Post #594913 by bigbrotiki on Sat, Jun 25, 2011 2:04 AM

It does seem that nowadays there are more people out there that are either into the party/event aspect or the "collector" only thing, and fewer folks that are fascinated by what led to all that: the original art and history of mid-century Tiki culture. Random, inconsequential mentions of Tiki in current media often seem to get more interest than important finds of rare photos from the the peak period of the culture.

As I said before: I am glad that I have succeeded in my goal to have Tiki become a pop culture again. But from what I see, it has become too much "pop", and not enough "culture" now. The esthetic and stylistic intricacies of the art form are lost on many. In disappointment, some of the original, true Tiki archeologists have withdrawn from the public eye, to splinter groups or their own personal blogs and Facebook. But then again, every now and then someone new joins the ranks of the seriously interested, and demonstrates that there is so much more to discover.

This is the way it has always been, and always will be. It would be wrong to commiserate and tuck in one's tail and withdraw into one's hut. On with the good fight for true Tiki!