The Most Hated Artist You Probably Recognize

He was born in 1958* god damn gotta catch my mistakes more often.
Fanart of the Month: www.deviantart.com/damagedbut...
Twitter: / solar_sas
Second Channel: / @solarsands2
Sources:
• An American Artist: Th...
• Thomas Kinkade's death...
www.artsy.net/article/artsy-e...
www.theguardian.com/artanddes...
www.theguardian.com/world/200...
Music Used:
Silent Hill 2 - fermata in mistic air
Com Truise - Chemical Legs
Tchaikovsky's Waltz of the Flowers
Kevin Macleod - Airship Serenity
Aphex Twin
A whole lotta Kevin Macleoad thank god he exists:
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/b...

[@Nathan-eu7wn]

Small error at 3:09, Kinkade was born in '58, must've got that switched around. Just a heads-up

[@SolarSands]

Oh my god I've watched this video 10 times over and I've never caught that until now, well whoops yes I guess I switched the numbers.

[@Nathan-eu7wn]

@@SolarSands Hahaha happens to the best of mate, still a solid video so far.

[@AKdove]

@@SolarSands hi

[@peachrx07]

@@SolarSands are you a mayonnaise musketeer

[@aturchomicz821]

@@Used_Towel It made me pretty confused but ok

[@turbulentund_erscore543]

The George W Bush of art is such an oddly specific insult

[@legendarynoodle2438]

It's the trump of insults

[@elvingearmasterirma7241]

I know why now. And uh, yikes. We went down a rabbit hole real fast. Real heccing fast

[@legendarynoodle2438]

@@AxxLAfriku Jesus Christ that channel still exists. Would be a shame if the report button would actually fucking work.

[@TheAmericanPrometheus]

The "Barack Obama of art" would be much more fitting. As in boring, typical, hollow and uninteresting to look at.

[@pikksen7905]

dammit @@AxxLAfriku just go away already

[@theawkwardamateurpotato6134]

Imagine being one of the most controversial artists that only paint cottages.

[@oanaalexia]

All comments are so seriously trying to explain how they feel about art. Yours made me laugh, thank you.

[@Evan-od7em]

cottages go brrrrr

[@angelikaskoroszyn8495]

But he wasn't hated only bc he painted cottages

[@ninja_tony]

@@Evan-od7em wtf does that even mean? All I know is it's been repeated as nauseum throughout this entire comment section, but yet it isn't even making any real point about anything.

[@Nukestarmaster]

@@ninja_tony It's the "money printer goes brrr" meme. It means that those cottages make a lot of money.

[@gigachigga]

I’m an art student. A week ago, my contemporary drawing professor had us research and discuss Kinkade. The discussion turned out to be a heated argument that split the class in two. By the end of the discussion (which was four hours), everyone who previously decided they hated Kinkade had conceded their argument in one way or another. Regardless if his art speaks to YOU, his art speaks to millions of Americans who find comfort in nostalgia and idealized landscapes. Kinkade might be painting for the masses, but god damn it, he is an artist who found his niche in a society that rarely values artists. He is an artist whose work speaks to HIM and there is nothing wrong with that. It doesn’t make him any less of an artist and neither do his “sell out” collaborations. Everyone admitted that if they had the opportunity to collaborate with major brands that they would do it in a heartbeat. Every artist wants that kind of attention regardless if they flat out deny it. Millions of artists already try to get their art out to as many people as possible by printing it on marketable merchandise. Kinkade’s presence in the art world is not one of laziness or corporatism, but pure necessity. Kinkade’s paintings don’t speak to me as an artist, and I can be fine with that while at the same time coming to terms with my envy and respect of his ability to make a living off making the art true to his heart. If anybody is still reading this, I’d encourage you to check our Kinkade’s urban landscapes, which don’t have nearly as much attention as his cottages. It’s fascinating to see him apply his signature idealized style with soft colors and bright values to the urban scene. Thanks for reading!

[@ambry99]

I appreciate your insight in this comment. I grew up seeing his art on calendars and puzzles or whatever and remember researching the artist as an adult out of curiosity. Sometimes his art illicits an eyeroll from me just because of attached associations. His story is a bit sad seeing as he had a lot of personal struggles, so I think that softened my outlook of cynicism I initially had. I looked up the cityscapes you mentioned and I actually find them pleasantly nostalgic and quite pretty! Haha I didn't expect that reaction and am pleased to have seen something new.

[@crabtreyanimations7148]

I appreciate your book about your class discussion

[@zachmayo7194]

I’ve always quite liked Kinkade’s work, I remember my grandmother had a painting of his in her house and I always thought it was beautiful. Until this video I knew nothing about the man, however I don’t believe he is all that wrong about his view of the highbrow art world. Idk that’s just my take. Thanks for sharing your take!

[@TomatoKing1817]

I disagree about every artist wanting attention. Some people make art purely for themselves.

[@thepinkestpigglet7529]

​@@TomatoKing1817 yeah the idea of my art getting attention before I'm dead fills me with dread

[@szuzin]

Art doesn’t always have to be challenging. I see Kinkade’s work as like a mental palate cleanser, something serene and peaceful that can help bring you back down to earth if you look at it for long enough. The man had real talent for sure, and it’s hard to ignore thoughts that people hated him because of copium - that he had such a skill but he chose to paint simple beauty instead of something more complex and heavy.

[@lewakar]

What about AI or Modern arts?

[@dannydanny2789]

​@@lewakarChallenging to the observer, not challenging in terms of artistic skill

[@Zissy]

"Thomas kinkade is the most hated artist!" Hitler: 👁️👄👁️

[@SAVEMEFROMTHISNIGHTMARE]

👁👄👁

[@LaoonCow]

KCNCHDJD LMAOOOOOOOOOOO

[@borednatsu300]

If I'm not wrong Hitler wanted to get into the University of fine arts but he wasn't accepted... twice

[@thatwarlock7512]

@@borednatsu300 pog x2

[@woodencat5990]

That's what I thought of as well

[@stephenl3224]

Looking at the paintings, thinking to myself: I did all those puzzles.

[@daskampffredchen9242]

Same. My parents also glued them to a board and put them on the wall

[@maddie-xk2uv]

@@daskampffredchen9242 i just bought one at Disneyland LMAO

[@dermathze700]

I'm just sitting here like "I just think they're neat."

[@aceystar1478]

@@dermathze700 me too

[@penelopegreene]

Well, that was win...

[@comfysituations3566]

"Kinkade never had an original thought" Every Kinkade painting is unmistakably a Kinkade painting though. There must have been something unique he was doing if it's instantly recognizable as his own.

[@LimegreenSnowstorm]

Being a background painter for animation explains why he’s so prolific! He had to get really good at painting fast

[@joelbeauman3085]

"Thomas Kinkade is the most hated artist" Kinkade: **wipes tears with hundred dollar bills**

[@joaovaltrig3587]

@Grant Worman THE HEAVY IS DEAD?

[@CerealExperimentsMizuki]

Accurate.

[@pankakemixer]

*wipes tears with the eternal fire of hell*

[@barrymckinner388]

@Grant Worman nooo??? Really!!!!

[@theodour8617]

Hated and rich vs. Loved and poor

[@matthewsawczyn6592]

This made me respect Bob Ross's humility even more. He said openly he'd never be in a museum. His paintings are now in the Smithsonian.

[@TadRaunch]

I feel like Bob Ross wouldn't hate Thomas Kinkade though.

[@carlrygwelski586]

Bob's Ross got so big that I did a one eighty flip and landed smack *Dab* in a bag of Fucking Chips

[@TheBootyWrangler]

@@carlrygwelski586 like you took a fat dab of some wax??

[@VanguardSupreme]

@@TadRaunch Maybe only because Bob Ross seemed like he wouldn't hate anyone. I haven't watched this video yet, but Kinkade was a notoriously shameless self-promoter, among other things that make him drastically different from Bob Ross. That said, I like Kinkade paintings, even if he is the Phil Collins of art. Actually, I like them _because_ he's the Phil Collins of art.

[@TadRaunch]

@@VanguardSupreme That's why I said it. I wholly agree that Kinkade is drastically different to Bob Ross, but that doesn't make them enemies. Bob Ross really didn't hate anyone or anything; the guy was just pure love. To think of a guy making money from painting? OK, I'm not Bob Ross, and I shouldn't presume to know what he would think. But he loved painting & encouraged it. I really think he would be happy that someone could make a living from painting, even if they were a cutthroat. I could even see Bob Ross praising Kinkade's paintings-I'm not saying whether he would, just that I could see it. And by the way, Phil Collins is cool.

