Painter (Kinkade) Said to Be Focus of FBI Probe (bilking Christians)

[kskiska]

The FBI is investigating allegations that self-styled "Painter of Light" Thomas Kinkade and some of his top executives fraudulently induced investors to open galleries and then ruined them financially, former dealers contacted by federal agents said.

Investigators are focusing on issues raised in civil litigation by at least six former Thomas Kinkade Signature Gallery owners, people who have been contacted by the FBI said.

The ex-owners allege in arbitration claims that, among other things, the artist known for his dreamily luminous landscapes and street scenes used his Christian faith to persuade them to invest in the independently owned stores, which sell only Kinkade's work.

"They really knew how to bait the hook," said one former dealer who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the case. "They certainly used the Christian hook."

more…
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-kinkade29aug29,0,6796226.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[TomInTib]

1. Ol' "Jesus Rays" is finally getting his just rewards. nt

[benny05]

169. Agree n/t

[Howardx]

2. of course

"It was a program of lies and deception, predicated on Christian values that weren't there,"

[hatrack]

4. To say nothing of the artistic talent that wasn't there

Kinkade - :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

[Atman]

26. He has tremendous artistic talent

He has a horribly fucked up choice of subject matter. I won't rehash my other post on this subject, but Kinkade is anything but talent-less, whether you like his work or not. Which I don't!

[yellowcanine]

71. Kinkaide's "art" is one step up from Elvis "velvet" paintings imo.

Actually I think I would rather have an Elvis velvet painting. At least it is not pretending to be art.

[sofa king]

93. I have an awesome Cherokee Velvet Elvis.

I never had the balls to put it up in my office back at the Indian Affairs law firm, but I should have.

Very much like this, but without the writing:



For the past couple of years, Elvis has been pulling extra duty blocking the fireplace with the broken flue in wintertime.

Edit: if Kinkade painted a velvet Robert Tilton, I'd be tempted to buy that, too.

[Bake]

128. Kinkade a step UP from Velvet Elvis??? NOOOOOOO!!!

Velvet Elvis paintings are a monument of our culture! Even inspired the song Black Velvet!

Sold on a streetcorner near you (if you're in the South).

Bake

[yellowcanine]

170. I retracted it in the text. I would actually rather own a velvet Elvis.

[DebbieCDC]

130. Amen to that

I always referred to Kinkade as the "paint by numbers artist". What a load of crap. I know art is subjective but how anyone could call that shlock "art" is beyond me.

[Kutjara]

3. Call me harsh, but anyone who invests in...

...this appalling crap

http://www.thomaskinkade.com/magi/servlet/com.asucon.ebiz.home.web.tk.HomeServlet

deserves everything they get. This is the kind of shit a Hobbit would hang on their wall.

[countingbluecars]

8. I can't stop laughing!

"This is the kind of shit a Hobbit would hang on their wall."

[donco6]

12. Hey! Stop denigrating Hobbits!

They have way better taste than that.

[Tesha]

173. Until they've smoked a bit too much of the Longbottom Leaf, KWIM?

> Hey! Stop denigrating Hobbits!
>
> They have way better taste than that.

Until they've smoked a bit too much of the Longbottom Leaf,
Know What I Mean? Then it's:

"Hey look at that Kinkaide!"

"Oh wow! It's like the Dragon over the Long Lake, only flamier!"

Tesha

[spindrifter]

18. Please don't insult the Hobbits--it doesn't even have

that much class.

[Anakin Skywalker]

25. Hey, What You Got Against Hobbits, Man?

[Kutjara]

29. I rest my case:

Nice people, them hobbits, but they have terrible taste in art.

[donco6]

33. Rivendell was ELVES man, Jeez.

But Hildebrant is another illustrator I dislike. He did all the Shannara covers. Ugh.

[Kutjara]

41. I know, but the Hobbits just snap this stuff up...

...at Shire fleamarkets. Elvish stuff looks 'exotic' to them. What rubes.

[Spiffarino]

79. Oooh...Candyland!!

:puke:

[newscott]

39. Man those Hildebrandts were just awful.

[momster]

106. Ghastly Hildebrandts on 80's Paperbacks

I remember that Legolas looked like a heroin addict and all the characters were wearing really bad Renaissance-Faire clothing with dags and jags and fey little boots. I read the books in spite of the covers.

[muriel_volestrangler]

49. Not Hobbits - 'Boggies'

see Bored of the Rings: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bored_of_the_Rings

Now, they did have comically bad taste.

[Maeve]

99. Now THAT was a great parody!

"Furry toes! Ooo, I LOVE furry toes!" she purred.....

[jokerman93]

134. yeah maybe

great weed though...
:evilgrin:

[Lisa]

55. I suspect Bilbo would have preferred antique maps

After all, he had "quite a collection".

And even the elves would probably have tossed their cookies (or whatever fictional creatures living in woodlands ate) -- I think they would have been into Pre-Raphaelite originals, at the very least. Kinkade is too recent and too derivative.

