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Is God Painting Through This Girl? Grib takes a look at the doc, MY KID COULD PAINT THAT

first-a-matic by unmask	Jan 25th, 2007 12:46:29 AM
It does feel good to get to the virgin first, but this does sound like a great doc-. I saw the 60 Minutes episode in question and I for one was inclined to accept the notions of the show, and now feel bad for not believing that this girl could have done it.
I doubt your kid could paint that... by ccchhhrrriiisssm	Jan 25th, 2007 12:50:23 AM
...but I seriously think that God paints much better than that too. Anyone ever seen the Grand Canyon? :P
Instead of preventing cancer or child-rape... by Some Dude	Jan 25th, 2007 12:58:59 AM
... this god chooses to paint. Makes sense to me.
a 4 year old splatters some paint... by the_shogun_gunslinger	Jan 25th, 2007 01:09:05 AM
on a canvas and suddenly God is talking through her? you christians will believe ANYTHING
I just took a shit that looks EXACTLY like Liza Minnell by the_shogun_gunslinger	Jan 25th, 2007 01:10:59 AM
...i think God is trying to tell me something
liza minnelli by the_shogun_gunslinger	Jan 25th, 2007 01:11:44 AM
had to correct that typo
shogun-gunslinger.... by damagedinc	Jan 25th, 2007 02:07:33 AM
have you even seen what this girl's paintings? i don't if this is legit or not, but when God wants to be heard He'll use the most unlikely of people. There is another phenomenon in the Eastern world where Muslims are being converted by dreams of Jesus. These are in areas that aren't exposed to the public discourse that would prompt something like that. Step outside the post-Enlightenment closed system of thought and there is more room for possibility. The mindset, with all its claims to objectivity, is a created mental construct. Many folks are quick to harmonize odd phenomenon with an ideology (faith-based or not) when the appropriate reaction might be a shrug. There is a God. He doesn't need to be believed in to exist.
damagedinc... by DinoBass	Jan 25th, 2007 02:45:21 AM
so when God reveals himself, it's to show Muslims that their beliefs are wrong?
Is God Painting Through This Cat? by TheNorthlander	Jan 25th, 2007 03:41:37 AM
http://www.monpa.com/wcp/
Damn good film by MrCere	Jan 25th, 2007 03:49:04 AM
I saw the film at Sundance and there is NOTHING religious about it except for one phrase where somebody mentions that the girl might be channeling something. It is an off-hand remark. But, the film is pretty damn good and raises a lot of questions about not the girl but all the people around her, including the director. Sony purchased it for $2 million for world-wide release. I definitely think it is worth seeing. This site http://www.marlaolmstead.com/ is a counterpoint to 60 minutes, made by the parents of course......................I personally think God finds abstract art boring and beneath him!
Guy above by kingoflight	Jan 25th, 2007 03:50:46 AM
ahhh ahaha i saw this book called why cats paint in a shop its was one of those small ass novelty book but it seamed funny i never knew it was real though. i trust the cats more than god, as for the little girl, if god did exist he'd be doing other things that painting a'la ski ball !
kingoflight by TheNorthlander	Jan 25th, 2007 03:58:25 AM
well I suppose it COULD be fake too. I mean, if you check out the quicktime movies on that site that shows the cat painting, they COULD be doing the "Skippy the Bush Kangaroo" routine with a paw-on-a-stick and the animal in between the stick and the camera, then just move the paw-stick and it'll look like the cat is painting.
...or I guess.... by TheNorthlander	Jan 25th, 2007 03:59:44 AM
...maybe the cat is channeling God or something, if you'd rather believe that.
Why isn't Grib writing for this site? by Zarles	Jan 25th, 2007 04:26:26 AM
That was the most coherent review I've read on here in a while. Good job.
MrCere. by Gilkuliehe	Jan 25th, 2007 04:44:03 AM
Thanks for that. I was confused about the subject matter of this film, mainly because of the headline and Harry's introduction... But yeah, it does sound like a great film. (And good job too, reviewer)
damagedinc: conversely.. by Some Dude	Jan 25th, 2007 06:01:36 AM
God doesn't have to exist to be believed in.
see also... by Some Dude	Jan 25th, 2007 06:02:23 AM
Santa, the boogey man, Xenu, etc.
