Defend the indefensible - Thomas Kinkade

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How is he pulling one over on his customers? Most likely, they are looking for: a) art that they enjoy looking at, and/or b) art that is an "investment." They presumably are getting both when they buy a Kinkade piece.

― n/a (Nick A.), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 14:59 (7 years ago) Permalink

I love him in a Salute to PT Barnum kind of way. I wish I had that idea first.

― when something smacks of something (dave225.3), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 15:10 (7 years ago) Permalink

n/a -

Well, I meant in the sense that he's just 'giving the suckers what they want' and not neccesarily painting what he'd like to do most. You know, that he wants most is their money, not to paint gloopy scenes of candle-lit cottages in snowy forests.

But on the subject of b) I doubt very much that his paintings will continue to be good investments. There are simply too many of them and they're too much alike. What we've got here is a speculative bubble based on fiendishly clever marketing.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 15:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

Kinkade doesn't seem to have much in common w/ Warhol at all (ie i think we're still waiting for Kinkaid's death row or car crash pics)

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 15:16 (7 years ago) Permalink

It's beanie babies for the "art" world. I find TK disgusting. It's taking manufactured art to a new level & it feeds on consumer consumption. although, if they're stupid enough to buy it, so be it. TK has never come off as genuine to me & I presume that a lot of his fans think he is. I also hate idyllic life in easter colors.

I don't think that the Warhol comparison is totally fair. Warhol was smarter about his art in a different way. TK comes off as a business more than an artist. He uses gimmicks to increase value & sell more crap. Warhol seems to me more like a running commentary.

― kelsey (kelstarry), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 15:20 (7 years ago) Permalink

All the xtian kitsch and patriotic schtick that's marketed under his brand is more insidious than the large-scale paintings, IMO. So his stuff is fluffy and froufrou and twee and mass-produced - his followers want that, for now. Not much different from R.C. Gorman, or Bev Doolittle, or Patrick Nagel. But the onslaught of furniture, shower curtains, calendars, knick-knacks, screensavers, etc. all in the name of making his "vision" affordable for the masses is a bit much.

― Jaq (Jaq), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 15:29 (7 years ago) Permalink

How come no one understands "DEFEND THE INDEFENSIBLE" threads but me?

― n/a (Nick A.), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 15:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

Note that a Patrick Nagel/Kinkade collaboration would be the end-all/be-all.

also, my parents buy the Kinkade.

and they buy books advertised on the radio.

― kingfish superman ice cream (kingfish 2.0), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 15:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

He has a luxurious moustache?

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 15:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

nick, i think everyone "gets" it, but naturally things get derailed.

― kelsey (kelstarry), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 15:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

OK BEAT THIS MOTHERFUCKERS, FROM THE THOMAS KINKADE OFFICIAL BIO:

It was while growing up in the small town of Placerville, California that these important values were nurtured. It was also during this time that Kinkade began to explore the world around him. He spent a summer on a sketching tour with a college friend, producing the best-selling instructional book, The Artist's Guide to Sketching. The success of the book landed the two young artists at Ralph Bakshi Studios to create background art for the animated feature film Fire and Ice. It was also during this time that Kinkade began to explore light and imaginative worlds with abandon.

HE WORKED FOR THE DUDE WHO MADE THE NOTORIOUS X-RATED ANIMATED FILM "FRITZ THE CAT"!

― n/a (Nick A.), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 15:42 (7 years ago) Permalink

I think this pretty much backs up the whole "it's a scam/conceptual art piece" angle.

― n/a (Nick A.), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 15:43 (7 years ago) Permalink

But he could have been the next Boris Vallejo!

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 15:45 (7 years ago) Permalink

That Disneyland picture is my desktop now.

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 17:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

I think a better thread title would be "Defend the indefensible - Thomas Kinkade fans." Kinkcade drives me crazy, but his followers eat up his limited edition swill with all the fervor of Scientologists.

