Read Online Billion Dollar Painter The Triumph and Tragedy of Thomas Kinkade Painter of Light G Eric Kuskey Bettina Gilois 9781602862449 Books
Download As PDF : Billion Dollar Painter The Triumph and Tragedy of Thomas Kinkade Painter of Light G Eric Kuskey Bettina Gilois 9781602862449 Books
The unbelievable true story of artist Thomas Kinkade, self-described “Painter of Light,” and the dramatic rise – and fall – of his billion-dollar gallery and licensing business.
Read Online Billion Dollar Painter The Triumph and Tragedy of Thomas Kinkade Painter of Light G Eric Kuskey Bettina Gilois 9781602862449 Books
"Standing firmly at the intersections of faith, art, commerce and sin, this book doesn't champion any of them in particular, but it does provide a glimpse into how people collide financially and morally in the inevitable zero-sum game of modern business. The story of Thomas Kinkade is unique in a way that transcends stories of modern capitalism, modern religion, and the way Americans think of themselves culturally. The people who bought Kinkade's products seemed to be expressing a moral duty, or a kind of religious obligation, that was entirely rooted in the pursuit of commerce. Here, in the 1990's in America, evangelical identity becomes inextricably intertwined with modern business in a way that may illuminate how the subsequent political landscape evolved. Wall Street, in it's mindless drive for profit and growth, becomes the whale upon which Kinkade's Ahab is lashed and the futility of claiming moral superiority to justify the pursuit of profit is starkly revealed in a tragic and inevitable drama that could only end in flames. Can one maintain one's moral convictions when every apparatus in their life is consumed with the accumulation of means to satisfy every base appetite? Kinkade himself is both the author of and the victim of his choices. Thrust into a circumstance that both imprisons him as much as liberates him, Kinkade seems to succumb to the constant siren call of his appetites, while at the same time clothes himself in robes of righteous justification for all the rewards he reaps from his enterprise. It's clear that his business model required elevating Kinkade to a higher station, where the ability to maintain the image is in constant battle with the forces conspiring to knock him off the pedestal. One senses the amazing, almost miraculous rise of the Painter of Light's success and in the same moment realizing the resulting train wreck is inevitable. This is the fruit of the tree of monetizing religion. Wrapping faith in a corrupting veil of shameless commercialism and greed. When the seed is poisoned how can the tree that grows from it not be crooked? It's a reminder that for some, buying plastic tchotchkes is a worthy substitute for solitary reflection and the pursuit of real moral justice in the world. What a great tableau to model the excesses of our world against. How lost are we culturally, to believe that business has any function or currency in spiritual pursuits? A fascinating story and I can't wait for the movie."
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Tags : Billion Dollar Painter The Triumph and Tragedy of Thomas Kinkade, Painter of Light [G. Eric Kuskey, Bettina Gilois] on . <div>The unbelievable true story of artist Thomas Kinkade, self-described “Painter of Light, ” and the dramatic rise – and fall – of his billion-dollar gallery and licensing business.</div>,G. Eric Kuskey, Bettina Gilois,Billion Dollar Painter The Triumph and Tragedy of Thomas Kinkade, Painter of Light,Hachette Books,1602862443,Artists, Architects, Photographers,Business Aspects,(OCoLC)fst01050530;United States.,Kinkade, Thomas,Painters - United States,Painters.,Painters;United States;Biography.,(OCoLC)fst01798752,1958-2012,1958-2012.,ART / Business Aspects,Autobiography arts entertainment,BIOGRAPHY AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Artists, Architects, Photographers,Biography,Biography Autobiography,Biography / Autobiography,Biography And Autobiography,Biography/Autobiography,Individual Painters And Their Work,Kinkade, Thomas,,Painters,United States
Billion Dollar Painter The Triumph and Tragedy of Thomas Kinkade Painter of Light G Eric Kuskey Bettina Gilois 9781602862449 Books Reviews :
Billion Dollar Painter The Triumph and Tragedy of Thomas Kinkade Painter of Light G Eric Kuskey Bettina Gilois 9781602862449 Books Reviews
- An interesting business case study and a fascinating biography. The artist's essence is accurately captured, neither the perfect man his fans expected nor the conniving huckster his detractors tried to portray. Kinkade was many things, but never a hypocrite, as he was often accused of being. His faith and love for his family were genuine and unfailing. But he was, as he would say, a man of clay feet who would often proclaim that the best part of his faith was the grace. Fun, brilliant, caring, gifted, and visionary. The joy of being around him is neatly captured as were the early hints of trouble and the complex relationship between the 2 friends with different ideas about what the business should be. I loved the book, reliving moments of deep joy and friendship and then finally gaining some degree of understanding of what went so terribly wrong in the end.