Wait a minute... by Tin Snoman	Jan 25th, 2007 06:28:27 AM
So Jackson Pollock was channeling God? I'm confused. Maybe I should have watched that Ed Harris movie.
I'd rather see... by TheNorthlander	Jan 25th, 2007 07:17:15 AM
...Harry's Nephew VS Bumblebee.
"In what is shaping up to be my favorite Sundance" by triplefive	Jan 25th, 2007 07:25:57 AM
i've read that its more lackluster than normal this year. hm-mm. the wonderful world of opinions
I hate pseudo-mystic crap like this! by Kid Z	Jan 25th, 2007 07:42:34 AM
Better you watch something like the recent Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN where they basically took that real life "psychic" that they based the character in Medium on, and ripped the charlatan a new one! These people (in this case, the little girl's father, not her) are parasites and need to be exposed for the scam artists they are.
An explanation for Harry's nephew... by Kid Z	Jan 25th, 2007 07:43:50 AM
... obviously, it's the midichlorians!
Happy belated birthday to Mr. Ernest Borgnine by Borgnine JR	Jan 25th, 2007 07:48:45 AM
It was yesterday!
Harry, have you mistaken one child painter another? by mysteryperfecta	Jan 25th, 2007 08:22:02 AM
Akiane Kramarik is the girl who is child prodigy painter with once-athiest parents, who paints actual portraits and scenery (as opposed to abstract garbage). This may have been the girl you saw a news feature on, and not the girl in this documentary. None of our kids could paint what this Akiane girl could paint.
Harry confused the two painter kids... by Kid Z	Jan 25th, 2007 08:26:46 AM
... his nephew musta used a Jedi Mind Trick!
It's always the abstract stuff... by half vader	Jan 25th, 2007 08:47:36 AM
If you want proof of genius the barometer should be literal depictions (but not copies of other paintings) of human figures. Even Picasso's stuff was a (monumental) progression from figurative work. Abstract stuff is more easily cheated and I don't mean to come off as an anti-modern snob, but if a kid can turn out amazing portraits then there's not much doubt nor argument about the level of skill, is there? Oops Mystery obviously overlooked your post - while I wouldn't call abstract stuff 'garbage' (let's save that for the performance artists!), I'll hafta check it out. The other thing I was going to say was that America seems obsessed with the idea that the next wunderkind is "one of our own". It's this weird neurosis tied in with proving "we're the greatest nation in the world" or something. Not being anti-patriotic or anything, just always wondered WTF was up with that.
Can I sling some paint on a canvas... by kisaoda	Jan 25th, 2007 09:15:21 AM
...and expect someone to make a doc about me, a "prodigy"? I mean, it's only the select elite in art who can -really- get down those slops and sprays and have it mean anything. Everything else must be three. Except Marla, anyway.
abstract art by huserzem	Jan 25th, 2007 09:39:39 AM
Thanks for this AICN now I have more ammo in my "abstract art is pointless and dumb" arguments i have with my art teacher girlfriend on a regular basis
Mystery... by Gilkuliehe	Jan 25th, 2007 10:09:07 AM
Thanks for solving the, hum, mystery. I knew Harry couldn't be THAT off base.
I just got off the phone with Bob Ross by Pound Sand	Jan 25th, 2007 10:09:23 AM
And he said this girl can paint "Happy Trees" like nobody's business.
Are you there Michael Moore??? by Prague23	Jan 25th, 2007 10:11:58 AM
.."he came to approach the making of the film in much the same way that the abstract expressionists focused on the process of representing an object rather than the object itself: by presenting both sides of the story and not taking sides, Bar-Lev reaches the core of what documentary analysis is---a search for the truth using the facts available to the filmmaker. While the filmmaker as artist inevitably shapes the reality he is presenting by making necessary editing choices, if objectivity is the goal, the filmmaker must try not to edit such that the facts are slanted one way or another." Or is Sicko going to sizzle like F.9/11 in the hell of lying lies and the liars who tell them? I hope not.
Some Dude by Quin the Eskimo	Jan 25th, 2007 10:12:56 AM
Oh NO....You did NOT just compare my Lord and Savior to SANTA!