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 17:52 (7 years ago) Permalink

And leave nothing for the rest of us!!!

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 18:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

he makes it easier to buy christmas presents for my grandma. if he did a series of border collies on little farms, i'd probably buy about 20 and save them to give to my grandma every christmas and birthday for the next 10 years.

― colette (a2lette), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 08:39 (7 years ago) Permalink

kincaide embodies a v. explicit christian utopia that occurs for most of the 20th century, the end of that kind of womb like totemic belief in buccolic arcadias as a saving grace (cf joan didion article about him in her california book ca 2003.)

i dont like his work aesthetically or poltically but then i am not supposed to, art historians and art critcs have taken a vow against sentiment and against romance, and that vow kind of saddens me--i waonder what happens when we can again make solid arguements about the poltical and social implications of sentiment.

warhol is a non starter here, because warhol always positioned himself in the critical mainstream, his work is beloved by art critics because of its disavowal of sentiment, his pyschosexual ruthlessness is an anthema (sp) to kincaide.

kincaide isnt as interesting as he was 10 years ago, even his fans think that is work has become played out, and the 9/11 peice is the worst kind of patrotic kitsch, and i find him interesting conceptually (the lack of people, the "i come to the garden alone jesus shit, the sheer money, the extension of an artists aura, the mobile assitant and studio, the ahistorical nature of his work, the pyschogeographic sense of place, the cultivating of audience, etc)

i also find his constructions much closer to lets say poussin, then to rockwell (rockwell is harder, more political, more concerned with the everyday life of people).

poussin is v. interesting to compare him to b/c of the political simliarities to their time and place, and the back to the garden arcadian shit that they have so much in common.

kincaide is against most of what i stand for as a critic but most of what i stand for as a critic is so outside of the mainstream, and academics dont seem to fucking realise that, it behooves us to play his game for a while, in the same way it behooves us to listen to whatever is on the top of the pops.

― anthony, Wednesday, 14 September 2005 09:29 (7 years ago) Permalink

and currin is a bad painter, b/c his irony is so thick and he is being praised for doing something well that he does badly.

currin is way for high end motherfuckers to say, oh i love craft and painting and the tradition and all of that, w/o engaging in it. the ugly, almost misogynst/homophobic paintings are really a way of constructing oppostion, they are self negating.

― anthony, Wednesday, 14 September 2005 09:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

The success of the book landed the two young artists at Ralph Bakshi Studios to create background art for the animated feature film Fire and Ice.

wow my kinkade/fantasy art connection is validated

― amon (eman), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 11:13 (7 years ago) Permalink

I worked in nurseries/garden centers for years, met a lot of landscapers and also lots of regular home gardeners. Many landscapers disdain impatiens, a foolproof annual that never ceases flowering. Too common. Also wax begonias, mums, all of these plants that make the average little old lady gardener VERY HAPPY. So what exactly is the problem? If you don't want common, plant a fucking venus flytrap. Just don't begrudge the little old ladies (and those come in all ages and sexes) their common flowers.
Thomas Kinkade: The Wax Begonia of the Art World.

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 13:00 (7 years ago) Permalink

What's youse guys problem with a little kitsch?

― Maxwell von Bismarck (maxwell von bismarck), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 13:02 (7 years ago) Permalink

We don't like kitsch until it's at least 20 years old. So wait another 10 years and we'll all be wearing ringer tees with Kincade prints in neon puff paint on the front.

― n/a (Nick A.), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 13:06 (7 years ago) Permalink

yeah but don't you want to be doing it first?

― Maxwell von Bismarck (maxwell von bismarck), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 13:06 (7 years ago) Permalink

Over dinner last night I was chastised for my comparison of Kinkade to Rockwell, and must admit I was wrong. Though Rockwell's stuff is sentimental, he didn't idealize the warts and he's an excellent illustrator. Kinkade started as a background painter and he's not gone beyond that.

