11 year old art prodigy

[Dogdoctor]

What's a 'stay-at-home Lithuanian' and where can I get one?

Yeah I got that mixed up it was her mother who was the atheistic Lithuanian. Also if you notice she was born underwater which was a new agey practice in the USA back in the 70's so maybe atheist but not likely skeptical. I know what you mean, all the Lithuanians I know are definitely not stay-at-home.

 

[Soapy Sam]

Well- to a certain extent everyone is born underwater. Presumably she was only under an extra few seconds. So long as the mother is comfortable and it doesn't spill on the carpet.. anyway we can't blame the kid because her folks are straight out of "Viz".
I find the art a bit computer like, but certainly skillful. Like others I'll be intrigued to see what she does in three or four years . As for the girl's photo being bland- she looks perfectly normal to me.

 

[sophia8]

She'll only continue to improve and she'll probably find her independence at an art school.

But she's unlikely ever to go to an art school. According to her bio, she tried an art class once; but the teacher wouldn't let her paint what she wanted and made her do a stupid watercolour landscape instead. Her parents, instead of telling her to stop being a brat and to try listening to the teacher, simply agreed with her that the teacher was blind to her spiritual talents.
I've worked in art schools and plenty of the first-year students grumble at having to do drawing exercises and other stuff they don't like; but they soon recognise that it increases their skills and broadens their range.
Her parents have drummed it into her that she's special and has nothing to learn from anybody. So art school is out.

 

[kedo1981]

The whole “we were atheists but now we be Christians” is a very trendy “ploy” that bible thumpers are using now.

 

[Wheezebucket]

Oh that Jesus, what a kook. Turns out he spent all that missing time kneelin' in space. What's he doing out there? Making sure no big bangs turn up?

Still...for 11 years old, fairly impressive. But then again at 11 I was having fairly intense and detailed GI Joe vs. Cobra battles, so apples and oranges.

 

[sophia8]

There's also a four year old art prodigy.

Thanks for that link Odin. I've just had a look at it, and the differences between the two kids' work is revealing.
At four years old, Marla Olmstead is producing colourful, lively abstract paintings that are delightful to look at - I'd buy one of her prints if I had the money. It's obvious that her parents have simply provided her with paints and canvases and let her play. And there's no nonsense about her being an Indigo child, or seeing Jesus.
The drawings of the 4-year old Akiane look utterly dead by comparison - carefully drawn, almost painful in their attempts at accuracy. Looking at them, you can hear the voice: "That's a nice picture of your mother, but that's not how you draw a face. Here, I'll show you how you should do it...."

 

[Diamond]

Sheesh! I've never heard such utter carping from skeptics before! I wish I could paint that well (I've never really tried, my father and mother were quite gifted, as is my bro-in-law)

Yes, her parents are pushing her as Somethin' Special but which of us parents wouldn't?

I look forward to her ovaries kicking in, her independence kicking in shortly afterward, she doing her own thing artistically as she stops being a "child prodigy" and becomes "just another young female artist".

Yes, her parents are putting her through a religious schtick, but if you're gonna rebel as a teen then you might as well have something worth rebelling against...

 

[AmateurScientist]

Sheesh! I've never heard such utter carping from skeptics before! I wish I could paint that well (I've never really tried, my father and mother were quite gifted, as is my bro-in-law)

Art isn't so much about technique as it is about creativity and expression. Realism as a style of art means nothing if it doesn't express something that moves the viewer.

I see nothing moving about her work. I've seen more moving images taken by traffic cameras.

AS

 

[Renfield]

It seems like every few years one of these prodigies comes along. Ten years ago there was a junior high girl who was making millions doing reasonable Picaso knockoffs. Then there was some boy who could do these surreal fantasy pictures. Both of them doing amazing work for their age, but there was nothing exceptional about the paintings.

I wonder what they are worth now that the hype has passed?

Anyone here follow the "art world" closely at all? I'm curious.

 

[Godmode]

That girl's talent is amazing. Simply amazing. I'm awed. Seriously.

 

[AnotherSillyAlias]

The drawings of the 4-year old Akiane look utterly dead by comparison - carefully drawn, almost painful in their attempts at accuracy. Looking at them, you can hear the voice: "That's a nice picture of your mother, but that's not how you draw a face. Here, I'll show you how you should do it...."

I'd have to agree. The abstracts by Marla look interesting, the paintings by Akiane show exceptional detail but they're a bit like looking at an average quality photo of somebody you don't know. Not very interesting once you get past the accuracy of the detail.

 

[sophia8]

It seems like every few years one of these prodigies comes along. Ten years ago there was a junior high girl who was making millions doing reasonable Picaso knockoffs. Then there was some boy who could do these surreal fantasy pictures. Both of them doing amazing work for their age, but there was nothing exceptional about the paintings.

I wonder what they are worth now that the hype has passed?

Anyone here follow the "art world" closely at all? I'm curious.

Well, I think I'm reasonably up on current art world stuff, and I've not heard of these. However, the styles of art you describe (and the stuff that Akiane paints) is knocked out by any number of adult illustrators/graphic artists (just google "fantasy art"); they rarely make a fortune and achieve worldwide fame, but they get a steady living from it. There's always a market for fantasy prints, cards and posters.
Once these 'prodigies' have grown up, they discover that they're not so special after all; some of them very probably can't come to terms with being just another average artist and decide to jack the whole thing in. There was a boy in my class who could draw anything, in meticulous lifelike detail; our art teacher predicted wonderful things for him, but I've never heard of him since.
I can't see Akiane growing up to become so obscure, however; the way she's being marketed is ensuring that she'll have a big cult-like fanbase who believe that her art and poetry are messages from God. So they'll keep buying her stuff (unless she rebels full-time and starts doing Harry Potter covers!)