- I never knew much about Thomas Kinkade, but, as an artist myself, I was always curious. This is a really nice description of what happened, by an author who was both a friend and someone who worked for Kinkade's business, so he seemed to know what he was talking about from several angles, and knew the people involved. It is a kind book. The author concentrates on intentions, and doesn't wallow in the negative. I feel that the book not only explains "what happened," what the ground-breaking business phenomena was about, but also the genuine artistic sensibilities, goals, and vulnerabilities of Kinkade himself. As an artist, I can see how this happened--What Kinkade wanted was to PAINT, and he trusted other pioneers to handle the business side of making an (extremely good!) living for him. As a person who lived through the 20th century, I can see that the whole thing was a sort of pioneering experiment in the BUSINESS side of the art business. Pioneers sometimes fall over a cliff, and that is the general message I take home from this account.
- Standing firmly at the intersections of faith, art, commerce and sin, this book doesn't champion any of them in particular, but it does provide a glimpse into how people collide financially and morally in the inevitable zero-sum game of modern business. The story of Thomas Kinkade is unique in a way that transcends stories of modern capitalism, modern religion, and the way Americans think of themselves culturally. The people who bought Kinkade's products seemed to be expressing a moral duty, or a kind of religious obligation, that was entirely rooted in the pursuit of commerce. Here, in the 1990's in America, evangelical identity becomes inextricably intertwined with modern business in a way that may illuminate how the subsequent political landscape evolved. Wall Street, in it's mindless drive for profit and growth, becomes the whale upon which Kinkade's Ahab is lashed and the futility of claiming moral superiority to justify the pursuit of profit is starkly revealed in a tragic and inevitable drama that could only end in flames. Can one maintain one's moral convictions when every apparatus in their life is consumed with the accumulation of means to satisfy every base appetite? Kinkade himself is both the author of and the victim of his choices. Thrust into a circumstance that both imprisons him as much as liberates him, Kinkade seems to succumb to the constant siren call of his appetites, while at the same time clothes himself in robes of righteous justification for all the rewards he reaps from his enterprise. It's clear that his business model required elevating Kinkade to a higher station, where the ability to maintain the image is in constant battle with the forces conspiring to knock him off the pedestal. One senses the amazing, almost miraculous rise of the Painter of Light's success and in the same moment realizing the resulting train wreck is inevitable. This is the fruit of the tree of monetizing religion. Wrapping faith in a corrupting veil of shameless commercialism and greed. When the seed is poisoned how can the tree that grows from it not be crooked? It's a reminder that for some, buying plastic tchotchkes is a worthy substitute for solitary reflection and the pursuit of real moral justice in the world. What a great tableau to model the excesses of our world against. How lost are we culturally, to believe that business has any function or currency in spiritual pursuits? A fascinating story and I can't wait for the movie.
- As a TK Gallery for 12 years, the author made some bogus claims like how he was painting till the end of his death. He couldn't paint anymore going into his last few years due to his hand shaking. This also resulted in Thom's paintings being digitally done or what the Thomas Kinkade company calls "Mixed Media" since 2004. The author leaves all that out.
- I KNOW- It's Thomas Kinkade. But you'll have an entirely new perception of his world after reading this book. It doesn't make excuses or apologies, just insights. If you want to know how a guy who paints really questionable artworks becomes a billion dollar industry, this book rewards the time you put in to read it. I absolutely couldn't put it down. It's kind in its presentation of touchy subject matters like Thom's alcoholism and the people around the artist, but that's a compliment to the author for not taking cheap clickbait shots- you don't have to read between the lines at all, it's all there. It was written by Eric Kuskey, the man who built the licensing empire, so he was front row for the entire ride. Highly, highly recommended.
- Tragic story This book was sensitively and respectfully written hard to read at times so very sad to see a man so self destruct and the pain he caused his family. Had the chance years ago to meet him at a gallery in Walnut Creek Caliornia.Such a talented painter who gave and still does give so much inspiration and pleasure to so many I look at Two of his paintings every day in my house and never tire of them.This book left me with such compassion for his struggles and his human frailty which all of us share in one way or another. I am so grateful for what he left us and couldn't help but wonder what else he would have gone on to creat if he had still been here.
- This book really tells the whole story of Kinkade's fame and fall from start to finish. Eric Kuskey, who worked with Kinkade, put this book together along with others who knew and worked with him. It was carefully written and thought out in precise truth.
I guarantee you won't be bored reading this book, in fact, I'm starting it over again.
