A mash-up of Universes.

[Photo illustration @robyniko]

Recently I stumbled upon a post by Mark Wilson of Fastcompany.com titled “ Famous modernist homes get horrifying Thomas Kinkade makeover”. Architect @robyniko explored the dramatic effects of the worlds that Thomas Kinkade creates with the addition of modern architecture by creating a series of “Kinkade mash-ups”. The title of the post caught my attention, for in this case the use of the word “horrifying” may just be a bit too harsh of an assessment.

[Photo illustration @robyniko]

The fusion of modernism and traditional art is becoming increasingly important in the 21^stcentury. Thanks to Cara Greenberg who coined the phrase mid- century modernism for her book Mid-Century Modernism: Future of the 1950’s tremendous strides have been made in the movement, and since then artists and painters like myself have become increasingly more open to ideas of fusion of the differing aspects of each method of art creation. There is however the question of aesthetics and its importance- and furthermore the impact that will be had if or when modernism is introduced.

[Photo illustration @robyniko]

In my own assessment of each piece, I believe inharmonious is more suitable. As much as the editing to create each piece was masterfully done, based on what we know of Kinkade’s work, the introduction of modernist architecture is not as seamless as the innate aesthetic of his original creations.  This is a fresh, new take on artwork that has been a part of many homes worldwide for decades. Needless to say however, the reactions to @robyniko’s work have been mixed. The works have been well received by a wide audience; despite being almost polar opposite of Kinkade’s romanticized downhome feel.