artist who would burn his work?

Answer 1

During the Italian Renaissance Sandro Botticelli threw some of his works onto the bonfire of the vanities in the Piazza della Signora in Florence. He is extremely famous for his pagan works and came under the influence of the monk Savonarola. People burnt vanities such as artworks, clothing etc as the monk was very powerful for a time and they feared persecution and even death if they did not comply to puritanism.

Answer 2

Ted DeGrazia. The following is from the internet:

Q: Why did DeGrazia burn $1.5 million of his works?
A: On May 12, 1976, in the Superstition Mountains, east of Phoenix (Arizona), DeGrazia burned over one-hundred paintings at a place called Angel Springs in the heart of the mountains. It was a five-hour ride on horseback. By now, DeGrazia had been painting for over fifty years. He had done many paintings and had worked in many medias. His burning of the paintings was a protest against the inheritance tax. You see, under the tax laws passed in 1969, the estate of a deceased artist would be taxed on the market value of the works of art passed on to the heirs.

Answer 3

Better you than someone else. Not everything an artist produces needs to be saved...only the best.

Answer 4

Let someone else do the protesting. My ego wants my creations to live on for as long as possible, to be seen by as many people as possible. My heart and soul wouldn't let me destroy a lifetime of work anyway.

Answer 5

http://www.burningman.com/blackrockcity_yearround/special_events/fire_festival/artists.html