaning (as per Reckwitz, 2020).

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI), capable of generating works without a "human author," mirrors this conflict: neurosciences prove that artistic empathy depends on the perception of human intentionality – activating the medial prefrontal cortex – something unattainable by algorithms. Thus, AI does not dissolve the cult of persona; rather, it accentuates its value as the last refuge of the irreplaceable.

The future of art will not require a choice between persona and work but will recognize their coexistence as dimensions of the same phenomenon: the human quest for mirrors that reflect identities and aspirations. If Barthes proclaimed the death of the author to liberate the work, digital culture proves that for the audience, the artist's life remains the most powerful of texts.

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