The Joy of Hating on Thomas Kinkade
It’s articles like this one in the LA Times that make it so easy to hate Thomas Kinkade’s product: (Thanks, Chap)
The FBI is investigating allegations that self-styled “Painter of Light” Thomas Kinkade and some of his top executives fraudulently induced investors to open galleries and then ruined them financially, former dealers contacted by federal agents said.
Shifting gears, let’s take a moment to contemplate two of his products, “Lakeside Manor” (subtitle: “Mansions in Paradise I”) and “Mountain Paradise”. Got them open? Ok. Do you like scenes with…
- Colorful trees?
- That a-thunderstorm-just-rolled-through-at-sunrise/set look?
- Pretty, unnaturally blue water that shifts from unruly to placid just in time to reflect the subject of the scene?
- Green grass that’s wild and sprawling, but needs no mowing because it grows to a perfect length by the grace of God?
- A meandering path that you’re standing on and crosses…
- A beautiful bridge that leads to…
- A lovely house with every window ablaze as if there were a party inside, but strangely (or thankfully) there are no people around?
…then you’ll love one of these two products! Both have all of those great elements, so there’s no compromising! And, if you don’t like the rustic cabin (Unpleasant mildew problems?), we have the displaced country club mansion available, too!
Let me tell you what a big fan I am of “Sunrise Chapel”. It even comes with justification, as if to suggest this is not just another pretty scene. Kinkade’s pitch:
In “Sunrise Chapel” I’ve created a radiant metaphor for the Lord’s tender mercies that reward a faithful life.
And:
I’ve employed my most dramatic color scheme in years to suggest the radiance of God’s love.
Really. Because I’ve got to tell you, unless “Sunrise Chapel” just happens to be the first of your green-blue-pink-yellow phase, I’m not seeing it. I’m also not trained in the arts. So maybe that’s it. But if I buy this for my home (thanks for helping me visualize it on my wall — it will really brighten up the area above that chair rail!), it will be so nice to have a story to tell about it. I’ll charm my guests with, “You know, this one is such a radiant metaphor for the Lord’s blah blah blah faithful life blah blah and the color scheme! Talk about breaking new ground!”
Well, that’s probably enough sarcasm for one blog post. Clearly, Kinkade is a talented painter, and he has intelligently developed a product line that sells well. It’s difficult to explain the distinction, but in my opinion his products are not art, and I have yet to see any evidence that he is an artist. I shudder to think of the scores of people who have dumped their money into his manufactured (on several levels) feel-good wall-hangings. It’ll run you $795 to celebrate Kinkade’s “radiant metaphor for the Lord’s tender mercies”, unframed, on your wall.
At least the Lighting the Way Home Family Bible is reasonably priced (well, on Amazon anyway). I’ll admit that the average tissue paper bible pages could use some “dramatic color,” which the reader will surely consume in the course of this good book. 4.48 pounds of religion and light! Who actually wants this thing?! Oh:
I bought this bible for a wedding gift. I wasn’t sure how it would be taken, since the couple were not very religious. I thumbed through the bible when I received it. Wow. It is very beautifully done. It has many of Kinkade’s artwork throughout the bible with scripture making it enjoyable to look at. The bible also has a sleeve for inserting a wedding photo, as well as a family tree. Well, the bible got rave reviews from the couple. They’ve been showing it off to everyone. Now the bride’s future sister-in-law hopes to get one as a gift at her wedding in June. (Review on Amazon.)
I can’t even fathom this.
Then there’s this hearty display of vapidity:
… this is not a fair review because I have not seen the Bible yet. However, I do know Kincade’s work and absolutely loves it and enjoy it very much. I try real hard to purchase what ever I see his handwork on. … (A 3 star review on Amazon.)
While I applaud her having the sense to give it 3 stars sight-unseen, she is also an unfortunately apt illustration of what I imagine the majority of his fan base to be. Hopefully her inability to spell her idol’s last name will not inhibit the future consumption of Kinkade products.
August 31st, 2006 at 10:14 am
Hahaha! Yes! Let the Kinkade bashing begin! Whoring art and religion in mass produced quanities for money is double whammy, especially when it is reduced to color changing coffee mugs.
August 31st, 2006 at 10:18 am
Working at a card/gift shop as I do, I am subject to Kinkade’s products every holiday season. Take all the wonderful “glory” and great “color schemes” and add copious amounts of cheap glitter that gets all over your clothes and in your eyeballs. Also add customers who are looking for the “one that has the church on the hill,” which, somehow, is slightly different from the church with the lamp post. I’m a little tired of Kinkade, at this point.
Thanks to my grandmother, though, one Christmas I was the lucky recipient of a Thomas Kinkade coffee mug. It looks sad and dreary until… oh, wonder of wonders! Put hot coffee in it and the WINDOWS LIGHT UP to look like every single freakin’ other painting the man’s peons have ever produced.
Needless to say, the mug is long gone.
August 31st, 2006 at 10:34 am
It has been noted, however, that Kinkade works are more than beautiful dipictions of God’s efforts. His paintings are, in fact, a hidden litmus test and that if you do not feel the tingle of emotional goosebumps on adjusting the rheostat that dims the light above a Kinkade on display in your local shopping mall, you may want to review your standings with the big guy upstairs. Those that pass the test see more to the prints, more “light”, than you might. Do you only see a mere cabin with highly saturated colors at sunset? Don’t panic! Step back from the franchise and grab a refreshing Orange Julius from next door to relax with — you simply need to attend church more often before you can truly see in Kinkade what makes so many others rate unseen works with three or more stars on Amazon.
