The artist lives in a world in which his survival depends on his own self-expression. In order to express, he needs content - and hence perception to absorb it.
The artist has a tough job - if he fails to see in the first place, his expression will be content-less. Therefore, the strength of his mind will determine the differentiation of his expression.
We often discuss about the styles, ways, intentions of the artist’s expression, but tend to forget how he arrives there at the first place. An artist needs to be stubborn, needs to be looking and constantly asking himself the next question, if not he’ll fail to keep up the curiosity for what is around him. An artist therefore needs to have a strong mind, because weak-minded will he never pursue looking for the unknown.
It takes courage to be an artist. It takes determination to be looking without knowing what for.
Maybe this stubbornness can explain why artists, who represent such a deep and various understanding of the world, remain narrow-minded when trying to change their world view. If they would let themselves be distracted from their own perspective, they would not be able to bring out their intent to the world, and not see it in the first place.
Let us therefore forgive him in the first place for building his work on the importance of his own ego, as its absence would mean the absence of the artist himself.