Thomas Kinkade is like the Walmart of the art world loved by middle America, uniformly hated by almost everyone else. His generic, paint-by-the-numbers landscape pieces make him ripe for ridicule, and Patricia Hernandezs Parody of Light at DiverseWorks does just that. The installation includes the interior walls of a home and a shopping mall, each decorated with parody paintings in an effort to illustrate the irony of collectible art being sold as a mass-produced object, which has been the secret to Kinkades success. On the last day of the exhibit, Hernandez will have a going-out-of-business sale, offering up such items as Parody of Light toilet paper and blankets for a small donation.
While the main gallery shows art by Hernandez, DiverseWorks partners with Aurora Picture Show to present films that echo the parody theme in the Flickerlounge. Jonn Herschends Embrace of the Irrational is an educational video that falls apart in the making, and Art of Painting 3 is Lily Sparkss hilarious spoof on ever-serious painting tutorials. Opening reception 6 to 9 p.m. January 14. Regular viewing hours are noon to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. Through February 26. 1117 East Freeway. For information, call 713-223-8346 or go to www.diverseworks.org. Free
Mondays-Saturdays, 12-6 p.m. Starts: Jan. 14. Continues through Feb. 26, 2011
This article appears in Jan 13-19, 2011.