[@pandorasbox1658]

His paintings represent a wish, a yearning, an aspiration to serenity and tranquility. There’s room for that, along with everything else.

[@jmsjms296]

Call it illustration. Art is something else.

[@kevinmorrice]

@@jmsjms296 you forget that art is subjective, half a urinal nailed to a piece of wood was once considered "art" hell blank canvases covered in white paint are apparently art nowadays, so saying these are not art simply because they dont fit your ideals of what art should be, is like complaining about horror films being to creepy, or romance novels being to lovey dovey, its subjective, one mans junk is another mans treasure

[@modernmajorgeneral4669]

@@jmsjms296 According to a quick Google search, art is, "the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power". So yes, it is art. It was created to be appreciated for its beauty, and does involve creativity, as he had to use at least an atom of creativity to create those paintings.

[@DiceRobo]

​@@jmsjms296would something in a comic not constitute art for you since it's meant to illustrate a story? What about the cover of a book?

[@user-ey5vm8ro5h]

​@@DiceRobo What is art? Quality? Intent? Content? Market value? Something else? Much has been written about this philosophical question. Instead of giving a (subjective) answer I'd rather call this an "illustration" even if some would pass it as "art"... After all no one needs to feel ashamed for creating an illustration that is enjoyed by many. (btw: I was jmsjms296 before YT started to mess with aliases).

[@meshuggahshirt]

My parents were photographers, and after the industry shifted to digital they used "Kinkading" as a verb to talk about photoshopping lights into windows

[@trinis7971]

I honestly just find this whole thing to be very sad. It's as you said towards the end, it seems like he has always been a very troubled person, and with how he struggled with addiction etc, I'm betting he didn't have much self confidence. These paintings were most likely his escape, a world without anything bad, that comforted him and other people, a world where he didn't need addiction. A safe space for him, maybe even a mask because when initially looked at, you would think that a very kind person painted them. I don't think marketing this feeling was a bad thing, in fact it was probably his only source of self confidence, and he capitalized on the feeling of being wanted, of his art being wanted, and thus got dragged into that toxic spiral of attaching his worth to only one thing, and took to lashing out when that was threatened. I'm not trying to say he was a good person or anything, just that it's kinda heartbreaking to see his paintings vs his own life, and how much he held himself back from happiness.

[@appleglassjuice11]

It almost seems like the paintings literally sucked the happiness out of him and replaced it with envy, greed, and sorrow while it made others comfortable and happy.

[@caroline6218]

it’s funny that all these art critics called his art kitch when you just made a full paragraph talking about it.

[@zukoshonor7435]

Agreed

[@ham4514]

@@caroline6218 kitch is the worst term ive ever heard as an artist, art is communication, every single piece of art has meaning because meaning can be prescribed by the viewer and the artist, and its just so fucking weird to me, these are the same people who would be upset when people go why is a line a piece of art, so why is it okay to say it for simple art, pick a lane, art is art, all art is art, we can argue about techinical objective mastery and stuff , wich is valid but the concept of art is fucked up to try to gatekeep, specially since despite how vain and arrogant the quote might have sounded there IS relevance to 10 million people being moved.

[@spookyshark632]

@@caroline6218 The paragraph isn't about the art. It's about the person.

[@mikesully110]

I guess he's like the Comic Sans / Papyrus of the Art World, these fonts are often mocked and hated yet we see them everywhere?

[@karlaj.4056]

Yeah popular bad taste

[@miko5742]

@@karlaj.4056 Comic Sans is beautiful

[@iexist6392]

Blame Undertale for that one

[@ZBBBlL]

@@iexist6392 it was that way long before undertale...in fact, those 2 fonts were put into undertale because they're so infamous.

[@iexist6392]

@@ZBBBlL Sorry if I wasn't very clear with what I meant, I meant as in their popularity. Though, I didn't know they were infamous beforehand. Thank you for correcting me and I hope you have a good life :)

[@lobotomite9767]

The concept of kitsch is interesting. The idea being that all art needs to have some sort of hidden theme or underlying message that requires the scrutiny of an intelligent person to understand. I think there are 2 main problems with this. First these paintings are meant to be wall art, they are like elevator music. They are supposed to hang on the wall and look pleasent, basicly visual background noise. They are ment to convey a cozy wholesome vibe to the room, not be the centerpiece themselves. The second issue is that modern art is often the opposite of "kitsch" to the extreme. Alot of modern art is so covoluded and requires so many leaps of logic and context to understand the theme or message that the message and theme loose all meaning and impact in the process of trying to undertand it. Most of the time people just disregard it as pretentious bullshit that makes no sense.

[@davisfarm9]

Because that's what it is.

[@gaemr_o5147]

you can't be serious...

[@sauronthemighty3985]

Art should not require all kinds mental gymnastics to appreciate.

[@JunkCCCP]

As with many other things in our modern society, the overly intellectual will write off and deny the value of anything that doesn't contain enough "intellectualist" shibboleths. If something is simple and actively denies overintellectualization, it's useless to the intellectualist because it cannot be a vehicle for their own ego masturbation.

[@NitroNinja324]

​@@sauronthemighty3985Appreciation needs to come first, THEN analysis. Why would I bother thinking hard about something I didn't find interesting to begin with? You need a hook, even if you want to be subtle.

[@user-cn5wv6mf4g]

I love the peaceful, homey, nostalgic feeling his art invokes. Better than staring at a red dot on a canvas and pretending there’s so much depth and feeling in it! To each his own

[@CatGravityWell]

“What are these? Pictures of babies eating each other? The scatological scribblings of a madman?” Me: Probably not, Francisco Goya actually seems to be well respected.

[@Starchild719]

**laughs in art**

[@squidneythesquid2487]

underrated comment lmao

[@ndSpaz]

Bob Ross didn't even sell his paintings. He wanted people to paint their own instead.

[@EzioAuditoreDaFirenze99]

Yeah, he made all his money from his paints. He was literally selling the tools to create more art.

[@720MotorWorks]

@@EzioAuditoreDaFirenze99 teach a man to fish...

[@terrypussypower]

@@720MotorWorks ...and he can paint with fish oils!

[@720MotorWorks]

@@terrypussypower 🤣

[@zenokarlsbach4292]

of course it is about great art! and technically marvellous. so sad they both died so young.

[@innotech]

upon watching this again, the juxtaposition between Kinkades personal life and his idealist paintings is an artistic expression and meaning in itself. His inner turmoil manifested into something simple and comforting, almost as though it brough himself some comfort. You can hate the guy who painted these things, but the artwork is competent and pretty.

[@asteroidrules]

Yeah, had it not been for his own statements on his paintings and the commercialization of them, critics would have looked at the contrast between the themes of his work and the reality of his life and considered Kinkade avant garde purely for that. He was obsessed with idyllic themes while being such a severe alcoholic and drug abuser that it literally killed him, there's definitely something psychological going on there.

[@daisyviluck7932]

These paintings are cute and harmless. Kitch is cute and harmless. Seriously, some people must be living lives of extreme ease to work themselves into such a snit over literal nothings 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@triangleofdeath6246]

It's funny. They will call a painting of a cottage "kitsch", while trying to claim there is some deep philosophical meaning behind someone gluing a toilet paper tube to a wall. I think id rather stare at a kincade, than some pretentious low effort "art exhibit" at a modern art gallery.

[@lewakar]

Like it's hard to know what's art before realised it's kitsch or money laundering

[@yeahimethan5968]

Art community: hates everyone Animation community: hey babes what cursed thing have you made today

[@sarahbaer1593]

For real

[@thegoldengamer9315]

True

[@SobiTheRobot]

So true.

[@alejandrootero8894]

toda la razon

[@JohnSmith-dd8bf]

Furry community: I paid 10k for a video of sonic shoving a bus in his urethra

[@duckysnake]

I was watching this in my grandparents guest room and when you said “it’s probably somewhere in your grandmothers house” I looked around and there was literally a Thomas Kinkade puzzle in the room lol

[@spookrogers8802]

Lmao same

[@OddMoonlight_]

He have a gods art, why they hate his art?

[@TeacupTSauceror]

Lol I recognised a painting in the video from a puzzle in my granny's house

[@MikeGrahamDSM]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@trejubei]

Aye it's basketball wassup

[@eddiewillers1]

Kinkade was more of what might be called a 'commercial illustrator' - it suits a particular purpose, it has some artistic merit, and enough people like it to keep the artist fed.

