Akiane Kramarik Paper (1).docx

Madeleine Cottle ARTH 3120, 001, Winter 2018 April 24, 2018 Akiane Kramarik Akiane Kramarik is a recognized prodigy who began to draw at age 4 and paint at age 7 at a skill level beyond what is expected from a child of that age. Now 23, Akiane continues to be a prolific painter. Her work is admired mainly in the realm of religious art. Some controversy surrounds her for three reasons. One, her mother is a painter who shares a very similar style, two, Akiane claims her inspiration comes from God, and three, Akiane’s parents, as well as Akiane herself, are heavily engaged in marketing her work, giving rise to the suspicion that the family’s main objective is financial profit from Akiane’s work. This paper takes a look at Akiane’s life, her path to painting, her work, and its reception. Akiane (Ah-key-ah-nah) Kramarik was born at her home on July 9, 1994 in Mount Morris, Illinois, to a Lithuanian mother and an American father. The family was relatively impoverished at the time. The family was atheist and not interested in religion. Presently they see themselves as non denominational Christian. Akiane began school at a parochial school and then switched to being homeschooled. Akiane says it was the brief time at the parochial school that spurred her thinking about the spiritual realm. She states that “religious art of sculptures, reliefs, and painting in one of the parochial schools greatly influenced my later attraction to legendary figures. For the first time I got to encounter the world’s view of what divinity was supposed to be, but deep down I felt that I perceived everything in a much broader and deeper sense.” Kramarik, Akiane. "My Story – Akiane Gallery." Akiane Gallery. 2000. Accessed April 27, 2018. https://akiane.com/my-story/. When Akiane was four, she told her mother about about a vision in which God spoke to her, encouraging her to draw and paint her visions. She said that she had “met God.” Burke, John J., and Don Piper. "12. Light of the World." In Imagine Heaven: Near-death Experiences, 169. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, a Division of Baker Publishing Group, 2015. When her mother questioned, “What is God?” Akiane responded that “God is light--warm and good. It knows everything and talks with me. It is my parent.” Burke, John J., and Don Piper. "12. Light of the World." In Imagine Heaven: Near-death Experiences, 169. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, a Division of Baker Publishing Group, 2015. Her mother Foreli asked more details about the dream and Akiane countered that it was not a dream; she had really been to heaven. This claim seemed peculiar to Akiane’s mother and she wondered how her daughter even knew about God as the family was not religious, did not pray, did not watch television, and Akiane had almost no interaction with other children besides her brothers. Akiane’s artwork began with pencil drawings of children, her mother, and self portraits. Below are some of Akiane’s earliest drawings Kramarik, Akiane. "Age 4." Akiane Gallery. 2000. Accessed April 18, 2018. https://akiane.com/.. From pencil sketches at ages four and five, Akiane moved to painting with acrylics and then to oils at age six. The paintings depict mainly religious art but also include portraits, self portraits, landscapes, and paintings of animals, flowers, and landscapes Kramarik, Akiane. "Age 6." Akiane Gallery. 2000. Accessed April 18, 2018. https://akiane.com/.. Akiane’s career changed dramatically with her first oil paintings at age eight. These include a painting of a black woman, a self portrait, and a portrait of Jesus, entitled “Prince of Peace.” Akiane prefers to paint on large canvases and all three of these paintings measure 3’x 4.’ With the portrait of the black woman, entitled “Planted Eyes” Akiane aimed to express the beauty and suffering of the black race. She completed the painting in fifteen hours. These paintings were on display when Akiane appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show in 2003 Anonymous. "She Went on Oprah in 2003 to Show Her Incredible Gift to the World. 14 Years Later, We're Catching Up with Her." TipHero. March 15, 2017. Accessed April 18, 2018. http://tiphero.com/young-painting-prodigy/.. Oprah took a special liking to the portrait of the black woman. On the show Akiane said, “The eyes are full of strength and spirituality. The red outfit portrays her love, the gold earring portrays her inner richness and confidence, the deep wrinkle in the forehead portrays the deep tragedy in her life, and the gray hair portrays the wisdom, and background stripes portray the hardships.” Kramarik, Akiane. "The Planted Eyes, Canvas Print by Akiane Kramarik." Art & SoulWorks. 2018. Accessed April 19, 2018. https://art-soulworks.com/products/the-planted-eyes-15-x-20-canvas-print-by-akiane-kramarik. In regards to the self-portrait, Akiane commented that she wanted to paint herself because “I was the only one to model at the time and I also wanted people to know me better. My self portrait shows my relationship with God.” Art & SoulWorks. "My Sight Cannot Wait For Me, Canvas Print by Akiane Kramarik." Art & SoulWorks. 