Dark Portrait of a 'Painter of Light'

latimes. ^ | March 5, 2006 | Kim Christensen

[tbird5]

Christian-themed artist Thomas Kinkade is accused of ruthless tactics and seamy personal conduct. He disputes the allegations.

Thomas Kinkade is famous for his luminous landscapes and street scenes, those dreamy, deliberately inspirational images he says have brought "God's light" into people's lives, even as they have made him one of America's most collected artists.

A devout Christian who calls himself the "Painter of Light," Kinkade trades heavily on his beliefs and says God has guided his brush — and his life — for the last 20 years.

"When I got saved, God became my art agent," he said in a 2004 video biography, genteel in tone and rich in the themes of faith and family values that have helped win him legions of fans, albeit few among art critics.

But some former Kinkade employees, gallery operators and others contend that the Painter of Light has a decidedly dark side.

[spectre]

Mama, I think commercialization of Thomas Kincade is no different than that of Norman Rockwell. I have a wonderful miniature plate collection of his, "Enchanted Seasons" cottages, complete with it's own wall display cabinet. (I'm into plates)..

Another artist I admire is Pati Bannister. I feel in love with her work years ago. She works out of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and I did buy one of her pieces for my dining room.

You might check out some of art for sale on EBAY, if you don't know her yet.

sw

[confederacy of dunces]

I love Rothko too.

Do you know the works of Lawrence Calcagna (I may have misspelled that)? He's a (deceased) (considered a) Santa Fe artist. Some of his work is in a similar vein to that of Rothko.

[Miss Marple]

Good for you! My sister has a large doll collection (mostly dolls of the 40's and 50's) but she has given up collecting any more because she doesn't have room to display them. I will pass on what you do as a suggestion to her.

I happen to collect Department 56 Village houses. I buy them because I like setting up a miniature Dickens village every Christmas, not for investment.

[Richard Kimball]

I've heard great things about that show.

[Taffini]

My walls are covered with my own paintings, not pro quality but they are beautiful and they are MINE!


Let us see some to that art. Really.

[linda_22003]

I'm embarrassed to think how many years ago it was - I was only a couple of years out of college, so it must have been around '78 or so. The fact that it has stayed in my memory all of this time says something about the power of the show - and certainly about the Guggenheim as a venue!

[hellinahandcart]

note, these are my beliefs and are universally laughed at by most art critics

I wouldn't laugh at them. I think that's a very intuitive assessment.

[Xenalyte]

I adore the MOBA! Here's its best-known work, Lucy in the Field with Flowers:

[linda_22003]

Thank you for the link! I'm trying to figure in my head the tax deduction for donating the entire body of my mother-in-law's work......

[MamaB]

We have a few different doll artists but most are by Lee Middleton. She made wonderful baby dolls. I have not bought any since Jan died in 2004. I would love to have a display case large enough to display them. We also collected a lot of Barbies. We especially liked the Angel ones. I will probably keep the ones we liked but get rid of all of the rest of the Barbies. I would have to have a whole room to display all of them. We also collected Precious Moments until hubby got his 62" tv and had the sub woofer up so loud that it knocked some of them off a shelf and decapitated them! We were not happy campers! I would pass them along to family members but no one has room for them, either. I do not know what I will do with all of the bride dolls in the collection. Some are not that expensive but were cute.

Our other daughter wants me to get a bunch together and sell them on Ebay. I will just have to wait and see.

[Al Simmons]

DINSDALE?

[wolficatZ]

Hi All-

Very little is reported about his brother, Mr. Reuben Kinkade, the successful 1970's music producer.

 

Nor of his 80's associate and protege, the legendary Bruce Dickerson.

[Al Simmons]

DINSDALE?

[3AngelaD]

I think Kincaid is kitsch, pure and simple. But I don't have a problem with people who enjoy him. Each to his own. People should be allowed to enjoy what ever pleases them, and not have to worry about what the critics think. Along those same lines, he is entitled to make as much money as his talent will allow. If people will pay it, then that is what his work is worth. That said, I love Helen Frankenthaler. Her paintings are curiously soothing, and can be very moving at times. The National Gallery owns several, as does the museum of modern art in Mexico City, and I think even the Reina Sofia in Madrid. I was outraged by gum boy. I would love to be able to get my paws on even one of Frankenthaler's prints, and perhaps I will sometime soon.

[Sam Cree]

"And you think that on the basis of an article in the L.A. Times."

No, I've been aware of the guy for awhile. The very first time I saw some examples of his work in a magazine, the stuff struck me as insincere. He's not without skill, but I haven't found reason to change my original assessment.

I'm slightly shocked at the tremendous wealth he's apparently been able to amass, or commercial success - off the cuff, I'd give the modern art world and its academics partial credit for that, since they've done what they can to suppress realism the last 50 or so years. People probably hunger for its return, and not having had the chance to see much good realism, and tell good realism when they see it, can't get enough of whatever can be successfully marketed. In this case, insincere junk.

I don't know if it's been said on the thread yet, but the term "con artist" seems made just for this guy.

[Guenevere]

Well, that may be....

..and like I said, and I did say this...

..if he's a charlatan or just very disingenuous...

..it will all come out!

[TomSmedley]

Actually, he's a mormon rather than a Christian, isn't he

No, he isn't.

Abject public apology offered for carelessly slandering a religious group I disagree with ...

but tarring them with the wrong brush does little for the cause of truth between people. Thanks for your clarification.

[AnAmericanMother]

"Man Proposes, God Disposes" was in the Five Rings show in Atlanta for the '96 Olympics - that was a great event.

[AnAmericanMother]

You've hit Burne-Jones off exactly . . . well done!

I really like your pastel portrait . . .

(I dabble in watercolor, but I never show them to ANYone. Maybe in another 30 years, when I've improved a little bit . . . but my parents live on the GA coast, and I have the time of my life going after those infinite shades of sky and water.)

[Heyworth]

There was another TV painter, a German or Austrian guy who Bob Ross "borrowed" his technique from that used to "fire it into zie booshes" (the paint or whatever). That was a running joke between my ex wife and me.

"Und zen ve go in vit the Magic Vite." What was that guy's name?