Painter Said to Be Focus of FBI Probe (Thomas Kinkade)

Los Angeles Times ^ | August 29, 2006 | Kim Christiensen

[Cecily]

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.

ADVERTISEMENTThe 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."

Kinkade has denied the allegations in the civil litigation.

Two former dealers told the Los Angeles Times that they had been asked to provide documentation of their business relationships with Kinkade's company. They said agents asked for copies of dealer agreements, retail sales policies, training materials from "Thomas Kinkade University" and correspondence, including e-mail.

[RightOnline]

"Next, I'll find out that my "Dogs Playing Poker" painting is a forgery, and not a genuine Rembrandt."

Heeeeey.........wait a mi....they said mine was a Monet.........bastards...........

[AnAmericanMother]

I've got no problem with people being "moved" by Kinkade. I won't even question their patriotism. < g >

What annoys me is the people who insist that Kinkade is 'a great artist'. By any objective standard, he is a very poor artist, who has failed to grasp the most elementary principles of his craft.

If you like Elvis or those little kids and puppies with big eyes, have at it. But don't claim they're "art", that cheapens the word until it means only "what I like."

[FreedomPoster]

>>It was better when he was just a painter.

I'm not sure he was ever "just a painter". Or at least, hardly anyone had heard of him, then.

[AnAmericanMother]

LOL!

When I see stuff like that, I run away screaming just like Pally Lady . ..

[Miss Marple]

Coming to this thread late, but I do have some observations:

1. Kincade's works were marketed here in Indiana with a heavy Christian message; many of the prints were framed with a scripture verse at the bottom of the mat.

2. Kincade was also sold as an investment to gullible folks...my neighbor owns one and told me how much it was going to appreciate.

3. I have no problem with people buying it as long as they understand they are buying a piece of decoration for their homes, and not an investment nor a Christian statement.

I knew Kincade had saturated the market when I saw Kincade plates and villages being marketed by the Bradford Exchange.

[AnAmericanMother]

I've spent some time in Britain, and I have to disagree.

When you have those heavily overcast days, the outside ambient light is much lower - not the fakey "sunset" light beloved of Kinkade. And there's almost always rain and mist, especially as dusk draws in. So you NEED the house lights on. An ordinary overcast day in England or Scotland is much, much brighter, and you don't need the house lights.

William Dyce, a minor Victorian painter, handles the English sunset light in an objective way:

Pegwell Bay, Kent. If you look closely in the original, you can see the Comet of 1858 in the middle horizon.

[the invisib1e hand]

SNOB APPEAL?!? Good grief, how on earth could anyone feel snobbish about those trite, banal, cornball, uninspired, cloying, laughable pieces of "art"?

Wow, this has turned into a full-scale "bash-Kincaide-fest."

He's no Norman Rockwell, but I sure couldn't make pictures with paint, brushes, and canvas. At least not that I could sell.

I wonder who'd have shown up on this thread to praise Kincaide if he had just donated his liver to save an Ethiopian baby or something.

Now, I do have to admit, that it has crossed my mind that if a trailer park were to have an art gallery...oh, forget it.

Look, his work is what it is. I'll wager that some "Christian" sharpies came along and said, "baby, we're taking you national." When maybe he should have just continued to be what he was.

The moral, or at least one of them, is be careful what you wish for. He'll go on being what he is. Somewhat wiser, I'd expect.

[hellinahandcart]

Uh-oh, you've done it again. LOL

[bvw]

How about a Last Supper with beagles, hounds and bulldogs in bas relief with little blinking multicolored leds woven into the scene? That's art!

[CaliGirlGodHelpMe]

"This has turned into a full-scale Kincaide bash-fest"

What you're reading is the bubbling forth of the annoyance that some of us have felt for quite some time; and when those cloying ads appear on tv or in magazines for the "Painter of Light", we have to force ourselves to keep from gagging.

I'm with you on not being able to create paintings, I can't either, but then again, I don't just go ahead and create lousy ones and market them worldwide on the pretext that they honor Our Lord and it's okay to ask outrageous prices for them because they will one day appreciate in value, either.

If Kinkade had donated his liver to an Ethiopian, he would be dead and we wouldn't have to worry about his paintings anymore.

[the invisib1e hand]

What you're reading is the bubbling forth of the annoyance that some of us have felt for quite some time; and when those cloying ads appear on tv or in magazines for the "Painter of Light", we have to force ourselves to keep from gagging.

Thankfully, I lost my appetite for TV and magazines in 1992. Therefore, the energy I used to spend on preventing myself from gagging, or on pulling my guitar out of the television, I can now devote to more useful things...like posting on FR....

[Neoliberalnot]

Note, that is a quote from a poster attacking Kinkade--I was responding to his quote.

I agree that Kinkade is a fine artist and clearly many people like his work.

[auto power]

have been reading some articles about Kincaide over the past year or so and it does seem that not only does he have a drinking problem, but he also has a diabolical disposition.....anything but Christian.....

[Neoliberalnot]

"""In any case, here are the five recognized (not by me, but by all artists who practice realism) quantifiers for judging the craftsmanship in realism in painting: skill in drawing, treatment of value (Kincaid's light), use of color, handling of edges, effectiveness in composition (referred to by commercial men as "layout").

FWIW, while I don't think Kincaid's work is great, it is not done without skill...I do find an insincerity and cynicism in it that is a real turnoff. It's like presenting a dish of icing and calling it a cake. Tastes sweet at first, but then you gag."""

Again, so Kinkade doesn't agree with the "recognized experts" of today--tomorrow may paint a different evaluation. Again, these "standards" of realism are set subjectively. Your perception of "insincerity and cynicism" are likewise subjective evaluations. The market place of personal preference tells a very different story about Kincade's art because he is very popular.

[Loud Mime]

Good Catch! Also, the shadows are inconsistent. Notice the side of the house and the arch on the walkway.

The local shop here closed down. It was logical to do that because they weren't selling paintings.

[Neoliberalnot]

"""And it's the same reason that people collect Precious Moments or Beanie Babies.

A. No taste, so they really like them.

B. Deluding themselves that the things will go up in value."""

Try purchasing an original work of Kincade's and you might begin to fathom a difference in value.

[Neoliberalnot]

Point well taken.

[SlowBoat407]

Excuse me aesthetic judgments comes from within!

IMHO, aesthetic judgement is based on an amalgam of our philosophies, our ethics, our experiences, and those ineffable qualities given to us by God. By that I mean, our innate ability to judge is modulated by those things that we are taught, or that we experience as we grow.

So, to follow that line, we may not be able to teach pure aesthetics, but our experiences can certainly influence what we determine for ourselves to be "beautiful" or "moving".

Therefore, it is possible for a sense of aesthetics to be beaten out of us early on by those who seek to destroy art and replace it with grotesques, as many in the modern, humanist school would do.

Likewise, it is possible to teach an appreciation of what constitutes true style, versus the gimmickry that Kinkade foists upon people.

This is, of course, completely separate from his sleazy marketing and unethical practices WRT "editions".

[veronica]

As far as painters of light go...

I'll take Vermeer.

[Fairview]

Go back to post 63 and take another look. {:D

I did. It was taking absolutely forever to load and I posted before the last bit on the bottom showed up. An hour later I was checking another post and saw it. Funny! That's what I love about Freepers--that kind of humor, with all types of internal references and a shared understanding.