The show me your Witco thread. - Collecting Tiki

B bigbrotiki Tiki Socialite Tiki Island, above the Silverlake Joined: Mar 25, 2002 Posts: 11621	B bigbrotiki Posted posted on Wed, Jul 11, 2012 2:57 PM Yup, it's Witco - Witco was doing a lot of "random tribal mask" stuff in their day, I call it "modern primitive". They did a bunch of African-named pieces, yet their classic African bar has a Papua New Guinea mask on the front - it's a melange called "Tiki Modern". Not so much stemming from the Polynesian restaurant fad but from the appreciation that modern artists had for ALL "primitive" art early in the 20th Century, which made its way into middle-class living rooms in the mid-century. Though Bill Westenhaver acknowledged that the Polynesian craze gave Witco its major boost, he as a typical mid-century modern artist was not married to the Polynesian theme. Plus, most of his business was in home decor, not bar decor. [ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2012-07-11 17:33 ]

Yup, it's Witco - Witco was doing a lot of "random tribal mask" stuff in their day, I call it "modern primitive". They did a bunch of African-named pieces, yet their classic African bar has a Papua New Guinea mask on the front - it's a melange called "Tiki Modern".

Not so much stemming from the Polynesian restaurant fad but from the appreciation that modern artists had for ALL "primitive" art early in the 20th Century, which made its way into middle-class living rooms in the mid-century. Though Bill Westenhaver acknowledged that the Polynesian craze gave Witco its major boost, he as a typical mid-century modern artist was not married to the Polynesian theme. Plus, most of his business was in home decor, not bar decor.

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2012-07-11 17:33 ]

Post #643634 by bigbrotiki on Wed, Jul 11, 2012 2:57 PM