What defines

K KokoKele Member Joined: Feb 08, 2012 Posts: 93	K KokoKele Posted posted on Wed, Mar 7, 2012 10:14 PM Well, I’ve kept my big mouth shout for about three weeks now, and now I’m going to defy all wisdom and attack this thread again! Never could help but pick at scabs. I realized that the items I outlined above aren’t necessarily addressing the question of “What is Tiki Art?” but instead address the question “What is Tiki?” Quite a difference. When considering BigBroTiki’s question, it strikes me that he’s actually asking two questions: “What defines tiki . . . and does anybody care?” And “What defines art . . . and does anybody care?” You can argue the definition of “art” until the end of time. The volume of literature is practically infinite. Although I’ve taken a slew of art classes, drawn a few pictures, created a few paintings and have even sculpted a few items I don’t feel I have the insight to determine whether certain fringe pieces, such as the aforementioned Urinal, qualify as art. But it’s pretty easy to point to pieces by Rembrandt, Chagall, Chihuly, Warhol or Calder and say “now that’s art.” It's well-executed, iconic, multi-leveled, mature and universally recognized as art. So what's Tiki Art? When you look at the myriad pieces that accompanied the mid-century Tiki movement and the pieces coming out of the more recent Tiki Revival/Polynesian Pop/Tiki Style 2 movement I think you’ll find works that fall under fairly easily recognized categories. I would personally label them: Tiki Art Tiki Crafts Tiki Objects Tiki Sell-Out Utter Crap I could define each category but this post is going to be long-winded enough already. I’m pretty sure you all get the idea. How do you decide which is which? Well, there’s probably a pretty thin line between categories, and the placement of a piece in a category will depend on the experience, discrimination and definition of the viewer. Fortunately we have informative guides to help us along the way and to find the new creations that will help define the genre. I’m looking at the cover of Tiki Art Now volume 3 as I write this. Although, as Tiki Titan Otto von Stroheim states in the introduction . . . “Tiki art has no universally accepted name, no manifesto, no particular discernible style . . .” the book goes on to display works that, by virtue of the authorities who selected the pieces, are, indeed, Tiki Art. Do you have to like all of it? Nope. I don’t. But I certainly respect the authority of the authors and I can certainly respect the skill, ability and maturity of the artists whether I like a piece or not. And I think that’s why the frustration over the existing and continuing volume of Tiki Sell-Out and Utter Crap that leads to the question “What defines tiki art . . . and does anybody care?” is valid but easily dismissed. At this time in history it has never been easier to produce works – paintings, sculptures, assemblies, tableware, carvings, recorded music, time-based art, you name it – and display them to the public, who may be disturbingly appreciative of pieces that would bring tears to the purists’ eyes. There’s a bunch of it! Although the internet, retail stores and even well-meaning specialty shops are teeming with stuff that will make BigBroTiki sigh, there are also those artists and craftspeople who are using the availability of reference material, technology, and social networking along with sheer genius to create pieces that are artistic, fresh, evolutionary and fun. Let’s face it: all Tiki is derivative to some extent, as I would postulate that most art is also derivative to some extent. So those of you who have a lot of exposure to it are going to see plenty of common elements that may seem over-worked. You’re also not going to have much tolerance for the trite and poorly executed pieces. You have been immersed in Tiki and can discriminate between the real thing and the pedestrian nonsense, and seeing the current volume of nonsense is probably frustrating. But, just like in the larger world of art, the genre of Tiki or Poly Pop or whatever you want to call it will also have its iconic pieces that will continue to invigorate it and push it forward. I’m still really impressed by the pieces, both old and new, that imaginative people have created as I discover more and more about Tiki in the western world. All types of art – even Tiki Art – incubate and evolve. I think Tiki Art is incubating nicely, though messily, and because there are many people who care about it, it will stay lively and fun. And you never know; the folks who are turning out Utter Crap today may mature and grow into the respected artists of tomorrow (doubtful, though). I'm fairly certain that some of the pieces being questioned today will eventually find their way into the iconography of Tiki, just as some of the whimsical and oddly executed pieces of earlier decades have. Thanks for the indulgence!

