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harmonicon

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46. Who's to say? I, for one.

Sat Apr 7, 2012, 09:38 AM

Apr 2012

Music is something that I know very well, and I appreciate any style of it done well. Comparing styles doesn't pass the test of whether or not Kinkaid was a terrible artist (he was). There's great classical music and great pop music, and there's also great "fine" art and great popular art. There is, for instance, a new book of Daniel Clowes's work out this week - that's good popular art.

I've heard more terrible classical music than most people have heard any music. It's out there. Style has nothing to do with quality. Good things are good, and shit things are shit. I'm sorry for this guy's family that he's dead, but it's no loss to the art world, which he was never a part of any more than is a graphic artist who designs Hallmark cards. It's a product designed to function as part of a commercial enterprise.

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Thomas Kinkade, one of nation's most popular painters, dies in Los Gatos [View all] UrbScotty Apr 2012 OP

Off to the cottage in the sky Botany Apr 2012 #1

Beautiful, isn't it ... n/t RKP5637 Apr 2012 #5

ah ah ah Botany Apr 2012 #6

There is such magic in all of his paintings, places one would want to be, so RKP5637 Apr 2012 #17

In the same league with great artists like Keane... rfranklin Apr 2012 #39

Horsies! Hissyspit Apr 2012 #56

I prefer the improved versions... JackRiddler Apr 2012 #124

Margaret Keane? mahatmakanejeeves Apr 2012 #77

There's a story behind that Geoff R. Casavant Apr 2012 #80

Add Bil Keane for the trifecta. JackRiddler Apr 2012 #125

so calm, so peaceful . . . so empty. Nothing personal, just a fact. nt patrice Apr 2012 #60

Yep! Nope, didn't take it personally. n/t RKP5637 Apr 2012 #61

I don't care what the art critics say. I get a cozy feeling looking at his paintings. pacalo Apr 2012 #15

And some get a queasy feeling... marions ghost Apr 2012 #45

Totally agree. His was the "sucker born every minute" mistertrickster Apr 2012 #49

YEEESSSSSS! The only thing missing is the unicorns! Surya Gayatri Apr 2012 #105

CNN is reporting like he is some great artist. He was a great CON artist. Lint Head Apr 2012 #96

+1,000! The hagiographic paeans in the media Surya Gayatri Apr 2012 #106

Yep the media will spin it marions ghost Apr 2012 #115

As the saying goes, you learn something new every day. pacalo Apr 2012 #98

Here's more about how the products were created... marions ghost Apr 2012 #114

So I suppose you could clone the guy by scraping paint off his painting? 47of74 Apr 2012 #122

Thank you for this post among others on this thread that point out indivisibleman Apr 2012 #100

Hallmark Cards will mourn his passing... marions ghost Apr 2012 #121

"I don't know much about art, but I know what I like" Hissyspit Apr 2012 #72

Yes and no DonCoquixote Apr 2012 #89

Oddly enough, he painted backgrounds in the animated movie "Fire & Ice" Norrin Radd Apr 2012 #22

That is surprising. CaliforniaPeggy Apr 2012 #2

It happens Mz Pip Apr 2012 #9

Obama's domestic drones are working! swag Apr 2012 #3

... RetroLounge Apr 2012 #42

! mwdem Apr 2012 #90

If this was FB, I'd have to like this TheCruces Apr 2012 #135

Natural causes at age 54 proud2BlibKansan Apr 2012 #4

i know tons of people who died in their early 50s pitohui Apr 2012 #101

agree CountAllVotes Apr 2012 #138

In recent years became something of a pop culture icon.. pipoman Apr 2012 #7

His paintings were cliched. Drunken Irishman Apr 2012 #8

Most artists I know called him "Painter of Shite" Warpy Apr 2012 #95

Bwaaahaaaaa! Laughed my tush off @ Surya Gayatri Apr 2012 #108

at least i outlived the bastard. mopinko Apr 2012 #116

3-1 odds he died of a OD. anti-alec Apr 2012 #10

Or sugar. DavidDvorkin Apr 2012 #11

Nope. Too empty . . . starvation? a "Hunger Artist"? nt patrice Apr 2012 #63

I meant as in an overdose of cloying sweetness. DavidDvorkin Apr 2012 #66

I know that's what you meant. I was just building on the metaphor. nt patrice Apr 2012 #67

