Wednesday, August 30, 2006

R.I.P. Vladimir Tretchikoff

Artist Vladimir Tretchikoff, whose painting The Chinese Girl became the highest-selling print in history, has died in South Africa aged 92.

He became known as the "king of kitsch" through his prints, which were immensely popular in the 1960s and 1970s - although he hated the nickname.

The Chinese Girl (pictured) adorned the walls of over 1/2 million homes, nearly all of them local authority housing. Though considered ironic, retro & kitsch now, they were once bought en masse by people with absolutely no idea about art and bring back happy memories of visiting school friends who's parents were poor and had no taste.

RIP The king of kitsch.

More Rank & Bile

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I love that picture we had it home in the 70's!