2018. Accessed April 19, 2018. https://art-soulworks.com/collections/akiane-gallery/products/my-sight-cannot-wait-for-me-15-x-20-canvas-print-by-akiane-kramarik. The self portrait posed challenges because the family did not own a large mirror. Akiane held up a palm-sized mirror and used a few snapshots to give an accurate rendition of both proportions and hues. When unsure about skin tone, she put some mixed color on her face to see if it matched her own skin color. The scarf, pose, expression, and general colors of the self-portrait came from her imagination. The self portrait apparently sold for 10,000 dollars. This has not been verified, however. Of the early paintings, the “Prince of Peace” has been the most discussed and debated on various religious forums and shows like Oprah, Fox News, NBC, and CNN. The primary reason for this may be Akiane’s claim that the work is a real depiction of the God she saw in heaven. She says “love and truth are represented on the light side of Jesus’ face; the other is of darkness and suffering. Yet there’s light in his eye—this light is a reminder that he is always with us.” Art & SoulWorks. "Akiane Kramarik Biography & Child Prodigy Artist Story." Art & SoulWorks. 2018. Accessed April 19, 2018. https://art-soulworks.com/pages/about-akiane-kramarik. In addition to painting, Akiane began writing poetry at age seven. She says she often receives her poetry fully formed and divinely inspired. Many of the poems accompany particular paintings and, like the paintings, contain religious themes. Akiane’s poetry is published on the internet and in two published works, Akiane: Her Life, Her Art, Her Poetry (2012) written by her mother, and Akiane-My dream is bigger than I : Memories of Tomorrow. One of her most popular poems is titled “Relationships.” Kramarik, Akiane, and Foreli Kramarik. Akiane: Her Life, Her Art, Her Poetry. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2017. Soul is like a monarch Without a crown in Endless palace or relationships When each mature relationship Is patience And each immature Relationship is a Performance. Kramarik, Akiane, and Foreli Kramarik. Akiane: Her Life, Her Art, Her Poetry. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2017. Akiane’s world changed significantly after the appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show and in her early teens with the exposure and marketing of her work. Akiane’s appearance on various television shows increased her exposure in the United States and abroad. Sale of her paintings, copies of her paintings, and prints offered her and her family a different lifestyle. The family travelled the world and settled on Australia’s Gold Coast. With success came controversy. One point of criticism questions the origin of the paintings. Some suspect the mother, and not Akiane, may be the artist. Mother and daughter share a very similar style. No one has seen Akiane draw or paint. Presenting the work as Akiane’s and creating a myth of origin adds an entirely different dimension to the artwork. To counter this criticism, the family published a video of Akiane (or rather, Akiane’s hands since only the hands are visible in the video) painting a mother and child in a forest, a painting that is supposed to illustrate the earthly angels who help us through our lives. This video is part of a series of three-minute videos showing Akiane completing a painting in 100 minutes. Critics dismiss the videos as fake. Despite controversy, Akiane’s paintings have been exhibited in galleries and museums nationally and internationally, some were purchased for United States embassies, and are selling for up to $300,000. Akiane continues to paint, and she and her family continue to expound on the other-worldly nature of Akiane’s inspiration. In her early years, when speaking about her art, Akiane focused mainly on her own story, her schedule, her family, her visions, and the sources of inspiration for her art. In recent years, her comments have broadened to include art in general, society, spirituality, and her responsibility as an artist. Her main focus is that God has a work for her to do through the gift she has been given. She defines spirituality as “a search for love, beauty, happiness and wisdom, it’s a journey that we never finish. It has nothing to do with our levels of development, achievement, awareness or intention.” Shashi. "Akiane Kramarik - An Artist Paints Her Visions given by God." Medium. February 18, 2015. Accessed April 19, 2018. https://medium.com/@VerseEveryDay/akiane-kramarik-an-artist-paints-her-visions-given-by-god-4f8c3a1a33c2. In her late teens, Akiane, her family, and agents created a marketing platform on the website akiane.com. This site and other religious sites allow Akiane a forum to tell her story and to sell her artwork, poetry, and books in the United States and internationally. In December 2017, Akiane had an exhibit at the Machikado museum in Japan. Akiane shows talent in many areas. In addition to painting and poetry, her artistic talents include mastering the piano and writing piano compositions. She is also fluent in English, Russian, Lithuanian, and sign language. Akiane’s loyal fan base considers her a child prodigy and many purchase her work for considerable sums. “Her work is a mix of artistic styles and is the result of her dreams, visions and real-life experiences. She laughingly describes her style as “Akianism” and as ‘a blend of surrealism, realism, it has imagination to it and has ... a different kind of universe tweak to it.’ ” Art & SoulWorks. "Akiane, Now 20, Moves To The Gold Coast Fulfilling the Kramarik Family's Life Long Dream." Art & SoulWorks. 