[@DiceRobo]

Funny that people despise this guy and say he is not a artist, but then exactly describe what he did as what AI will replace first.

[@tealover2871]

Well, most of the modern so-called paintings are literally what "commercial illustration" is all about. The ideas behind most of it is hollow and uninteresting, almost like and idea junk for you brain to understand. It makes you feel smart. Smarter than you actually are. But in the end, it's just a commercial thing, that has nothing behind it, except art snobs and artist who wants to earn some money.

[@giorgospapoutsakis5271]

​@@tealover2871today at least,it wasn't always this way

[@melere777]

Over the years I've ended up casually collecting Kinkade's puzzles. They're not only some of the best made puzzles (you can pretty much pick them up without them falling apart) but I prefer the artwork as well in terms of my process for putting together puzzles. I had no idea people hated his art so much, I've always looked at his art and wished I had that kind of skill since I find it difficult to translate what's in my mind into art. I'm studying arts & humanities and A&H is supposed to be about observing and describing, without judging whether we think something is right or wrong. It just IS. People seem to want art to be something very specific nowadays, forgetting art is simply a person taking some supplies and translating what is in their imagination (or being seen physically and being filtered through their brain) into something others can observe. Kind of like how people use language to describe things only they are experiencing (thoughts, feelings, and sensations). Art is merely a testament to the artist's psyche and personality, and nothing else. Kinkade's art is repetitive, in fact I own three puzzles of his that are different paintings of lighthouses on cliffs with the sun setting (or rising). In my own opinion, it seems the repeating motifs in his art (if the comment below mentioning his difficult childhood is correct) coupled with his addiction and devout Christian beliefs could indicate his art is a product of unresolved trauma, which causes people to play out the same patterns over and over as the brain attempts to process the old memories. His overly optimistic and simplistic settings could indicate unconscious attempts at escaping negative emotions of the past or patterns of interpersonal dysfunction that he couldn't resolve, so he escaped through art and substance abuse. Personally, the juxtaposition between his problematic personal life and kitsch artwork makes it more interesting as a topic of study; more interesting, I feel, because he seemed unaware of himself and so it is more authentic to Kinkade than an artist who is intentionally trying to portray themselves in a certain light through their art (like trying to seem deep or intellectual, etc.) because they have enough self-awareness to modify their behaviour--which means it no longer has genuine authenticity. Kinkade's art is also a part of history, like it or not--it just is what it is. It's too bad people dismiss him on a superficial level instead of pursuing his life and legacy from an academic perspective. His art is representative of his own personal history, but also the time, place, and culture in which his art gained widespread popularity.

[@jameskey4475]

“Take it easy, it’s just a drawing” - Patrick Star

[@willthepotato]

"i call it bold and brash" "more like belongs in the trash"

[@magnificloud]

Kinda random, but I really like your pfp! Who's the artist?

[@jameskey4475]

@@magnificloud Jamie Hewlett. It’s from a band called Gorillaz.

[@mesotolioma5089]

Yo Patrick didn't say that, it was Squidward

[@jameskey4475]

@@mesotolioma5089 no? He said it in Frankendoodle

[@lara3540]

Me sitting at home with 5 jigsaw puzzles by Thomas Kinkade without having known any on this: 👁👄👁

[@chrissi418]

Same

[@ylu2593]

I have a painting from him I think and I just noticed that ;-;

[@AN425W]

Me too

[@moonoftheblood]

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA YEAH

[@deegee8437]

A friend of mine told me her son bought an original Kinkade. He was told this at the gallery. According to my research, Kinkade kept all the originals. He had prints made and had artists paint over them. He was a total con man.

[@ETXAlienRobot201]

pretty much all my parents have really said of him. not a great person by any means. before being priced-out of the state, we lived in placerville, CA. my parents were personally acquainted with one of the gallery owners. that ofc, he screwed-over.

[@TenorMan96]

15:24 Lmao that is the funniest thing ever. Imagine getting a sick card in the hospital and it’s one of Picassos paintings on the front cover LMAO

[@weezypeezy1725]

Some person said something like “I wonder what Thomas Kinkade would have been able to make if he were allowed to express his pain”

[@irgendwer3610]

much more memorable and relatable paintings

[@twisthermind2514]

@@irgendwer3610 yeesssss

[@drago3036]

I don't understand the "fake art" argument. Like, you can't feel "falsely soothed" or whatever by something because that's literally a FEELING. You FEEL it. If you feel it, it IS as real as it gets.

[@frenchbreadstupidity7054]

I'd almost go as far as to say that since this art is offending 'every artist in the world,' it absolutely is modern art. The fine art community is desperately trying to deny it as art while the artist claims it is. That drama alone is the same thing that is supposedly caused by an ink blot on a massive canvas being sold for $500 000.

[@caitlin4598]

@@frenchbreadstupidity7054 I think a lot of people enjoy the intellectual trip of thinking that you're smarter than everyone else, or that you have 'hidden information' that no one else has--it's the rationale behind flat-earthers and anti-vaxxers. Do they all really, wholeheartedly, believe what they say? I doubt it. But it gives them an ego boost, so they keep saying it. Same with art, film, literature, etc. You're not dumb for liking something with a simple plotline or a cushy image--that's no less 'real' than war or death or all the other depressing subjects of art (in all its forms). but people equate cynicism with intelligence too much, and it makes me sad.

[@miglek9613]

I personally do understand the "kitch" argument for it since artwork like that is deeply disturbing to me. And altho I see your point in a way, I feel like it isn't art simply because the guy was making it for money rather than for the aesthetics of it or some kind of message. That, in my opinion, is the difference between the art by someone like Klimt, who's art is pretty and thus reproduced so much it has become kitch and someone like this painter who very obviously is not passionate about his art, only interested in becoming rich off of his work

[@abigguy354]

i think what they mean by "falsely soothed" is that the soothing feeling is so artificial that it makes you out of the experience and they realize they're being manipulated by the painting.

[@geckorider]

Yeah, it’s not fake art. Nothing is fake art. Just as if someone might feel noise rock “isn’t music”, someone might think that blown out radio pop “isn’t music”. Everything is art, ya know? I just don’t like Kinkade because of how consumerist and boring his art is. Does that mean that everyone shouldn’t like it? No!

[@photobybake]

This is a great video, I'm impressed with your fair critique and analysis.

[@rylinwilliams1393]

In defense of Kinkade I have to personally say, that the art movement's measure is to "how abstract can we take something, as to make people puzzle to where we mean". All art is communication, thus though some wish to convey the meaning in terms of simplicity, or complexity is the design of the author. Art like all forms it can come in, spoken, music, literature, cinema, television, and even interactive forms. They all communicate meaning, though some find themselves more "educated" by how obscure they can make their meaning or message. However, often is forgotten the value of clarity, and on that Kinkade is king. Kinkade is a master of soliciting an emotion of happiness, in the same way a genuine compliment would. Everyone looking at his paintings, unless they've some form of lens which they look through, will come to the conclusion that Kinkade is a good painter, and that his paintings convey the exact meaning which he was trying to convey. There's no shortage of skill when he conveys the happiness, the warmth, the joy, or the other emotions which he often does. I don't care for the man's personal life, but even so, it adds a layer unto the depth of his paintings. Instead of being repulsed by this, those critics should ask: "How could a fraudulently man, without any joy in his own life, capture a concept which he never had himself?" I need say no more on Kinkade's talent, but I'll say a few things. Yes, he uses simple and "unoriginal" techniques, but in all the reviews, you used words, with fonts, and other measures of unoriginality. Such things aren't always as important, and technicalities add, but the lack thereof should never subtract. it's foolish to subtract to the value of something which is good, just because it doesn't have any fancy letters like this: ♫ or that a book didn't have enough emojis. Or it doesn't make up enough words. Not everyone needs to be original, to effectively use art for the purpose of communication. The simple, and almost straightforward causality to everyone who sees the art, makes him a good artist in the sense that no one can't not feel the way he intends you to feel, unless you volitionally force yourself to go against the natural tide of what his communication pushes you to.

[@kragary]

I often think many modern artists have only one message they want to communicate: that they consider themselves smarter than their audience. It's not a very worthwhile message.

