Posted on 06/16/2010 4:14:36 AM PDT by Loyalist
The painter of light has entered a dark period. Thomas Kinkade, the self-proclaimed (and trademarked) Painter of Light, is beset with legal troubles. Several years ago, art gallery owners successfully sued his Kinkades Media Arts Group for millions after it was revealed that he and company officials used invoked God and their higher calling to hide the financial risks of the investments.
The settlement put such a strain on his company that earlier this month, he filed for bankruptcy protection from his hundreds of other creditors. Adding to his woes, the artist was arrested on a DUI charge outside his home in Carmel, California.
What sets this news apart from similarly tragic human interest stories is that Kinkade is one of the most financially successful artists in the world. As his website proclaims, Kinkade is Americas most collected living artist. He has sold over ten million works and his art or licensed product (which includes wallpaper, tableware, stationary, and La-Z-Boy chairs and sofas) is estimated to be in one in ten homes in the United States. He has even inspired a novel (Cape Light), a TV-movie (Home for Christmas), and planned communities (The Gates of Coeur dAlene in Coeur dAlene, Idaho, and The Village at Hiddenbrooke outside of San Francisco, and others).
His admirers are legion, especially among evangelical Christians. As an evangelical, I was aware that he was popular but had no idea how much religious devotion he inspired until I expressed my disapproval of the artists oeuvre.
....
No doubt many people who would praise a rich, popular, establishment-approved hack like Andy Warhol despise Kinkade for being a rich, popular, evangelical-approved hack. But I think a solid case against Kinkade can be made on purely aesthetic criteria, especially when you compare his work to a superior artist.
(Excerpt) Read more at firstthings.com ...
I guess I’m just used to seeing most FReepers good naturedly provide links when possible. I always do. :~)
Good natured?
Mmmmm——I dont pass that test (/snix).
You could. :~D lol
but to be honest...many of these modern histiorical fellers are more illustrators than anything...but so was Russell so one could do worse eh?
I have a print of this one in my home by the same artist. I love it.
That is a lovely scene. Especially with the moonlight breaking through...
Interesting how the background has very little detail and brings the focus to the center with the Indian applying paint to the other Indian. Very nice...
BTTT
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