Post #287530 by jpmartdog on Thu, Feb 22, 2007 6:00 PM

This thread is created as tribute to Polynesian murals and dioramas. Whether vintage or otherwise, artists have been hired to take the decor of a restaurant, bar, hotel or home a step further than the polynesian decor we think of first. Sure, a "tiki bar" would be lacking at best if it didn't include bamboo, thatch, tiki sculptures and carvings, velvet paintings and exotic hanging lights, but... this is about that next step that few establishments have taken. Through murals and dioramas, some establishments blend physical components and murals creating a "view" and transporting the lucky customers out of their chair and into a distant place. There are amazing examples of this phenomenon still alive today, yet unfortunately as polynesian restaurants and Tiki bars disappear through the years, sometimes this unique art, considered "tired" and worn out, is the first to be whitewashed, renovated and ultimately destroyed.
The mural artist is alive and well today, but those vintage artists from the 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's have a style that resonate with the vintage quality us Tiki lovers crave. A mural is more than a painting on the wall, it becomes the wall, it becomes the space. The most amazing murals allow the viewer to "walk" into the setting. Some of the best murals utilize physical foreground pieces and painted details, as well as lighting to accentuate the distant scene they represent.

Here in New England, we TC-ers are lucky to have three remarkable and unique mural examples still alive. The murals at the Kowloon in Saugus Massachusetts wrap around two walls and span nearly 60 feet. The distant Island view and actual lighted volcano effect are realistically enhanced by sculpted palms and an actual sailing ship that you "sit aboard".

At the Bali Hai in nearby Lynnfield, Mass. Photographic image lightboxes enlighten the dining room with scenes of Hawaiian Luaus. Who wouldn't want to be at a real Luau!

And just this week discovered by a combined effort of sputnikmoss in Portland and Granite Tiki in Nashua - the South Seas Polynesian Restaurant in Newton Massachusetts still maintains amazing vintage painted murals spanning two walls and encased in vintage bamboo and thatch decor. A truly amazing discovery.

I hope Granite Tiki will post more of his great shots!

How many more of these exist today, and how many of these "dioramas" have recently been destroyed (The Kahiki was the greatest loss of a magnificent diorama). Sams Seafood in Sunset Beach California is being reopened and we all hope their extensive murals will be rejuvenated and celebrated with the renovations. Other establishments feature new murals as does Thatch in Portland Oregon, whose dedicated owner Robertiki strives to create a vintage feel with the amazing Velvet murals he has commissioned.

This thread is for celebrating those long gone memories, undiscovered treasures, and new creations - the murals! Please post info about the celebrated artists that have painted them and new muralists painting today! Let's celebrate the mural in our favorite Tiki joints- that amazing artwork that transports us to where we would like to be!