get a rope.

[phosfate]

http://www.salon.com/books/feature/2002/03/18/light/index.html

Comments

[theredwitch.livejournal.com]

That guy's art... bothers me. It's like it's all painted for the purpose of looking nice in some rich person's living room, rather than for the sake of art.

[annlarimer.livejournal.com]

Well, other than his work being awful, cliched, nonsensical crap that would be rejected by Hallmark and make the most hardened paperback cover painter die of shame, other than its being marketed as "fine art" to the ignorant and vulnerable with little taste and too much disposable income, and other than the hideous, obsequious marketing machine (including guided tours of Mr K's hometown) that makes Disney look low-key...other than that...oh Hell, he should die on a pike.

Re:

[theredwitch.livejournal.com]

That's a good way of putting it. He's like, the leader of the Genre "Art for rich idiots who know nothing about art." The man is a technically skilled painter, but as far as art goes... I might call him a Bullshit artist, if I was feeling nice. :p

I didn't know it was marketed as fine art. That is a pure bloody outrage.

[finabair.livejournal.com]

Or perhaps not so much disposable income as a level of desperation that makes them throw their money at anything they feel gives them some sort of salvation, or hope, or peace, whether the money is disposable or not? I saw a special on his fans that scared me a great deal once. People going into debt buying more paintings than they have walls to put them on. WHY?!?!??? And keep in mind, I have survived many a fan art auction with a far lesser level of horror.

I actually like his stuff overall, not as "great art" but as, y'know, something brightSHINY - 'cuz he does like brightSHINIES. However the marketing machine scares the bejesus out of me. On the balance, I decided to run the other way when it came down to it. I half expect that if you stripped away the top layer you'd find "666" written all over those things or something.

Or maybe if you played them backwards there would be something revealing...

And here's hoping that certain of my relatives never read this little note!

[annlarimer.livejournal.com]

As they mention in the book review:
...it's the publishing equivalent of Kinkade's paintings, which are sold to the public in the form of mass-manufactured prints customized by "master highlighters" who apply a few dabs of real paint.

The parent and I keep threatening to go visit the local Kincaide outlet and ask rude questions.

[annlarimer.livejournal.com]

There was a 60 Minutes story that, even though a total puff-piece, was absolutely terrifying. I wonder how many of those people think they're getting actual paintings.

Re:

[theredwitch.livejournal.com]

Man, I remember in grade twelve art when my teacher had this rant while showing us a Kinkade catalogue thing.

It's really nice to know there are more people out there who know that the ability to paint with a high degree of realism doesn't make one a "good artist." :)

Some examples of the aforementioned art teacher's work can be found here and here. Mr. McCarthy paints lighthouses too, but his stuff.. is real. He paints things that mean something to him, rather than cheesy crap that will look nice with somebody's new designer furniture. :)

[annlarimer.livejournal.com]

:: gape! ::

Speaking as one who fucking hates paintings of lighthouses...those are really cool! I love the mess-with-your-mind horizon lines and swallowing oceans.

[riverdaughter.livejournal.com]

For the sake of redundancy...

Kinkade bothers me in innumerable ways. Reading that is almost physically painful.

Re:

[theredwitch.livejournal.com]

If I ever see Mister M again I'll tell him you said so. :D

My great uncle was a lighthouse keeper, so I'm inclined to like lighthouses, but Kinkade pisses me off.

[annlarimer.livejournal.com]

Let's kill him.

[riverdaughter.livejournal.com]

Yes. Let's.

[roxann-ireland.livejournal.com]

Rich people don't put shit like that on their walls. Think of the well-to-do WalMart shopper and you've got the demographic. It is to art what Precious Moments^TM sweatshirts are to haute couture.

I paint, and that crap just makes me want to perform "impromptu performance art," consisting of baggies full of dogshit and an inordinate amount of rage, in the convention centers and stadiums they tour through selling these things.

[finabair.livejournal.com]

Ick. Isn't that kinda cruel to the baggies?

[roxann-ireland.livejournal.com]

If he can call our suffering his art, I can call the suffering of poor innocent baggies my art.

[nimrodel.livejournal.com]

actually, I was thinking he should be put to work in a Guatamalan sweat shop painting Precious Moments figurines. (PUKE!)

[finabair.livejournal.com]

Fair enough - artistic torment may even make some baggies happy, so torture away!

[nimrodel.livejournal.com]

what do you mean almost. Kinkade is vomitrocious.

[riverdaughter.livejournal.com]

Well, I had just taken a lot of ibuprofen.

Re:

[nimrodel.livejournal.com]

ah...so ibuprofen can actually dull that much pain? That's impressive. I was thinking it would take more like....morphine.