Post #226057 by bigbrotiki on Mon, Apr 10, 2006 7:23 PM

Well put, Matt. I would have never imagined that the appreciation of the past would bring forward such a wave of creativity and sense of community, it's very gratifying.
To answer one of Lake's questions:

"...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..."

I am sure they were aware of each other, mainly through Oceanic Arts, who sold their carvings. It was a relatively small business back then. Some carvers (Bumatay/Ellis) worked together, but it also was a very competetive business then, with copying of designs, and snagging jobs. I don't believe they saw themselves as artists, they were individuals who sort of fell into it, trying to make a buck.
Tiki style was never identified as a pop culture genre in it's own day. Ignored by critics, it was maybe mentioned in a few restaurant industry magazines, that's all. Most people at the time, except a few insiders like Bob and Leroy, were not aware of the scope and pervasiveness of the phenomenon.

Ancient Tiki, 50s Tiki and nouveaux Tiki are inexorably linked and related, but also quite different in their own right...one could write a book about it!

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2006-04-10 19:44 ]