Post #505318 by bigbrotiki on Mon, Jan 18, 2010 7:34 PM

As a Tiki researcher, I am always thrilled when the two mid-century escapist motifs of Nudism and Tiki are found together, which to my mind should be more often the case than it actually is. Nudism is a fascinating, simultaneously square and alternative lifestyle. The fact that it was an outdoor "back to nature" recreational activity, around Barb-B-Qs and pools, would make it seem a natural for Tiki decor. But unfortunately, not much visual evidence has appeared over my years of research.

So now, let's take a look at these Titis...err I mean TIKIS:

We can make out four distinctly different Tikis in these stills so graciously provided by Martian Tiki. The only thing they have in common is the fact that they are stone or concrete Tikis. Otherwise, they seem to have no stylistic similarities.

Let's start with this guy, let's call him the "Jaw Dropper", frozen in disbelief at what he sees:

Never seen this style before, very unique, the expression reminds me of some gargoyles, maybe...
Next to "Jaw Dropper" we find "Black Ku Face", the only truly "Tiki"-looking piece of the bunch:

....unlike this creation below, which I'd like to call "Wise Guy":

...and last, peaking in from outside, we have..."Devil Alien"!:

Though he was the strangest of the bunch, my Tiki memory was triggered.
Devil Alien somehow reminded me of this beast from the B-movie "Pagan Island":

Some kindred soul at Something Weird Video hat recognized the head of this "Pagan Idol" in a little nudie clip that he saw about a Florida Artist named Lewis VanDercar, it was resting on his fireplace:

And it dawned on me: Though none of these four Tikis are alike, they have all been created by the same artist!

I came upon Lewis VanDercar in this photo by Bunny Yeager first:

He seemed to embody the quintessential Bohemian artist/Swinger in this picture, and so I used it in the Book of Tiki.
Since then, I was able to attribute Tikis in three Poly pop locations to him: The Miami Luau, the Little Hut in Vero Beach Florida, and recently, thanks to Tiki Kiliki, the Tiki Motel in Lake George.

The little nudie flic shows VanDerCar at work in his studio at his home in Miami...

,,,but he also gives two of his models a tour of the outside of his house:

We can make out two Moai-style sculptures among the wild array of other styles...

...but in a close up, we can see a sculpture that looks kind of like the "Wise Guy" by the pool above...

...and as we pan with the group, a Ku-type face appears on the left edge of frame!:

This again proves that Van DerCar was capable of sculpting any style, from Moai to Ku to Gargoyle to Dragon to mermaid, (as we already know):
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=7197&forum=1

Bunny Yeager also has a credit on "Pagan Idol", and it seems like the two were part of the same swinging 60s scene of artists, photographers and nudists in Miami.

http://miamimemories.blogspot.com/2007/07/lewis-vandercar-miamis-andy-warhol.html

It is a shame that so far nor good photos of the exterior of his Miami house have surfaced, with all the interest in "Outsider Art" there should be something to be found.

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2010-01-18 19:41 ]