[JerseygirlCT]

57. That's really, really unfair

to Hobbits.

[Rabrrrrrr]

5. Finally! I know some former gallery owners have been working on

this for years, and many have sued Kinkade. And many of Kinkade's "collectors" have also sued Kinkade for flooding the market and lying about value appreciation of his "art".

The fucking hypocrite piece of shit needs to be taken down hard. As hard as the FBI possibly can take anyone down.

[KamaAina]

24. If he were to come before Judge Rabrrrrrr...

...what punishment would you hand down?

[hunter]

129. Hunter would make him live in one of his own paintings.

But that would be cruel and unusual punishment.

[marions ghost]

147. LOL

perfect justice...:rofl:

[loves_dulcinea]

62. i hate this man's work.

i wonder if it would even appreciate after his eventual death?
i hope not. would serve those fools right.

[Rabrrrrrr]

69. The only reason it ever appreciated to begin with was that he created

the fake market for them.

There are no legitimate art galleries that will ever sell or deal in his work - there is no outside art world in which his paintings are being traded, sold, or bought. The entire market for Kinkade paintings was created by Kinkade, for only his collectors, and it's a total house of straws and it's bogus.

And then he started creating his "limited editions" of thousands, selling them in multitudes of sizes and types of printings, meaning even more thousands of reproductions of the same paintings, and he was doing shitloads of them every year.

It's a totally inbred market; one that Kinkade took unethical advantage of, and now has flooded so much that it can't sustain itself, and pissed off enough "collectors" and "gallery owners" that it's falling apart.

His paintings, and esp. his "limited editions" will never, ever appreciate in value, except maybe in a hundred years if there's a boom in artless kitsch from the 20th century and they become highly demanded for their ironic value to legitimate art collectors.

[marions ghost]

149. well and...

how about his paintings that are certified to have his ?! DNA in them, so you know they weren't forged or painted in Chinese sweatshops?

I imagine his dna was delivered to the factory in an armored vehicle with certificates of authenticity.

[okieinpain]

112. I don't understand why they just can't pray to jesus about it.

[flamingyouth]

6. This doesn't surprise me at all.

However, from what I know of a couple of people who sold his stuff in the '90s, they pretty much willingly went along with all of it when his stuff was selling like crazy.

[stepnw1f]

7. I Despise Artist Hacks Like Him

not only because of him work, but because he uses religion for profit.

And yes... his artwork is shit.

I am an artist myself, and pricks like him give us all a harder time legitimizing what we do for a living.

[Atman]

17. He isn't a hack. He has a lot of talent and technical ability.

Seriously. (Flame suit on)

I HATE his work. But only because of the insidious mall-store lowest-common-denominator subject matter. But is is disingenous to say the man is a hack. He has incredible technical and artist ability. He just chooses to use his talents to produce some of the most hideous schlock crapola the world has ever seen.

All he needs is some puppies with big eyes.

[stepnw1f]

23. Ok... I'll Agree with That

but coming from me, I painted like him when I was a teenager, so that may have something to do with my talent level compared to his own. I just don't like his style at all, and artists I know seriously think his work is crap as well. But you are right, about his technical ability. No flame suit necessary.

[semillama]

118. Me too

That's possibly the worst thing: the complete and utter waste of skill.

[YDogg]

35. I dig puppies and kittens with big eyes!

Fuh shizzle.

[donco6]

38. Actually, as kitsch, this stuff is more collectible.

At least you can get a laugh from people!

[YDogg]

42. Yup. Somewhere around here I have one of the dogs.

Not sure where at the moment, but I grabbed it when we helped a family member move, and it was going to be tossed out. It's too funny, and a cultural touchstone, of sorts. Maybe not too "cultural" -- but I dig the reaction it brings.

[Atman]

47. When I was kid, Winn Dixie gave them away with $X in groceries!

I swear, I had those two big-eyed paintings the other poster put up! I wish I still did.

[YDogg]

63. They are at eBay right now. I'm not the seller ...

... just an art fan.

:bounce:

[Atman]

46. Then you should love this...my very own movie!

Really. Check it out. It's about "Big eyes. Big big eyes!"

It took me six months to create five minutes of animation. I did all my own voices and sound fx, too. It's still barely half done...I ran out of money. I anyone wants "Producer" credits, you can PayPal me a stack of cash!

"BITCH" - The Movie

(Click on the "CLIPS" tab).


.

[sofa king]

94. Dude, that's really cool!

Very, very nice animation. If I had two nickels to rub together, one of 'em would be yours.

[Atman]

109. Thanks...it was a lot of fun to do.

Someday...someday!

[sofa king]

172. I hope you at least have a job doing something like that.

If you don't, I'll bet I can fix you up with one. Seriously--I've already sent your stuff off to some of my pals as a "wow, look at this" sort of thing.