[@mobi4482]

They aren't even bad paintings. They just feel... generic? At this point we've seen so many reproductions so often they're no longer unique. Honestly what's most impressive is the fact this guy managed to make such detailed paintings feel so basic and bare bones(?) at the same time

[@mobi4482]

@@dvstrr yeah that makes sense. Plus the lack of any movement or interesting strokes/techniques makes the paintings feel really lifeless. Like sure, you can somewhat feel the cozy mood he was going for but its diluted by the lack of anything to really cement and attach that feeling to, like as you said, a person

[@JohnDoe-rr1fz]

At first they were probably original and cool, but then all the copy cats came in, so you can’t really blame him. And they’re still pretty nice paintings

[@PeterGriffin11]

I guess the paintings aren't interesting they are pretty but there are tons of paintings I've seen before of landscapes similar to his I guess, but I don't hate them. That being said those people who do hate his art partially due to it being generic kinda reminds me of my hate for the MCU for the same reason of being generic.

[@ricochet0928]

Yeah, I agree. They all feel kinda same-y to me; like an "if you've seen one, you've seen them all" kind of thing. Although, my mom has tons of his paintings hanging around the house, so maybe that's why they all kinda look the same to me :/

[@MAR_abisal]

Edit: I replace the reply to extend it and talk more about it. I see them as “background Disney 2D animated movies” which isn’t bad but it means for me that in the first seconds (even minutes) it looks very pretty, you feel happiness with a bit of sadness because you know you will stop liking it as much as you did five seconds ago, then that joy ends and you just have the vague memory of those feelings. They look very optimistic, I wouldn’t say too much because i don’t get what is something too optimistic (I get it means to “everything is rainbows and unicorns” but for me that is something else which is innocence in a child, but that’s a different thing). It’s like a candy, you like the taste it gives when it’s in your mouth, once it’s gone you can’t simply recreate that taste that easily, when you see another candy you want to buy it but too much candy isn’t very healthy. The taste is complex yet very simple to notice, there are a lot of them but you don’t want to not eat them, at least one per day. And of course there always are old and tasteless candy that you don’t want to see them again. I should call it “candy art” or something like that but I like the first nickname a gave. However I’m not going to say anything about the artist because I really don’t care about him.

[@W3irdWombat]

People who were brought joy from a mans death that they didn’t even know and understand is borderline pathetic.

[@Jack_Woods]

Yeah, both parties in this were being immature and horrible

[@Fisinocean]

True

[@alias4795]

I feel the same way.

[@angelikaskoroszyn8495]

Yeah, it's one thing to not his art and what its popularity might reflect about modern culture but hating the man is just on another level

[@monbub]

Yeah they're horrible people, even worse than him

[@phillipstroll7385]

Not challenging? I'd like to see his critics paint what he painted.

[@ashlyn8765]

for me his paintings always given me the sense of being in the story of hansel and grettle and im seeing the gingerbread and the icing and the jubjubes and it should look nice and appealing and it does,, but everything just feels off and i cant place why edit: oh but he absolutely gains a few points back for the winnie the pooh thing. thats literally the funniest thing ever

[@desu38]

Okay, so basically he's the McDonald's of the art world, and naturally snobs desperately need everyone to know just how much they despise his work.

[@spamviking]

Person: "I like this thing. It looks nice and makes me feel happy." Critic: "You can't like this thing. It's not nice and your feelings aren't real. Only stupid people like the thing, are you a stupid people? I'm not a stupid I went to a school that told me which things are good things and which are for stupid people." This shit goes for movies and music too.

[@YumegakaMurakumo]

This. Thank you. A reason why I find critics to be some of the most pretentious people on the face of the earth. I'll listen to your "opinion" Mr. Critic, and then I'll form my own. And Mr. Critic, I happen to LOVE the 2004 Robert Zemeckis movie, The Polar Express!

[@Gooberpatrol66]

I should go to art school. Having the ability to tell telepathically which of another person's emotions are "fake" or "real" sounds like an amazing superpower.

[@posteriorpepperoni]

This type of shit is why i never want video games to be considered art. There is the odd Journey or Shadow of The Colossus, but the moment fun stops being a metric used to classify games,or even entertainment in general is the moment i stop caring about anyone's opinions

[@loruhlai]

yeah critics aren’t all like that dude but good try to demonize people for having opinions about stuff. Negative opinions about things are just as important as positive opinions.

[@pootoobaby738]

@@loruhlai i think the whole point is when some critics have those negative opinions, they take the opportunity to attack those who do not fall in line with those opinions. Hence the critics talking about Kincade works and specifically attacking midwest Americans because they’re seen as less intelligent in their eyes. It comes off as “I’m not like other kids, I’m so much cooler than that sheep over there.” Putting others down for the sake of making yourself feel superior just makes you a bully. Obviously not all critics are like this, but the need to attack others to make your critique more relavent seems very prevalent in the critic world, art included.

[@maniamme2]

I love the video, just wanted to say I love the Tobacco groove at the end of the video!

[@MrStrocube]

Wow, man, this was really well done on every level. It was funny, subtle and nuanced. New subscriber. Personally, most of Kinkade’s art makes me wanna gouge my eyes out with rusty coat hangers. But, I think that’s largely to do with the fact the we kinda define ourselves to some extent by what we don’t like, so yeah . . . But, you know, of it makes grandma happy to have a Kinkade in her living room, then great. I would never trash talk that to anyone who likes that sort of thing, at least not their face, lol!

[@natalius]

i feel like people hate his art because they hate kinkade himself, they aren't seperating the artist and the art

[@k2a2l2]

i could understand disliking it because its overly generic, but hating the art is kinda weird

[@am4teur]

Personally I don't hate the art itself and to be fair the execution of his pieces was always very good but I will say all of them do feel rather uninspired

[@minarosario]

Just as they should!

[@joshuhigashikata9201]

Kind of like they do with wagner

[@sabinasabino141]

I kinda do hate the art. It makes me really uncomfortable, a sort of viceral feeling. I don’t think that there is anything wrong if someone likes it. Nor do I think it is necessarily bad, there are some paintings of landscapes of his that I find enjoyable. The feeling I get is similar to the one I get when I see propaganda, the overwhelming happiness of it triggers an inherent suspicion in my brain, I can’t engage meaningfully with it. Kinda reminds me of socialist realism, like the really happy and peppy stuff. Maybe it is because I already knew the political dimensions of the work, I have always looked at then with that context. And once I saw it that way, it became difficult to unsee it. I also think my hate of it comes from a personal place, I am Brazilian, and the paintings themselves harken back to a sort of an idyllic, bucolic americana that, honestly, became widespread all throughout the world. It reminds me of American cultural hegemony more than it reminds me a of mythologized, comfy past, the composition itself is peaceful but that very peacefulness to me is disturbing. There are also a lot of things about Brazilian middle class bovarism that I could spend the whole day talking about, but long story short, this sort of Americana is beloved by the rich, and it’s adoption by the Brazilian upper middle class sort of works like a distinction of cultural superiority from us, the (mostly black and poor) peasants who like samba, and you know, our culture. So that’s why I genuinely not only dislike, but have this passive sort of hatred for it.

[@christopherbales1269]

Most of my childhood, my Dad worked for Tom. I met him plenty of times. He would always throw big Christmas parties and give all the kids toys. He even painted my mom as a character in a painting. His early days were awesome and he had some great works. He always struck me as someone whose art got corrupted. He was suited by art dealers early on, who propped up Toms ego, and commercialized him. When they opened the Morgan Hill office, it was too late, Tom couldn't push back because of the bills he had to pay. It killed his soul. Then we saw things like Tom throw pillows and nightlights. He even had the flocked series, wher he used photoshop to change summer scenes to snow covered winter. Then Disney, and MLB, and carnival cruise ships came in. Tom hated it, and didn't even paint for awhile. It really hurt Tom that he was rejected by the art world, so he leaned into a "silent majority" mentality. Then the booze and pills took over. I feel for the guy, and for his wife, Nanette, and their daughters.

[@thathobbitlife]

Thanks for sharing this insight.

[@annem7806]

Comparable to musicians & their craft.

[@oneshoepilot3943]

Nice of you to give your perspective of him.

[@queenofthebutterflies5212]

Thankyou for sharing your personal story about him. I was shocked to hear that I am older than him. He was definitely "a tortured soul," but he sounds lovely. I'm an Aussie so am not familiar with his artwork but I find it very pretty. Like I'd like to walk into some of those scenes 💓

[@banheezone]

Wow you actually knew him thats pretty cool

[@g.b.2806]

European point of view, writing only a few minutes into the video: My grandmother loved doing the jigsaw puzzles with Kinkade's cottage paintings, she always seemed at peace while laying them out. Seeing how she had to flee her home country during WWII and the trauma she must have experienced, how she always clung onto her purse for the rest of her life to make sure she won't lose her papers (/her identity) if she has to get up and run again... I'm glad that guy painted what he did and marketed it so well. A human can be comforted a little by nostalgic, idyllic "kitsch", like a hug for your heart. Art (or kitsch) likes this has its place in the world. Not everything needs to be innovative, progressive, provocative, made for art critics to be studied in depth. Just how not every plate needs to be made of the finest porcelain, not every painting has to be painted to be hung in an important museum. Kinkade's paintings are useful, just like a normal, kinda nice looking dinner plate, that might put a little smile on your face when you use it because it reminds you of your grandmother's plates. And that's fine (unless you hate your grandma).