Dubious, but... regnaD kciN Apr 2012 #29

I heard he once took a leak on an elevator in Las Vegas... Frank Cannon Apr 2012 #37

it was a statue of Winnie the Pooh... IamK Apr 2012 #44

Alcohol is likely it marions ghost Apr 2012 #47

I'm voting for Hep C XemaSab Apr 2012 #32

That is a shock Rosa Luxemburg Apr 2012 #12

Rest in Peace mia Apr 2012 #13

RIP emilyg Apr 2012 #14

RIP. OnyxCollie Apr 2012 #16

Utter shit all of it. alarimer Apr 2012 #18

Kind of a crook... uberblonde Apr 2012 #19

Painter of Blight onager Apr 2012 #20

Mall culture "fine art." Blech. I prefer comics to that. K8-EEE Apr 2012 #21

ha ha marions ghost Apr 2012 #48

He was a conservative Christian but he did not politicize his paintings bluestateguy Apr 2012 #23

Only a conservative Christian could make millions on paintings that bad. mistertrickster Apr 2012 #52

oh, there is many a liberal with terrible taste in art, too. kwassa Apr 2012 #91

He went into the light. lob1 Apr 2012 #24

He was in some serious trouble, I believe CrawlingChaos Apr 2012 #25

Not as long as the Bradford Exchange exists. dixiegrrrrl Apr 2012 #69

Actually, the Los Gatos police participate in our county homeless collaborative KamaAina Apr 2012 #82

Unfortunately, you're already being proved right, CC...his death won't stop the flow... Surya Gayatri Apr 2012 #104

I've got a book of his he wrote before going commercial. Kablooie Apr 2012 #26

I LOVE the Dinotopia art sakabatou Apr 2012 #31

Those "fairytale cottages" were really more like Cotswolds cottages. highplainsdem Apr 2012 #134

Ah yes. Stow on the Wold. Morton on the Marsh. Upper and Lower Slaughter. Kablooie Apr 2012 #137

I'd have thought he'd be beaten to death Ken Burch Apr 2012 #27

Does this mean those awful paintings are worth more money now? Tabasco_Dave Apr 2012 #28

only if you're a kitsch collector... marions ghost Apr 2012 #41

No, probably not. They were grossly overvalued because of the marketing scam. yardwork Apr 2012 #94

He was only 54... ProfessionalLeftist Apr 2012 #30

his liver was 104... n/t IamK Apr 2012 #35

Know the truth marions ghost Apr 2012 #50

Art is in the eye of the beholder ProfessionalLeftist Apr 2012 #68

Cliches don't get to the point of this amazing scam marions ghost Apr 2012 #70

Kinkaid, artist for people who think Disney is too dark. EFerrari Apr 2012 #110

yeah, in Disney the spooky places actually have witches in them... marions ghost Apr 2012 #127

Well now, FlaGranny Apr 2012 #33

Ya' know, FlaCranny, you are absolutely right. Ferretherder Apr 2012 #34

Well said, Granny. Frank Cannon Apr 2012 #38

you can't love Monet, van Gogh AND Kinkade... marions ghost Apr 2012 #40

It's "art" we love... CanSocDem Apr 2012 #71

Kinkade = art industry marions ghost Apr 2012 #78

Fair price argument is FlaGranny Apr 2012 #84

The prices were artificially inflated marions ghost Apr 2012 #92

BS! Of course you can love the work of all of these artists. I love what my baby grandson draws, juajen Apr 2012 #158

OK you can love kitsch art and you can love fine art marions ghost Apr 2012 #161

Who's to say? I, for one. harmonicon Apr 2012 #46

A more accurate comparison for Kinkade would be Lawrence Welk, not rock and roll of the 50s Tom Ripley Apr 2012 #79

+1 FLAprogressive Apr 2012 #85

No matter what you think of his work FlaGranny Apr 2012 #88

The problem is Welk took great music and ruined it with his horrendous arrangements. EFerrari Apr 2012 #107

+1,000! Not an original brush stroke in the lot! Surya Gayatri Apr 2012 #109

I guess the Kinkade "art bubble" is about to burst, too. sofa king Apr 2012 #36

I think his bubble burst around '06 OmahaBlueDog Apr 2012 #129

He certainly had a distinctive style and a knack for marketing. Like Ted deGrazia on steroids. slackmaster Apr 2012 #43