[central scrutinizer]

54. they would be better on black velvet

But still not as good as the poker playing dogs

[Atman]

75. You should see my painting of dogs playing poker with Jesus and Elvis!

It's a classic...on black velvet, with a wormwood frame, even!

[Turbineguy]

76. Yeah....

I like those better too. But then again, I can't afford Rembrandts.

[TexasLawyer]

56. I'm way into patriotic clown art

with a sideline in Precious Moments figurines. Art don't get no better'n this!!!

[loves_dulcinea]

64. clowns scare the crap out of me

[Canuckistanian]

78. Mustn't fall asleep - clown will eat me....

My Mom told me that I used to SCREAM whenever I saw a clown.

I was probably morally offended by the thought of a grown man wearing frilly collars.

[yellowcanine]

105. Kramer on "Seinfield" is terrified of clowns. Funny, funny stuff.

[semillama]

120. That's just astounding

That painting is burned into my retinas from the sheer awesome.

The closest thing I have to it, which I don't have a photo of, is a blown-up photo of Jackie Gleason from a 1970s TV Guide cover shoot.

[acmavm]

66. OMG my Mom had some of that stuff. The ones with little kids looking

'winsome' and whatever.

I hate this Hallmark type art. It's cheesy. (the Kinkaid stuff)

[Spiffarino]

80. Fixed

[bitchkitty]

110. Eeeeeeeeek!

That looks demonic!

[Castilleja]

123. !!!!!! lololol

I may giigle off and on all day over this! Thanks!

[colorado_ufo]

142. ROFL!!!!

[colorado_ufo]

139. Bulging eyes, thin bodies, tired but hyperactive affect -

(note leash chewed through on the runaway dog, cat on a high building ledge): I diagnose Graves Disease. These little guys need a vet to check their thyroid levels.

[donco6]

36. I dunno, I still think he's a hack.

Maybe I have a more liberal definition, but to me a hack is anyone who pushes out crap with little regard for what is being created - in fact, without even caring if something of real value is BEING created at all. What makes him worse is that he presents this greeting card throwaway fare as "collectible" art with appreciating value, when he knows it simply cannot appreciate.

Technical skill - a lot of hack writers know how to string sentences together, but they're still hacks in my book.

[JerseygirlCT]

59. Playing poker. nt

[aaronbees]

67. He may have "technical talent" but

that's not mutually inclusive of artistic talent. Artistic talent shows a flare for vision and saying something interesting through technical means, but he doesn't have that.

Frankly, I'd love to see his gross empire go down in flames.

[Rabrrrrrr]

68. Absolutely! Kinkade is a fantastic graphic designer.

Shitty artist.

Unless one means the art of the scam, in which case he is a towering god.

[LostinVA]

97. Perfect way to put it!

Because, I think he sucks.

[Atman]

114. Hey, don't get me wrong. Of course he sucks.

He's among the very worst, imho. And, being a graphic designer and a painter, I take issue with him being called a good "graphic designer." That crap isn't "graphic design." It is more like "illustration." Certainly not fine art, though.

My point was, whether one cares to admit it or not, Kinkade is a very skilled PAINTER. He knows how to make light actually glow on a canvas. He has a superb command of the brush. But his choice of subject matter sucks ass, make no mistake about it! Many would say Jackson Pollack deserves far less credit as a "painter." But he was a visionary "artist," his art pouring from his soul. Kinkade's art pours from a factory full of low paid production artists, purely for profit. His art is technically brilliant, his motivation, however, is what sucks his work down into the gutter of Holiday Inn sofa-size paintings, none over $49! Except he rips of Christian guppies for far more than $49.

If one believes in hell, this man is on his way!

[marions ghost]

156. you are

equating "art talent" with a technical ability to draw. This is a common misconception. Anyone can learn to draw if they want to. But art talent is another thing altogether. Just like many people can be a competent pianist, but not many are true artists. They may be able to interpret music, but they can't create, they can't become a new voice.

Kinkade fooled a lot of people with his art scam. He got far selling a Walt Disney dream of The Land of Beauty and Peace. It had nothing to do with art. Everything to do with psychology and marketing.
He is a marketing genius, but Kinkade is an artistic hack.

[Atman]

161. Well, no, actually. I'm not.

I've never seen any drawings of Kinkade's actually. I'm not sure how well he handles a pencil or marker. I think YOU are equating mass-market schlock with "no talent." But Kinkade's paintings exhibit a command of composition and use of color that require more than an art school certificate.

I once hired an assistant to work in my studio. I was leery about hiring her for one reason and one reason only...during the interview, she told me that she kind of floundered around in high school until she decided she wanted to go to college to "learn to do art." That was a huge red flag, but she was entry-level, and wouldn't be doing anything but finalizing my work for me, and doing some basic graphics for some of my B clients. She is the "technical" person you are talking about. If I sketched something out for her and gave her the basic parameters and design elements, she could create a perfectly professional looking finished piece. But when I finally started giving her more responsibility to take projects all the way through the process, boy was I surprised. She was taught the technical ability stuff just fine, and knew about paper stocks, blue pencils, paste up, etc, etc...but deep down inside, she wasn't an artist. No artist I've ever met "learned to do art." Art school isn't for people to learn how to paint or draw, it is a place for people already artistically inclined to go to schmooze, learn from peers, discover new techniques, explore new mediums, and drain daddy's bank account. You can learn ABOUT art, but you cannot "learn art."

