Post #294630 by Sneakytiki on Sun, Mar 25, 2007 11:00 PM

I think wood carvers are churning out sum great pieces of sculpture. I guess Witco is no longer made by Westenhaver's co. so he's not current in the still creating sense, but I'm hanging onto the big pieces I have. I have an RL Blair that would cost a couple thou. from his website that I "collected" at the thrift for 5 bux. He's got alot of new tiki sculptures and fountains that are very well executed. I'd say his prices are easily in league with Shag's for Shag's originals. Who knows what will happen with Witco prices, bigbro's book should give them an at least temporary boost. Maybe permanent?

Miles Thompson's art is really fun and I'd collect his work if I could afford to buy art. I guess Robert Williams is sayin' Tiki is over as a lowbrow fad or whatever. I don't know if that is really happening from what I've seen. It won't ever be over for me. Robert Williams is the creator of the term lowbrow, when he originally dubbed his show "The Lowbrow Art of R. Williams", it was meant as a slam against the "fine art" people in NYC who didn't approve of his subject matter etc. Lately I've seen it used to describe outsider art which is supposed to be another thing entirely, ie untrained artists, often handicapped or otherwise challenged. I would not put outsider art and lowbrow in the synonym category.

R. Williams meant it in a tongue and cheek way when he said lowbrow, some people are interpreting it exactly opposite. I find the whole "pop surrealist" term that the art world uses for "low brow" somewhat useful but it's limited too. Everything has to be sub-genrified anymore.

I'm going to try to collect originals over prints in the future and if something I like becomes shagadelically valuable then that's a bonus. I almost parted with the Witcos in a weak engagement ring moment last month. I love those damn things though, lol.

Shag's work is so advertising friendly that it's sort of peerless in that respect. Originals in galleries and Disney passport brochures? Ryden's originals sell for far more than Shag's but I don't see anybody asking him to rework Pink Panther on a merchandising campaign. Apples and oranges. Shag is kind of a modern day Norman Rockwell. Ryden is like the next R. Williams. I love Rockwell by the way...

[ Edited by: Sneakytiki 2007-04-08 20:24 ]