E.C. Bali Hai Restaurant Tikis? - Collecting Tiki

B bigbrotiki Tiki Socialite Tiki Island, above the Silverlake Joined: Mar 25, 2002 Posts: 11621	B bigbrotiki Posted posted on Thu, Apr 12, 2007 8:40 AM Hmmm. Right of the bat I would say you forgot the fourth category, to be found in Creating Tiki: The Tiki Revival Tikis, inspired by mid-century Polynesian pop, and then to some degree by authentic, ancient Tikis. It ranges all the way from highly stylized creations like Bosko's to the very-close-to-the-old-original carvings of Basement Kahuna, and truly is as noteworthy and commendable as any of the two positive categories (ancient carvings and Poly pop). But the borders between good and bad style are very subjective and dependent on: Personal taste, a good eye based on experience, and on commitment to the matter at hand. The human need to categorize is inborn, I am prone to it myself, but until I write the Big Book of the Tiki revival to show what I deem worthy of being called Tiki (let's see..that'll take maybe ten years?), I will only occasionally voice critique, as in the case of the Poly-Asian carvings. I tried to reveal the "hypercommercialized sacrilege" style in my Un-Tiki thread, and it turned into mud slinging fest. And though I am bored by the un-differentiated, unconstructive back-patting that is very prevalent nowadays, I respect every Tiki enthusiast's right to personal likes and dislikes, and will only voice dismay in extreme, non-personal cases, where purely commercial motives and blatant ignorance of the style are apparent. But let us one more time remind ourselves what Tikis originally are inspired by: Ancestor worship! When a Tiki carving, a painting, or mug bears no trace of the mana of either ancient Tiki styles, OR the work of the mid-century Polynesian pop ancestors, it simply is not Tiki anymore. It's pop, it's art, it's kitsch, or what ever, but Tiki it's not. Respect the ancestors! That's your mana-mantra for today! :wink: [ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2007-04-12 10:06 ]

Hmmm. Right of the bat I would say you forgot the fourth category, to be found in Creating Tiki: The Tiki Revival Tikis, inspired by mid-century Polynesian pop, and then to some degree by authentic, ancient Tikis. It ranges all the way from highly stylized creations like Bosko's to the very-close-to-the-old-original carvings of Basement Kahuna, and truly is as noteworthy and commendable as any of the two positive categories (ancient carvings and Poly pop).

But the borders between good and bad style are very subjective and dependent on: Personal taste, a good eye based on experience, and on commitment to the matter at hand. The human need to categorize is inborn, I am prone to it myself, but until I write the Big Book of the Tiki revival to show what I deem worthy of being called Tiki (let's see..that'll take maybe ten years?), I will only occasionally voice critique, as in the case of the Poly-Asian carvings. I tried to reveal the "hypercommercialized sacrilege" style in my Un-Tiki thread, and it turned into mud slinging fest. And though I am bored by the un-differentiated, unconstructive back-patting that is very prevalent nowadays, I respect every Tiki enthusiast's right to personal likes and dislikes, and will only voice dismay in extreme, non-personal cases, where purely commercial motives and blatant ignorance of the style are apparent.

But let us one more time remind ourselves what Tikis originally are inspired by: Ancestor worship!
When a Tiki carving, a painting, or mug bears no trace of the mana of either ancient Tiki styles, OR the work of the mid-century Polynesian pop ancestors, it simply is not Tiki anymore. It's pop, it's art, it's kitsch, or what ever, but Tiki it's not. Respect the ancestors! That's your mana-mantra for today! :wink:

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2007-04-12 10:06 ]

Post #298599 by bigbrotiki on Thu, Apr 12, 2007 8:40 AM