"They're just slandering Kinkade because he actually has talent, a rare trait in today's artistic world. You're not supposed to be successful unless you do something avant- garde, like bescumber a painting of Mary or pour paint haphazardly on a canvas from a ladder. The Dadaists' proclamation that "art is shit" turned out to be quite a self-fulfilling prophecy."
Speaking as an artist, I take GREAT exception to this - the guy is a hack. Great marketer, but a hack artist, period. His "art" is in the same vain as the guy who painted the "happy trees" - simplistic, mechanical exercises in fluff and cliche. His "art" is sappy, cliched, his colors atrocious, his skill at composition stilted and jueveniile, and his use of light and shadow clumsy and contrived. High school art students can outpaint him, and do.
There are real artists out there who should be wealthy beyond their means, but are ignored. Kinkade simply fills a niche, the "interior design art" field, ie. they're tailored to match your couch. He met the right market at the right time. He will never hang in musuems or galleries (that he doesnt own), and will never be remembered as anything more than a hack painter. His "art" is just offensive to the eye as the dung Madonna, because of how BAD it is, and how much attention he's stolen from real artists.
If you buy his prints, thinking you've made an investment, welcome to the 'A Sucker Is Born Every Day" Club - you been HAD.
I worked in the publishing field with companies that make similar products. These "limited editions" are a sham - they cost a couple dollars to print, and the "limited" nature is that they only print 10,000 AT THAT SIZE - you may have number 578 of 10,000 @ 18x24", but rest assured, they will print it at 5x7" or other sizes, thus dilluting your "limited edition". The even have techniques now to replicate brush strokes on canvas with lamination and inkjet technologies, and they sell these as "painted" by the artist.
I've also heard dark rumors about the guy, and his behavior, and the worst was a rumor that if you were'nt of his faith, forget working with him, or getting a license. Rumor, but from very respectable sources. I had very brief moments where I worked with licensees of his, and they all said he was extremely hard to work with, as he was rude, arrogant, if not downright mean. He puts forth a "gentle Christian" face to the public, but in business, he's a total #@#hole.
Telent, my @#$. He's done more to make art a joke than the fools in the liberal circles who put crucifixes in urine or dung on the Madonna.
He's done more to make art a joke than the fools in the liberal circles who put crucifixes in urine or dung on the Madonna.