[@heribertodiaz6984]

I regularly come back to this video as he grew up in my town and there’s a store of his paintings by where I smoke and I go in there to watch this a luh high. Thank you solar sands I enjoy your videos very much

[@FRISHR]

They hate him because he’s not a starving artist.

[@youdonegoofed]

Exactly. He pointed out how a lot of artists keep sniffing their own farts and they despised him for it.

[@crystalalumina]

I will never understand that snob logic of "to be a good *artist* you need to be dying in a dark alley"

[@renanfelipedossantos5913]

No overcomplicated narrative to back an ugly mix of paint and you can still pay your bills without relying on the small circle of elite art speculators? Most hated artist ever.

[@myragroenewegen5426]

That can happen, but in this case, I think not. There are plenty of non-starving and accessible artists who are not hated like this. I think it has more to do with claiming to be really unique, just because you know how to market and are very successful. As someone who would like to see even greeting cards have a little more creativity than this, I get it, even if I see that it has a place and would like less mudslinging to go on. It's worth remembering that Maud Lewis is also accused of making kitch, but there's considerably more tolerance and respect for her and folks are often willing to talk about any special artistic qualities they CAN see on her work. Artists who work hard to make the visual world interesting resent those who don't, but try to sell themselves as though they do, lashing out at the art community, critics and the public for not buying the act. It's true that they aren't the only artists hiding behind pretense, but the cynicism about that art like that pushed in that way has some good roots in the wish of artists to see art and the world progress ,change and stay, to some degree, current and fresh.

[@MFLimited]

Wasn’t....But yes I agree

[@daisyprayers]

I didn’t like “kitschy” art until I got severely ill, now it’s something that brings me joy. My life can get so overwhelming that sometimes a simple painting of a cottage that doesn’t have any “deeper meaning” is what I need to get through the day. I think when we discount paintings, or music, or any other form of art, just because we perceive it to be shallow, we’re often forgetting why people love them in the first place.

[@k.morningstar7983]

if i was asked, as a fan of more surreal or for lack of a better word, more engaging art, i would nevertheless pick a house in the woods paining by Kinkade as the painting i would like to live in. now, if i were to own a kinkade, i've thought about this, and i would like it to be touched up and added to. piling kitch on top of kitch. i think i would love a satanic black mass, with revelers walking up a stone path to the house in the woods. sort of like making a kosher meal extra unkosher with the addition of some bacon.

[@hellosweetheart3350]

Your beautiful ❤️

[@abbiehoffman2921]

i completely agree. i normally like more obscure niche music. but during some mental health struggles, i realized that country music was actually really comforting. i had pushed it away because i thought i couldn’t relate to it. in the end, music that wasn’t my original taste helped me see my life in a different, lighthearted way. same can be said about paintings.

[@carlrygwelski586]

I wish the best for your health 💝

[@victoriareed6125]

Exactly

[@suzanned5859]

I love these painting particularly the ones with lots of nature and a cottage or two. They make me feel calm and I would love to live in a cottage like one in the paintings.

[@K1ngwing]

My grandparents bought a copy of the “Garden of Prayer” Painting with details done by kincade himself. It is in the home office and is just a nice painting to look at when having a mental breakdown. Though the man highly conceited and very greedy,honestly it’s a pleasant painting

[@rolandmeyer3729]

Friend, do not confuse conceded with conceited. 💛

[@K1ngwing]

@@rolandmeyer3729 Thank You,editing my comment now 👍

[@LeeryMuscrat]

It seems like he was the Christian Rock of the art world

[@Kmn483]

Nah, some christian rock bands are good (flyleaf, skillet, thousand foot krutch) He was straight up gospel music. Gaudy and obnoxiously uplifting.

[@MednaTheFox]

“you’re not making christianity better, you’re just making the art world worse!”

[@MischieviousJirachi]

@@Kmn483 Skillet is a christian rock band?? Damn!

[@oanaalexia]

@@MednaTheFox good quote, matches the video.

[@ephemera5714]

@@Kmn483 Bro... those bands have some okay songs but there's legitametly good gospel out there. Some of it is overkill but gospel is worth investigating, even praise and worship is alright sometimes. It's CCM that's unbearable. When Christians try to replicate top 40 pop.

[@wilkham2678]

I couldn't even imagine that these painting were from someone so broken. Really strange these cherry fluffy painting are made by someone who is really broke.

[@madisondameron142]

People who suffer from depression or people who suffer in general often use some form of art to escape every day life. He probably wanted to paint places he wished he was at.

[@brittanyd8103]

He probably was an average guy until the fame and fortune took hold of him.

[@jambothejoyful2966]

The promise of hope from his religion could have caused him to obsess over it?

[@madisondameron142]

@@jambothejoyful2966 yeah that too.

[@tripwire4727]

Amazing history. Thank you for the effort!

[@marnoch4632]

Excellent narration, excellent video about a subject I knew nothing about.

[@Nightman221k]

As someone who attended college for art, my classmates and teachers almost always hate things that the average person thinks is nice or wholesome. I don't get it, it seems pretentious to hate a man's art just cause it has a charm and coziness to it. I like just liking something without having to demand it be nihilistic.

[@Hanapetals]

I think a lot of artsy people try to find meaning and expression in art and that’s how they justify it being such a big deal to them. There’s not much more meaning to kinkade’s art other than “it’s cute and is meant to look nice on a living room wall” and because it’s so prolific it’s become representative of art that serves as a practical boring wall filler. So its existence is basically an insult to those who think very highly of art, and they clearly take it personally lol

[@lucas1309]

@@Hanapetals They feel corporate to me. Like this painting sold to old people at ludicrous prices just because it looks "Pretty". @Edit: Can people stop replying to me after three years? Look for my other response lower down, christ.

[@saninpain]

@@lucas1309 Still better than a splash of paint on a canvas, at least Kinkade didn't pretend his art had a greater meaning.

[@andrew_cunningham]

World War I set a hell of a trend...

[@appleglassjuice11]

@@lucas1309 I don't understand how its bad to like his art and wanting to have it up on a wall? If someone likes it and wants to buy it, its their taste and their money. Its purpose is to be decorative lol

[@chloepatt1661]

I grew up in a broken home and was abused as a child. Pretty bad childhood with little love. I remember seeing these paintings in a local shop and felt an instant warmth I couldn’t understand. I was so in love with these paintings and bought a miniature print for my desk. It always brought me so much joy - imagining myself living there with a family who loved me and having a different reality. I’m forever thankful for having found these paintings and I’m glad to finally know the name of the artist. I don’t care what other artists say - his art has helped me and Im sure many others to escape their reality. And that’s something we all need sometimes. And that’s art in action.

[@synicat7839]

Thats rough. But if you find the light in something during conflict, then thats something to believe in, regardless of who or what it is.

[@lydoofusbinderp9853]

I actually have a similar story! I might not have agreed with the dude on much but, in my opinion, what makes art worth seeing is an extremely fluid and subjective thing. In that way, it doesn't make much sense to me to call any artwork "bad". The worth of a piece of art lies not within the art itself but within the mind of the viewer. And to me, the glowing cottage in a snow-covered countryside could be the starting point for a daydream with a better Christmas. One where you or I felt warm and safe.

[@brandonellis8111]

😭 sending you my love from Houston ❤⚘🌹 Praying that you have happiness in your life now or in the near future

[@chloepatt1661]

@@superdupersketchy4524 That’s crazy but you could’ve unliked my comment or kept your trashy, negative, attention seeking and venomous comments to yourself. No one needs to know. You just want gratification from internet points. So please keep it to yourself next time.

[@lydoofusbinderp9853]

@@superdupersketchy4524 The fact that you have to make strangers talking about their lives and perspectives sound like a negative and toxic thing is a sign that you, in fact, are negative and toxic. And apparently so starved for attention that someone sharing their perspective on their abusive childhood makes you insecure somehow.

