"My Kid Could Paint That"

My Kid Could Paint That is a documentary about Marla Olmstead, a supposed four-year-old prodigy. From what I have been able to discern, it seems that there is no consensus as to whether or not Marla is actually the sole painter of these pictures. It has been suggested that her father has painted them himself; at the very least, he has been shown to be assisting her in some respects.

This film not only raises suspicion on the subject of whether or not Marla created the paintings, but it also has a lot to do with the nature of modern art in general-- is modern art (particularly non-objective and conceptual art) even valid as art, or is it just a scam? What separates her work from that of Willem de Kooning, for example? Is she as good as he is? Are deKooning and other well-known abstract/non-objective painters as great as they are supposed to be?


Olmstead, Darlene's Bikini, 48" x 48", 2004


de Kooning, Woman VI, 36" x 46", 1953


Marla being assisted (coached?) by her father

Click here to go to the film's website
Click here for the article New Questions About Child Prodigy