August 31st, 2006 at 3:45 pm
I dont read this blog too much, but I have to say that I am somewhat angered by what I have read. It is clear to me that some people don’t understand, or appreciate good art when one sees it. Regardless if it is mass produced or not. Who cares? If Thomas Kinkade wants to give credit to his creator for giving him the talent and inspiration to paint all of his art so be it. Is it repedative? Of course, but so was Van Gough, Michanglo etc…. Kinkade practices Impressionism, and he’s damn good at catching the lighting references of his ideas and conceptions. But for someone who doesn’t know the man personally, and to publicly bash him for his “religious beliefs” is a Low place to go. Let Kinkade live with his religious beliefs because if he is or isn’t sincere he’ll have to answer To his creator in the end. And if he did swindel folks out of money — then he needs to serve his time , and go back to doing what he does best — Paint awesome scenes regardless of how much it cost, and give it to the public. I think every single one of you are jealous of his talent because he’s one of the only few who can do what he does. So shame on you!!!
August 31st, 2006 at 5:26 pm
Mia — That mug may have been valuable someday!
Vince — You may have hit the nail on the head… ;)
Anonymous — I’m glad I held back a little! I’m not sure which among us you were addressing, but for the record I thought his work was kitsch before I had any idea what he did with his Sundays. What I take issue with is his company marketing his product as if it were actually collectable original art. If I wanted to celebrate God’s creation with my paintings, Anonymous, I wouldn’t charge hundreds of dollars for what is essentially a print.
As for our alleged jealousy, who wouldn’t like to be able to paint like Kinkade? As I stated in my post, he’s very talented, but he’s not exactly pushing the envelope! I took the time to write this post not because I’m jealous, but because it disappoints me that so many people seem to have no interest in challenging themselves with art.
We can speculate that he is a true artist and he secretly loathes constructing these saccharine-soaked scenes, but does it to pay for his kids’ schooling. As pure speculation, however, it’s meaningless. It’s my opinion that his current work is the equivalent of a sanitized Britney Spears album: it’s designed to sell.
Thanks for reading.
August 31st, 2006 at 6:01 pm
“What I take issue with is his company marketing his product as if it were actually collectable original art. If I wanted to celebrate God’s creation with my paintings, Anonymous, I wouldn’t charge hundreds of dollars for what is essentially a print.” - from Adam above.
Market demand dictates what amount the company prices the paintings to sell. Marketing strategy determines what sells the best, and if marketing these paintings as collectable original arts works, then that is their selling strategy. Seems to me that you do not prefer the art and the company’s methods as do the buyers who purchase it. That’s fine, for I do not think every singer who has won a Grammy deserves it, and therefore, I do not purchase their albums.
As far as the article, I was searching to see if other papers had an article on the subject, but came up empty. I do not trust the slant of the LA Times and would like to read further.
August 31st, 2006 at 6:23 pm
Susan — I agree. The price must be right for the market.
It is interesting that “Kim Christensen, Times Staff Writer” seems to be responsible for the vast majority of articles that tell of Kinkade’s troubles (even those prior to this), as far as I’ve been able to find. And all other articles seem to be piggybacking on the same content through AP or UPI news wires.
August 31st, 2006 at 7:18 pm
Well I must say that from your prespective you’ve spent countless hours in the art studio slaving over your latest creation. As far as his marketing strategy I don’t blame him for “designing to sell” because if someone is trying to sale something and it looks like garbage no one will buy it. Which results in lots of wasted time and energy. I think your jealous that he does what he does, and as far as challenging a veiwer of art, Kinkade doesnt need to do that. Art is not about challenging someone it’s about evoking emotion and getting a reaction, and from the looks of your blog I think Kinkade won, and he got a reaction out of you. Even if it was a negetive one.
And to say Brittney Spears is a peer of KinKade’s is ridicuals!!!
August 31st, 2006 at 8:36 pm
Anonymous, I find it amusingly appropriate that you have taken such offense to me expressing my opinion about Kinkade, and that you are unable to understand my comparison between Spears and Kinkade on an abstract level.
As you seem bent on attacking what I’ve created here (and my subsequent, unrelated post), according to your logic I should draw the conclusion that you’re jealous of my abilities, no?
August 31st, 2006 at 9:21 pm
Vince (from above) tipped me to this great quote, apparently from Joan Didion’s book, “Where I Was From”:
Source: Wikipedia: Thomas Kinkade
September 1st, 2006 at 6:48 am
There are a couple of interesting tid-bits at the end of the Kinkade Wikipedia article that I’m surprised no one has pointed out yet:
And almost equally as bizarre:
I do not like Thomas Kinkade or his product. I think that he mass-markets bland, uninspired pap as art (with a super-saccharine coating of supposed religious inspiration to boot). I will not argue, though, that he does not have the right to do it - if it works for him that’s fine, I still don’t like it. I do have to admit finding great amusement in how un-christian this supposed christian “painter of light” behaves in business. I think it peels back that saccharine layer to reveal his true nature.
February 12th, 2007 at 4:34 am
You must be one bitter, completely worthless person to put so much effort into criticizing someone’s work
February 12th, 2007 at 9:48 am
Hahahahahahahahahaha. Thank you, Anonymous.