[@caseyferrill6953]

A very compelling video. I liked the way that you stressed the idea that excessiveness in garishness and sentimentality does not necessarily warrant an excessive and vitriolic response from those whose sense of aesthetics may be several worlds removed from anything Kincade visualized and painted. Quite often, I have found such responses come from those who feel that such subject matter is a serious affront to their own world views and personal narratives. (Although, as you pointed out, there also legitimate reasons for disliking his paintings - or the bulk of them. I for one, would have a hard time warming to even the most sublime painting that had a brand looking like a watermark taking up a respectable portion of one corner when a simple small signature is sufficient for most artists - but that is just me!).

[@Blessed_by_Yeshua]

My parents grew up in New England. My grandparents lived in New Hampshire and Vermont. We spent every summer up in Vermont for several weeks. I’ve been to every small town, crossed every covered bridge there was back in the 70s and 80s, went to antique stores, saw such beauty that Thomas Kincaid absolutely captured I am grateful for his paintings. They help me relive my childhood. They help me imagine my parents” childhood. They are amazing pictures of a simpler time when kids would just go outside and play all day and beautiful Victorian houses had a single lit candle in each window and a big Christmas trees in large picture window. I’ve been to places that look just like that. I feel bad for those who haven’t ever experienced the beauty of a summer, winter, fall or spring in beautiful Vermont. Skipping rocks along the side of the road, picking beautiful sweet spicy-smelling wildflowers, swimming in lakes, walking down country roads, buying penny candy from little wooden-floored five and dime stores. Amazing times I’ll never forget. And at one point I lived over in England and traveled to North Wales on many occasions. I thoroughly enjoyed sitting on the stone bridge, listening to the babbling, Brooke below, looking at the thatched roof houses, and the ivy-covered stone houses. Each one had a small but colorful garden in the front . Beautiful wildflowers.dotted the land. Straight from a Kincaid painting. It was a little piece of heaven on earth.

[@sexywarriorwomen]

Thank you. It’s nice to know there are scenes like that in real life. I’ve always liked his paintings of homes and villages.

[@greendoritoman2464]

Imagine just minding your business and then you see a drunken artist with a goatee urinating on a Winne The Pooh statue and yelling, "THIS ONE'S FOR YOU WALT!"

[@skythedragon7897]

I would film it

[@ManiacalForeigner]

Love the man or hate him, that was absolutely based.

[@TrevorNWhite]

"Winnie the Pooh implies the existence of Losie the Pee"

[@MVPUnlucky]

You join him and then take him inside and buy him another round.

[@kingoliever1]

That´s real art, would buy it.

[@morganhay3968]

"Travelled by freight train across the country, sketching with James Gurney." I'll be honest, that sounds cool as hell.

[@richardsorgo8600]

Yep, especially with the mind behind Dinotopia

[@zakkapradana7180]

James gurney is very wholesome tho

[@Graveyard55]

Im just sad that HE got that opportunity

[@John-mf6ky]

Dude was traincore before traincore lol

[@genzinchrist1828]

Hell isn’t cool

[@user-hg4cn6cv4w]

My grandma LOVES Thomas kinkade, and it is everywhere in her home, and always have been, so most of his paintings are very nostalgic to me. So really don’t know how to feel right now 😭

[@sexywarriorwomen]

Don’t worry about it. Plenty in the comments are saying how it helped them out when they are depressed etc. If you like it then you like it. It’s not like he was a super villain .

[@JasoniBruh]

I love these, wonderful colours and they all feel cozy

[@charnevandermerwe3641]

Okay but imagine a cute fairy tale story book with these as illustrations... They give the exact vibe of cosy cute fairy tales and I really like that

[@xoz6744]

That's what I always thought they were when I did puzzles with these images. I didn't know the guy behind it, but I still think they're cute lol the only ones I don't really care for are the ones with the US flag and with crosses. The straight up cottages and landscapes are very cute.

[@nyxs_time_alone]

@@xoz6744 i really don't hate them. The paintings are pretty much OK for me. People hate it because it's repetitive and he didn't made something new. But if don't hate them. Some are really good and I would really like to make some puzzles with them.

[@albuch520]

Guys, from art perspective they are so awful that it's funny. The problem is that flat brains like you don't understand art and actually these paintings "educats" little kids to bad taste of art which is catastrophic. The taste of art and not only art, can be directly connected with the meaning of good and bad and our world's esthetics.

[@charnevandermerwe3641]

@@albuch520 I am actually in my final year of college studying art... Art is subjective. If we like it.. We are allowed to

[@albuch520]

@@charnevandermerwe3641 Anyway you are allowed to, but ist not OK.

[@underplague6344]

Ironically, the controversy around his art has increased the art's artistic value, added meaning to the mostly meaningless

[@connerrolofson1585]

That’s ironic.

[@z-beeblebrox]

I mean, wasn't that the entire point of Kinkade's shenanigans? By provoking critics who already didn't like him and making frequent vocal appeals to evangelicals, he was creating the exact motivations he needed to sell his prints at high prices

[@LordMoku]

As soon as someone says they don't like something, its value increases to those who wish to spite them. Let's say liberals openly hate the art, which encourages conservatives to buy more and display it to spite them; this drives the price up, even if the majority opinion is negative.

[@angelikaskoroszyn8495]

@Moku Joker definitely sold better because of all the media crying out how the movie will cause fall of Western Society into incel fascism or something On the other side lots of modern woke commercials are being produced so right wingers will become outraged and make the product popular by crying about how multimilion corporations want to spread communism Outrage culture is pretty profitable

[@bramble6367]

Bad attention is about as useful as good attention

[@Fyrehart97]

So, I'm from the UK, so even though I can guarantee I've seen a Kinkade, I'd never heard of him. So, when you bigged up his art at the beginning and then I actually saw it, I was left sat there thinking, "Do you know what? That's really nice! That's actually really nice!" like that meme of that British guy reacting to a drink. I dabble a little bit in photoraphy and enjoy going on walks in the country to unwind and Kinkades art is like what a dream photo in my minds eye would be on one of those walks. I think your assessment of his art was fairly accurate and fair. So, seperating the man from the art, some of the ones you showed were a bit much, but the majority were just... nice. What's wrong with art just being nice? He's hardly become my favourite artist, nor can I remember a particular piece, because none really stand out. The hatred is just extreme, because his art is just nice. I think it's one of those things where the truth or reality lies somewhere in the middle.

[@priceyindividual2995]

I would love another video exploring this type of art.

[@Namonstar]

Imagine selling so many paintings that your art becomes generic and common. When actually you are the only one making them

[@missl849]

I'll take it. Lol

[@severiusbrandusa1413]

@@missl849 I'll take 5

[@jadesded]

It's not *just* that he sold so many that they became generic, it's that the artistic concepts he plays with weren't necessarily his to begin with.

[@crimdoesstuff6295]

@@jadesded So... are you a satanist for drawing(or painting) fruit and bowls?

[@jadesded]

@Crimdoesstuff Outside of the classroom, with no actual artistic input & only the passé right-brained exercise, _Yes._ It's not wrong to study in that manner, and is encouraged to hone technique of in this case, 2D medium, but it's an exercise none the less that can be used to be applied later in actual art.. Like how musicians practice scales/chords/rhythms.

[@user-mw8er6dp6m]

I honestly really like his paintings, their soothing and I'm usaully more of a cartoon/horror/fantast type of artist but i also have soft spot for old paintings and landscapes, so i think his art is neat.

[@zoybeei4699]

Glad to see someone else who likes it! I think it’s comforting maybe I just like cottages but it makes me feel homey :((

[@emmaryartistry2874]

I always enjoyed seeing his pieces. They are pretty, and fantasy esque. If the person enjoys creating it, then how is it fake and emotionless? I can understand hating the artist, he wasn't exactly a great person, but to say his art is trash, and it's ugly and heartless is a bit much.

[@zoybeei4699]

@@emmaryartistry2874 everyone says art is suggestive until it doesn’t fit their style 🙄 like yeah he wasn’t a great person but if you’re able to separate art from the artist then take a moment to appreciate it, it’s Leagues above anything I could do!

[@captainlazyartist2038]

Same here

[@reet7060]

@@zoybeei4699 The amount of famous artists that were absolute shit. If art quality always equaled artist, damn near every renowned artist in every field would be declared “the Hitler of their craft”.

[@muffemod]

This is one of the best short documentaries I've ever seen. I learned so much about this person I never heard of and it was really well put together.

[@raine-time]

Ngl I dig his art, it's simple and sweet, light and warm, it doesn't reflect our real world at all and I guess that's what upsets people

[@Uh-ll4ri]

nah the problem is that he is creating the art for the express purpose of appealing to the most broad audience possible. He's not an artist he's an advertiser who built a monopoly on this tacky over saturated bullshit.