2018. Accessed April 19, 2018. https://art-soulworks.com/blogs/posts/98897542-akiane-now-20-moves-to-the-gold-coast-fulfilling-the-kramarik-family-s-life-long-dream. The art curator Siri Engberg describes realism as “encountering the utterly mundane re-imagined through an artist’s careful hand or sly recontextualization” and this technique “can appear striking, even radical.” Caniglia, Julie. "Radical Realism: Lifelike Explores the Mutability of Reality." Walker Art Center. February 25, 2012. Accessed April 19, 2018. https://walkerart.org/magazine/radical-realism-lifelike-explores-the-mutabil. Akiane’s supporters admire and appreciate her ability to re-imagine and re-contextualize the everyday in her paintings. Her detractors also can be vehement. Some share the opinion of portrait painter Sharon Knettel who has called Akiane’s work “truly dreadful paintings” which simulate “second rate religious and greeting card art.” WetCanvas. "Akiane Kramarik Debate [Archive]." Akiane Kramarik Debate [Archive] - WetCanvas. March 6, 2005. Accessed April 27, 2018. http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-274237.html. According to Knettel, Akiane’s art is “neither remarkable in context, color, design or execution; this unfortunate child is a second rate hack.” WetCanvas. "Akiane Kramarik Debate [Archive]." Akiane Kramarik Debate [Archive] - WetCanvas. March 6, 2005. Accessed April 27, 2018. http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-274237.html. Another critic proposes that any time a parent claims his/her child performs by way of miraculous and divine intervention, it is surely a fake. WetCanvas. "Akiane Kramarik Debate [Archive]." Akiane Kramarik Debate [Archive] - WetCanvas. March 6, 2005. Accessed April 27, 2018. http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-274237.html. All can most likely agree that for nearly 10 years Akiane has been producing art and poetry in a time of cell phones, videos, and tweets. Her work is highly scrutinized and it is unlikely that it could hold up to examination and criticism for almost twenty years if it was a fraud. Her work seems to show progression. In a painting of a large mountain with a snowy lake in the background, the detail in the trees, water, sky, and mountains shows her careful attention and discipline. Akiane continues to paint works depicting Jesus with much detail and emotion. It is apparent that Akiane loves her art. She keeps a strict schedule, starting to paint at 5:30 am and working at least four to five hours a day. In a poem to accompany a painting she writes: Perhaps I wanted to catch it perhaps not But one morning an eagle dropped a diamond And right then with my faulty brush full of my own hair I wanted to paint. Kramarik, Akiane, and Foreli Kramarik. Akiane: Her Life, Her Art, Her Poetry. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2017. This poem expresses Akiane’s concept of inspiration. Painting is a diamond dropped by an eagle, possibly to highlight God’s hand and influence in her life. Akiane presents herself as a complex and almost mythic persona, coming from a non religious background and hearing celestial voices at an early age, voices calling her to her artistic vocation. In conclusion, Akiane’s art has found loyal and passionate admirers and supporters, plenty of viewers who are dismissive but not necessarily critical, as well as vocal detractors. After spending time with Kramarik’s life view, art, and poetry, each person can decide to which group they belong. Bibliography Anonymous. "She Went on Oprah in 2003 to Show Her Incredible Gift to the World. 14 Years Later, We're Catching Up with Her." TipHero. March 15, 2017. Accessed April 18, 2018. http://tiphero.com/young-painting-prodigy/. Art & SoulWorks. "Akiane Kramarik Biography & Child Prodigy Artist Story." Art & SoulWorks. 2018. Accessed April 19, 2018. https://art-soulworks.com/pages/about-akiane-kramarik. Art & SoulWorks. "Akiane, Now 20, Moves To The Gold Coast Fulfilling the Kramarik Family's Life Long Dream." Art & SoulWorks. 2018. Accessed April 19, 2018. https://art-soulworks.com/blogs/posts/98897542-akiane-now-20-moves-to-the-gold-coast-fulfilling-the-kramarik-family-s-life-long-dream. Art & SoulWorks. "My Sight Cannot Wait For Me, Canvas Print by Akiane Kramarik." Art & SoulWorks. 2018. 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"Akiane Kramarik Hoax Debunked." OccupyTheory. April 15, 2015. Accessed March 28, 2018. https://occupytheory.org/akiane-kramarik-hoax-debunked/. Online Forum. "Akiane Kramarik, Child Prodigy." Straight Dope Message Board RSS. April 4, 2006. Accessed March 28, 2018. https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=365850. Online Forum. "Akiane Kramarik Debate - WetCanvas." WetCanvas RSS. June 3, 2005. Accessed March 28, 2018. http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=274237. Online Forum. "Akiane Kramarik." League of Reason. July 27, 2019. Accessed March 28, 2018. http://theleagueofreason.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=61&t=4405&start=20. Shashi. "Akiane Kramarik - An Artist Paints Her Visions given by God." Medium. February 18, 2015. Accessed April 19, 2018. https://medium.com/@VerseEveryDay/akiane-kramarik-an-artist-paints-her-visions-given-by-god-4f8c3a1a33c2. WetCanvas. "Akiane Kramarik Debate [Archive]." Akiane Kramarik Debate [Archive] - WetCanvas. March 6, 2005. 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