― Jaq (Jaq), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 13:29 (7 years ago) Permalink

I saw n/a last night & he made a point of telling me how much he LOVES and ADORES tk!

― kelsey (kelstarry), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 13:33 (7 years ago) Permalink

Ha ha.

― n/a (Nick A.), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 13:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

Kelsey told me she wants to make sweet love to Kinkade and have a million babies with him.

― n/a (Nick A.), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 13:40 (7 years ago) Permalink

well, yeah. but only if my babies look like anne geddes' babies & have tiny paintstrokes on their forehead so i can sell them for more money.

― kelsey (kelstarry), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 13:49 (7 years ago) Permalink

pyschogeographic

ok, i'm gunna need help with this one

― kingfish superman ice cream (kingfish 2.0), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 14:12 (7 years ago) Permalink

Where can I see the "9/11 piece"?

― Maxwell von Bismarck (maxwell von bismarck), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 15:51 (7 years ago) Permalink

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 15:54 (7 years ago) Permalink

Psychogeography

How emotions and behavior are affected by the geographic environment, apparently.

― Jaq (Jaq), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 16:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

You guys are worried about Thomas Kinkade? Dudes, I give you Josephine Wall.

― TOMBOT, Wednesday, 14 September 2005 16:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

How emotions and behavior are affected by the geographic environment, apparently.

oh, ok. at least the term makes sense now...

― kingfish superman ice cream (kingfish 2.0), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 16:50 (7 years ago) Permalink

calexico album covers are so the indie version of this.

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 16:52 (7 years ago) Permalink

what was the other band that did nothing but van-art covers?

― s/c (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 16:55 (7 years ago) Permalink

Led Zeppelin?

― n/a (Nick A.), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 17:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

great new yorker article from 2001 back by susan orlean

― my name is john. i reside in chicago. (frankE), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 17:15 (7 years ago) Permalink

er... i dunno what i actually meant to type there, but the link works

― my name is john. i reside in chicago. (frankE), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 17:18 (7 years ago) Permalink

According to that article, when you call they answer "Thanks for sharing the light." Has anyone tried this?

― Maxwell von Bismarck (maxwell von bismarck), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 18:49 (7 years ago) Permalink

"It's his love language for her."

Ugh.

Has anyone actually seen one of the original paintings? Is there even anywhere that his originals are on display? I'm wonder what scale he works in ... if the originals are much larger than the prints.

― CUSTOS PASSANTINO (dr g), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 19:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

"Love language"? Does that mean, perhaps, a way to avoid painting an actual painting that has something to do with your actual feelings?

― Maxwell von Bismarck (maxwell von bismarck), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 19:06 (7 years ago) Permalink

I like that he takes on not only modern art but the entire history of Western art. "The Louvre is full of dead art"

― Maxwell von Bismarck (maxwell von bismarck), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 19:10 (7 years ago) Permalink

"The fact is we have a grassroots movement emerging in my art and in the country, and there's ten million people out there that if I give the word will go out and picket any museum I want them to," he went on. "I won't give the word, but they're dying to have an art of dignity within our culture, an art of relevance to them. Look at someone like Robert Rauschenberg. What's his Q rating? How many people have his art? A hundred? Where is the million-seller art? What about the craftsmanship of expression?"

argh argh argh

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 19:14 (7 years ago) Permalink

That article is so fascinating. thanks for sharing, john. i know that there is a book all about people's various "love languages." my cousin's friend gave her a copy when my cousin got engaged. we gagged after the friend left.

― kelsey (kelstarry), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 19:23 (7 years ago) Permalink

Look at someone like Robert Rauschenberg. What's his Q rating? How many people have his art? A hundred?

You'd think that a professional printmaker like Kinkade might be aware that other artists also make prints.

― CUSTOS PASSANTINO (dr g), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 19:27 (7 years ago) Permalink

"Look at someone like Robert Rauschenberg. What's his Q rating? How many people have his art? A hundred? There are only so many tires and goats in this world. People need more than that."

