Have you all heard of Kieron Williamson

[The Backlash Cometh]

He's a child prodigy. They're calling him a grand master. You have to check out the links to see his artwork.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/dec/29/boy-...

http://news.yahoo.com/video/entertainment-15749636/mini...

[NYC_SKP]

1. Yes. Love him. Pics:

Shhhhhh. He's painting:

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. Thanks!

[Zebedeo]

2. Hate to say this, but

his work is impressive for a 7-year old, but really it is schlock. It is the kind of stuff that they sell at Holiday Inn for $35 per original oil painting.

[The Backlash Cometh]

5. Well,

you could say the same thing about Monet lithographs. LOL!

[JuniperLea]

7. Oh for fuck's sake...

I fully expect him to be doing much better by the time he reaches the age of the average Holiday Inn "collection" "artist"...

It really didn't need said... truly fucked that you said it, actually... but whatever blows wind up your skirt... hope you feel superior now.

[Zebedeo]

9. lol

at your profane and arrogant reply. Although it is funny, it is in the end quite sad. Enjoy your evening.

[NYC_SKP]

10. You and I both know that this work is remarkable.

I can't reply to the post above yours, I'll not dignify that stupidity with a reply.

Holiday Inn collection art is done by hacks who learn techniques and it is pretty crappy.

This young man has a handle on space and tone and value and composition, the likes of which one rarely, if ever, finds.

To say nothing of the difficulty of working with water color paints.

So, it is bullshit to disrespect what we are seeing.

[JuniperLea]

11. I can't reply to the second message from that poster...

Because I put him/her on ignore after reading how "arrogant" my response was! No sense of art, no sense of veiling projection either... not a subtle stroke in the post

It truly is bullshit to disrespect what we're seeing in this young man's work! It's a gift to have such clarity at that age... at any age!

Like my mother used to say when I'd critique art... "Juniper, some of us are lucky if all we can draw are flies!" Ah Moms... she could be such a caution!

[The Backlash Cometh]

12. Thanks for putting it in perspective.

I'm not an artist, but there was something about his painting that I couldn't put into words that told me that this kid has the gift. You worded it nicely. space, tone, value and composition.

Crimineys. Just the ability to get the correct proportions of the people in the landscape. I'm looking forward to seeing more from him as he grows up.

[Zebedeo]

19. The kid has an unusual talent

for drawing pictures of a particular type - the Holiday Inn schlock type. But, IMHO, he does not display a true artistic gift. The article laughably claims that he paints like an "Old Master." For your reference, here's a work of art painted by an Old Master:



See the difference? It's the difference between a schlocky drawing and a work of art.

[MikeH]

13. FYI

FYI the poster Zebedeo is the resident fundamentalist Christian on the Religion/Theology forum.

He really exhibits the love of Christ.

[Zebedeo]

18. Yes, and isn't it fun

to marginalize and demonize a poster once you find out that he is a Bible-believing Christian? Woo hoo! Ain't religious prejudice fun?

[Bluenorthwest]

20. Of course, Jesus taught that his followers would be mocked

for their faith, and he told you to rejoice in that. Funny that none of you rejoice, and take huge umbrage at the slightest criticism. Seems that teaching is rejected out of hand, I wonder why that is?

[Zebedeo]

21. My initial post in this thread had absolutely nothing to do with religion

But MikeH responded to my art criticism with an ad hom about my religion.

Imagine if the art criticism post had been by a Jew, and someone said "By the way, this poster is the resident Jew on the Religion and Theology forum. Just sayin'."

Or if the post had been by an Atheist, and someone said: "Just so everyone knows, this poster is an unbeliever."

Or if the post had been by a neopagan, and someone said: "Hey everyone - this poster is a heathen."

If you are intellectually honest, you will concede that in all of the above examples, the ad hom about the poster's religion would be evidence of religious bigotry. Yet when such tactics are employed against a Christian poster, it is celebrated as good clean fun. If you can't admit that there is a double standard, I am very sorry for you.

