Painter Thomas Kinkade arrested for DUI

[ilovepaydays]

Article - with mug shot

Never was a fan of his work. I visited one of his stores once and I got the feeling that it was being exploititive with the Christian appeal of his work. Didn't he get into trouble a while back for some accused fraud going on with his stores.

[Satellitegirl]

he's talented with light, but his paintings are all too much alike and uninspiring to me.

[Wyliefan]

He's been in a lot of trouble lately. The guy's a mess.

I wonder (as a fellow Christian) if there's a deeper message here . . . about the need to live an authentic life and create art that reflects that, rather than trying to make it all pretty and shiny. Not that I mind cottage paintings as such, but his stuff was kind of beyond the pale.

Or maybe that's just me bloviating out loud. At any rate, I hope this will be a needed wake-up call.

[Anita18]

I'm a follower of James Gurney (Dinotopia artist) and I think I remember reading on his blog that when he was in college, he took a cross-country art trip with several other art students, including Thomas Kinkade. The man could apparently sell anything. As you can see by his work.

And please, Kinkade is not THAT talented with light. All of his stuff looks the same. I want to him and take back the "Painter of Light" moniker for Claude Monet.

[heckles]

DUIs are passe. It was more interesting when he urinated on Winnie the Pooh and said "This one's for you, Walt," while drunk at Disneyland. A guy like that would be a cool friend, but a guy who drives drunk wouldn't.

[barbk]

OK -- how many of you are wondering whether a future picture out of his workshop will include a romantically lit village jail? Complete with glowing breathalyzer?

[skatesindreams]

Having commercial success, and being a Artist are often two different things, IMO.

The public is gullible, unfortunately.
People like Kinkade can be deluded into believing that they have a "gift" for something other than making money from "collectors" of their work.
Many purchasers buy, believing that these pantings will "appreciate" in value.

Marketing, and Shopping Channels make the "delusion" easier for both.

[falling_dance]

Y'all mean to say that you don't just lurve these paintings?

[LilJen]

I also heard a couple of days ago that he was going (or had?) to declare bankruptcy; he'd been sued by a bunch of business partners that claimed he'd been bilking them out of money that was rightfully theirs.

Ah, found stories about this:
LA Times article
Wall Street Journal

[ilovepaydays]

Having commercial success, and being a Artist are often two different things, IMO.
The public is gullible, unfortunately.
People like Kinkade can be deluded into believing that they have a "gift" for something other than making money from "collectors" of their work.

Marketing, and Shopping Channels make the "delusion" easier for both.

And unfortunately, Christians (Evanglicals in particular) can be the most gullible and naive of them all. It is one of my biggest frustrations as a Christians and what I see in other Christians.

Not to get off topic too much, but one example is Stephen Baldwin. Recently a campaign started called "Restore Stephen Baldwin" where they were asking for donations for Stephen Baldwin becuase he was now bankrupt because "he couldn't get any work due to his Christian beliefs".

Restore Stephen Baldwin, as reported by The Young Turks

I have not visited RestoreStephenBaldwin.org, but them comparing him to Job is comical.

WWJD? I am not 100% sure of course, but Jesus might think the reason that Stephen Baldwin is broke and can't get any work could be because he has done crap acting and blew all his money. There are many verses in Proverbs I could point to show this.

[DickButtonFan]

I'd take this guys art any day over a Rothko, Duchamp or Pollock. Sorry to hear of Kinkade's troubles.

[Allen]

I'd take this guys art any day over a Rothko or Pollock.

Every part of my art history major being just cringed at that statement.

My favorite art history professor did a series of lectures essentially decrying the merit of Kincaid's work (in a scholarly way). I attended a couple of the lectures and there were always three or four people that would just go in to hysterics about her assessment of Kincaid's work. Of course, every time these people rebutted the ideas in her lecture, they always went the religious route. In fact, one woman said that she must be an atheist if she couldn't see the beauty in Kincaid's work, whatever that means. The whole situation was comical because I'm sure these people just saw the name Thomas Kincaid on the notice for the lecture and didn't realize what the talk was really about.

[Allen]

Restore Stephen Baldwin, as reported by The Young Turks

I have not visited RestoreStephenBaldwin.org, but them comparing him to Job is comical.