Indiana Jones and the .... by kinghenryVIII	Jan 25th, 2007 10:40:08 AM
This is the most boring shit ever.
I highly doubt... by jimmy_009	Jan 25th, 2007 11:17:31 AM
...God would get his message out by having some kid ape abstract impressionist artists.
or abstract expressionist for that matter by jimmy_009	Jan 25th, 2007 11:18:57 AM
oops.
THIS is the girl Harry is referring to... by mysteryperfecta	Jan 25th, 2007 12:11:55 PM
Her official website: http://www.artakiane.com/ Her paintings are literal (as opposed to abstract), and pretty amazing.
Interesting by sleepy holloway	Jan 25th, 2007 12:22:40 PM
Does this have anything to do with the Virgin Mary appearing on the grilled cheese?
My Kid Could Taint That by Dick Nicely	Jan 25th, 2007 12:23:53 PM
Sorry folks.
Caution: Wet Taint by Dick Nicely	Jan 25th, 2007 12:32:52 PM
Don't touch it.
Taint at the Barbizon School by Dick Nicely	Jan 25th, 2007 12:36:27 PM
I am reminded of a passage in the play (and film) Six Degrees of Separation, in which a character sees the "masterpieces" of a second grade class. The first graders and third graders paint like kids, but the second graders are "Matisses, every one." He asks the teacher why, and she says the kids aren't geniuses, she just knows when to take their paintings away from them.
dinobass and somedude by damagedinc	Jan 25th, 2007 01:21:58 PM
DinoBass...I'm just pointing out a phenomenon that I can't totally understand. Whether or not it's totally real prompts serious questions. Somedude... You've got a point. All I'm saying is that something can exist whether or not that thing is known to exist. Lots of folks say they don't believe in God. Others say that there is no God, and there is a difference between the two. ...(shrug)
and for the record... by damagedinc	Jan 25th, 2007 01:31:18 PM
i'm not a big fan of this girl's paintings. i've seen her book in stored and some seem really really new age-y and really, really "anglicized".
Kid Z by Some Dude	Jan 25th, 2007 01:35:38 PM
If you enjoyed Anderson Cooper's expose on Sylvia Browne, then you should take a look at www.randi.org . It will be right up your alley.
God? by stvnhthr	Jan 25th, 2007 01:55:34 PM
So what does this have to do with God? The review just makes it sound like she is a child prodigy and not recieving visions. Abstract art is very subjective; it is sort of the Emperor's New Clothes when people are told it is good and start buying it without even understanding the work.
Kid Z: or you can try... by Some Dude	Jan 25th, 2007 02:05:55 PM
www.stopsylviabrowne.com
yes, i HAVE seen her paintings by the_shogun_gunslinger	Jan 25th, 2007 03:20:27 PM
and theyre trash...fingerpainting is more refined. and honestly, im glad i dont worship a God that sits around and paints rathe than takes care of more important matters...here's hope'n the tribulation years will be kick ass and full of zombies
visions from god by maxwell's hammer	Jan 25th, 2007 03:25:48 PM
I don't know anything about visions sent by God of heaven, but from a purely artistic standpoint, Marla's art is fascinating. I know art is subjective, and no single person's opinion means much, but as someone who creates (paints, draws, writes...) I find her work to be compositionally beautiful, and not something a 4-year old should be able to create. I kind of got chills looking at it. There is a lot more in those paintings than random colors being thrown on a canvas. Whatever the truth is, I'd like to believe Marla is capable of such creations. Actually, forget everything I just said. I'm thinking the AICN talkback forum isn't the best place to have a serious discussion about art.
Abstract art is a bunch of shit.... by Angry Mean Panda	Jan 25th, 2007 03:58:42 PM
I find it hilarious that there are genuinely talented starving artists out there cable of creating an almost lifelike scene from nothing but watercolors, but shitting in pastels on a canvas can lead to worldwide acclaim.
Angry Mean Panda by TheNorthlander	Jan 25th, 2007 04:20:30 PM
it's all about the promotion. what you describe can also be said about really good movies that doesn't reach their audience versus The Phantom Menace.
