The Horror! The Horror!!!!!!!!!

[rinue]

In the wake of September 11th, we must face an unprecedented and pervasive evil. Namely, Thomas Kindaid, the so-called "Painter of Light." Not only is this craven kitchmonger the most widely purchased artist (if he can be thought to hold such a title) in America, not only is he thought to have sold more paintings (and reproductions of paintings) in his lifetime than any other painter ever, but now he is opening a housing development.

A housing development!!!

Scoulless cretings with creampuffs for brains will now flock to southern California for more than just Disneyland; they will compete in bidding wars for these cutesy overstuffed cottages with cobblestone finishes and artificial snow on the roofs. They will bury themselves in the ultimate suburbia -- white, Christian, and founded on pretense. Pretense and bad taste.

It's not enough that every day I drive past new developments, that I watch a small Texas town become a cluster of gated communities around fake lakes and golf courses. It's not enough I must debase myself by shopping at chain stores and malls. No. I must stomach the deprivations of Kindaid's cult.

I don't understand it. Why? Please, somebody. . . I've studied psychology, philosophy, government, religion, music, art, and economics, but I have found no answer. Is there something profound my character lacks? Is my empathy insufficient to admit me to this communal well of saccarine sentimentality?

Perhaps their eyes simply don't register the full color spectrum. Yes, that must be it.

Comments

[okoge.livejournal.com]

i'd love to have a house like those.. but a real one.

i can't imagine living in a house that was *purposely* made cozy and old-looking and nostalgic. not to mention, one that was exactly like the fifty others in my housing development. the thought makes me want to hurl.

[ailei.livejournal.com]

I recently moved from one of those overpriced suburban hells into, well, another one. But this one, at least, is unpretentious, and my little house is comfy and small and cosey and jampacked with the kids' stuff. I'm determined, though, that when I actually *buy* my own house, I'm moving into town, into one of the nice, borderline neighborhoods filled with freaks like me :) The only problem is, those neighborhoods are being gentrified to the point where even *they* are becoming yuppie palaces. It's nasty, I tell you, to see what's happened to the Heights, or Montrose. All those pretty, slightly dilapidated old houses with so much potential being torn down in favor of new housing that's *designed* to look just like it, but with no soul whatsoever. ::shudders:: Even the smallest houses are now in the 200s range, because their owners are expecting them to be bought by big real estate developers, not families.

Okay, wow...I'll stop now. Yes, I share your disgust with the Painter of the Light. Which Light is that, do you think? It's not mine, I can tell you that.

tasteful artwork and me

[treehavn.livejournal.com]

i can't say i actually know his work (but it sounds delightful ;) however it reminds me of one year when my Canadian relatives bought my Oma a painting for christmas. when we asked what is was they replied 'it's a picture of santa with all the children of the world in his beard'. and it was. and we were very very frightened.
the scary thing is my relatives have *irony*, they just have appalling taste in artwork.

emily ::who grew up in houses that were 350 years old and feels pretty smug as a result::