Post #386601 by GROG on Thu, Jun 12, 2008 8:29 AM

Bigbro, you've said you didn't want to show examples of people's art, but GROG not see how you can't use examples if people still can't understand exactly what you mean. Woofmutt mentions a "narrow definition of what Tiki art is". You posted a link to some art as an example of art you consider missing the mark completely, but GROG think you need to post examples of artwork that you think DOES to some extent succeed in pushing Tiki artwork beyond what has already been done, but is still considered TIKI in your eyes and explain why. You rarely post in the "creating thread" to compliment anybody's work who you feel is successfully pushing the medium, so how are we to understand what fits into your vision of artists who are successful to some extent or another and why. If everybody is missing the mark so completely, GROG guess there are no successful art examples and maybe tiki art DOES have a narrow definition.

GROG has worked with plenty of directors and clients who can't explain exactly what they want, but want the artist to keep trying different examples until they happen upon what the client/director thinks successfully hits the mark. They'll say, "I'll know it when I see it", and that's incredibly frustrating to the artist who has to blindly keep stabbing in the dark trying to achieve someone elses vision without an example of the direction the client is wanting the art to head towards.

Some artists may accept yor challenge to push the medium to evolve beyond what has already been done, whereas others will be happy to continue on doing the art that pleases them, because that is their choice and that's what makes them happy. GROG sure that since this is a fairly new revival of the artform, that plenty of artists are still cutting their teeth by adhereing to the earlier style of tiki art, but once they have enough art under their belts, they will feel confident enough to start pushing their ideas and skills beyond what they are comfortable with and their art as well as the new tiki art in general will start to evolve quicker. And, new artists will also find the site and bring new visions and directions that other artists haven't seen yet. Their art will inspire other artists and things will move forward, but not always in the direction that you think it should go. So, you might want to show some examples of what you think is successful and maybe encourage those artists and others further.