I'm with you Angry Mean Panda by alienindisguise	Jan 25th, 2007 05:25:02 PM
I myself being an artist, become infuriated when bullshit like that sparks undeserved attention and wealth. I could see if the kid was painting like davinci or michaelangelo but give me a fucking break.
Exactly what I said but also like I said save your rage by half vader	Jan 25th, 2007 05:31:48 PM
for the 'performance artsts'. Useless fuckers!
And paintings of harlequins - those things shit me by half vader	Jan 25th, 2007 05:34:43 PM
but the painting of the dogs playing pool is genius. Anyone can see that.
PRETTY PAINTINGS by WISEBLOOD	Jan 25th, 2007 06:02:45 PM
Not god-like, or even particularly compelling, but when viewed as being created by a small child, I find them very powerful. That being said, I think many children, if provided the same level of quality materials and supportive atmosphere, would be capable of similar work.
AKIANE, ON THE OTHER HAND by WISEBLOOD	Jan 25th, 2007 06:11:52 PM
Is a fuckin GENIUS. Her stuff is amazing all ready, but when she gets more mature, I'll bet we see some work from her that's going to blow some minds. BUT...her painting "The Prince of Peace" looks like Kenny Loggins.
Harry has clearly screwed up with his intro by MrCere	Jan 25th, 2007 09:04:11 PM
Let me say it again: THIS MOVIE HAS NOTHING AT ALL TO DO WITH RELIGION OR GOD!!!! It is about the art world, the media, exploiting kids, truth vs. lies and is Dad painting abstract art for the 4-year-old? The paintings she does, are pretty remarkable, unless she doesn't do them. DAMN GOOD FILM. http://www.deseretnews.com/dn/ view/0,1249,650225656,00.html
Drawings by Cobbio	Jan 25th, 2007 09:05:48 PM
As an atheist, I don't think God has anything to do with the girl painting her visions. She's obviously a creative type, likely a wunderkind with good DNA giving her brain lots of stuff to translate into patterns and colors on paper. I find the artistic process fascinating, so I'm not taking anything away from her. It sounds like a cool film.
God can't paint by smackfu	Jan 25th, 2007 09:24:57 PM
Painting as we know it is as much controlled by what the painter can't paint as what he can paint. Your limitations define your style. If God is real and omnipotent than he has no flaws, ergo could not produce the type of art that his human children produce.
God-Visions or not.. by the_shogun_gunslinger	Jan 25th, 2007 09:29:39 PM
i call BULLSHIT. i want to see this kid paint something with someone there filming.
not bullshit by smackfu	Jan 25th, 2007 09:35:12 PM
I'm sorry, but kids can't keep secrets. This kid would have spilled the beans long ago if it wasn't her painting the paintings.
religious coverup by the_shogun_gunslinger	Jan 25th, 2007 09:37:47 PM
last time i saw a 0 year old talk about god this much was from those brainwashed kids in Jesus Camp. and her "hourglass" painting looks like a binder cover from gradeschool
her "hourglass" painting looks like a binder cover by smackfu	Jan 25th, 2007 09:41:33 PM
ya, that kid is a fucking hack...
i think so too smackfu... by the_shogun_gunslinger	Jan 25th, 2007 09:44:59 PM
i think so too. are you into this kid or soemthing? why are you so defensive? go catch a screening of Hounddog
God is a sadist, not a painter:) by S-Mart shopper	Jan 25th, 2007 09:46:04 PM

Smackfu: Kids can't keep secrets? by Some Dude	Jan 25th, 2007 10:37:27 PM
What about all the kids raped by god sellers? Many of them kept quiet about it for decades.
Smackfu: Also consider this... by Some Dude	Jan 25th, 2007 10:41:14 PM
You say that a god couldn't do these paintings because they are imperfect. If one of the definitions of a god is omnipotence, then it should be able to do anything. That omnipotence claim is one of the best arguments against the existence of a god. Try this chestnut: can a god make an object so big it can not lift it?
Looks like someone needs to go back to logic class by PhillipMarlowe	Jan 26th, 2007 12:18:11 AM
Wrong Some Dude,the omnipotence claim holds up if you state that God is only able to do what is LOGICALLY possible...You can't say God can make a square circle, just as you can't say an object so big it cannot be lifted...it doesn't even make sense...They are meaningless statements...Really it just illustrates the problems of language...God is not dead!!
