Defend the indefensible - Thomas Kinkade

Thomas Kinkade has sold more canvases than any other painter in history--more than Picasso, Rembrandt, Gaughin, Monet, Manet, Renoir and Van Gogh combined.

lol this reminded me of:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF8wLg5Asgo

alleging that he used his Christian faith to fraudulently persuade them to open one of the artist’s “signature” galleries

i wasn't aware christianity could be used like the force to control the weak minded. oh wait...

~~ Do you know the Symbols? ~~

Thomas Kinkade includes a Bible reference John 3:16 on every painting and a fish (ichthus -a Christian symbol) with his signature

He imbeds The letter N on every canvas in honor of his wife's name, Nanette. The number of Ns is indicated below the original oil signature in the lower right or left hand corner of the painting. The painting with the most hidden Ns is Golden Gate Bridge (144) and the smallest is Silent Night (2).

Bird/Eagle = peace and freedom

The "light" in the paintings = "represents God's presence and influences". It also "illuminates and guides."

Smoke of a chimney = warmth of home

Lights on in the houses = family values

Any type of movement = constant changes in life

Lamp post/light post = Reminds us to share the light or to light our way. Also, welcoming friends and loved ones

Boat = adventure

Pathways, Trails & Tracks = path of life. Also the paths are lit so God can show us the way.

Stairways = Struggles through life

Bridges = Cross over from dark to light

Gates = many passages we face in our lives everyday and the many discoveries we have yet to make. It also can mean that heaven is open to all that is faithful. They are open to welcoming us in to a house or even heaven.

Windmills = biblical symbol for the untamed human spirit.

Clouds = represents the live that have passed

Dogwoods = There is a story that has been passed down for generation regarding this dogwood. Supposedly during Jesus' time, the dogwood was a strong, thick, and straight tree. When Jesus was crucified on this tree, God cursed it into a weak and crooked tree so that no man could ever be crucified on it. When the tree blossoms, there are five petals on the flower symbolizing the five piercing. The center of the flower is a red representing the blood of Jesus. Pink dogwood represents passion, white for purity.

God cursed it into a weak and crooked tree

what an arsehole

i mean it didn't even have a choice...

"so what tree shall we build this cross to crucify the son of god out of?"
"oooh pick me pick me!"

I believe The Dream of the Rood has a different story. I'm with ledge, here – God shouldn't curse a tree for the work of "fiends" that it had no say in.

I can't hate Thomas Kinkade – without him, the world would never have had "The Christmas Cottage," his insanely bad/entertaining Christmas/biopic movie. I just imagined, in every seen, the director yelling at Peter O'Toole, "Dodder harder! You're 76, I know you have more doddering in you!" He dodders so hardcore.

'nother good reason not to hate this guy:

In 2006 John Dandois, Media Arts Group executive, recounted a story that on one occasion Kinkade became drunk at a Siegfried & Roy magic show in Las Vegas and began shouting "Codpiece! Codpiece!" at the performers. Eventually he was calmed by his mother.

Thomas Kinkade has found his niche in life, bringing joy into the lives of millions, and in the process sucking so hard that a permanent low pressure area is created anywhere within 100 yards of him.

I can't hate Thomas Kinkade – without him, the world would never have had "The Christmas Cottage," his insanely bad/entertaining Christmas/biopic movie. I just imagined, in every seen, the director yelling at Peter O'Toole, "Dodder harder! You're 76, I know you have more doddering in you!" He dodders so hardcore.

― breaking that little dog's heart chakra (Abbott), Sunday, June 6, 2010 11:54 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

<3

Ladies and gentlemen... SCHADENFREUDE

MONTEREY, Calif. – Authorities say California artist Thomas Kinkade spent a night in jail after being arrested on suspicion of drunken driving.
California Highway Patrol officials said Monday that Kinkade was pulled over outside Carmel and arrested by a CHP officer just after 10 p.m. Friday
CHP Officer Robert Lehman says the 52-year-old Kinkade was booked into the Monterey County Jail on suspicion of misdemeanor drunken driving. He was released Saturday morning.

Kinkade is famous for his paintings of cottages, country gardens and churches in dewy morning light.

The Thomas Kinkade Co. said in a statement it was reviewing the allegation. The company noted it wasn't speaking on behalf of the artist, and said Kinkade has been advised by his lawyer not to comment.

...and the mugshot!

