Tiki Culture - Geographical Origins - General Tiki

B bigbrotiki Tiki Socialite Tiki Island, above the Silverlake Joined: Mar 25, 2002 Posts: 11621	B bigbrotiki Posted posted on Mon, Jan 24, 2011 4:39 PM About the Mai Kai, and in favor of its importance to the birth of Tiki style: Though the Thornton Brothers did admit to have been inspired by Don's Chicago Beachcomber, and many of the concepts and elements of Polynesian pop they and the others used were first employed by Don, they really upped their forefather in the Tiki esthetic: While all of Don's "children" made the transition around the mid- to late 50s into using Tiki as the predominant decor and design icon, Don himself stuck to his "Beachcomber" style and had very little Tiki art on his trademark items. I had mentioned the fact in the BOT that IF Don can be said to have had a logo Tiki, it was his pet Tahitian Cannibal Carvings. It is a curious fact that the Thorntons, of all of Don's "students", picked up on that and more than anybody else utilized the Cannibal Carvings for their purposes - taking the one Tiki item used by their "ancestor" to greater prominence, proving that they were tuned in to the Tiki Zeitgeist of the times, while Don remained "Old school". Stephen Crane's designer Florian Gabriel once noted that Polynesian style was just growing "tired" when Tiki came around and imbued it with a fresh spirit.

About the Mai Kai, and in favor of its importance to the birth of Tiki style:

Though the Thornton Brothers did admit to have been inspired by Don's Chicago Beachcomber, and many of the concepts and elements of Polynesian pop they and the others used were first employed by Don, they really upped their forefather in the Tiki esthetic:

While all of Don's "children" made the transition around the mid- to late 50s into using Tiki as the predominant decor and design icon, Don himself stuck to his "Beachcomber" style and had very little Tiki art on his trademark items. I had mentioned the fact in the BOT that IF Don can be said to have had a logo Tiki, it was his pet Tahitian Cannibal Carvings. It is a curious fact that the Thorntons, of all of Don's "students", picked up on that and more than anybody else utilized the Cannibal Carvings for their purposes - taking the one Tiki item used by their "ancestor" to greater prominence, proving that they were tuned in to the Tiki Zeitgeist of the times, while Don remained "Old school".

Stephen Crane's designer Florian Gabriel once noted that Polynesian style was just growing "tired" when Tiki came around and imbued it with a fresh spirit.

Post #573186 by bigbrotiki on Mon, Jan 24, 2011 4:39 PM