I recall seeing the Gaugin exhibit in Boston a couple of summers ago. My first impression was -- no, it wasn't *GASP!* These are beautiful!" My first impression was "Holy shit, this guys SUCKS!" Seriously. His paintings look so beautiful on postcards and in coffee table art books simply because they're reduced to often less than 10% of their original size. Illustrators know this very well...work big, because the art always cleans up and tightens up when you reduce it. Gaugin's work was like this, to me. Muddy, dull colors in many of them -- over mixing the paint. Brush strokes that looked straight out of a high school art exhibit. Strange composition and lighting. Maybe the syph was eating away at his brain too much at that point in his career, but of the entire exhibit, very few of the pieces really moved me. I actually prefered the postcards and reduced-sized prints available in the gift shop.

However, I wouldn't dream of calling Gaugin a hack because of it. ALL of his work was filled with passion. It was interesting. It made me want to see more, for reasons I don't even know. I still enjoy looking at his work, and I am glad I saw the real paintings. But no doubt, someone is going to call me crazy for thinking Gaugin's work looked dull and amateurish. But that is ART! It is subjective. You may not like it, but that doesn't make the artist a hack. That makes the artist an artist that you dislike.

Unless, of course, that artist actually IS a hack, a weekend warrior with a gift box of Liquitex and a six-pack of canvas boards purchased from the "ART SUPPLIES & STATIONERY" aisle of Wal Mart. But I stand by my assertion that Kinkade, for all his many faults, is not hack. He just sucks.

[marions ghost]

166. Kinkade took art 101 and that's it

"command of color and composition" is undergrad level.

I know what art school is having been associated with 5 of them at University level (two degrees and teaching). I am writing a book about what it means to study art (seriously). It's one of the few subjects I feel in any way qualified to speak about here at DU, other than what I've seen re. working in elections.

I agree -- "you cannot learn "art." Maybe the difference you and I have is only semantic. I just don't call those with mediocre technical skills and nothing to say--'artists.' You do it seems. There are artists who draw (and paint...let's not quibble) very well realistically that I DO like --obviously I don't need to list them--there are so many and you are probably familiar with them. But Kinkade is not a good realistic artist. Kinkade is a Sunday painter who got an even better gig going than Bob Ross and his happy little accidents. I don't put Sunday painters down at all--it's fun to paint. But I have a LOT more respect for Bob Ross, who got people PAINTING at least...

"With a bushy afro and a calm, soothing voice, Bob Ross taught viewers to paint "happy little trees," "happy little clouds," and "pretty little mountains." On occasion, after cleaning his two-inch brush in paint thinner, he would "beat the devil out of it" and laughingly remark on his enjoyment of that process -- i.e., knocking the paint thinner off the brush by rapping it against the easel. He believed that everyone has inherent artistic talent and, given half an hour, anyone could paint a landscape by following his instructions and words of encouragement, including his popular phrase "we don't make mistakes, we just have happy accidents." The TV series also provided Bob Ross a platform to introduce his own and other people's little rescued "rascals" including squirrels, owls, and robins."

Peace. You're entitled to your opinion & I am to mine. No use arguing semantics :)

[DavidMS]

74. the worst part of such technicaly well done printmaking...

is that it demeans legatamate artists because Kincade claims to be one.

Its like a Currier and Ives print 100 years too late.

[stepnw1f]

108. lol... That's How I and Donna Feel about Kincaid's work

and we are both artists.

[marions ghost]

150. technical screw up --delete

[marions ghost]

151. the problem is

n/t delete

[marions ghost]

152. sorry about that

But I did delete cookies ...

[marions ghost]

153. why did

it hiccup like this?

[marions ghost]

154. dupe delete

[marions ghost]

155. dupe delete

sorry :shrug:

[JerseygirlCT]

58. How about the ones who advertise these big shows at hotels

in the burbs -- with "sofa-size art!"

Yup, that's just how I choose my art -- is it sofa-sized?

[LostinVA]

98. Or people who buy books by the yard -- as long as the bindings

are a certain color?! I worked in a used bookstore part-time on the weekends once, and home-owners and "decorators" would come in and say, "I need ten feet of brown books."

OMG. It was like sacrilege to me.

[JerseygirlCT]

102. Too very strange.

Maybe they just ought to make cardboard with covers in the "right" color that they can insert on their bookcase.

I don't get it.

[LostinVA]

103. I don't get it, either

Books are to be read -- they aren't furniture!!!

[Atman]

115. Actually, they make 'em.

Furniture stores use them all the time...essentially boxes with book spines and covers printed on the sides. Slide the box onto the shelf, viola!, you have a shelf full of "books."