[MikeH]

24. Your post was not just art criticism

Zeb said

But MikeH responded to my art criticism with an ad hom about my religion.

Zeb, what you said was not simply art criticism. You made a very unnecessary and very insensitive and very UN-Christlike comment about the art work of a SEVEN YEAR OLD BOY!

Would you make such remarks in the presence of the boy himself?

You show a complete lack of the love and sensitivity that I thought was supposed to be the mark of followers of your particular religion. So I think my comments about your religion were quite appropriate, and I stand by them and do not make any apology for them.

[Zebedeo]

25. My post had nothing whatsoever to do with religion

I said his drawings were impressive for a 7-year old. They are. But they are not "like an Old Master" like the article says, and not like a "Grand Master" as claimed by the OP. There was nothing unChristlike about my comment.

You injected my religion into this thread. That was a bigoted move, my friend. The fact that you can't even bring yourself to own up to it and admit when you are wrong is a poor reflection on your character.

[MikeH]

32. Sometimes it might be appropriate to mention another person's religion

I have been thinking about this, and I do have to take seriously the charges of bigotry and a double standard. I think I have some things to say about this.

First of all, in regard to what Zeb said:

Or if the post had been by an Atheist, and someone said: "Just so everyone knows, this poster is an unbeliever."

Actually if the boy's paintings had a religious theme, or were religious in nature, and someone known to be an atheist had made a derogatory comment similar to what Zeb made about the art quality of the boy's paintings, then it would definitely be quite appropriate for somebody to point out that the comment was made by someone who was an atheist (and thus very likely not an unbiased judge).


Second, it should be noted that there is a very important difference between fundamentalist Christianity and the other religions that Zeb mentioned. To the best of my knowledge a Jew or a neopagan does not insist that his or her religion is the right religion, the "truth", the one "right path", and that everybody ought to be a Jew or a neopagan, and that anybody who is not a Jew or a neopagan is wrong (and is in big trouble in the next life).

However fundamentalist Christians, such as Zeb in many of his posts in the R/T forum, insist that Jesus is the "only way", and that any other path is wrong, and that anybody who does not "come to Jesus" in this lifetime is in big trouble in the next life. Somebody who believes that as one of the tenets of his or her religion, and repeatedly makes a point of saying so, definitely SHOULD be open to much greater scrutiny than somebody who feels that his or her religion is his or her own private business (and who does not insist that anybody not adhering to such religion is on the wrong path). If a person makes a point of saying that his or her particular religion is the "one way" and the "truth", then anything that reflects poorly on that person's religion, or on the person as an adherent of such religion, is fair game for being pointed out.

It has always been my understanding that charity and kindness were important Christian virtues, and important hallmarks of Christian behavior and Christian living. Zeb made a very uncharitable and very unkind comment about the art quality of the paintings of a SEVEN YEAR OLD BOY, calling his paintings "schlock" and "the kind of stuff that they sell at Holiday Inn for $35 per original oil painting". If that is not unkind or uncharitable, I do not know what is.

Zeb might be right in saying that the boy's paintings do not have the quality of those of a "grand master" or an "old master". (Personal disclosure: I am neither an artist nor an art connoisseur, and I know next to nothing about judging the quality of a painting or work of art, or about what does and what does not constitute a great work of art.) However he could have said so in a way that was charitable and respectful to the boy. His disagreement is with GROWN-UPS who are say that the boy's paintings like those of a "grand master" or an "old master". That being the case, it was completely uncalled, uncharitable, and unChristian for Zeb to apply the term "schlock" to the work of the BOY.

Since Zeb in the R/T forum repeatedly makes the point that he is a Christian, AND that Christ is the "one true way" (and any other way is wrong), it is quite appropriate to point out here that Zeb is a fundamentalist Christian, and that his first comment in this thread was very uncharitable and unChristian, and reflects very poorly either on Christianity, or on Zeb as an adherent of Christianity, or perhaps on both.

[JuniperLea]

22. HAHAHAHA!

Thanks, MikeH! I was raised in a fundy Christian family/church... I'm still not quite recovered.