 

[SirPhilip]

Sheesh! I've never heard such utter carping from skeptics before! I wish I could paint that well (I've never really tried, my father and mother were quite gifted, as is my bro-in-law)

This is the most common mistake artists and people in general make about artwork. A spectacular rendering is worthless unless it is relatable. Personally, Christian imagery can be beautiful when it's dignified, and not an idealization.

 

[DrMatt]

Okay. She can manually do blow-ups of photos of teen idols and rearrange the light to maximize the attention she gets.

If art carries a message, that's an interesting add-on to whether it fascinates. Art which puts across its message clearly without fascinating its receiver is useless. A fascinating rendering without a message to blunt its fascination--or with a message so obscure as to be irrelevant to it--can be among the most sublime experiences in the world. Of course, I say this as a fan of Dali and as a musician whose music you can hear right from my web site.

In the work of the little girl in the original posting, I see potential for a very satisfying career in advertising. No more. I also find all the images linked by SirPhillip to be drab wargame convention stuff--all of it.

 

[Checkmite]

Wow, this kid is really good at painting.

 

[Renfield]

Well, I think I'm reasonably up on current art world stuff, and I've not heard of these.

http://www.nechita.info/
http://www.eatpoo.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=15974&highlight=&sid=1722eff9b86a8829116aee410d8b5bdc

I couldn't find a site with any information about the other painter I was thinking of. Its hard to do a web search without remembering his name. I'd be curious to see whats going on now with some of the older prodigies, whether the old paintings are worth anything or if the new ones sell. The press doesn't do much follow up.

Incidently, here's an interesting little article about one of those four year old prodigies, Marla Olmstead. It sounds like it might be a case for the JREF, though I guess it technically doesn't qualify since she isn't claiming to do anything supernatural.

 

[sophia8]

http://www.nechita.info/
Incidently, here's an interesting little article about one of those four year old prodigies, Marla Olmstead. It sounds like it might be a case for the JREF, though I guess it technically doesn't qualify since she isn't claiming to do anything supernatural.

You didn't put in the link for the Olmstead article. But when I went looking for it, I found something that throws doubt on the claim of her being a prodigy:

Winner asked 60 Minutes Wednesday if anyone had ever seen Marla paint a piece from start to finish. It turns out that no one, except her parents, apparently ever has. Not even Brunelli, the gallery owner who represents Marla.
"Just here and there," says Brunelli, when Rose asked him if he's seen Marla paint in person. "Not anything full length."
60 Minutes Wednesday asked the Olmsteads if it could videotape Marla painting a single work from start to finish. But they told us she is uncomfortable in front of a camera.

And there's also this,:

"Let me start off by saying this: I know Mark Olmstead, Marla's father. Mark always was, and is, a glory hound. He was an athlete in High School, but never a star..
Let me say as a person that knows Mark and knows him well I don't believe that his daughter is painting the final product that they are selling. I do believe that she paints a portion of them and that Mark finishes them. If you watch the film taken by the hidden camera you can plainly see that she sloshes around with the brush, covers over things and randomly places shapes and other globs of paint on the canvas. Not nearly the polished, united presentation you see in the gallery.
I hope that she is a prodigy, but I believe that she is a normal four year old with opportunistic parents.I know Mark, and this has living vicariously and sucking up the attention written all over it."

 

[RSLancastr]

There was a JREF thread about the Olmstead girl back in 2004, with most of us doubting that the paintings were hers:

http://206.225.95.123/forumlive/showthread.php?t=28356&highlight=olmstead

 

[Mephisto]

Talent, yes. But art is more than talent, it requires using that talent to express something meaningful. Frankly, most of her stuff looked like it ought to be on black velvet or airbrushed onto sweatshirts. Technically good, but empty.

But then again, at age 11, what message does she have to convey? With luck, she'll develop a voice to go along with her skill as she matures.

I'll agree with you TM. Talent and good art don't always go together and I'm sure by the time she's old enough to realize that her talent can help her paint the "pictures in her head" she'll have enough maturity (and cynicism) behind her that she'll produce something thought-provoking.

I grew up being somewhat "talented," but quickly grew tired of painting southwestern landscapes, cowboy scenery and the tired still life with Indian pottery or baskets. I can't stand SW art now (although it's what sells in this area - I'll leave it to the little blue-haired old ladies that come here to retire) and hopefully this little girl will see beyond the crap that is getting her some acclaim (I call it sofa-art) to get to the meat of her desires or fears.

 

[Checkmite]

Well come on, she's 11, and she's good at painting things. So what if she doesn't yet have a "message" - what message are you going to get from an 11-year-old? "I like strawberries"?

It's the technical skill which impresses me. When I was teaching myself how to draw back in the early double-digits, I didn't have much of a "message" either. I saw something, and tried to draw it as accurately as possible. Then, I tried to imagine things in my head, and draw them so they looked as accurate as possible. Over time, a lot of time, I got better and better.

Tell you one thing: I sure as heck couldn't paint that good when I was 11.