I think it has reached a point where it bears discussion... - Tiki Carving

C cheekytiki Member The Haole Hut, London, UK Joined: Mar 09, 2004 Posts: 1096	C cheekytiki Posted posted on Mon, Nov 14, 2005 7:53 AM Ok here we go. I must say I'm split on this and i hope this explains why. Is it our decision to decide what IS "Tiki". Shouldn't that be the call of those that truely own an ancestoral right to the word True Tiki is surely only that which comes from the Polynesian islands that created it. And there are only a few groups of those that have. Fiji, PNG, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu aren't Polynesia. Neither is Indonesia, and definately not Africa (sorry Tiki Bob) Call it South Pacific or South Seas and that excludes Hawaii. Most of what we have here on Tiki central is for a better word what Sven describes as Polynesian Pop, or Tiki styled, and therefore so is most of what is in the BOT, and most of what came before it too including the first Tiki bars, Trader Vics, Don the Beachcomber etc. Try Telling a polynesian that it's tiki and you might be thrown into the nearest volcano with every western barstardization thats been produced ( OK they dont really throw peple into Volcanoes, Thats Poly Pop, Hollywood style). Polynesian Pop is an amalgamation(sp?) of many things, some true to its roots and others way, way off, but they have been accepted and on the whole embraced by the "Tiki" comunity. Why now do we decide a cartoon face in a log is not Tiki? Read the BOT and it states that Milan Guanko credits "kiddie cartoons amongst his influences", and although a piece of Tiki Style History I doubt Witco would stand up well against the True tikis at the city of refugein Hawaii. Ok Milan guanko was a master of his craft, but everyone else has to start somewhere, and a basic interpretation with the right guidance and knowledge can lead to greater things. Tiki central is not the Bishop or British museum it's a fun place. BK, I love to see your acurate representations of true oceanic pieces and I'm sure many would love to get to that stage of carving, but some don't have the vision or skills (Yet) but that doesn't mean they shouldn't try. Maybe those in the "know" need to be more honest with others, in a nice way of course. I got into to Tiki through Travelling the South Pacific region, I had never heard of Tiki bars, Tiki Mugs or Shag. But I saw Tiki in its natural form, in its actual surroundings and it affected me, and in all honesty this is where my heart lies, with the people and places who actually own the right to it. With the freinds I have there, we are working on Projects to bring back some of the Traditional skills in some villages in Samoa. I love traditional work and aspire to it, but I dont feel I will ever really produce it myself here in the uk, but I try my best to represent it. I totally agree we need to learn the History and Culture behind it to keep it's boundaries but there's nothing wrong with stepping over it once in a while as our predecessors did last century http://www.cheekytiki.com [ Edited by: cheekytiki 2005-11-14 07:59 ]

Ok here we go.
I must say I'm split on this and i hope this explains why.

Is it our decision to decide what IS "Tiki".
Shouldn't that be the call of those that truely own an ancestoral right to the word

True Tiki is surely only that which comes from the Polynesian islands that created it. And there are only a few groups of those that have.

Fiji, PNG, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu aren't Polynesia. Neither is Indonesia, and definately not Africa (sorry Tiki Bob)

Call it South Pacific or South Seas and that excludes Hawaii.

Most of what we have here on Tiki central is for a better word what Sven describes as Polynesian Pop, or Tiki styled, and therefore so is most of what is in the BOT, and most of what came before it too including the first Tiki bars, Trader Vics, Don the Beachcomber etc.

Try Telling a polynesian that it's tiki and you might be thrown into the nearest volcano with every western barstardization thats been produced ( OK they dont really throw peple into Volcanoes, Thats Poly Pop, Hollywood style).

Polynesian Pop is an amalgamation(sp?) of many things, some true to its roots and others way, way off, but they have been accepted and on the whole embraced by the "Tiki" comunity.

Why now do we decide a cartoon face in a log is not Tiki? Read the BOT and it states that Milan Guanko credits "kiddie cartoons amongst his influences", and although a piece of Tiki Style History I doubt Witco would stand up well against the True tikis at the city of refugein Hawaii. Ok Milan guanko was a master of his craft, but everyone else has to start somewhere, and a basic interpretation with the right guidance and knowledge can lead to greater things.

Tiki central is not the Bishop or British museum it's a fun place.

BK, I love to see your acurate representations of true oceanic pieces and I'm sure many would love to get to that stage of carving, but some don't have the vision or skills (Yet) but that doesn't mean they shouldn't try. Maybe those in the "know" need to be more honest with others, in a nice way of course.

I got into to Tiki through Travelling the South Pacific region, I had never heard of Tiki bars, Tiki Mugs or Shag.

But I saw Tiki in its natural form, in its actual surroundings and it affected me, and in all honesty this is where my heart lies, with the people and places who actually own the right to it.

With the freinds I have there, we are working on Projects to bring back some of the Traditional skills in some villages in Samoa.

I love traditional work and aspire to it, but I dont feel I will ever really produce it myself here in the uk, but I try my best to represent it.

I totally agree we need to learn the History and Culture behind it to keep it's boundaries but there's nothing wrong with stepping over it once in a while as our predecessors did last century

http://www.cheekytiki.com

[ Edited by: cheekytiki 2005-11-14 07:59 ]

Post #197952 by cheekytiki on Mon, Nov 14, 2005 7:53 AM