Thomas Kinkade: Painter of Light

One of the most ridiculed, and commercially successful, American artists of the recent past was Thomas Kinkade. You've probably seen reproductions of his paintings without ever knowing that the artist trademarked the name "Painter of Light". Kinkade's empire eventually fell due to over-expansion and the realization that while there was a big market for his kind of art, it was already fairly saturated. Only so many people wanted Kinkade reproductions. He died at the age of 54 in 2012.

People in the so-called "art world" despised Kinkade's art for a number of completely understandable reasons. But some people thought that the critique was unfair. Here's one fairly outrageous and angry defense of his art, from the art-consulting blog "artbusiness.com."

Because this class, Writing for the Arts, is focused on the intersection of writing and art, let's take a close analytical look at the arguments and styles of these two pieces of writing. How do these essays work? What are their strengths and weaknesses? What are their blind-spots. What else might the authors, Alan Bamberger and Tessa Decarlo, have done to improve their arguments? 

Break into pairs and complete the handout. One person in the group will focus on the Pro-Kinkade position and the other on the Anti-Kinkade position. We'll bring the class back together and have a formal debate for today's final half hour.