[LostinVA]

117. That appalls me -- I mean, it really, really does

[JerseygirlCT]

121. Oh yeah! Like the fake tvs and pcs, right? LOL nt

[colorado_ufo]

144. Best sellers on the repug list.

How else could you account for the uninformed?

[Castilleja]

125. I have seen that.

In a used book store. I thought it was the weirdest thing I had heard in a while. I mean, why not just get book printed wallpaper. Why decorate with books you don't read? :shrug:

[nosillies]

131. I can't go in my local used bookstore again.

I buy books for decorating -- in specific colors sometimes -- BUT BUT BUT BUT BUT I decorate with books becuase I love them (English major, writer, former teacher, for goodness' sake!) and I actually DO read the ones I decorate with! I just love to look at them in every room, not just my library, and they're my special friends!!!

Now I've been shamed -- I'm scared to go back to my local dealer for fear that he knows what I've been up to.

[marions ghost]

159. LOL

I can believe it...:rofl: Books for decoration...only.

THAT'S what can be done with all those copies of Katherine Harris "Center of the Storm" in the bargain basement:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/B0006IWYSC

[stepnw1f]

107. I Have No Idea What You are Talking About

"sofa-sized" art. What's that?

[JerseygirlCT]

122. There are these really hokey commercials about

"ART SHOWS" -- usually at some local, suburban hotel. They hawk "art in all sizes", and cheap, and one of the big selling points is apparently "sofa-sized art". Yup. I guess you're supposed to buy the art by the dimensions to fit your sofa. Somehow I'm sure you'd find clowns and big-eyed puppies in the mix.

[stepnw1f]

124. Oh Yes... I Have Seen Them Before

ecchhhh..

[tularetom]

9. I always hated that asshole and his shitty paintings but

if he's screwing fundies, I might have to change my opinion of him.....

[pokercat999]

14. He's gone up a step in my book.....lol..........eom

[donco6]

10. THANK GOD!

Does that mean we won't be tortured with those saccharine images of lily-white villages covered in snow, with blonde folk hearkening to the sound of the church bell gently tolling midnight mass?

Ugh - I just retch every time I see one of those pictures. "Painter of Light" my ass. Crap Hack is more like it.

[Atman]

11. Thomas Kinkade is a pox on art in general. A great ZIPPY cartoon...

This is from an actual Zippy The Pinhead cartoon...one of my all-time favorites!

---

ZIPPY buys a "hand-retouched canvas lithograph" by Thomas Kinkade, the Painter of Light (whose name Bill Griffith can't even bring himself to include in the strip).

"He evokes feelings of a simpler mind!" Zippy burbles. "Plus, there's a bit of th' artist's DNA in th' signature!"

Griffy looks up from his copy of Japanese Manhole Cover Art and vomits on the collectible.

"That's OK, Griffy!" Zippy says. "It blends right in to th' golden tones of the sunset. . . . Plus, now it has a little of your DNA!"

Hey, it's an actual joke in Zippy! We didn't nod and half-smile--we chuckled! Thomas Kinkade really is about the lowest common denominator, huh?

---

source


.

[donco6]

16. Griffy puke would actually make the piece interesting.

I see a NY gallery doing a whole show on this. "Reaction to the 'Painter of Light'" coming soon to a Village gallery."

[Atman]

21. That sounds COOL! Got any more info?

What a concept for a show! I'd love to see it! Is it other artists doing their own takes on Kinkades dreck? That could be one of the most entertaining openings I've ever attended. When, man, when? I must know when!

[kskiska]

13. Freeper remark

To: Cecily

I suspect the LA Times inserted the Christian part to emphasize the use of hate-speech tactics according to the experts in hate-speech at the LATimes. The paintings are indeed beautiful. I own a couple of replicas.

9 posted on 08/29/2006 2:43:42 PM PDT by Neoliberalnot

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1692124/posts

[spindrifter]

20. Kinkade replicas??

Maybe he cut them out of Parade magazine ads.

[Atman]

22. She has some Kinkade dinner plates from Parade.

Or maybe it's spoons. Or Hummel figurines.

[marions ghost]

160. OMG

this thread is the best laugh I've had all day...

So now there are Kinkade REPLICAS?

Clones have replicas? :7

[alstephenson]

27. Hilarious!!!

"inserted the Christian part"???? "The paintings are indeed beautiful"!!! Freepers are hilarious!

[DURHAM D]

15. I resent the use of my tax dollars to chase after this snake oil salesman.

Anyone who invested in this guy deserves to lose their money - including members of my own family.

Pathetic, just pathetic.

[iamahaingttta]

19. I bought Sweetie a book of Kincade paintings...

...as a joke!

She laughed and laughed and laughed...

[MissWaverly]

28. Wait, the FBI could not investigate the stolen elections

but they're looking into this? I can't believe it, can these people just simply sue if they
were cheated.

