Post #275440 by teaKEY on Fri, Dec 29, 2006 8:01 AM

Hey Hewey, I'll bite

I don't think that their is enough art talk here and at the same time, much art is being produced.
" I would suggest that very few tiki artists create work that challenges the audience to think beyond “oooh, that’s pretty”." -HEWEY

I would totally not agree with this. I see new ideas born everyday here. Like in all fields, if I see only one new thing in the area that interest me each time I look, I'm happy.

"Take Shag for example. His art looks great, without a doubt. But not many of his pieces REALLY draw me into his paintings., But by and large, it’s a case of “That’s pretty. Next” for me."

I thought that Shag was great the first time that I saw him. It was fresh from the other stuff and then the next time that I saw him, I thought yep, I see the styling he uses and then the next time, yep nothings changed. Recently Shag did tried something new with in his style with the detail painting and he probably is the only one to have social issues in his painting with his latest painting. The painting with the televisions that are live to national disasters.
I wouldn't use Shag as a example. Most famous tiki painter, and not the best tiki painter. I think that Miles has the best understanding of tiki and (for me) the tiki mug. He came back with darker colors and different applications with the fluorescent colors. He said in Tiki MAgazine that he was honored to have Shag buy one of his painting. Shag can sell his painting for 4-5 times more and they aren't a 1/3 as good.

I enjoyed seeing Tiki Tony work his paintings into 3-D art. The mugs and the bird heads which is what I would have bought for Tiki Art Now. And yes, Dr. Seuss did the same thing with mounted head, But I didn't think to do it again until I saw Tony do it. Crazy Al pulled out all the stops to make that PNG skull painting with the best tiki frame ever. That was a big surprise. I think Benzart did his best recently with probably one of the best Moai to ever see the light to date for me, and I'm a Moai freak. Really, how many ways can a Moai be done, there are limits to work under. Munktiki hit the nail on the head with the Kustomas mugs that are very new ideas for them, more work and creativity to pull from a given shape.

I think that this year has given me more to think about with tiki. Maybe tikis best year. We had to go through all the history of tiki to get to this moment.

Do I want a depressed tiki hanging on my wall?? I first thought no, but hell yeah. Its a human side of life. Can tiki change the world, sure it can, but its changes are little and made within a small group that is growing.

Are all the artist here on TC giving the shot in the arm, no. But everything takes time. You got to get to the base on the mountain before you can start to climb.