I voted “No, not really” and I guessed the artist by looking at the images. Like FlyByNight512 I had seen a few before and the style combined with the somewhat heavy-handed OP tipped it. I don’t hate the work, it’s just kinda boring. Certainly above-average skill if you are ranking all of humanity in draftsmanship ability, but absolutely middle-of the road if you narrow it down to just the subset with some intentional art training or serious self-study.
Knowing who the artist is changes my feeling only in that I’d be much less likely to want to hang a repro in my house than if the work was by a person I admired or cared for personally. This is relevant because if the work was by Joe or Jane Schmoe who I have no feelings about (positive or negative) I wouldn’t hang it, buy a book of it, spend much time in front of it in a gallery etc. I might feel more positively inclined toward work of similar aesthetic value if it was made by someone I admire (like say Hillary Clinton) or love (like my late grandfather).
Kinkade has a lot more of a clear and focused viewpoint coming through in his work. A creepy and unpleasant viewpoint IMO, but it’s clear. This dude certainly had a clear viewpoint in his political career (more’s the pity) but the artwork is pretty flat, as you say.
He’s got some perspective problems, but the art is pleasant enough in an innocuous, hang-em-on-your-racist-grandma’s-wall fashion. I knew who the artist was, due to a combination of having seen some before, the recent discussion of him, and who the OP was and his tendency to try to create what he thinks will be thought-provoking posts.
I like Hitler’s better than Churchill’s, but I tend to like more realistic paintings in general.
Also, their proximity to pictures of scantily clad women really sells it for me.
I neither like them nor dislike them. They are technically ok, but artistically vacant. I’d call them “renderings” . . . which is, of course, a type of art, but nothing I’d ever hang on my wall.
And knowing the name of the artist doesn’t change my opinion of them. But I sure wish the Vienna Academy of Art had accepted him. (I’ve been to that school and seen some of their work from that period . . . and his work really wasn’t that good.)
They’re alright. I’m not riveted by them, but considering I can’t draw a stickman, I definitely wouldn’t call it bad art or anything. Knowing who made 'em doesn’t change my opinion.
They’re ok. Reasonably technically proficient, but the only emotional impact from them would be from associations with the subject matter. They look like you ought to be able to buy them in the local equivalent of the French Market for $5.95 for the 5x7 and $9.95 for the 11x14. I’ve seen worse in hotel rooms before.
My only thought on finding out they were Hitler’s was “Huh, he was a better artist than I’d have thought.”
Well, I recognized the artist at once, so I’m biased. They’re the level of talented amateur – he could sell a few of them occasionally, but not make a living at it.
I recognised the artist as well, so it’s difficult for me to have an unbiased opinion…I voted meh, because they are flat and a bit ham-fisted. (And the perspective in the Arc de Triomphe one is awful.)
I recognized the art as Hitler’s too. But yeh, usually I might say, perhaps a carrer in fine art isn’t for you, have you considered another occupation?
But in hindsight, I would’ve patronized him as occupying Poland turned out a tad worse.
When he was rejected from entry to the art school in Vienna, it was suggested that he take up architecture. He took that to heart, and immediately laid a long-term plan for the redesign of most European cities.
I’d actually be interested for the OP to clarify the exact nature of his “thought experiment” here. I assume it’s something along the lines of, “Let’s see if people get all shocked when they find out that they admire the painting of a genocidal maniac!!!” The whole “experiment” seems so trite as to be completely pointless.
As for the paintings, i put “Other” because, one the one hand, they didn’t really inspire or amaze or touch me, and i don’t find them especially interesting as art, but on the other, they obviously involve some skill, and i’d be very happy if i could draw or paint in as realistic a fashion.