[Anakin Skywalker]

30. CONservatives Love This Kind of Shit

"pure", "moral" arts like Kinkade's. You know, eternally optimistic themes.

Blech!

[donco6]

32. Yes, memories of better times . . .

back when the women-folk knew their place, when men were men and sheep were afraid, when only the wealthy well-behaved children went to school and the other kids learned to work in the mines . . . you know, the Good Old Days.

[Raine]

65. My rePUKE cousin LOVES this shit she

has one lite up above her fireplace like it was a masterpiece. :eyes: My other cousin (also a rePUKE) came to visit her from the other side of the country, saw the "masterpiece" hanging above the fireplace and said "I have the exact same one". :wow: Real exclusive "art"...NOT! :rofl:

[Mz Pip]

31. Kincaid subdivision near here

Mr Pip and I went to see it. It looked pretty much like any other new subdivision except the model homes had white picket fences, Kincaid furniture inside and Kincaid 'art' on the walls. Truly a gag me with a spoon kind of moment touring that place.

They guy is a master marketer. His name adorns subdivisions, furniture, calendars, plates, and I think he even has a book of bad poetry out there.

But he glutted the market with his stuff and pretty much ran out of interested buyers. If he committed fraud I hope he loses his painter of light ass.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[marions ghost]

163. Maybe Kinkadeville can become a shrine to

the glory days of American Consumer Gullibility...a kitsch tourist mecca worthy of these...

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/

[MGKrebs]

34. Bilking Christians is illegal??!!

OK, OK, it's just a joke!

[Atman]

48. Don't their preachers do it every Sunday when they pass the plate?

"Selling" them something they know is a crock of crap?

[Kickoutthejams23]

37. Kinkade art is mass produced crap....

Oh lordy at least I still have my Bradford Exchange Collectors plates or I would be borke.

[YDogg]

40. Two family members of mine bought into the kinkaide craze ...

... and I remember when they proudly, reverently, showed us their super duper special edition artist's proof framed lighted above the mantel mounted kinkaide masterpiece. Or whatever it was called, it was supposedly quite the special item, and they were giddy with excitement over their costly purchase.

I remember the awkward silence in the room as two of us looked at each other, eyes loudly blinking, trying to come up with something nice to say about it. I think we mustered a "Wow!" -- but that was about it.

I just don't see the fascination.

[Anakin Skywalker]

45. Patriotic Americans Love Them

because they are a tribute to "Da Lawd", OK?

If you don't, then you are a godless commie librul! There! :P

[earth mom]

43. It's all a scam. Just like beanie babies.

Kinkade's artwork is absolutely hideous and was hyped to the extreme by greedy dealers and collectors alike so everyone could make a buck sooner or later on those ugly ass paintings. :eyes:

[Atman]

52. B..bb...BEANIES ARE A SCAM???

CRAP! There goes my retirement fund! And I thought I'd found the perfect hedge against Bush's SS privatization plan!

DOH!

[earth mom]

72. Sorry to break it to ya.

:hide:

p.s. You know what they say: "Never buy art as an investment". But rather because you love it and won't care what it's value becomes. Same can be said for collectibles like beanie babies. If you love em then it's all good. :D

[NVMojo]

44. proof positive that Xtians can be crooks too.

[Arugula Latte]

51. The majority of this country is Xtian, and

the majority of crooks in this country are Xtian, too.

[RatRacer]

158. Actually, I'd say the majority are Xtian in name only.

They check off the 'Christian' box simply because they grew up in that tradition, not because they actively read the Bible, try to follow its principles or regularly attend church for instance.

[okasha]

50. They all look like jigsaw puzzles

from the 40's and 50's.

[Anakin Skywalker]

53. That's exactly why they are so popular among

CONservatives. These people want things "duh way it waz", when everyone waz god-fearing and patriotic!

[semillama]

119. Nostaglia for an Age that Never Existed

check out the song, by Jello Biafra and Mojo Nixon on the album Prairie Home Invasion. One of the best descriptions of a freeper's mind set ever.

[RevolutionStartsNow]

60. Oh, man, I HATE Thomas Kinkade's art!

"Dreamily luminous" crap art!

I didn't know there was a Christian angle, just knew bad art when I saw it.

[Raine]

61. The way he prays over

his paintings makes me wanna :puke:

[alfredo]

70. Back in my business days I learned to be skeptical of

any customer or vendor that proclaimed their piety. I saw too many bilk my bosses. One I remember was a guy who was with a Christian sky diving team. He wrote a five figure bad check to our shop. I didn't like the guy from get go, but my boss liked him and dismissed my concerns.

[hyphenate]

73. Appeal to the lowest common denominator?

How about to anyone with an IQ of 80 or less? I think that's more representative of the vast majority of fundies and freepers.

Seriously, though, the first time I saw a Kincade piece, I liked it. Then I saw a second piece, and a third, and realized they were all the same.

