I think some people may have so readily bought in to the tortured soul thing to enable them to get on with the wife-beating, the child neglecting and the limb cutting off and have forgotten the creating part altogether!

It also helps with the marketing, for we all do like a little bit of scandal. How many books would this have sold? Mary Smith has been happily married to her childhood sweetheart Tom for twenty years; they have lived in their hometown all their lives and have three lovely children. This is Mary's fascinating first novel about life in small town America. This book may contain the most original observations and I incisive writing ever but who would ever find out?

Sorry I sound cynical but I think here in the UK we seemed to have reached the stage where the artist themselves are considered to be the art. The artist' name is known, and if she puts her un-made bed in a gallery, complete with tampons, then you have 'those in the know' explaining to the TV how significant it is. She shits and those turds are art. I do exaggerate but only a little.