From: Tom Hawkins (tomehawk@ix.netcom.com)
Date: 01/05/03-11:44:32 AM Z
Shannon,
I live in a sort of Kincade hotbed (2 Kincade 'galleries' in a town of 150,
000), and have some observations...
First, make the pictures you want to make, and that satisfy you
intellectually and ethically. Lots of artists do, and they don't care
whether the 'art establishment' approves or not. Doesn't make you any less
an artist in your own mind. That is unless you really DO care care what the
art establishment thinks. Then it seems necessary to tailor your work to a
specific audience, which is exactly what Kincade does.
Kincade's market is primarily people of a certain religious belief, and he
incorporates lots of bible verses (on the frame, mat, etc) into his work. I
believe he didn't originally include the biblical references. Not sure if
that decision was 'artistic', marketing, or both.
He has overreached recently, and his success is not what it was when his
atelier was on the front page of the WSJ a couple of years ago. His housing
development in our area (based on the lifestyle depicted in the pictures)
has not gone well. And collectors who were promised big resale value were
disappointed to find the same pictures in discount stores.
The fact that a sample of his own DNA is included in the signature on the
painting (the ones he's actually touched with a paintbrush in some way:
Kincade himself doesn't do most of the "Kincades")is interesting. Probably
would help the Justice Department with their databases if we all did that.
I don't envy the guy his success at all. Wish we could all make a ton of
money. His pictures make my skin crawl, however, as does the work of some
of the 'establishment' artists you mentioned in your post.
Random thoughts; and best new year's wishes to everyone on the list.
Tom
-----Original Message-----
From: Shannon Stoney [mailto:shannonstoney@earthlink.net]
Sent: Sunday, January 05, 2003 10:32 AM
To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
Subject: Thomas Kinkade, Beyond the GArden GAte
Then my partner and I talked about why Kinkade can sell these paintings for
such fantastic prices.
Thus we have Thomas Kinkade. I have to admire a person who can make a
living, indeed a very good living, making pictures that people actually want
to buy. Also, I admire somebody who can thumb his nose completely at the
art establishment. I wouldn't want to make a painting exactly like his, but
I might want to make a photograph sort of like that.
--shannon
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