[@raine-time]

@@Uh-ll4ri lmao geez calm down 😂 no need to get so worked up, theres a lot to stress about in this world and this mans art isn't one of em

[@Uh-ll4ri]

@@raine-time this mans art represents on of the greatest problems with our world today which is tacky inauthentic bullshit made with no soul. These paintings are famous because of the immense effort he spent to mass produce and market them, not because of any artistic merit.

[@bored_person]

If Thomas was an artist on deviantART, his work would be beloved.

[@NuclearTopSpot]

Imagine. A conservative christian alcoholic with the name KINKade on a site like deviantart. But yeah you're completely correct

[@whataboutthis8423]

I like the way you kept true to the stylization of that websites name

[@andrew_cunningham]

Thing is, his work _was_ beloved. One thing DA and your grandma's house have in common is that neither are affiliated with the avant-garde art scene. I'm all for popular art, but you need to keep enough separation between your head and your ass to know that your extreme skill at drawing cozy cottages or anime OCs isn't going to count for much in the MoMA.

[@bored_person]

@@whataboutthis8423 speech to text

[@bored_person]

@@andrew_cunningham I don't value the opinions of the avant-garde art World myself, and I don't think Thomas Kinkade should have either.

[@lohto3]

They're decent paintings. Nothing original or special, but if someone finds it soothing, what even is the issue? "Stupid paintings for stupid people" and "fake art." Imagine actually saying that. These art critics need to stop smelling their own farts so much. Makes artists as a whole look like assholes, far more than Kinkade might have done.

[@matilde_5]

Yeah like calm down

[@fefega]

Kinda like "Real hiphop"

[@shiro9863]

Yep the people who usually critics average art as dogshit want a sense of superiority its really dumb nice pfp of lenessia hime lmao cant wait for season 4 lmao

[@matilde_5]

@@fefega And “real music” in general

[@GrimFelArt]

Makes me embarrassed to be an artist

[@FailSonOfAnarchy]

7:54 The Virgin Thomas Kincaid vs the Chad Bob Ross.

[@Cockroach_Queen]

18:48 That picture is not a Thomas Kinkade painting. It's Pierre Auguste Renoir's Luncheon Of The Boating Party which was exhibited for the first time in 1882.

[@xemirahobbyless]

I'm German, so this is a perspective on the German word "kitsch", and I don't know if the english word has different spin to it. I'd describe kitsch as something tacky or cheesy in an attempt to be beautiful. This is subjective to the viewer, but some examples I can think of, that are just a little "too much": Two swans on a lake in front of a sunset, forming a heart with their necks. Garden gnomes Statuettes of putti, specifically if not in a church. A white wolf with blue eyes howling to a huge bluish-white full moon in a sparkling sky. In this video, the painting of Santa putting presents under the tree is what I would consider the most kitschy. Kitsch is widely subjective, if it weren't, kitschy things wouldn't sell as well as they do. Kitsch for me feels generic, with an overuse of stylistic devices and, as Solar Sands said, not intellectually challenging. Feel free to disagree though, it's hard to put my finger on it :D Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone

[@Yablakas]

I'm American and I think you described it very well! That's the impression I've always had of kitsch.

[@polarzup6034]

I guess a kisched art is more valorized as a practice concept than as a seeling piece of art, everyone has already seen a drawing of batman standing as a ninja with a full moon behind him, but if you're able to create a decent drawing of that you can secure that you can challenge yourself with some more original concepts and hard techniques And thanks for the explanation and happy christimas!

[@gur262]

You know what. Santa probably IS the most kitschy one because it's not borderline accidental satire. It's too much but not all the way. Like the bambi n friends n deer in background and rainbow mountains American eagle thunder waterfalls one

[@zcalhoun3638]

I agree but I love garden gnomes :(((

[@restfulflames9855]

So kitsch is like... Generic normie cringe?

[@ds654]

Having known a little bit abt his childhood, I feel it may have influenced his art. As has been mentioned before, he grew up,with a single mom who worked hard to support her family. As a kid, he came home to an empty house. In his paintings, the light is always on, the hearth is warm and inviting inside, which implies mom is home. The abundance of flowers and beautiful home, is a place of plenty, where those inside have everything they need. Who knows?

[@dibbadyda1728]

That is a very beatiful theory

[@lunarmodule6419]

And yet no one to be seen... A paradox

[@nerdnam]

The houses look like they are boiling babies inside.

[@SnakeBush]

So this is why I love his art. It's fundamentally working class

[@ReiseLukas]

@@nerdnam How Morbid.

[@Sir-doge-7166]

Thomas kinkade paintings are good in my opinion. They give me a sense of mostalgia and comfort. Especially the winter paintings. It reminds of a simpler time. My family is very seperated ever sonce the death of my cousin. The paintings remind of the joy of going to my grandmas house and unwrapping presents, a more joyful and happy time than now.

[@matthewkopp2391]

I bought a painting by Thomas Kinkade’s teacher, Glenn Wessels. The painting was an abstract expressionist painting, the polar opposite of Kinkade. But Wessels early work was WPA social realism. And Wessels teacher was Hans Hoffman, also an abstractionist. It was a bit surprising to see this lineage of influences.

[@CowboyRickey]

“Thomas Kinkade is the most hated artist” Hitler: don't mind me just watching

[@bloopie8492]

Underrated lmao

[@pianomaster696]

@Wilhelm Strasse if you didn't notice, abstract art costs like a few hundred dollars if not thousands, hell, a banana duct taped to a wall costed like 200k. But Hitler didn't even get into art school? He could've had a completely different reason as to why he was well known.

[@cthulhus]

imagine reposting someone else's comment -_-

[@valvplaysstuff]

Hey! Ive seen this one before!

[@cthulhus]

@@valvplaysstufflol

[@PacificMonk]

Pablo Picasso: "The purpose of art is not for decorating apartments." Thomas Kinkade: "Yes it is."

[@Inkan1969]

Kinkade really should've left it at that, instead of pushing this "Painter of Light" BS.

[@fixsationon7244]

​@@Inkan1969true. He doesn't live up to his own hype. That makes him a bad artist. Like a wise man once said "tryies to be x but fails miserably"

[@rebeccawicks7692]

Yet his art looks great in living rooms!

[@rebeccawicks7692]

That was in reference to Picasso comment!

[@anastasiae.5338]

Picasso shoulda shut his yap, because his art sucked outside of his Cubist period. That's right, I said it.

[@robertmulherine8195]

Speaking as an artist, i love his paintings and purchase his calendars every year. You like what pleases your eyes.

[@DocJerky]

If art is supposed to illicit an emotional response, then I suppose he was very successful.. All those art snobs have a bug up their butts.

[@youisstupid2586]

They are cookie cutter but shouldn’t be hated like that.

[@youisstupid2586]

@Iridescent Silhouette I think the comments are from pompous art lovers and art critics. I don’t think anyone else would care so much about paintings or even the politics behind it to write something that toxic. And usually when it’s something political there are people who come to their defence which I didn’t see here. Their hate is out of a sense of superiority not politics imo.

[@rexyaxy4314]

lmfao white people

[@Underworlddream]

I hearing from a artist that Kinkade asking hundreds of people what artwork they like to hang in their house. So he designed his artwork that people would like to buy.

[@Rh-sl2kt]

The reason they're cookie cutter is because he got so famous

[@aberfork6031]

@Iridescent Silhouette sounds like you got some personal problems ngl

[@oldnosoul4183]

"People in the art world wouldn't just hate stuff"... Ha

[@Web720]

Biggest understatement in the video.

[@ashinthehouse1710]

When you accidentally draw the proportions of a Steven universe character wrong

[@Ruby-Doc]

@@ashinthehouse1710 *_[⁰ ⁿ⁰]_*

[@absolite6]

@@ashinthehouse1710 Your in for a bad time.....

[@StarNumbers]

Well done. From the paintings in this vid I would pick 2 or three paintings to display at home. It took a while for me to like naïve paintings, which today is a well established form. In the US there is an art form called the Hudson River School that has similar flavor to Kinkaid. But they found a name for it: Romanticism. So there. As for art critics they think they are the king makers who dictate success. Kinkade found his own channels and they did not forgive him because they could not forget him. Yet, I think a fitting name for Kinkaid style is *Idealized Home.* Symbolically, the light is a synonym for the soul, but hey, the art critics are not very bright. As for the personal frailties, you only have to go as far as Mozart.

