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Posted on 03/24/2006 6:35:10 PM PST by aculeus
Entrepreneur artist who hangs in one in 20 US homes accused of fraud and drunken antics
"There's over 40 walls in the average American home," a business manager for the artist Thomas Kinkade once said, "and Thom says our job is to figure out how to populate every single wall in every single home and every single business throughout the world with his paintings."
Kinkade's luridly idyllic landscapes, full of quaint cottages and glowing firelight, already hang in an estimated one in 20 US homes. "In the often hurried, unsympathetic and complex world we live in, the images Thomas Kinkade paints offer a place of refuge," his company's literature purrs. "A place where the transient things of life give way to the things that matter most ... faith and family, a loving home and the people who know and love us."
Art critics have long dismissed his work as a kitsch crime against aesthetics. But now the world has grown even more "unsympathetic and complex" for the artist, who describes himself as a devout Christian and has trademarked his "Painter of Light" soubriquet. In court documents and other testimony, he has been accused of sexual harassment, fraudulent business practices and bizarre incidents of drunkenness including a habit of "ritual territory marking" that involves urinating in public places.
'Misleading picture'
A court-appointed arbitration panel has ruled in favour of two former owners of Kinkade-branded galleries, ordering his company to pay them $860,000 (£500,000) for breaching "the covenant of good faith and dealing" and failing to disclose pertinent business information.
(Excerpt) Read more at arts.guardian.co.uk ...
That is a pretty bad painting, I'll have to agree but maybe the artist got better, this might be the first thing he ever did. I remember years ago I threw out some paintings that were hopelessly bad. I saw the garbage truck driver lovingly put one in the cab of his truck. I cringe when I think of it hanging over someones sofa and I hope I hadn't signed it.
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That's what gets me. People paying four figures for a pretend "limited edition "print of a work that can be outshined by your typical local artist's work. And at 1/10th the price.
I mean, some of Kinkade's pics aren't awful and the colors don't make me puke. But I bet there is someone in every neighborhood in America that can do as good or better.
But noooo, for some, it's either overpriced Kinkade schlock or tin cans.
that is just disturbing...ew
It must be a perfect Kinkade world?
It looks familiar because he's gotten so commercial he's on every piece of crap you can imagine.....
Norman Rockwell was a master on every level, content, composition, draughtsmanship and brushwork. I don't think I have ever seen an original and I'm not even sure of his medium but I never get tired of looking at his paintings. I was tired of Kinkade after looking at the first one.
Thank you. I've always wondered what she was doing in a dress crawling in the grass. ;-)
I am at work. The company has the word 'cottage' in their name. I had to show it to my boss. We both laughed until we cried. One of the funniest things I have ever seen.
That work of art just made me too dam happy
You did your part for humanity ...and you made the garbageman happy
I like the 'lighthouse under attack by cthulhu' the best.
My answer to your question is, "None of the above." Don't care for Warhol (although the guy could actually paint when he felt like it).
LOL! Saw that when I was showing lighthouse-with-cthulu to my daughter (a Lovecraft fan).
What I like about this is that amazingly enough work actually seems to be getting done:
Perfect! Look at that butt, and he's not paying attention. Gaydar on?
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