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Message
Posted
Home schooling? Framing the pictures at home? I'd say that there is least an element of keeping it under their control there.
"…a lack of critical comment…" is what I said (slightly different from criticism), and why wouldn't there be? He's producing artwork; it would seem natural to seek a critical appraisal. But it was all either family or vested interest—the gallery owner.
Posted
Well I am sure he will start to get his fair share of critical comment once he outgrows his "child appeal" and joins the rest of us mere mortals, John - only he will be in a more elevated position than some of us here. Let's see in a few years time! The one consistent thing I have learned from human nature is that people are built. up only to be knocked down again at some later stage. My late mother always quoted the saying "the bigger they are, the harder they fall". I hope it doesn't happen to him but I fear it will.
Posted
Critical comment will come later; at 14, it would hardly be appropriate given neither he nor anyone else can know how his work will develop from these beginnings. It would be quite reasonable to argue that they ARE 'beginnings', of course, if obvious - the one advantage of getting older is that one's seen this sort of thing before; perhaps not at quite this level, but I've been able to watch careers develop over 30 or 40 years; you wonder at the outset how things will turn out, but given painting is an exploration and journey for (probably) all of us, the one thing you can be certain of is that approaches will change and skills will develop.
I think this may be quite a separate thing from the circumstances in which he now lives - you could of course interpret the parental involvement as support, rather than control - but from what little I've seen of him, his progress as a painter has little to do with his parents in the sense that, mentored by David Curtis, he's moving on at his own pace and in his own way. If he listens to the parents from a commercial point of view, and to Curtis and his own instincts and interests from an artistic one, he should be all right. The one danger I can see is that he might be turned into a product himself - perhaps the parents' watchfulness is born of a desire to avoid that; who knows? But when you live in a capitalist society, for good or ill, and produce things that can make money, there are implications over which no one has total control unless of course you decide to break out of the process altogether.
It'll be interesting - given one lives long enough of course - to see what happens in this case.
PS - Incidentally, there was never likely to be much in the way of critical comment or artistic analysis from a programme titled as this one was and narrated by Martin Shaw, as blokeish an actor who ever trod soil - there's an interesting programme to be made about this lad's actual work, but John is entirely correct in suggesting that this wasn't it.
Edited
by RobertJones
Posted
A couple of comments after reading here and watching the show. Just my views for what they are worth and not seeking controversy:
Firstly, Kieron's talents were thrust upon him as a gift of nature and not from a need to attend art classes, study for a degree in a university or a desire to make a career. He was born with a great talent .I do sympathise with his parents to some degree as far as the requirements of managing financial matters; the inland revenue are very soon on the tails of any scent of free money for them faster than Hooray Henry on a fox hunt and free champers week,and tax and V.A.T etc are a reality with anything that sells. It was soon apparent to them that this had to be accepted and handled. Any golden goose angle again was not of anyone's making but a by product of sucess in a lucrative market amongst investors and people needing to turn their money into something other than taxable figures in a bank. The need to protect your own interets makes much sense also for the same basic reasons, who to trust where money lives. In that respect I think the family acted very wisely. The lad doesn't appear to have been pushed into anything by his parents (unlike some parents who push their kids beyond belief to be the best and many times turn the kids off their initial love of what they do). I agree he seems normal, likeable and unaffected by much beyond his desire to paint. In that, I doubt he'll tire of his art. He may, as many have done before, become disenchanted with all the baubles and tinsel when he just wanted to paint a tree, but that's beyond our comprehension till the clock ticks on some. Bottom line is Kieron will paint or not as he wishes and become a very rich man in the bargain. That he takes his family along for the ride is great in my view. Van Gogh died pennilessand the millions his works bring today couldn't buy him a meal whilst he lived.Such is art...or is it money and charlatans? Good luck to
them all I say.
Amen.😆
Posted
The parents are in a difficult position, as are the parents of any gifted child. They have supported him and enabled him to continue, through home schooling. It would be nice if they could encourage him to expand his experience in other media and styles, rather than just go out painting with the same artist. He is very talented, but I felt that there is potential for developing his own style. I thought that his current paintings are a lot like the ones he was doing at the age of eight.
Posted
I agree that his paintings are very similar to his earlier ones Splosh but, obviously he is content at the moment with the subject and media he is using. It would be interesting to see him in another 7years to see if he has "branched out". I suppose there are other artists who have stuck to the same media throughout their careers.
Posted
My thoughts as well Marjorie. I thought the lad was more articulate than a lot of teens these days. How we talk is part of our persona - expressions, accents etc. Leave him alone, after all it was only a short documentary to show how he has progressed in 7 years. He is young, talented and approachable, what more does anyone want.!
Posted
You've hit the nail on the head John - we all can and do discuss aspects of art, but you also want to discuss how the lad talks - how Andy Murrey talks - the perceived relationship of the lad's parents, etc., all nothing at all to do with the art. It seems, nowadays that a lot of people enjoy pulling to pieces anyone in the public eye. This was, as I have already pointed out, a documentary to show Kieron's progress 7 years on. I doubt that at age 14 he has reached his full potential, and if he has, fine. He still paints better than me!
By the way, purely out of interest, you mentioned in another threadd that you were trying to make your landscapes more abstracted, so I wanted to see your past work on the Gallery and couldn't find any. Do you post your work under John Petty or is it under another name, because I can't seem to identify you.
Edited
by Adele
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