Artist Thomas Kinkade under FBI investigation, ex-dealers say

Fresno Bee ^ | August 29, 2006 | RACHEL KONRAD

[jdm]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The FBI is investigating "Painter of Light" Thomas Kinkade and company executives over allegations that they fraudulently induced investors to open galleries, then ruined them financially.

Relying on information from former Kinkade dealers contacted by federal agents, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday that the FBI is focusing on issues raised in civil litigation by at least six former Thomas Kinkade Signature Gallery owners.

At least 10 former dealers in Michigan, Virginia and other states have alleged in arbitration claims that Kinkade - a California native beloved by some but reviled by the art establishment - exploited his Christianity to persuade people to invest in the galleries, which sell only Kinkade's work.

[pierrem15]

Yup. Here it is:

USC 555.1212 "Exploitation of Christianity for commercial gain by any party in an interstate transaction shall be a felony punishable by a fine of $10,000 and 1 year of public ridicule (or both) for those stupid enough to fall for it."

Best part is, it's a self-executing legal code.

[ccmay]

Why would this hack need to swindle investors? He is already swindling millions just by selling the cheesy, kitschy crap he churns out, separating every Lutheran grandma in the Midwest from her Social Security money.

I am all for a return to representational art and even realism. I like Norman Rockwell well enough. I am not some kind of artsy fartsy pomo poseur who thinks nothing is art unless it's "provocative" or "transgressive". I don't even have that much interest in art, but I know schlock when I see it. Kincaid is schlock and crap and bilge.

-ccm

[sinanju]

I've never had anything against Kinkade's professed values or his choice of subjects. That does not change the fact that his stuff absolutely SUCKS! Especially the assembly-line nature of the work. A Thomas Kinkade original is a mass-produced piece that he spends about one minute touching up with a few brush strokes.

The only decent works of his are his shameless knock-offs of the early-to-mid nineteenth-century "Hudson River" style paintings.

If you want some good all-american heartland genre paintings I recommend the little-remembered work of such masters as Grant Wood, Thomas Hart Benton and John Stuart Curry (the so-called "regionalists"). There are many more where they came from.

[originalbuckeye]

'Schlock, crap and bilge'.

Succinct! Bravo!

[Invisible Gorilla]

Ordinarily there shouldn't be laws against bad art, but Kinkade is extraordinarily bad.

[Sir Gawain]

I feel safer from terrorists already!

[dennis1x]

i like his stuff, especially the winter scenes.

sounds like small business owners that went under (most do) just need someone to blame. doubt much comes of this.

[Al Simmons]

You know, I won't go through all the details of our sour little experience with Kincade's little ponzi scam (after all, we just massively overpaid for a few nice but basically worthless prints, which OBTW were sold via massive misrepresentation as to their future value by his galeries);

all I will say is: "If it true, it couldn't have happened to a nicer fellow!"

Kincade basically figured out a legal way to "print money" by charging hundreds of dollars for worthless prints of his hackwork. But it looks like he might have gotten a bit too greedy.

This man is the QUINTESSENTIAL example of a "Born Again FAKER!". One of his prints (circa 1994) came with a videotape where he showed his style, and talked about God and how he was using his art to promote His Kingdom - and then in the next scene he briefly displayed about a half dozen classic cars from his "collection" hobby.

On top of that he is apparently also a foul-mouthed drunk according to newsreports from about a year ago.

He is just a fat, disgusting, low-talent, good-for-nothing, fake Christian flim-flam artist (ah, there is a "talent" that he was really good at - for a while anyhow).

And that's my opinion, and if you don't like it, I feel sorry for you because it means that he's still got the wool pulled over your eyes.

[beckysueb]

i like his stuff, especially the winter scenes. sounds like small business owners that went under (most do) just need someone to blame. doubt much comes of this.

I like his stuff, too.

[gcruse]

From the article:

"Earlier this year, Kinkade signed a deal with developers in a northern Idaho resort town to help design five lake-view houses that look like those in paintings such as "Beyond Autumn Gate." The houses start at $4 million."

I may not know art, but I know marketing acumen when I see it.

[JennysCool]

People like Kinkade give real artists a bad name.