Distinctive style? Hissyspit Apr 2012 #57

This plate's just for you, Hissyspit slackmaster Apr 2012 #58

LOL Hissyspit Apr 2012 #74

Oh my god I'm gasping for breath - Where'd you ever find that plate? NBachers Apr 2012 #83

machines. patrice Apr 2012 #62

He overdosed on saccharine . . . nt mistertrickster Apr 2012 #51

Scammer and Crook.... NYC_SKP Apr 2012 #53

In 2009, he was investigated by the FBI for defrauding investors. mistertrickster Apr 2012 #54

2006: Arbitration board awards $860,000 in damages and $1.2 million in fees and expenses to victims. NYC_SKP Apr 2012 #55

Wow, I never knew all this. Lots of stuff was going on with him. n/t RKP5637 Apr 2012 #65

Rest in peace. His work was beautiful. joanbarnes Apr 2012 #59

Just don't post any of it tawadi Apr 2012 #130

Natural causes at 54??? Odin2005 Apr 2012 #64

Natural causes NNN0LHI Apr 2012 #73

"He was very aware of it and didn't care at all"... Amerigo Vespucci Apr 2012 #75

Now who are the art school hipsters going to sneer at? Throd Apr 2012 #76

So if all the "art school hipsters" die, who are you going to sneer at? Hissyspit Apr 2012 #99

I had no idea he was local KamaAina Apr 2012 #81

Middle Aged, Suburban, Republican White Ladies are probably in deep mourning. FLAprogressive Apr 2012 #86

Probably organizing support group meetings as we speak... Surya Gayatri Apr 2012 #112

what you see is not what you get NJCher Apr 2012 #87

So, I suppose he rises from the grave tomorrow? 2ndAmForComputers Apr 2012 #93

I'm actually upset about this TrogL Apr 2012 #97

His real legacy is that he's changed how commercial art is sold and marketed OmahaBlueDog Apr 2012 #102

I dont care for his art but you are right. DCBob Apr 2012 #111

He misrepresented his works as originals done by him marions ghost Apr 2012 #120

I agree that they won't make as much, but... OmahaBlueDog Apr 2012 #128

and my point is... marions ghost Apr 2012 #131

I agree that the Chinese paint-by-numbers stuff was deceitful OmahaBlueDog Apr 2012 #156

More than deceitful marions ghost Apr 2012 #160

this article mentions Redlin marions ghost Apr 2012 #163

Thanks! OmahaBlueDog Apr 2012 #164

So for $650 marions ghost Apr 2012 #165

Condolences to Nanette and the girls... pfitz59 Apr 2012 #103

NY Times headline NJCher Apr 2012 #113

No disrespect intended to the deceased, or his family, but.. left coaster Apr 2012 #117

I grew up with Tom in Placerville trekbiker Apr 2012 #118

I grew up with Thom and Pat too pfitz59 Apr 2012 #136

54 is way too young, especially for a painter tawadi Apr 2012 #119

Dear god, that is a horror. JackRiddler Apr 2012 #123

Sold in sofa-sized paintings for $49.99 kwassa Apr 2012 #133

I'm not sure what the criticism and snobbery from some people are about Renew Deal Apr 2012 #139

The pack mentality tawadi Apr 2012 #147

McDonald's is the most popular restaurant. Incitatus Apr 2012 #126

Artist to those who have no friggin' clue about art. NoodleyAppendage Apr 2012 #132

What is the controversy about this guy? Renew Deal Apr 2012 #140

Since you asked... marions ghost Apr 2012 #141

These were his paintings right? Renew Deal Apr 2012 #146

No, it was not his actual work. The reproductions were cleverly disguised marions ghost Apr 2012 #149

The works are his design, but Chinese workers "painted them" OmahaBlueDog Apr 2012 #151

I'm not sure most thought of it as "art marketing" OmahaBlueDog Apr 2012 #152

Your rule about buying art has some serious flaws... marions ghost Apr 2012 #153

You shouldn't buy art with regard to value OmahaBlueDog Apr 2012 #154

"they wanted a surefire investment" marions ghost Apr 2012 #159

Basically the angst falls like this dmallind Apr 2012 #142

Art 101 marions ghost Apr 2012 #144

There ARE a lot of blithering idiots dmallind Apr 2012 #145

1. I went to one of the Kinkade galleries once in the 90's--the line was deliberately blurred marions ghost Apr 2012 #150

+1 DCBob Apr 2012 #155

I like your analysis OmahaBlueDog Apr 2012 #157

What's the big deal? Either you like his work, or you don't... BadtotheboneBob Apr 2012 #143

Allright now guitar man Apr 2012 #148

Is your Thomas Kinkade Painting About to Increase in Value? (article) marions ghost Apr 2012 #162