Monthly Masters' Discussion - July 2019 - Thomas Kincade - Kitsch or Classic?
Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2019 1:01 pm
Introduction
Those of you who’ve followed the Masters posts from the beginning knew I’d get to Thomas Kincade one of these days. His work is too well known to ignore. Whether you find his idealized scenes inspiring and heartwarming or kitschy and laughable, you know he is “iconic” in the literal sense: he has become iconic by his sheer popularity, sustained over time. He has produced a massive body of work comprised mostly of idealized, nostalgic scenes meant to tug on the heartstrings of the viewer. HIs biggest fan base is the baby boomer generation (the generation to which I and most of you belong), who tend to find triggers to memories in his paintings.
In my study of Kincade, I came across questions about how to photoshop images to look like his paintings, and conversations about who might be the Thomas Kincade of photography (Spoiler: most seem to think it’s Peter Lik.) So I hope in reviewing this offering you’ll consider Kincade’s possible influence on landscape photography and offer your own thoughts. You may find especially interesting the pointers Kincade himself offered to videographers attempting to translate his painting style to the camera, because most of it pertains to still photography too.
The item I’ve selected for you to critique is “The End of A Perfect Day”. I chose it because it is neither the most or least sugary sweet of his images, and it features a scene similar to some that we may have photographed: a rustic cottage alongside a mountain lake amid blazing fall foliage. Please review the links below for more detailed information about the man, his rather conflicted life and death, and respond to whichever of the following prompts you find interesting.
Questions to Consider
1. What do you think of the painting? Composition? Subject matter? Lighting? Color? Level of detail? Mood? Would you want this on your wall? Why or why not?
2. What is your opinion of Kincade’s body of work? Classic or kitsch? Why?
3. Do you see any indication of influence of the Kincade style on modern landscape photography?
4. Some critics that cross the boundaries of painting and photography have ventured that HDR is the Thomas Kincade approach to photography. What are your thoughts on that “accusation”?
5. Any of us would probably have screeched to a stop if we passed such a scene as this on our travels, intent to capture it. Have you run across similar scenes? Share one if you will, and tell us about your experience and your editing. Then tell us if the Kincade approach might have influenced your choices. (Extra points if you use Kincade's suggestions to craft your own Kincade-ish image).
Links for Study
https://thomaskinkade.com/?gclid=CjwKCA ... Q0QAvD_BwE
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Kinkade
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesig ... th-painter
http://sfaq.us/2015/03/on-the-despised- ... s-kinkade/
https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-edi ... rica-loved
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-drunk ... te-painter
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2008/11 ... stuff-suck
https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/cultur ... itics.html
Those of you who’ve followed the Masters posts from the beginning knew I’d get to Thomas Kincade one of these days. His work is too well known to ignore. Whether you find his idealized scenes inspiring and heartwarming or kitschy and laughable, you know he is “iconic” in the literal sense: he has become iconic by his sheer popularity, sustained over time. He has produced a massive body of work comprised mostly of idealized, nostalgic scenes meant to tug on the heartstrings of the viewer. HIs biggest fan base is the baby boomer generation (the generation to which I and most of you belong), who tend to find triggers to memories in his paintings.
In my study of Kincade, I came across questions about how to photoshop images to look like his paintings, and conversations about who might be the Thomas Kincade of photography (Spoiler: most seem to think it’s Peter Lik.) So I hope in reviewing this offering you’ll consider Kincade’s possible influence on landscape photography and offer your own thoughts. You may find especially interesting the pointers Kincade himself offered to videographers attempting to translate his painting style to the camera, because most of it pertains to still photography too.
The item I’ve selected for you to critique is “The End of A Perfect Day”. I chose it because it is neither the most or least sugary sweet of his images, and it features a scene similar to some that we may have photographed: a rustic cottage alongside a mountain lake amid blazing fall foliage. Please review the links below for more detailed information about the man, his rather conflicted life and death, and respond to whichever of the following prompts you find interesting.
Questions to Consider
1. What do you think of the painting? Composition? Subject matter? Lighting? Color? Level of detail? Mood? Would you want this on your wall? Why or why not?
2. What is your opinion of Kincade’s body of work? Classic or kitsch? Why?
3. Do you see any indication of influence of the Kincade style on modern landscape photography?
4. Some critics that cross the boundaries of painting and photography have ventured that HDR is the Thomas Kincade approach to photography. What are your thoughts on that “accusation”?
5. Any of us would probably have screeched to a stop if we passed such a scene as this on our travels, intent to capture it. Have you run across similar scenes? Share one if you will, and tell us about your experience and your editing. Then tell us if the Kincade approach might have influenced your choices. (Extra points if you use Kincade's suggestions to craft your own Kincade-ish image).
Links for Study
https://thomaskinkade.com/?gclid=CjwKCA ... Q0QAvD_BwE
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Kinkade
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesig ... th-painter
http://sfaq.us/2015/03/on-the-despised- ... s-kinkade/
https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-edi ... rica-loved
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-drunk ... te-painter
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2008/11 ... stuff-suck
https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/cultur ... itics.html