Painter Thomas Kinkade arrested for DUI

[heckles]

Higher purpose like getting people with craptastic taste to shell out $$$ for a kitsch only worthy of a Hallmark™ store.

Kinkade is upfront that his work is for the suburban home, not for museums. The guy has some humility, unlike the self-proclaimed postmodern artists smearing their own menstrual fluid and feces on canvas.

[Anita18]

Kinkade is upfront that his work is for the suburban home, not for museums. The guy has some humility, unlike the self-proclaimed postmodern artists smearing their own menstrual fluid and feces on canvas.

Nobody ever said fine art had to be pretty and be able to go into suburban homes. And at least that kind of post-modern art is producing discussion, which IMO real "fine art" is supposed to do.

[overedge]

To me it's Marxist in tone. Doesn't show much hope life will get better. It's like corbet propaganda. Shows young and old working alongside another without ability to move up. Art should give hope. There's no solution there.

That's exactly what Daumier was trying to show - that there was no hope for these people in circumstances that were no fault of their own.
Which represented quite a change in attitude from earlier French art like this:
http://www.mezzo-mondo.com/arts/mm/f...id/DJL007.html
and which I can't imagine gave a lot of hope or offered solutions to the non-elite in French society (i.e. the majority).

[Prancer]

On a sorta related but off topic note, is anyone watching Work of Art on Bravo?

http://www.bravotv.com/work-of-art

I came across it by accident, but I found the discussions of art by both artists and judges interesting. I also found it interesting that the judges all dismissed the first boot's work as "expensive wallpaper" and had nothing good to say about it, but when I read her bio, I was at the idea that someone with all that training, experience and success would be so easily waved aside even though I thought her piece looked like wallpaper, too.

[VIETgrlTerifa]

I like Yoko Ono's art.

[heckles]

And at least that kind of post-modern art is producing discussion, which IMO real "fine art" is supposed to do.

The discussions tend to go like this:

"What type of red paint is that? Acrylic?"

"It's the artist's menstrual fluid."

"Gross."

"Yeah."

Not a lot of meaningful dialogue there.

[Anita18]

The discussions tend to go like this:

"What type of red paint is that? Acrylic?"

"It's the artist's menstrual fluid."

"Gross."

"Yeah."

Not a lot of meaningful dialogue there.

Well that's the fault of the viewer. I was at a BodyWorlds exhibit and overheard a lot of "Hahaha, I can totally see that guy's penis!" and "Wow, everyone has a six-pack!"

[Wyliefan]

Kinkade is upfront that his work is for the suburban home, not for museums. The guy has some humility, unlike the self-proclaimed postmodern artists smearing their own menstrual fluid and feces on canvas.

While I agree that that sort of thing is disgusting, I still feel compelled to point out that the fact that Kinkade doesn't do this doesn't necessarily mean that he has humility.

[overedge]

I see happy little trees. They're everywhere.

Bob Ross>>>>>>>Thomas Kinkade

[Holley Calmes]

Families come in all shades and genders these days.

These days? When did that happen?

Seriously, as an art historian in my youth-university days-I was fortunate to have to endure many studio hours trying to produce what some would consider "modern art." There is so much more to it than just throwing paint at a canvas. I have a rudimentary understanding of it and like much but not all modern art. Art is a huge concept and so hard to define.

However, nowhere, no way would I ever consider Kincaide as anything but a fairly decent technician who managed to find a market in people who need comfort more than challenge. Nothing wrong with that, but he's no artist in my book.

How about Norman Rockwell? I think one word I haven't heard here is "sentimental." I used to believe I was just way too sophisticated for Rockwell until I walked into one of his exhibitions and started crying. There was an immediate reaction on a non-intellectual level that touched me. Rockwell is considered pretty hoaky by many, but I love him even when the subject matter is a little cloying at times. Talk about a master technician! Kincaide isn't worthy of licking Rockwell's boots.

Kincaide to me, and it's just my opinion, but he is "cloyingly sentimental." About one step up from those paintings on black velvet of the little kids with the big eyes. I worked at a museum for ten years, and Kincaide was a joke in all circles.

But hey-whatever floats your boat.

Doesn't Kincaide put a small amount of his own blood mixed with paint into every picture? Yuk.

[DickButtonFan]

Was just flipping thru the tv and there's a show selling his work on the shopping channel lol

[heckles]

I still feel compelled to point out that the fact that Kinkade doesn't do this doesn't necessarily mean that he has humility.

I'm not saying the guy completely lacks ego, but the fact that he's not passing himself as the world's most meaningful artist hints that he knows his significance a bit better than many delusional postmodern artists whose work is equally vapid.

[genegri]

Doesn't Kincaide put a small amount of his own blood mixed with paint into every picture? Yuk.

Oh boy, let's hope that's the only bodily fluid in his work.

And when I look at his painting, somehow "solution" is not the word comes to mind. More like delusion.

[Wyliefan]

I'm not saying the guy completely lacks ego, but the fact that he's not passing himself as the world's most meaningful artist hints that he knows his significance a bit better than many delusional postmodern artists whose work is equally vapid.

I'll grant you that.

[dbell1]

So, he's now the 'painter of light beer'?

Wonder if that shopping channel show carries his uplifting beer stein collection?

[GarrAarghHrumph]

Kinkade - I don't fault him for what he's done with his career, although it seems too bad; he used to actually be good, and by that, I mean that his work was genuinely meaningful, not formulaic.

One of my favorite articles about him is this one:
http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/fir...ntasy/#respond

One of the things I find fascinating about him is that he uses something that kind of models the old "factory" process. He touches each piece that people buy... but that's about it. Those prints won't be worth anything in future, IMO.

[Reuven]

Yeah, I can see them sitting on the shelves at some Goodwill Store.

[Southpaw]

I got my black velvet Weeping Mary at a Salvation Army.

[Wyliefan]

Kinkade - I don't fault him for what he's done with his career, although it seems too bad; he used to actually be good, and by that, I mean that his work was genuinely meaningful, not formulaic.

One of my favorite articles about him is this one:
http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/fir...ntasy/#respond

One of the things I find fascinating about him is that he uses something that kind of models the old "factory" process. He touches each piece that people buy... but that's about it. Those prints won't be worth anything in future, IMO.

That's a very good piece. Thanks for the link. I especially like the side-by-side comparison of the first two paintings.

(I take issue with one commenter's comparison to Jan Karon, though. Karon may be bucolic, but she's not sugary sweet and she's not a sellout. I yield to no one in my loathing for schlocky Christian fiction, and I've got a shelf full of Karon's books, so that just shows you. )

[Prancer]

So, he's now the 'painter of light beer'?

Christianity Today calls him the Profit of Light.