Post #387157 by Babalu on Sun, Jun 15, 2008 3:19 PM

Let me start off by saying that I have thoroughly enjoyed this thread and its counter part. The questions posed to TC on both are important. The question was asked on this thread for artists: Why do you as an artist feel your art qualifies as Tiki Art?

There have been a few posts on my carving thread where people have said something like, "I don't know if it's Tiki, but I like it." I think my art can be considered Tiki for a few simple reasons. I use stylistic elements that pertain to Polynesian art in my carving; Polynesian artifacts are directly referenced in my sculptures; I also use animal symbolism (though not a primary focus of Polynesian culture, animal symbolism was nevertheless used) to convey primordial concepts such as fertility (rabbits), the metaphysical (magic), and the erotic (pee pees). In my ceramics, I subscribe to the philosophy posted earlier that drinking vessels today should transmogrify us from the mundane to the outer limits in the same type way that was experienced in the Poly Pop genre.

My art has been a progression over many years. I have experimented with the personification of the rabbit to explore the vulnerability of humanity. In Western culture the rabbit is a symbol for a number of different concepts: fertility (multiply like rabbits, pregnancy tests); magic (pull a rabbit out of your hat); trickery (What's up Doc? - Trix are for kids). I find it challenging to juxtapose the soft and fluffy bunny image with savagery. This juxtaposition creates an element of shock in the aesthetic that I like. The creative process for me is often a chaotic combination of old and new images; soft and hard; it is a blending of different aesthetics and cultures. One interesting point I've come across is that "new works [by contemporary Polynesian artists] depend on knowledge of the traditional aesthetic systems in which the artists have immersed themselves [and] create new forms based on their own backgrounds and experiences, producing fine art that makes Pacific themes understandable in today’s world." (http://fds.oup.com/www.oup.co.uk/pdf/0-19-284238-2.pdf). In my current works, I fall under this same guideline by combining traditional Western symbolism with varying traditional primitive symbols.

There are inherent issues with using definitions in conjunction with a creative process; and they can be at odds. As an artist, my biggest joy is to focus on the creative process; I like to get my hands dirty. Having said this, the questions brought up on all threads about the definition of Tiki have been thought provoking and interesting. I've used a good quote from a teacher of mine once before on TC who said of similar questions, "these are issues of content and real personal and social worth. Without the continued addressing of these and similar questions being asked in all fields of human endeavor, we would be reduced to the function of robots, and then the issues of our children and their future is a moot point."

Babalu
(aka: Space Hippie)