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With due regard to your demonizing the work of Thomas Kinkade, please allow me to make this observation. Mr. Kinkade's works are very well received within the Christian community and he understands this and uses his talents to glorify his Christ.
I resent the vilification by your writer and feel this is the reason for finding fault with Mr. Kinkade's work.
-- Charles Jordan
You rock. I'm really an artist, no kidding, and the last thing I ever want to see is a Karo Syrup Kinkade Art-Based Product. It is absolute heresy to say that what he creates (or purports to create, since he never sells his "originals") is anything like "art." But unfortunately, the masses in our society with Jell-O for brains are mostly vapid cowards more concerned with their neighbors' opinions than their own. And to that point, Kinkade is a marketing genius. He shows us that, in true American style and grit, anyone with enough raw ambition can become a billionaire, if that is what they truly wish for.
-- Brenda Bredvik
My congratulations to Laura Miller for her witty and insightful review of Thomas Kinkade's "Cape Light." Ms. Miller, you have created the perfect ontological counterpoint to Kinkade's golden universe. I now can only wait patiently for the paperback edition to be released, tentatively entitled "Cape Lite."
-- Stephen Barnes
Regarding Thomas Kinkade's paintings (which I mention because you did first), I just like them. They're pretty. They don't necessarily represent any reality I know of. I just think the man is talented. To read more into them than exactly what they are, just seems so "New York literary jaded elitist" of you. Stop it now.
The book, I agree, sounds comatose.
-- Rob Case
Thank you for your analysis of an essentially nasty display of Honky Social Darwinism. Thomas Kinkade paintings show us the "Castles of the Elect," in a setting free from the nasty tableaus of human wreckage wrought by the greedy reign of Yuppus Maximus. I sincerely hope Kinkade doesn't attempt a cover painting for "Cannery Row."
-- Ken Davis
Laura Miller's turn of phrase "cultural Prozac" points to Thomas Kinkade's true appeal: He doesn't rock the boat. His blatantly populist point of view (Kinkade has claimed he is more relevant -- due to sales prowess -- than any other living artist) betrays his lack of knowledge of what art is really about -- expression, not market share.
Any two reasonably intelligent people could argue about what "good" art is, but I like to quote Ed Paschke when confronted with wantonly bland or solicitous work: "If artists only catered to the public taste, nothing new would happen."
-- Jeb Gleason-Allured
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