Post #416408 by Trader Tom on Thu, Oct 30, 2008 3:49 PM

On 2008-10-30 13:44, Tiki Kiniki wrote:
I have to say that after reading through this thread - or rather extended argument - I'm a little confused. Why is it that the artists and artisans who get PAID for creating the art and conception of the owners have to sit back and defend their creations to people who only write about or critique others people's work? Their only talents lie with pen, ink and written word and last time I checked....nobody spends much time reading in tiki bars. Just a thought!

[ Edited by: Tiki Kiniki 2008-10-30 14:25 ]

Kiniki,

Sometimes arguments can get a little overheated, but I think you're looking at this the wrong way.

I think it's wonderful that artists and critics can talk about things in a public forum. It's free speech. And the fact that the Tiki community is so open that people feel free to discuss these things is really refreshing.

I may not always agree with people's criticism, but it would be really sad if the discussion died out and Tiki Central just turned into a repository of still photographs because nobody felt they were entitled to discuss or critique things.

We may not read in Tiki Bars (due to dim lighting and difficulty in juggling mai tais while flipping pages) but at home we all read quite a bit...and it's through thinking hard about our aesthetic choices that we come to a better understanding of what "Tiki" or "Pop Polynesian" style means to us.

By all means, let's praise our artists and their art. But don't belittle the writers. Their voices are important also!