Some people really do get suckered in, but for them, there isn't such a thing as art history or art appreciation. To them, Jason Pollock's work is a mess to clean up; Mondrian's work is something even they "can draw" and Picasso's work says he took LSD once too often. Let's face it--modern art they just don't get, but Kincade's work brings them back to the "traditional" art scene and a comfy, cozy fire in a fireplace in the middle of a serene forest. It's not my thing, but for those who don't want to strain their brains, it's "art" of the highest order.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

77. Whaaaa..... I bought one....

:cry: ...I confess :cry: ... I bought one :cry: ...it doesn't look like anything posted here :cry:

Really :cry: ...It's called New York Pride :cry: ...It's rather pretty :cry:...Really :cry: ...It's a

beautiful home with an American flag displayed on the front porch :cry: ...The fact that the lights in
the window don't glow the way they did in the @#$%# showroom REALLY GETS ME #$%&% MAD :argh:

[nosillies]

135. Don't feel too bad, I have one too, though it was a gift

I didn't know it was a Kinkade for a while. It's not his typical schlock. It just reminds me of my second home.

[Canuckistanian]

81. Thomas Kinkade and the Future of Architecture

http://www.loudpapermag.com/article.php?id=90

Critique of "The Village at Hiddenbrooke", a "Kinkade-Themed Community"

A visit to The Village reveals that the standard criticisms about exclusivity, lack of public transit, and homogeneity apply equally to the Kinkadian community as to any gated development. Although the scope of Kinkade’s "vision" wisely avoids notions of class and racial segregation, that purified vista is revealed on the interiors of the houses – subject matter rarely seen in his paintings. Here, in a remarkable feat of salesmanship, the model homes are outfitted with a clever array of prop furnishings -– wedding photos on dressers, the sounds of Glenn Miller and the smell of bread baking leave the impression that each house is only temporarily empty while the Jones family attends church for the morning.

[Bluestar]

82. Thomas Kinkade, "Painter of Blight"

I read something about this a couple of years ago. HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Fundies feeding on each other!!! It's a beautiful site when their ethics come to light (er, I mean blight).

I know something about the wholesale/retail trade and if the article's description is accurate "other retailers were selling the paintings at discount (I believe it was a mass merchandiser, perhaps Wal*Mart?) and the dealers were prevented from matching the discounted price" this is PRICE-FIXING!!! It wouldn't have been allowed when Clinton was in office, but in Bushworld who knows? I guess it would depend on how much Kinkade's political contributions to Bushco are.

[regnaD kciN]

83. Maybe, in the future...

...we should be looking for limited-edition prints of Sunset on the Exercise Yard of Cellblock B? :evilgrin:

[Canuckistanian]

84. One of his least-known works - "Meth Lab in the Woods"

NOT one of his best sellers.

[NoodleyAppendage]

85. Bwahh... That's hillarious!

Thanks for the laugh.

J

[Canuckistanian]

86. There's a whole page of Kincade parodies somewhere

I can't find them any more. Only the site of his long-lost brother Reuben Kincade "Painter of Stuff"

[Stuckinthebush]

101. God, I'm crying here!

Reuben Kincaid - "Painter of Stuff"

I don't know if it is the title or the visual of Reuben Kincaid getting off the Partridge Family bus that is killing me. I can't breathe.

:rofl:

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

141. There's a bunch on Something Awful.

Some of them are funnier than others.

http://www.somethingawful.com/index.php?a=1918
http://www.somethingawful.com/index.php?a=1928
http://www.somethingawful.com/index.php?a=3863

[Canuckistanian]

148. Ah, thanks

Here's one of my faves

[Atman]

165. I just gotta share this one!

Thanks so much for the link! Hysterical stuff!



.

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

104. OMG...now THAT is hilarious!

:rofl: :thumbsup:

[hunter]

136. Awesome. I'd buy that.

Thank you, Canuckistanian.

[colorado_ufo]

145. It's special!

The windows are made to glow even brighter when the meth is actually being processed. (There's a timer behind the painting which triggers this effect.)

[marions ghost]

164. n/t

:rofl: !?! I'm out of words....

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

87. FBI investigates Christianist painter Kinkade for fraud

The FBI is investigating allegations that self-styled “Painter of Light” Thomas Kinkade and some of his top executives fraudulently induced investors to open galleries and then ruined them financially, former dealers contacted by federal agents said.

Investigators are focusing on issues raised in civil litigation by at least six former Thomas Kinkade Signature Gallery owners, people who have been contacted by the FBI said.

he ex-owners allege in arbitration claims that, among other things, the artist known for his dreamily luminous landscapes and street scenes used his Christian faith to persuade them to invest in the independently owned stores, which sell only Kinkade’s work.

http://www.correntewire.com/fbi_investigates_christianist_painter_kinkade_for_fraud


Oh no. Say it's not so.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

88. sorry... dupe

I missed it before

[beam me up scottie]

89. Hasn't the king of McPainting been in trouble before?

Something about fondling a house guest?