Well, I’ve kept my big mouth shout for about three weeks now, and now I’m going to defy all wisdom and attack this thread again! Never could help but pick at scabs.

I realized that the items I outlined above aren’t necessarily addressing the question of “What is Tiki Art?” but instead address the question “What is Tiki?” Quite a difference.

When considering BigBroTiki’s question, it strikes me that he’s actually asking two questions:
“What defines tiki . . . and does anybody care?”
And
“What defines art . . . and does anybody care?”

You can argue the definition of “art” until the end of time. The volume of literature is practically infinite. Although I’ve taken a slew of art classes, drawn a few pictures, created a few paintings and have even sculpted a few items I don’t feel I have the insight to determine whether certain fringe pieces, such as the aforementioned Urinal, qualify as art. But it’s pretty easy to point to pieces by Rembrandt, Chagall, Chihuly, Warhol or Calder and say “now that’s art.” It's well-executed, iconic, multi-leveled, mature and universally recognized as art.

So what's Tiki Art? When you look at the myriad pieces that accompanied the mid-century Tiki movement and the pieces coming out of the more recent Tiki Revival/Polynesian Pop/Tiki Style 2 movement I think you’ll find works that fall under fairly easily recognized categories. I would personally label them:

Tiki Art
Tiki Crafts
Tiki Objects
Tiki Sell-Out
Utter Crap

I could define each category but this post is going to be long-winded enough already. I’m pretty sure you all get the idea.

How do you decide which is which? Well, there’s probably a pretty thin line between categories, and the placement of a piece in a category will depend on the experience, discrimination and definition of the viewer. Fortunately we have informative guides to help us along the way and to find the new creations that will help define the genre. I’m looking at the cover of Tiki Art Now volume 3 as I write this. Although, as Tiki Titan Otto von Stroheim states in the introduction . . . “Tiki art has no universally accepted name, no manifesto, no particular discernible style . . .” the book goes on to display works that, by virtue of the authorities who selected the pieces, are, indeed, Tiki Art. Do you have to like all of it? Nope. I don’t. But I certainly respect the authority of the authors and I can certainly respect the skill, ability and maturity of the artists whether I like a piece or not.

And I think that’s why the frustration over the existing and continuing volume of Tiki Sell-Out and Utter Crap that leads to the question “What defines tiki art . . . and does anybody care?” is valid but easily dismissed. At this time in history it has never been easier to produce works – paintings, sculptures, assemblies, tableware, carvings, recorded music, time-based art, you name it – and display them to the public, who may be disturbingly appreciative of pieces that would bring tears to the purists’ eyes. There’s a bunch of it! Although the internet, retail stores and even well-meaning specialty shops are teeming with stuff that will make BigBroTiki sigh, there are also those artists and craftspeople who are using the availability of reference material, technology, and social networking along with sheer genius to create pieces that are artistic, fresh, evolutionary and fun. Let’s face it: all Tiki is derivative to some extent, as I would postulate that most art is also derivative to some extent. So those of you who have a lot of exposure to it are going to see plenty of common elements that may seem over-worked. You’re also not going to have much tolerance for the trite and poorly executed pieces. You have been immersed in Tiki and can discriminate between the real thing and the pedestrian nonsense, and seeing the current volume of nonsense is probably frustrating. But, just like in the larger world of art, the genre of Tiki or Poly Pop or whatever you want to call it will also have its iconic pieces that will continue to invigorate it and push it forward. I’m still really impressed by the pieces, both old and new, that imaginative people have created as I discover more and more about Tiki in the western world.

All types of art – even Tiki Art – incubate and evolve. I think Tiki Art is incubating nicely, though messily, and because there are many people who care about it, it will stay lively and fun. And you never know; the folks who are turning out Utter Crap today may mature and grow into the respected artists of tomorrow (doubtful, though). I'm fairly certain that some of the pieces being questioned today will eventually find their way into the iconography of Tiki, just as some of the whimsical and oddly executed pieces of earlier decades have.

Thanks for the indulgence!

Post #628050 by KokoKele on Wed, Mar 7, 2012 10:14 PM