Thomas Kinkade, the popular painter of light, has died. He was 54.
He died Friday at home in Los Gatos, Calif., outside San Francisco, of what appeared to be natural causes.
My mom cried all night when she found out yesterday. My mom only had one "painting" by him but she treasured it. I remember at the height of his fame, my mom would check her pocket QVC calendar to find out if he was going to be on that month and would wait anxiously for him to be on the show and sit there transfixed for his appearance. You were either in my mom's camp and loved him or thought his work was too mainstream. My only issue with him was it seemed like he never had any real paintings. Everything was done by a machine. It would be nice to see some kind of collection of his that was strictly done by him with a brush.
Hugs to your mom, Enty.
ReplyDeleteFirst of R.I.P, Mr Kinkade...
ReplyDeleteNow all those people who bought all those prints are thinking they're going to cash in....are they in for a surprise
Ive been reading disturbibg stuff about him- drunkard, strip clubs, accused of fondling a woman, swindling his partners, heckling other artists and performers- pretty surprising.
ReplyDeleteHe was your basic born-again Christacean. A total hypocrite, alcoholic, sexist pig who made money off the people who liked his simple-minded, utterly uninspired crap. Props to your mom, Enty. I'm sure there were a few people of good taste who liked it.
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ReplyDeleteI liked his concept of light always shining in his paintings-there's something nice and beautiful about that concept to me.
ReplyDeleteThere was a Kinkade store in Monterey I went into a few years ago and I was just struck by how FAKE everything looked- and almost TOO perfect.
I truly felt like it was almost a made-up store front, like a mannequin store or something. I dont know if I'm explaining this right but it just felt soulless and lacked depth.
I guess I'm a modern art type girl but I just felt these paintings didnt have heart.
Not a fan of his work, but sorry for your Mama, Enty.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to be chomping at the bit come Monday when the Bible-totin', Muslim-hatin', right wing nutjobs at work all start crying about this guy's death.
ReplyDeleteHe swindled money and was a terrible drunk who peed publicly over monuments and statues. That's how I'll remember him.
I remember when I saw my first Kinkade, and the second and the third. I thought 'ohhh, that's pretty' the way there was light in the windows and stuff. Then after seeing over a hundred of these things at every state and county fair I've ever been to I thought they were just annoying post card crap. I don't know anything about him, but I'm not surprised to hear he was a hateful, arrogant prick.
ReplyDeleteIt's the next beanie babies. And where are these stories about his assholiness. I wanna read!
ReplyDeleteNot to be a douche but my first sentence was 'thank god I won't have to endure any more of those paintings' but then realized that the paintings didn't die.
ReplyDeleteI still miss Bob Ross. THAT was a man who could create a factory painting with heart.
@Mother Campfire, ahhh, I used to watch Bob Ross. "What a happy little tree".
ReplyDeleteKinkade "had" a talent with conveying light, but he shlepped it to death and made a mockery of his own stuff. I collect W. M Thompson prints from the 30's and 40's, I think Kinkade stole the idea of light from him.
Enty, sorry your mom is sad.
His stuff was always such shite. I could never understand why everyone liked it. Yeah I guess hotel rooms need art but dayum. Not surprised it wasn't done by his hand.
ReplyDeleteI was looking at some of his paintings at some store years ago; my then-wife, who actually liked his stuff said about one painting, "Well, we can always cut it down to fit the frame," and the sales person said, aghast, "You don't DO that to a Thomas Kincaid!" I almost laughed in his face! Give me a break! I passed. And I concur about Bob Ross having over Kincaid any day.
ReplyDelete*Having IT.
ReplyDeleteThe Mark Kostabi of the born again set.
ReplyDeleteInteresting article about his work. Turns out he had talent, but hackery made more money. And yes, he did screw over his investors.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/2010/06/thomas-kinkadersquos-cottage-fantasy
Everyone dissing is going to get surprised when these things skyrocket in value. That's art for your average middle American.
ReplyDeleteMy Mom was the same way Enty. She had one "painting" and cherished it as well. If she were here today, I'm sure she would be crying just like yours was at the news.
ReplyDeleteThomas Kinkade: the velvet Elvis of yester-year.
ReplyDeleteI hate the lifeless, fake amerikana he portrayed in his paintings. Execution was fine, but totally not my style of painting.
ReplyDeleteAlso, as others have mentioned, I've read some nasty stuff about what he's done, sounds like a typical born-again.
From what I read, he traveled around in boxcars with James Gurney (Dinotopia) in the 70's (?) and painted, which is pretty awesome, but ... blech.