God is not.... by the_shogun_gunslinger	Jan 26th, 2007 12:39:02 AM
real. suprise, suprise
PhillipMarlowe: Right you are... by Some Dude	Jan 26th, 2007 12:45:34 AM
Something can not be dead if it never existed. Anyway, your square-circle example is a straw man. What is nonsensical about one making an object so big that it can not be lifted by the maker? I can do it. Why can't your god?
Keep the Faith Dude!! by PhillipMarlowe	Jan 26th, 2007 01:25:39 AM
Ah, yes, and also, not all that exists is alive...Yes, the square-circle is a straw man...but created by YOUR side, just as is the "object/rock" example! They are both nonsensical claims. By creating an object that he cannot lift, he would be thereby by doing something that he cannot do...Do you understand? He would be violating his omnipotent nature and it would therefore be...illogical...It's the same thing as asking: "If God is omnipotent, he should be able to stop existing." Understand? And seriously, dude, no offense, but you're not an infinite being, but merely a geek, so it's probably fairly easy for you to find something you cannot lift (but didn't make, of course...right?)
Let me correct something by PhillipMarlowe	Jan 26th, 2007 01:30:00 AM
That sentence should read: "It's the same thing as asking: 'If God exists, he should be able to stop existing'" It's unclear what is even meant...
This is a better analogy than what I could come up with by PhillipMarlowe	Jan 26th, 2007 01:34:04 AM
"A genius is so smart that he should be able to successfully pass any test, including a test that would qualify him as an idiot." Also, "pretending" to be an idiot doesn't count.
PhillipMarlower: Calm down and think. by Some Dude	Jan 26th, 2007 05:35:36 AM
Yes, not all that exists is alive, for example: thoughts, ambition, cars, etc. Though these things are not alive, we do have evidence of them so we can safely say that they exist. As for your god, we have no evidence that it exists. We do have evidence that the idea of gods exists, but that is not the same things as evidence of a living god. The same could be said of a cartoon character. ----------- The square-circle is a straw man of the unliftable object example (not of your god), because it does not function the same way. One is a physical challenge, the other merely involves redefining words. Let's stay focused on the object, since redefining words is a losing proposition for either participant in a debate. ------------ Yes, by asking an omnipotent being to make an object too big for it to lift, we see the problem with omnipotence. It can not exist. And no, I take no offense to not being an infinite being. The reason it is easy for me to construct something that I can not lift is because I am real, not imaginary. Being a geek is preferable to not existing. ----------- Oh, thanks for clearing up that last sentence, snicker... You are correct, yet again: if someone exists, then it should be able to stop existing later. Any being is subject to this, except for imaginary ones (until the imaginer dies). ----------- As for your "better" analogy... please try again. First, why limit the genius's arsenal of tricks? Pretending or lying is fairly commonplace among humans, not only geniuses, who wish to get what they want (see courtrooms, poker tables, cads, etc). So the genius could pass this test. But we'll play by your rule, even though it arbitrarily limits a skill-set that a genius, and many dim-bulbs, would otherwise wield. Here goes... The definition of genius makes no claim as to one's ability to pass all tests. Unfortunately for "your side," the definition of omnipotent does make claims about having unlimited power. Any limit then exposes the lie of omnipotence. Thus unlimited power, so far, has not been evidenced any where except in fictional scenarios. -------- I think this would be a good time to go back to talking about the film. If the dad can't provide evidence that his daughter did the paintings... well, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. I'll probably end up seeing this. Oh, and fuck Sylvia Browne.
Dude, you still do not understand by PhillipMarlowe	Jan 26th, 2007 09:18:53 AM
It's not a physical claim, because the sentence itself is meaningless. Do you still not see this? It is the same thing as calling a square circle, because it is defining God as all-powerful, and then saying there is something that God cannot do. In other words, you are defining something about God's "essence" or "substance" and then saying that he is not that way. It's idiotic. I'm sorry if you do not see this. Also, with regard to the genius test--"pretending" to pass the idiot test, would mean that he is not really an idiot, and that is point of the analogy...In other words, the whole point of the test is to show that someone is really an idiot. If he "pretends" to be an idiot, he is actually not an idiot, then the test is wrong. Seriously, go take a logic class. Also, this doesn't have anything to do with actual people...It's all a thought experiment. Furthermore, if we assume that God is infinite, what would be that thing that God create that he could not lift? Or, what does it even mean for a God to "lift" something? Do you see how stupid your example is? And I am calm, thank you.
