The 4-year old painter?

Question

Just watched a doc about a 4 year old painter selling art for $25,000. A 60 minutes doc was done and was saying her father was doing those paintings. What do you think?

They filmed her painting one called "ocean" and honestly it was different from the other paintings

Answer 1

I agree with you because the dad didn't really want to film her paint, because he said it made her nervous. He was an artist who couldn't sell so her used his daughter as an angle to get money and fame. Even the experts were perplexed and not convinced and neither am I!

Answer 2

"My Kid Could Paint That" is the name of the documentary about Marla Olmstead.  I have watched it, and I have researched every painting attributed to her, and her father's work.  I have also had the privilege of communication directly with the Olmsteads (I am gutsy and I sent them an e-mail) and have done some other research.

I am always willing to acknowledge I could be mistaken, however from all of my research I believe that Marla was capable of creating the works attributed to her.  I agree that some of them look like they would have been physically challenging (the continuous drip paintings), but those could be accomplished with the use of stools, ladders, or propping the canvas so she could reach.  

We do know that her father prepared the canvases  and got her paints ready for her painting sessions.  However, suppose Marla was a 16, 20 or even a 40 year old handicapped artist who might require this assistance. . . would her work be discounted due to the help she received?  And in the days of the old master's studio, apprentices often mixed the paints, prepared the surfaces, and often painted a good portion of the work!  A stroke here and there by Mr. Olmstead would not be a creative violation in my book. . . it would be instructional.  Only in juried exhibitions with a prohibition on works done in a class or workshop or other instructional setting like that, or in representing works as 100% those of an artist's own hand should this be an issue.  

As far as consistency goes, I don't feel the argument that some are more developed, complete or show more maturity does not hold water in my book.  A trip through my studio and my portfolio shows the same inconsistencies.  Artists are not expected to create 100%  masterpieces, all equally exciting, complete, or impressive.  Nor are they to be expected not to experiment (the mud she made on camera) or balk at working (just ask my partner.)  Nor do artists work in a vacuum . . . they often seek out other opinions and critique.  Just read YahooAnswers to see how many "artists"  ask for inspiration, ask what they should paint, and ask for feed-back on their works to see that Marla turning to her dad asking "What should I paint" and his encouraging her as she is working.  Besides, with the camera running and his reputation at stake, what do you expect him to do when she balks at painting.

Yes, the father seemed to be overly aggressive when it came to Marla's painting and everything associated with it.  But since when do we expect parents to be identical in their relationships with their children?  It was obvious to me in this film that Marla's mother was much more concerned and protective of her daughter than the father was.  

So until such time as it would be demonstrated without a doubt that Marla's father painted the works they attribute to her, I believe that she did them.  What floors me is that we believe ONE psychologist's statement over all the other evidence to dispute the creativity of a child, and an artist.  The thought of my work ever being called into question in a similar manner appalls me.  The idea that my work may be no better than any other 56 year old artists (they argued she did nothing other 4 year old do . . . which with I strongly disagree) is simply absurd.  

I do not believe that creative artists should need to be held to any kind of repeatable scientific standard as proof of their authorship of their works.  This would be like saying that every film should be equal in quality, and every book, poem, sculpture and other creative endeavor should be repeatable before witnesses.  

I regularly subject myself to an audience while painting.  In fact, this Saturday I will do five small pastel paintings as part of the offerings of the international juried art show at the Western Washington Fair . .  .a task that may prove somewhat challenging, given the rapid succession of works I must produce over the course of hours.  If I get there and find a film crew setting up. . . I gotta tell you, I might shut down like Marla did as well!!  I doubt it. . . .  but unless you know what the creative and inspiration urges a particular artist operates with, it is entirely possible!  

If you haven't already, check out her website:  http://www.marlaolmstead.com/home.html   I think you will find a wide variety of paintings that do not necessarily look like one another in style, completeness and substance.  

And . . . as far as what the average, or even gifted, preschooler would do with a canvas of the size Marla completes . . . filling the entire canvas, to the corners, with paint, over-painting, and other aspects of her working style convinced me early on.  Her placement of repeated motifs, repeated colors, and her attention while painting added credibility as well.  The fact that she just squeezed tubes of color directly onto the canvas and worked them with brushes, knives, spatulas, and her hands should have no bearing what-so-ever.  

Answer 3

not easy to say, she does appear to do the painting, through the coaching of parent, not of what to paint, but in painting itself,

4 year old Marla Olmstead painting~ 60 minutes

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/02/2...

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=36938...

note that the equipment is available and setup for painting, so the child can do painting as can anyone, the level and freedom of expression can be hers alone, and "children can paint realistically and abstract" per say, these were not regular paintings done in short time frame, so that may sway judgment as to what child wanted, under what parents thought was required to be seen as complete,

~hopefully the artist here will continue on her own in years to come, and show everyone she's an actual artist in her own category amongst other artist's, and not so much a prodigy as being mis-promoted here,

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