Man, I’ve wanted to use that headline for years.
The couple who ran that ill-fated Thomas Kinkade gallery on the Downtown Mall have won $860,000 in their lawsuit against Kinkade, with the court having agreed that they, along with many other gallery owners, were defrauded, Kate Andrews reports in today’s Progress. That sum may well rise to $3.5M. There are 21 other dealers that have filed similar suits across the nation, all charging that Kinkade forced dealers to buy prints (“paintings”) at vastly inflated rates, undercut them at area discount stores, and then refused to let the dealers lower their prices.
These things run nearly a grand apiece, but Tuesday Morning might sell them for under a hundred bucks, leaving nobody to buy the stuff at the downtown gallery. The couple have now realized that the “I’m just a humble Christian businessman” schtick of Kinkade’s is B.S. Here’s hoping they’ve realized that his work is garbage, too.
03/05 Update: The L.A. Times has a big-big story about this. Turns out Kinkade is a drunk, fondles women, and engages in public urination as “ritual territory marking,” as he calls it.
[…] Who did I used to talk smack with about Thomas Kincaid? I can’t remember. Anyways, they will enjoy this news. […]
I always wondered who actually bought those prints. I’m as guilty as anyone of owning a bit of kitsch art, but never on my worst day would I consider purchasing Kinkade prints or originals.
My sister loves this guy. I’ve never seen the fasination, but at least it makes for easy gift giving.
Long before “Painter of Light™”, back in the 19th century, there were some genuine American painters of light, now collectively referred to as the “luminists”. The best of their work is incredibly beautiful without being sentimental. $100 or so spent on a decently framed print of one of those paintings would be a much better investment than a Kinkade “original” (i.e. created by his factory of sub-artists).
I can honestly say, I’ve never seen a blog message title that I liked any better!
He peed on Winne the Pooh.
THOMAS KINKADE PEED ON WINNIE THE POOH!