Basic income for artists

A chara, – A basic income for artists, while well intentioned perhaps, sits uncomfortably with freedom of expression (Letters, January 26th). Art should be free to ridicule and subvert the prevailing zeitgeist. Will future artists self-censor when their patron is the State? – Is mise,

AW LALLY,

Westport,

Co Mayo.

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Sir, – While the ideal of providing a staple income for struggling artists sounds attractive, it is hard to reconcile with the tax exemption enjoyed by their successful peers.

It looks like the most extreme socialism on the way up, with unfettered capitalism once you reach the top.

The near impossibility of defining who or what is an artist is also problematic. – Yours, etc,

BRIAN O’BRIEN,

Kinsale,

Co Cork.