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100615/capt.f199ebb360f24ce9a958436990feb2ee-f199ebb360f24ce9a958436990feb2ee-0.jpg

otherworldly soulpatch.

eagerly anticipating the 'shops coming out of this story

kinkade prison-tats

tiny sliver of dewy morning soft light coming in through prison bars

the celestial blaze of christ's love

In 2006 John Dandois, Media Arts Group executive, recounted a story that on one occasion ("about six years ago") Kinkade became drunk at a Siegfried & Roy magic show in Las Vegas and began shouting "Codpiece! Codpiece!" at the performers. Eventually he was calmed by his mother.[26] Dandois also said of Kinkade, "Thom would be fine, he would be drinking, and then all of a sudden, you couldn't tell where the boundary was, and then he became very incoherent, and he would start cussing and doing a lot of weird stuff."[26]

Kinkade is famous for his paintings of cottages, country gardens and churches in dewy morning light.

something about this sentence is hilarious to me

nice mugshot. i seriously would never have imagined he looked like that.

people interested in the dogwoods story should listen to "three dogwoods" by nick charles, on stax volt weirdly enough. it's sung from the POINT OF VIEW OF THE DOGWOOD.

I'm amazed he was able to pull off a double life as lead singer of Smash Mouth for this long without anyone noticing.

That SHIRT

Button-Down of Light

he looks like he should be managing a boy band or something

so for some reason Kinkade reminds me of my friend's father, who is a weirdo hippie Christian dude who writes speciality inspirational poems. http://poemsbydanny.com/index.php

Ladies and gentlemen... SCHADENFREUDE

follow-up: Thomas Kinkade's new Christmas cottage is a California jail cell

guy just seems like a dumb drunk tbh

An analysis of the Thomas Kinkade calendar for March.

anthony e's semi-defense of kinkade upthread is totally interesting and almost works but ugh ugh puke thomas kinkade almost makes me regret that visual art even exists

RIP big guy. you're in pastel saturated highlighted heaven now.

HA, I was going to make a spurious joke wondering if he'd overdosed yet

http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2012-04/69261538.jpg

http://3weirdsisters.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/chthulu-thomas-kinkade-lighthouse1.jpg

Spokesman says death was caused by "what appeared to be natural causes"

Good job Cthulhu!

"curious amount of seawater in his lungs"

Natural Causes at the age of 54? Do we need to speculate on what he'd been consuming/inhaling?

R.I.P. sweet prints

The Los Angeles Times has reported that some of Kinkade's former colleagues, employees, and even collectors of his work say that he has a long history of cursing and heckling other artists and performers. The Times further reported that he openly groped a woman's breasts at a South Bend, Indiana sales event, and mentioned his proclivity for ritual territory marking through urination, once relieving himself on a Winnie the Pooh figure at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim while saying "This one's for you, Walt."[27][28]

Lol

When's the documentary coming out?

In 2006 John Dandois, Media Arts Group executive, recounted a story that on one occasion ("about six years ago") Kinkade became drunk at a Siegfried & Roy magic show in Las Vegas and began shouting "Codpiece! Codpiece!" at the performers.

Who among us cannot relate to that?

me and Beth were wandering around Palm Springs about midnight and came upon a Kinkade shop, with a lit painting in the window of a birds-view of lower Manhatten, with a huge billowing American flag in the foreground, like a birthday cake that Miss America was about to burst out of. It was so shamelessly patriotic, and the sugary colors so fetching, I couldn't decide what I felt-- a mixture of disgust, longing (or something), giggles, and wanting to smash the window. It uccurs to me now that he and Jeff Koons are like soul brothers of kitsch-- one is commenting on it, the other embodies it. Two sides of the same coin. Kinkade is heads to Koons tail.

OTM

http://www.register123.com/event/accounts/register123/disney/disneyland/events/kinkade2005/kinkade1.jpg

#OccupyDisney
Oil on Canvas, 2012

http://michaeljameshawk.com/blog1/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/db_make_a_wish_cottage_thomas_kinkade1.jpg

Truth Only Arrives at the Moment of Slaughter
Oil on Canvas, 1993

lol Eazy

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/559772_10151501850225647_733810646_24279281_1098897222_n.jpg

40 Acres and a Mule (for Tompkins Square)
Oil on canvas, 1989

I really like his paintings.

i don't really like his paintings, but i always found it odd that so many made such a big deal out of loathing him. his paintings strongly resemble the little cast resin faerie cottages for sale in gift shops everywhere, and no one seems to harbor any special hatred for those. nor has he enjoyed anything like dale chihuly's undeserved acceptance in the fine art world. his work is pretty, quaint, comforting, completely unpretentious, distinctive & well-executed, pretty much entirely vacant, and undeniably kitschy. not my thing, but nothing to which i feel the need to object strenuously.

people don't loathe him, people loathe his target demographic

i mean, i know it's the conservative blandness, simpering "charm" and obvious christian pandering that gets people's dander up, but it's never bugged me much. then again, i never knew much about kinkade, other than the tales of drunken shenanigans. he could have been some foaming fundie racist for all i know...