Post #225883 by Lake Surfer on Sun, Apr 9, 2006 9:04 PM

Pondering something the other day... and maybe this should be on the "Creating" forum, but some people don't happen by there much.

I'm looking for overall opinions from others who may not be tiki artists but are it's historians... or those who are as passionate about tiki as the artists... hoping a mix of opinions comes in on the "General" thread.

I'm amazed at the huge amount of tiki artists on "Creating." Not only those who make their living from tiki... painting, creating decor, carving tikis... but also the part timers who paint, carve and create for the public and themselves.

I'm also amazed at the number of new artists that find TC and become members every day. Some become part of the Ohana, others fade off in time. Those who stay hold the passion, hone their craft and become part of the new history of tiki and Poly Pop. To what extent... we may learn that later... when one of us is 80 and heaven forbid we drift a bit from tiki then come back. In a vintage store we spy a dusty tiki in a corner... pull it out and blow the dust off to reveal the name... BIGBENZART #10.

Wow! Benzart! I remember him! This tiki hung in Forbidden Island!

Was it like this in tiki's younger years?

Barney West, Bob and Leroy, Milan Guanko, Andres Bumatay... did they know what they and the other's were doing? Did they all say "Hey, this tiki thing is going somewhere... maybe I can make a living at it?" Or did they share a passion in it first... as an artist with the need to express themselves... then find out that it was something that the public desired.

Through Bamboo Ben and his aunt we've learned that the Hedley's started by collecting things for their home, and then discovering it could be a business.

And I haven't even touched on the painters yet. Or those who created tiki mugs for the bars and restaurants.

Did they all feed off of each other? Or found the passion around the same time and converged on the evolving tiki movement?

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Some born artists find TC after honing their art... they come here to share tips and their work. Some to promote, some to share the stoke.

Some learn to become artists through TC. Though a lot of times, an artist is something you are born as, there are many things that you can learn and become very good at. We've seen painters and carvers start from meager beginnings and become extremely talented artists in a matter of years.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Imagine a Tiki Central in early days...

Leroy Schmaltz on "Creating" sharing pictures of a new tiki he's working on.

Ely Hedley sharing pictures of a new tiki palace he's decorating.

Bob and Jack Thornton on "General" announcing the creation of a new place called the "Mai Kai" and sharing teaser pics.

Donn Beach and Victor Bergeron on "Tiki Drinks" discussing the Zombie.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Is it easier for tiki to spread these days with a place like TC? Or a book like TBOT?

Though more diverse than it once was in it's birth...

Are there more tiki artists then there were the first time around, and is it spreading quicker?

Ease in the information age?

And is tiki spreading farther and wider than it did the first time?

If so, why now and not then?

There's a lot to discuss in there... but it has all been on my mind... any insights to any of it would be interesting.

[ Edited by: Lake Surfer 2006-04-09 21:08 ]