Okay, I admit to skimming the post, but I first thought you said that people were comparing Stephen Baldwin to Steve Jobs. I had a hard time figuring that one out

[DickButtonFan]

Every part of my art history major being just cringed at that statement.

My favorite art history professor did a series of lectures essentially decrying the merit of Kincaid's work (in a scholarly way). I attended a couple of the lectures and there were always three or four people that would just go in to hysterics about her assessment of Kincaid's work. Of course, every time these people rebutted the ideas in her lecture, they always went the religious route. In fact, one woman said that she must be an atheist if she couldn't see the beauty in Kincaid's work, whatever that means. The whole situation was comical because I'm sure these people just saw the name Thomas Kincaid on the notice for the lecture and didn't realize what the talk was really about.

Funny, I took art history at University as well and was taught to cringe at artists such as Pollock etc. Kinkade's work seems to embrace and seek a higher purpose, to me that fine art.

[Anita18]

Funny, I took art history at University as well and was taught to cringe at artists such as Pollock etc. Kinkade's work seems to embrace and seek a higher purpose, to me that fine art.

I've learned it depends on where you take your art courses at. You can smell the bias going either way.

Pollock is certainly historically important, but I wouldn't hang his art on my living room wall. Duchamp and Rothko could work though.

Heck, I think Dave McKean is one of the awesomest comic book artists ever, but no way would I put his stuff on my wall.

I don't consider Kinkade's work "fine art," though. I suspect he's trained as an illustrator, because you can see it in his work. (James Gurney is an illustrator, I wouldn't consider his work "fine art.") Kinkade is certainly evocative of certain themes, but to me, I don't think he uses any sort of artistic technique or history to further art movement or to speak deeply about the human experience.

[overedge]

Funny, I took art history at University as well and was taught to cringe at artists such as Pollock etc. Kinkade's work seems to embrace and seek a higher purpose, to me that fine art.

It might embrace and seek a higher purpose, but I'm not sure that it ever actually gets there.

[DickButtonFan]

It might embrace and seek a higher purpose, but I'm not sure that it ever actually gets there.

I think he does. To me it's the ideal family life, a welcoming home, a place of hard working individuals. It's what everyone should strive for.

[DickButtonFan]

I've learned it depends on where you take your art courses at. You can smell the bias going either way.

Pollock is certainly historically important, but I wouldn't hang his art on my living room wall. Duchamp and Rothko could work though.

Heck, I think Dave McKean is one of the awesomest comic book artists ever, but no way would I put his stuff on my wall.

I don't consider Kinkade's work "fine art," though. I suspect he's trained as an illustrator, because you can see it in his work. (James Gurney is an illustrator, I wouldn't consider his work "fine art.") Kinkade is certainly evocative of certain themes, but to me, I don't think he uses any sort of artistic technique or history to further art movement or to speak deeply about the human experience.

Would you want Duchamps urinal in your home? lol

I think too many get caught up with technique/aesthetics having to be constantly evolving. There's more to art that that. You can come up with new techniques and images all day long but what's the point if there's no meaning to it? It's just trivial then. Art should inspire individuals to a higher sense of being.

[agalisgv]

To me it's the ideal family life, a welcoming home, a place of hard working individuals.

What exactly is the family ideal depicted? Granted I'm only superficially familiar with Kinkade, but the overall impression I get from his work is pastoral and serene--not anything connoting hard working individuals.

[Wyliefan]

Would you want Duchamps urinal in your home? lol

No. But there's a happy medium between Duchamp and Kinkade. One doesn't have to be a fan of modern art to be a lover of great art in general.

I went through a bit of a Kinkade phase years ago. I think I still have a cross-stitch kit somewhere. But I feel like I outgrew him. I get what he's going for, I think -- and I'm not averse to nostalgia and sentiment. I'm a Charles Dickens fan, for crying out loud.

But nowadays I don't find any real depth to his work . . . although I think there could be if he wanted. I saw a portrait of Christ on the cross that he did once -- a pen-and-ink sketch, I believe it was -- that was not in the least what you would expect. Very simple and stark. And I've heard that he's done other work like that, which is much better technically than his mainstream work. But unfortunately, I think he decided to go for the easy buck.