It depends what you want to do with the art. But an easy answer for me is: the author dies when the author dies. Buy things after they die. Before that: pirate, second hand (I’d reccomend second hand everything though, within limits).

That’s not typically how I want my art though. Knowing what informed the art is interesting to see where it’s supported Vs contradicted in the piece.

Two examples: knowing jk Rowling is bigot then reading HP, well how did we not see it sooner? The series becomes a lot more sinister knowing who wrote it.

In contrast Ender’s game, how is that series written by that man?! It’s about love and the limits of love. It’s about life and the limits of life. Reading the series knowing the person who wrote it is baffling.

In general, knowing the contexts of the piece is interesting to me. Like Saturn Devouring His Son, it was painted directly on the wall of Goya’s house… Why, who paints that directly on the wall of their house?! Wait, Black PaintingS? There’s more?! Not knowing the story of the Black paintings, it’s just an interesting interpretation of a greko-roman myth. But, what hat did Goya see in his past to see that? What did he see in the present to need to materialize it in his dining room? What did he fear for the future?! Fuck.