[@mallbratgirl_3005]

it's honestly very interesting to me that someone who had such a dark death made such cheery art, whereas someone like francis bacon who also struggled with alcoholism and terrible trauma in his life and made such notoriously dark and raw art lived much longer and died of natural causes. the comparison makes me wonder, had he confronted his issues and himself through his art the way bacon did would he have been able to work through it and improve? knowing the dark side to him in his personal life brings an uneasy feeling to his pieces, not only adding to the artificial atmosphere but also giving the feeling that something sinister is lurking beneath the facade the same way it was with the man himself.

[@cosmichome626]

I think it's just glory and money can have their negative effect on him.

[@skibidibiden69]

I can see why people would dislike it, but these "art critics" just seem like elitists who would bash a 3rd grader's anime drawing and think digital art is "cheating".

[@happenedbychance3392]

Exactly

[@YY-wu7et]

Depends of the 3rd grader's religion and political beliefs. Art critics aren't self-aware enough to realize these are the only actual criteria they have in determining how much they like something.

[@justifiedhomicide5730]

I'd say that Bob Ross doesn't have overly cheerful settings in every painting, they're just a landscape everytime. That's just that. A happy tree and a mountain ya know?

[@js66613]

And it doesn't have to be more than that. Sometimes the beauty of expansive wilderness, freedom and nature is all you need in life. And if you're stuck some place without all that, being able to see that sort of painting anywhere, anyhow... gives you a chance to escape somewhere else.

[@TryinaD]

I like Bob Ross because his paintings of nature have varied moods it wants to set (and uses the expansiveness of nature well) unlike kincaid who wants to create the same unnatural shit over and over?

[@hdervish2497]

I think Bob Ross's approach was to teach a little technique and a lot of meditation. The finished painting was less the point than the experience of losing yourself in your work

[@wannabehistorian371]

@@TryinaD It’s the same appeal as a snowglobe. I think that “squeaky clean and a bit overly wholesome” is as valid a style as “gothic horror” or “dark and moody” or “abstract and vaporwave-ish”. It’s just because it’s mainstream that hipsters like to hate it.

[@ninja_tony]

@@wannabehistorian371 Exactly. People keep calling Kinkade's work "fake" because it's artificially bright and warm, but that's literally the point of his work. His intention was for each peace to be inviting and nostalgic. So people hating on it for that are missing the point, and ironically accusing it of being exactly what it set out to be.

[@BoxySonic]

The hourglass icon having articulated arms is the best addition to this channel since the deviantart videos stopped

[@Todomo]

as an artist and art student, his use of light has always made me happy. i’ve done several puzzles with his work on it. it looks and feels nice.

[@LocalOnThe8]

haters be like: I'm not kink shaming *I'm kinkade shaming*

[@whytho8856]

bruh

[@Joel-ik3sz]

or kitsch shaming

[@thegoldengamer9315]

Lol

[@WaveAqualei]

*kink shaming is my kink*

[@EmeraldLavigne]

To be fair, Kinkade had no shame, but certainly fuckin should have...

[@ashlee7859]

This is giving me the vibes of “you won’t understand Rick and Morty because you aren’t smart enough. Only people with high IQs can find Rick and Morty funny” lol.

[@paradoxicalcitizen1139]

Exactly. Bruh, I understand the jokes, I just think they're dumb

[@casperiongen4899]

Redditors man...

[@FUBARGunpla]

Yeah I gotta agree, I enjoyed the first two seasons and fell off after that, it's not because I'm not intelligent but because it's just not as funny as I found it before.

[@jerregaming6009]

Ah well you see, the beauty of rick and morty is the levels of humour in them, you can enjoy the absurdity of a man turning himself into a pickle, you can laugh at a man turning himself into a pickle to evade therapy, you can laugh at the entire episode as a parody of john wick and you can laugh at the at the fact that after all of that, he still ends up in the therapy and seems to learn something. However, it still contains a truth about human nature to hide in what we do best and disregard out flaws. In that way, its a work of art, cleverly hidden away in an absurd and low level humour series

[@willian2848]

@@paradoxicalcitizen1139 I would not say dumb, but they're ignorant

[@Enginejen]

I’m so confused by the “sell-out” aspect of the hate. Are these people unaware that there is a whole swath of legitimate artists making a living as commercial artists? Isn’t the idea that you WANT to make a living as an artist and have steady work? Or do they revel in the idea of being a “starving artist”? I’m so confused.

[@anastasiae.5338]

I found his art beautiful from the moment I first saw one. They are hopeful and show a world where bad things don't exist. I think the reason people hate it so much is because it's mass produced. Well Beanie Babies and Cabbage Patch dolls were also mass produced, and a bunch of goons happily beat each other up to get them. I'm planning to get my dogs portraits painted as generals or Elizabethans pretty soon. I guess I've got no class. My house is filled with Halloween decorations, so I guess I'm a big kitsch kinda gal. I got a flyer from an art gallery in New Mexico years ago, and the "artist" they were promoting was cranking out stuff you'd expect to see displayed on a refrigerator. So if you offered me an "artwork" someone pissed on to create, or a lovely cottage with the focus on light, I'll take the cottage.

[@stockicide]

Never knew Thomas Kinkade of all people could be so interesting. His paintings aren't my cup of tea, but he obviously had a lot of technical skill. I'm glad little old grandmas appreciate his fairy tale cabins.

[@nousername8162]

Yep

[@sandakureva]

He was a very... conflicted fellow. When you compare his tranquil paintings with his personality that's anything but, it kinda makes sense.

[@thiagonarytialgayer916]

"Thomas Kinkade is the most hated artist" Hitler: Haha Poland goes boom

[@doodoodoodle]

Lmao you beat me to it

[@philismenko]

Artists either drop out or graduate, im not sure much who get denied

[@utzius8003]

Could you even call Hitler an artist, weren't his paintings utter trash?

[@CantoniaCustoms]

except Hitler is so abhorrent he loops around the hateability horseshoe and gets fans, ironic or not.

[@tyrouge1087]

@@utzius8003 Did you actually see his paintings ?

[@robdidopp7769]

I wouldn't hang it on my walls, and I certainly don't agree with his political and religious views, but these paintings do make quite good puzzles. On one hand, there are large areas with similar hues, making it challenging, on the other, there's quite a lot of detail, so that you can actually identify where each piece is likely to go.

[@FerrisLedbetter]

As an Evangelical Christian thank you for your even handed, thoughtful, and composed assessment of this man and his work. Such a good biography. I laughed out loud starting at minute 15:24. I think, as so often is the case with art, the art is informed by the life of the artist and the time in which they live. Your final conclusion on his life starting at 19:00 was a thing of poetic beauty. Thank you for such a powerful life lesson through story telling. Bravo!

[@SyxxPunk]

Offensively inoffensive is what I feel when I look at those paintings.

[@starrynight1165]

i agree it is... very annoying how perfect it is.

[@DanielCastilloOfZeUSA]

Maybe I’m in the minority here, but I don’t really feel anything 😂

[@SyxxPunk]

@@DanielCastilloOfZeUSA Yeah, sounds about right.

[@yonatanbeer3475]

@@DanielCastilloOfZeUSA that's the point. You see art and expect to feel... Something? But you're left with absolutely nothing. Even simple, unchallenging works often give off a feeling of aesthetic, some "vibe", but these paintings are impressively hollow. Tbh I don't even find them cozy, I just find them *nothing* .

[@Fisinocean]

GUYS I JUST FOUND OUT WHAT IT FEELS LIKE-IT FEELS LIKE COMMERCIAL PLASTICS.

[@LeifyTV-n4d]

I just learned about Kinkade a week ago. Didn't know he was hated. I'm pretty sure they hate Kinkade because they got too stressed out trying to find the hidden N's in the painting lol-

[@SolarSands]

"I'm pretty sure they hate Kinkade because they got too stressed out trying to find the hidden N's in the painting" The image of high art critics losing their minds over trying to find hidden N's like where's Waldo is so funny to me. Genuinely chuckled.

[@someguy6183]

@Nagato Pain ?

[@hotlinesanzensekai7084]

@Nagato Pain Nobody, nothing, nose, nausea, nonsense etc?

[@lucase.crusader1196]

@Nagato Pain Niger? I like that country too

[@BugaferJones]

@@lucase.crusader1196 Nigeria is also a country with a similar name

[@LS-kg6my]

Did G. Harvey mimic Kinkaid’s business model? I bought one of G Harvey’s in a thrift store, not for the print but for the amazing frame and matting. I plan to use them for another original art piece