Again by PhillipMarlowe	Jan 26th, 2007 09:23:10 AM
If God stopped existing he would no longer be God, so he can therefore not stop existing...Because God cannot be not God...Do you see? Also, I'm not trying to make a claim for God's existence, I'm merely pointing out the stupidity of the sentence structure!
Great by ProziumJunkie	Jan 26th, 2007 10:50:08 AM
not only are there grammer police on this site now there's logic police, WTF!
Marlowe: it is you who does not understand. by Some Dude	Jan 26th, 2007 02:32:53 PM
If the concept being decribed has certain qualities ascribed to it, but a simple test reveals a hole, then the concept must be false. In your very flawed analogy (remember the definition of genius part), the genius can pass the test. Your god can not pass the test, because the concept of omnipotence is illusory. It is a word that sounds like it means something, but when tested it is revealed to be a logical conundrum. This also applies to the concept of god and all the logical troubles this brings up (see theodicy, for one). All of this is more-or-less stated in my previous posts so reread them until you get it. All this prattling is useless and is just for fun, until you actually have a single piece of evidence for a god. Until then, I am just humoring you as I would a child who insists Batman is real. I am sure we are annoying other posters so start talking about the movie... Uh, art is cool.
does or do? It has been a long day. by Some Dude	Jan 26th, 2007 02:34:29 PM
oops
Funny, I feel the same way about you... by PhillipMarlowe	Jan 26th, 2007 04:07:28 PM
The simple fact of the matter is you think you're right, and I think I am...Whatever...If you will not be convinced by my logic, I suppose I will appeal to authority...http://en.wikipedi a.org/wiki/Omnipotence_paradox No one accepts your argument save first year philosophy students who are atheists...In other words, I know of no credible philospher who accepts that argument...If you can show me, I'll be amazed.
Also, I get your posts...they are simply wrong by PhillipMarlowe	Jan 26th, 2007 04:10:04 PM
It is you who continues to harp on my analogy, without grasping what it entails...Oh well, arguing with people on AICN is ultimately a futile endeavour...
"A word that sounds like it means something, by PhillipMarlowe	Jan 26th, 2007 04:14:16 PM
but when tested it is revealed to be a logical conundrum." This is the sound of me laughing at you....It's a logical conundrum only if you don't understand logic...
About God and the bible by BendersShinyAss	Jan 27th, 2007 08:14:52 AM
I just want to say that unless you've actually sat down and studied the bible, you'll never have any authority on it. likewise, If all you do is sprout off dogma which has been 'preached' to you, then you are a fool of the worst kind.
Is GOD playing xylophone through this girl? by smackfu	Jan 27th, 2007 03:22:04 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =KgH1cIqLd4I&NR The answer may surprise you...
Jehovah Gotta Eat by poutineman	Jan 28th, 2007 08:23:45 AM
Wow. So much emotion on this board. I think what we all are forgetting is that, until solid evidence is found (and I mean solid), God IS a theory/myth no matter how you look at it. Therefore, any take on creationism, the existence or status of God in any form, blahblahblah has to be considered as opinion based on faith, interpretation of information, or popular perception. The point is, it doesn't matter whether you believe in God or want like hell to get your point across that you are right and someone else is wrong, NO ONE is wrong and NO ONE is right, except for themselves. Personally, I believe God in the Judeo-Christian sense is illogical, but I won't try to belittle someone directly if they truly believe otherwise. I also can't prove beyond a doubt that God isn't real, so I choose to leave it out of my life since the one thing I do know is that my choices (cause & effect) alone determine my future and I'll be dead & feeding maggots in less than another 40 years, so it doesn't matter either way in the end. Then again, this is Talkback, so uncontrolled emotion & self-righteousness takes place over acceptance & tolerance more often than not, so whatever. Nipples on Jeebus! LOL.

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Is God Painting Through This Girl? Grib takes a look at the doc, MY KID COULD PAINT THAT

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