What defines

LLT little lost tiki Tiki Socialite Orange,CA-right near the Circle! Joined: Jun 12, 2006 Posts: 7763	LLT little lost tiki Posted posted on Wed, Jun 11, 2008 8:57 AM Wow! What a great thread! Sven said... "I am hopeful that my posts will remind some folks to THINK, and take a good hard look, and maybe go out and consult some Oceanic art books from book stores or libraries, and tap into the creative wealth that lies in that tradition, there is so much I have not seen done. Just repeating a very narrow pattern has much of the Tiki revival going in circles, that is not what excited me about Tiki in the first place. Yes there was always repetition, but within Tiki's stylistic confines, there was an incredible variety and spark of individual interpretation. " Art,as History shows,seems like a freeway system,with offramps,turnarounds,traffic jams,etc.... A bunch of movements running parallel or crossing over each other ,as they roll forward... Building blocks-one artist's work may inspire another and so on,stacking blocks and making stairs..... The success of the original Polypop movement was influenced by authentic culture which inspired artists who took their own social influences (ie: bar culture/post-War/celebration/search for unspoiled humanity) and made it fun..... Art critics.Anthropologists, and museum Directors must have hated it! This Polypop movement started to fade in the 70's when that group started getting up in years and the next generation had only "hearsay" and relics to define and establish their styles.... They reacted to youthful memories of picking dad up from the bar or Luaus or Disneyland/World... Fast forward to this generation...... If anyone has noticed....Information is so available that everyone takes it for granted..... a quick GOOGLE search can unyield a fast(tho not always accurate)primer on any subject including Tikis.... A lot of artists these days don't do their research,don't read,and that's sad..... "those who forget their past are doomed to repeat it" There is such a wealth of information,but in an ADD culture,people are too distracted to take the time and read a mythology book,or a historical account of first contact.... That leaves a lot of lazy artists (and yes, I'm calling them lazy-not bad artists,because there's a BUNCH of great artists in the scene-but lazy artists...) to rely on impressions already stamped into their psyche when they were little wee ones.... Cartoons/Comic Books/Surf and Car magazines/model Kits These days, in order to create a Tiki painting,one has only to rely on those memories and consult Sven's wonderful books... going in circles...... Art is a tough thing to define... Either you like a piece or not But even the masterworks i don't "like" I still appreciate for the work involved/maybe a certain area/colors... Now here's something else to chaw on...... Having done the Research,read many books,did numerous studies there is always the artistic urge to "advance" one's craft-to push a genre.... Symbolism,the Fauves,Abstract Expressionism.Surrealism,Neo-Geo all a result of artists pushing the envelope.... Now with tiki-there are the Ku's and Lono's and Moai and Marquesans,etc.... a very limited amount of icons to draw from Plus the fact that most of the tiki art we have is no older than 200 or so years.... how many movements/advances did these primitive people have in their art? These days we have a hi-speed exploration tools(the internet/cars/planes) Whereas they relied on the rare trading contacts or ideological changes that happen as a culture develops... they didn't have the barrage of influences that artists these days have they carefully considered each new approach and thought and retained or discarded it..... This new wave of artists,whether anyone likes it or not will define where Tiki art is going.. i just hope they ,like Bigbro says.... THINK, and take a good hard look, and maybe go out and consult some Oceanic art books from book stores or libraries, and tap into the creative wealth that lies in that tradition, there is so much I have not seen done. Personally, I'm stoked and astonished by Traditional Oceanic Arts/Polypop/and this contemporary approach... Exciting times ahead! Thanks for letting an old man babble!

Wow! What a great thread!
Sven said...

"I am hopeful that my posts will remind some folks to THINK, and take a good hard look, and maybe go out and consult some Oceanic art books from book stores or libraries, and tap into the creative wealth that lies in that tradition, there is so much I have not seen done. Just repeating a very narrow pattern has much of the Tiki revival going in circles, that is not what excited me about Tiki in the first place. Yes there was always repetition, but within Tiki's stylistic confines, there was an incredible variety and spark of individual interpretation. "

Art,as History shows,seems like a freeway system,with offramps,turnarounds,traffic jams,etc....
A bunch of movements running parallel or crossing over each other ,as they roll forward...
Building blocks-one artist's work may inspire another and so on,stacking blocks and making stairs.....
The success of the original Polypop movement was influenced by authentic culture
which inspired artists
who took their own social influences (ie: bar culture/post-War/celebration/search for unspoiled humanity)
and made it fun.....
Art critics.Anthropologists, and museum Directors must have hated it!
This Polypop movement started to fade in the 70's when that group started getting up in years
and the next generation had only "hearsay" and relics to define and establish their styles....
They reacted to youthful memories of picking dad up from the bar or Luaus or Disneyland/World...
Fast forward to this generation......
If anyone has noticed....Information is so available that everyone takes it for granted.....
a quick GOOGLE search can unyield a fast(tho not always accurate)primer on any subject
including Tikis....
A lot of artists these days don't do their research,don't read,and that's sad.....
"those who forget their past are doomed to repeat it"
There is such a wealth of information,but in an ADD culture,people are too distracted
to take the time and read a mythology book,or a historical account of first contact....
That leaves a lot of lazy artists (and yes, I'm calling them lazy-not bad artists,because there's a BUNCH of great artists in the scene-but lazy artists...) to rely on impressions
already stamped into their psyche when they were little wee ones....
Cartoons/Comic Books/Surf and Car magazines/model Kits
These days, in order to create a Tiki painting,one has only to rely on those memories
and consult Sven's wonderful books...
going in circles......
Art is a tough thing to define...
Either you like a piece or not
But even the masterworks i don't "like" I still appreciate for the work involved/maybe a certain area/colors...
Now here's something else to chaw on......
Having done the Research,read many books,did numerous studies
there is always the artistic urge to "advance" one's craft-to push a genre....
Symbolism,the Fauves,Abstract Expressionism.Surrealism,Neo-Geo
all a result of artists pushing the envelope....
Now with tiki-there are the Ku's and Lono's and Moai and Marquesans,etc....
a very limited amount of icons to draw from
Plus the fact that most of the tiki art we have is no older than 200 or so years....
how many movements/advances did these primitive people have in their art?
These days we have a hi-speed exploration tools(the internet/cars/planes)
Whereas they relied on the rare trading contacts or ideological changes that happen as a culture develops...
they didn't have the barrage of influences that artists these days have
they carefully considered each new approach and thought
and retained or discarded it.....
This new wave of artists,whether anyone likes it or not
will define where Tiki art is going..
i just hope they ,like Bigbro says....

THINK, and take a good hard look, and maybe go out and consult some Oceanic art books from book stores or libraries, and tap into the creative wealth that lies in that tradition, there is so much I have not seen done.

Personally, I'm stoked and astonished by Traditional Oceanic Arts/Polypop/and this contemporary approach...
Exciting times ahead!
Thanks for letting an old man babble!

Post #386289 by little lost tiki on Wed, Jun 11, 2008 8:57 AM