― CUSTOS PASSANTINO (dr g), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 19:31 (7 years ago) Permalink

On the other hand, it's hard to argue with a painter that cured someone's cancer.

― Maxwell von Bismarck (maxwell von bismarck), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 19:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

OK folks let's just fucking cut to the goddamned chase here. All this is from the 2001 article linked above:

...when he was twenty he experienced a Christian awakening, and that it changed his art -- it stopped being about his fears and anxieties and became optimistic and inspirational, with themes like home towns and perfect days and natural beauty, and millions of people responded.
...even the bad parts of the story are good, because it's easier not to begrudge Kinkade his fortune when you are reminded that he was a poor kid who had to struggle, who rejected the smarty-pants liberal establishment to follow his heart, and who is proud of having earned his way into the ultimate American aristocracy of successful entrepreneurs.
...His paintings were selling well, but he decided that he wanted "to engulf as many hearts as possible with art," a goal that would be hindered by selling only original work.

I mean for real people as if I didn't already hate that kind of shitty stupid farts and crafts garbage before, but for fuck's sake, he's an entrepreneurial evangelist. He needs to be shot standing up against the same wall as Pat Goddamned Robertson, ok? Going around making people feel all warm in their mediocrity blanket, here you go, collect my "art," isn't it nice we all love Jesus and are loved by Him. Let's spread the fucking love around. Only a thousand dollars or so, that's all I ask.

― TOMBOT, Wednesday, 14 September 2005 20:04 (7 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 412 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

― I wish to be DINOSAUR SOLDIER again...and for EVERY WEAPON (Austerity Ponies), Wednesday, 25 April 2012 14:08 (1 year ago) Permalink

Thomas Kinkade Cause Of Death: Painter Died Of Drug And Alcohol Overdose, Coroner Rules

― Kevin John Bozelka, Tuesday, 8 May 2012 15:16 (1 year ago) Permalink

But, you know, for god.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 8 May 2012 15:22 (1 year ago) Permalink

anyway there's that benjamin essay art in the age of mechanical reproduction which I don't remember anything about, there are all those 'artists' cities in china where you can pay somebody like $50 to paint anything you want including a van gogh, it's pretty interesting, would post more about if I had a more coherent theory of art

― swaghand (dayo), Monday, April 9, 2012 11:43 PM (2 days ago)

im p sure i read abt some artbros paying these guys to do ersatz miros and ingreses and then the westerners added magic touches of their own, kinda like kinkade via chapmans

tho i might have imagined this

― The term “hipster racism” from Carmen Van Kerckhove at Racialicious (nakhchivan), Wednesday, April 11, 2012 4:13 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

There's a John Baldessari piece I remember from the Met retrospective where he basically hired a few sort of ordinary landscape-type painters who sold their paintings at a local fair and got them to paint from photographs he had taken. The result was very well-painted and very contemporary-looking paintings -- of course Baldessari had chosen the composition, but the technique was as good as anything you'd expect to see from the latest hot young painter.

― Scott, bass player for Tenth Avenue North (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 8 May 2012 15:24 (1 year ago) Permalink

Description and example here:

http://www.thelmagazine.com/newyork/achieving-pure-baldessari-at-the-met/Content?oid=1794006

― Scott, bass player for Tenth Avenue North (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 8 May 2012 15:27 (1 year ago) Permalink

v cool. Done in 1969.

― a la bouquet marmoset (Austerity Ponies), Tuesday, 8 May 2012 15:35 (1 year ago) Permalink

― dayo, Thursday, 17 May 2012 19:32 (1 year ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

Thomas Kinkade's real home, currently held hostage by girlfriend. If you like real estate drama...

― โตเกียวเหมียวเหมียว aka Italo Night at Some Gay Club (Mount Cleaners), Monday, 20 August 2012 17:05 (9 months ago) Permalink

awesome

― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 20 August 2012 17:09 (9 months ago) Permalink

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