Thomas Kinkade, one of nation's most popular painters, dies in Los Gatos

[marions ghost]

141. Since you asked...

It's not a matter of whether you like or don't like the product. There is kitschy decorative shlock being produced everyday and Americans waste their money on it by the zillions of dollars--this is OK if they are not paying astronomical prices for junk because they don't know any better. The problem is--people were sold it based on the fundamental lie that it is original art. The criticism and frustration with the self-elevation of Kinkade to art star status comes from people who struggle everyday to promote, sell, or contribute to the arts--ie. art, music and performance given to us by honest artists. Kinkade USED them as a stepping stone to his millions.

From post #131:

The point is...NOT that other artists have not had helpers, apprentices, whatever

NOT that other artists haven't capitalized on photo repro technology --no problem with that as long as the buyer knows what he/she is getting -- and that what they are buying will not increase in value but only decrease, as most tangible products do. Fine to make art for the lower budget & price reproductions fairly.

BUT what Kinkade did was to represent his work as precious objects--painted or at least partly painted by him, when in fact, many were canvas repros touched up by factory workers. He PRICED this work as high as original artworks. He duped buyers into thinking they would hold their value relative to the art world, when in fact, they don't have that potential. But most people don't understand how art marketing works--he capitalized on that naivete (which I don't fault people for, at all--we've all been sold something by scammers). Kinkade built his empire on false pretenses, ie. lies. He was a fake. People need to know this.

This is a classic example of unethical American business--but we are so used to businesses being unethical that Kinkade gets away with it. He should have done time in purgatory with Bernie Madoff for awhile. So maybe he was in his own purgatory in life, and anyway he's gone to little cottage in the sky...but he leaves a shabby legacy.

There are scam artists everywhere, and Kinkade is one of the most successful in American history.