[pansypoo53219]

90. but will QVC

dump his ass. at least as a trained artist, i know he will never ever be in a real museum. not that i will either, but...

[Kutjara]

91. For those unfamiliar with the pure genius of the man...

...feast your hungry eyes on this:

http://www.thomaskinkade.com/magi/servlet/com.asucon.ebiz.home.web.tk.HomeServlet

I guarantee you'll experience a deep and profound sensation in the core of your being. It's called nausea.

[Kutjara]

92. I just noticed on the Kinkade website...

...there's a link at the upper right side of the homepage asking visitors to suggest what the maestro should paint next. This is ripe for DU treatment. Fire away everyone!

I'm suggesting the municipal sewage works; a perfect marriage of style and subject.

Here's the link to the website again:

http://www.thomaskinkade.com/magi/servlet/com.asucon.ebiz.home.web.tk.HomeServlet

[lambert]

96. The best part is that Kinkade, um, urinated on Winnie the Pooh while drunk

I swear I'm not making this up!

[nashville_brook]

113. hmm... Piss Pooh

[Piperay]

95. My fundie RW nut relatives

inherited some money and invested part of it in Kincaid works of 'art' the rest of the money they wasted. :sarcasm:

[tanyev]

100. AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

He saw all that money that the televangelists rake in and wondered, "How can I get a piece of that?" Here comes Karma.

[Vinca]

111. Anyone who calls it "art" is an easy target, that's for sure. nt

[LibertyLover]

116. I wonder if the owners of the Kinkade gallery

that used to be in the Annapolis Mall are part of this. A couple of years ago one of these Kinkade gallery stores opened at the mall in Annapolis, near my home. I walked in once and that was more than enough. Kinkade's art style is not one that I like. Anyway, the gallery folded pretty quickly. As I recall it was open about a year, more or less.

[LynneSin]

127. We have one at the Christiana Mall here in Delaware

It's a great mall but I avoid that store - looks like nothing but cheap schlock

[LostinVA]

133. I heard you calling into QVC one day after you bought one

[LynneSin]

138. Yeah, I bought it because it was on your birthday wish list

:shrug:

[LostinVA]

140. DAMN! You got me -- a good burn

F-word.... I have to plot something good for revenge....

[B3Nut]

137. Fundamentalists have always been aesthetically-challenged

It shows in the art and music, and often in the architecture as well. Though there are some good worship tunes being written, many are over-repetitive and shallow. Then there are the saccharine hymns with so-flowery-it's-sickening wording and melody found in old-fashioned Fundy Babdist churches, pure schmaltz...compare that with classical liturgical music, no comparison. Their visual art reflects the same shallowness and sentimentality...there's no real creativity, no rendering of a whole range of emotion or mood, and a narrow range of acceptable themes. And compare St. Patrick's Cathedral with the average Butler-Building fundy church...Praise the Lawerd and Payuss tha Aluminum (and the jell-o!)

I got so frustrated being around fundies, I used to lead worship in a fundie church many years ago. I was noodling on my Hammond at church one afternoon fleshing out an instrumental jazzish thing I had in my head, when the pastor insisted I put words to it. I didn't want to do that, I had something strictly musical to say. He didn't care for that idea much...sad. Like I said, shallow and aesthetically wanting. Maybe I should market some of my photography as "Catcher of Light"...nah, too schlocky. And I have too much respect for the true masters of the art, whose lens caps I am unworthy to carry. :)

Todd in Beerbratistan

[Retrograde]

171. that's because good art is supposed to make you think

It's not mass-produced for a mass audience.

It's not just fundamentalists: my mother has a house full of Catholic kitsch.

Actually, Kincade's product does make me think. I think: "Why are all of the lights on in this house? Who's paying the electric bill? Don't they care about conservation? And why does it look like there are multiple suns in the sky?"

[Ian David]

126. Atheists stand for so much more, and fall for so much less. n/t

[Eurobabe]

132. His stuff is trash anyhow, utter garbage...

[GeorgeGist]

143. Bilking Christians...

by using their Christianity against them. Come again?

[orpupilofnature57]

168. Think about it , thats how we got Shrubed.

[colorado_ufo]

146. This ties in well with his latest "work."

I was a little surprised at the "in your face" Christian kitsch, but in case you haven't been blessed enough to see it, it is a ceramic mountain with various scenes from the Bible up and down the sides. Oddly enough, there doesn't seem to be any consistency at all in the piece - not even the time line. It is, however, stomach-turningly, consistently awful. Even as a Christian, I am offended.

[goforit]

157. Hell, the FBI should arrest Bush for baiting those dumb christians too.

[KamaAina]

162. Time to throw the moneychangers out of the temple

Kinkade is apparently as much of a "Christian" as Bush** himself -- but Bush** is a better artist; his stick figures in particular foreshadow the Neo-Impressionist movement. :sarcasm:

[Anakin Skywalker]

167. Neo-Fascistic Too!