I'm with Gandhi on these mindless cretins... “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

And... “If Christians would really live according to the teachings of Christ, as found in the Bible, all of India would be Christian today.”

Seriously... the hypocrisy in every single Christian church I've ever entered has been overwhelming.

There was one little Methodist church that, for the most part, was actually very "live and let live" and very accepting of human beings. Few and far between.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

29. Ahem.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[HCE SuiGeneris]

15. Hate to say it, but you just can't stop yourself, huh?

That's sad.

[MikeH]

16. Zeb, would Jesus have made the comment you made about the quality of the boy's work?

Do you think Jesus would be pleased with you making such a comment?

[Zebedeo]

17. Jesus is all about truth

The truth shall set you free.

So, yeah, I think Jesus would be pleased with my truthful statement.

[MikeH]

23. The same applies to what I said about you

Jesus is all about truth

The truth shall set you free.

So, yeah, I think Jesus would be pleased with my truthful statement.

Well then the same applies to my truthful statement letting everyone know that you are the resident fundamentalist Christian on the R/T forum, and that you show a complete lack of any of the love and sensitivity that is attributed to Christ and that I thought should be the mark of any follower of Jesus Christ. (And you have shown such lack of love and sensitivity in many of your posts in other threads).

You made what I thought was a very UN-Christlike and totally uncalled for snarky comment about the art work of a SEVEN YEAR OLD BOY.

Hey, I thought that Jesus had a particular liking and fondness for children. Am I wrong?

[Zebedeo]

26. Seven years old?

I thought he was 70 years old. Oh, no, wait. I did know he was 7. In fact, I said his drawings were impressive for a 7-year old. They are. But they are not "like an Old Master" like the article says, and not like a "Grand Master" as claimed by the OP. The kid can draw and watercolor well for his age.

For you to accuse me of lacking "love and sensitivity" is a real laugher. Your posts are renowned for displaying bitterness and hostility. I have never seen a post of yours that reflected any "love" or any "sensitivity." What are you talking about? Why should a post critiquing what is proclaimed to be a work of great art be required to be full of love and sensitivity?

[MikeH]

27. You miss some very important points

But they are not "like an Old Master" like the article says, and not like a "Grand Master" as claimed by the OP.

Perhaps not. But that is not what you said in your first post.

You said about the SEVEN YEAR OLD BOY'S art

but really it is schlock. It is the kind of stuff that they sell at Holiday Inn for $35 per original oil painting.

THAT was uncalled for, and VERY unChristlike. YOU are the one who cannot admit you said or did anything wrong.

Why should a post critiquing what is proclaimed to be a work of great art be required to be full of love and sensitivity?

Because the artist is a SEVEN YEAR OLD BODY. Get it? The artist is a SEVEN YEAR OLD BOY.

OK, criticize those adults who say that he is like an "Old Master" or a "Grand Master". But to make the comment you made about the boy's work in your first post on the subject was totally uncalled for and unChristlike.

And again, I do not apologize for bringing your religion into the thread. You made a very snarky and very unChristlike comment about the work of a SEVEN YEAR OLD BOY, and given that elsewhere you loudly proclaim to be a Christian (and a very humble one at that ) it is very appropriate that you should be shown up to be the kind of Christian you really are.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

28. Maybe he would be nicer if the artist in question was Rick Warren.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[J-Lo Biafra]

31. I talk to Jesus every day!

He thinks you're a dick, BTW.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

30. His last 16 paintings earned him thirty grand in 14 minutes. Choke on that. -nt

[JuniperLea]

3. Just when I am hating life, and people...

Thanks for this, Backlash... I truly needed it this evening.

[The Backlash Cometh]

6. It's these little jewels that make it all worth it.

[JuniperLea]

8. Indeed...

Nature must have plans to continue... that's the message I get. It feels like everything is crashing down upon us, but this little guy is still creating beauty, and showing us what really matters.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

14. Absolutely fantastic!