Reading this stuff about him, I wonder what do they consider "natural causes?" A heart attack at his age isn't normal, neither is a stroke, seizure, etc. Liver failure from alcohol/drug use? Suicide? Accidental overdose? In quiring minds want to know! LOL
ReplyDeleteOh, jeez, everyone's a critic. Sue me, but I think his work is kind of pretty. I'm not a crazed fan of his or anything, but I like soft pastels and light and whatnot. No offense, because I love you all, but it makes me crazy when it's cool to be snobby about art/music/TV/movies. Some of us DO have taste, and some of us still like some pedestrian stuff. Be nice, maybe, wouldja?
ReplyDeleteThomas Kinkade registered the phrase "Painter of Light" as his own...which is funny since most in the art world refer to JMW Turner as the actual painter of light....
ReplyDeleteIf you wanna buy Kinkade's work, fine by me...but jesusgodalmighty that guy had poor understanding of his place in the Pantheon of art....
"He was your basic born-again Christacean. A total hypocrite, alcoholic, sexist pig who made money off the people who liked his simple-minded, utterly uninspired crap."
ReplyDeleteYou stay classy, Melody.
Not a fan of Thomas Kincaide at all. However, I am a Christian and find some of your comments about Christians appalling and hurtful. I wonder if you would say the same thing about other religious groups.
ReplyDeleteFunny, I'm a Christian and I can totally see where some of you are coming from with the Christian hypocrisy comments.
ReplyDeleteNot all Christians are right wing crazy lunatics...they just seem to be the loudest nowadays. And I am appalled by them much more than I am by the comments made here.
As for Kinkade...I have a Christmas Glade candle that lights up the little houses when I burn it. Got it for $1 on clearance once. It is nice and homey and smells good. That's about the extent of my Thomas Kinkade love. Factory prints for little boxes on the hillside.
Ironic he trademarked that 'painter of light' label, as on most of the paintings someone else painted in the light.
ReplyDeleteI never thought of it as art, frankly; more like home decor. Some people like Dept 51, some like Precious Moments, some like Thomas Kincade. Whatever makes you happy.
He's not the first or last person to pander for money. He used the notion that the light was a religious theme to earn millions from franchisees that could never recoup; not a nice man.
I just wanted to say I also loved Bob Ross. His voice was the most soothing thing ever.
ReplyDeleteYou know he's putting a happy critter near a tree somewhere in heaven.
RIP Bob Ross.
I don't know who this Kinkade person is.
I could never get the love for his art, either. Have family members that LOVE him, so they'll be just as devastated as Enty's Mama.
ReplyDeleteDid NOT know about his scandalous side though. Always learnin' here on CDaN.
A heart attack or stroke at age 54 is not normal? Huh?
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother has a couple of his original paintings which I have to say are pretty cool...and both are under a dimming light. When the light is on, the painting portrays daytime and as you dim the light, it looks like the sun is setting in the scene.
ReplyDeleteThe prints don't do any justice.
@Megley...agreed! In this day in age, VERY normal to die in fifties of heart attack or stroke, especially if its hereditary.
It might be cheesy as all hell, but I love his work. There, I said it.
ReplyDeleteAnd 54 is WAY TOO YOUNG to die of "natural causes," IMO.
RIP sir, your work evoked such warm feelings for me.
But I am dismayed and disappointed to hear about his...ahem...darker sides.
ReplyDeleteBut please, most people who know me would be surprised to hear some shit about me, too.
Fuck 'em.
I don't necessarily have the best taste in art, but from the moment I first saw one of his paintings, I felt a visceral loathing of them. Like, I just want to push it far, far away from me.
ReplyDeleteIn this pic he looks like a walking heart attack.
He looks just like Luis Guzman in that picture, too.
ReplyDeleteSort of the Wonder Bread of landscape art, if you ask me. Still 54 is bloody young.
ReplyDeleteCook, get used to it. A lot of people on this site like to congratulate each other on how open-minded, accepting and supportive they are, but that goes right out the window if they are confronted by anyone who is either conservative, Christian, or a Southerner. And if you are all three, be prepared for lots of snottiness directed your way.
ReplyDeleteIn other news, Robert, you are so right! The likeness is eerie!
Re: Kincaid's work, in my opinion he made nice, inoffensive, straightforward, pretty pieces for middle-class living rooms and mid-level hotel rooms. I don't have the loathing for it that so many do, but likewise I don't love it. He was certainly a better painter than most of us will ever be, but I wouldn't call him a particularly notable artist. And as for his "painter of light" nickname, Vermeer would might have a few things to say about that.
@csproat, I love you for mentioning JMW Turner <3 You have good taste! ;)
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