Tiki Central / Collecting Tiki
TikiFarm's recent mugs
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TikiTacky
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Wed, Sep 18, 2013 2:12 PM
I notice that Tiki Farm seems to be primarily focused on lowbrow mugs now. Most if their recent mugs have abandoned the classic tiki look. I, for one, am disappointed. :( |
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SandraDee
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Wed, Sep 18, 2013 2:53 PM
There are tons of mug makers out there ..including the dozens of artists that post on this forum their new ceramics. Go buy something from them. Problem solved. |
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kkocka
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Wed, Sep 18, 2013 4:07 PM
What do you consider to be "lowbrow?" I'm not a mug collector, but am curious to know your stance. |
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TikiTacky
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Wed, Sep 18, 2013 4:37 PM
I didn't mean lowbrow in a derogatory fashion; it's a particular genre of art: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowbrow_(art_movement) Many of the recent mugs have a very Ed Roth feel to them. Nothing wrong with that, but I like the classic forms, too. T-shirts based on vintage tiki matchbooks: TikiTees [ Edited by: TikiTacky 2013-09-18 16:38 ] |
K
kkocka
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Wed, Sep 18, 2013 5:31 PM
Gotcha. I kinda see the same thing being equally as popular as traditional styles. I'm not a giant fan of the stuff that sorta leads into this rockabilly type style. |
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swizzle
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Wed, Sep 18, 2013 6:01 PM
Tiki Farm is a business and the more mugs they can sell the better for them. I'm sure the vast majority of people who follow/like the lowbrow scene and/or rockabilly also like Tiki and if there are those that are not aware of it, or interested, by producing mugs that combine or cross over into different areas they are increasing their market and therefore sales. |
ATP
Atomic Tiki Punk
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Wed, Sep 18, 2013 6:05 PM
I talk to Holden often, So the 411 is Tiki Farm is doing some gear-head/lowbrow Holden just wanted to do something a little different with some of the new mugs after doing |
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TikiTacky
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Wed, Sep 18, 2013 7:33 PM
Awesome. I'm happy they'll still do some of the traditional mugs as well. I love artists like Munktiki and Crazy Al, but I can afford to plunk down the cash for Tiki Farm more often. |
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AdOrAdam
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Thu, Sep 19, 2013 12:25 PM
Interesting post, considering the TC / Tiki Farm relationship... I think this depends what you want in a tiki mug. I scrolled through & counted - I like 17 of the 39 on the Tiki Farm website at the moment (e.g. I like the style of the Pingo / He'e / Islander Series / mostly one colour mugs). I think that's quite good going! But I know what TikiTacky means - if someone gave me a Magnum PI or Merv / Mort / Maury mug, it'd go on the shelf & I'd look suspiciously at it for a while, maybe even putting it the corner (!) BUT... you never know, I might grow to like it & not want to part from it :) |
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AdOrAdam
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Thu, Sep 19, 2013 12:25 PM
PS It is highly unlikely with the Merv / Mort / Maury mugs though! [ Edited by: AdOrAdam 2013-09-22 09:15 ] |
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ron-tiki
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Sun, Sep 22, 2013 9:03 AM
Aloha ADORADAM, A FAR AS THE MORT AND MAURYS ETC. There is a little inside story to them..Here's a hint--One of Holdens favorite movies |
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AdOrAdam
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Sun, Sep 22, 2013 9:17 AM
I don't mind that, if the mugs aren't for me but someone wants them then power to Holden :) I probably can't afford them all! |
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RevBambooBen
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Sun, Sep 22, 2013 7:38 PM
Must be that Pizz guy!! :wink: |
WD
White Devil
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Fri, Oct 18, 2013 9:39 AM
...but mere words don't do them justice. In the beginning were The Gods, and they were carved into images such as these... For my taste, the plastic monstrosities at Party City have more legitimate Tiki content than most of these recent (Beyond) Tiki Farm designs. For those who like face mugs, monster mugs, Hello Kitty mugs, etc., I'm sure these fill a vital niche, but they cannot accurately be described as "tiki", nor do they deserve to be. I think this thread is a great place to begin a new tradition of Tiki Mug Criticism, a la music, art & book criticism. If we're going to have the Tiki stream littered with crap, we deserve the right to a soapbox. Otherwise, Tiki will be sucked into the lowbrow vortex which only ever gets lower, and lower, and lower... |
SDT
Sweet Daddy Tiki
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Fri, Oct 18, 2013 10:51 AM
Preach! |
N''
nui 'umi 'umi
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Fri, Oct 18, 2013 10:52 AM
Hey Wd, I like the “classics” too, but I do have a few “non-traditional” mugs in my collection. |
WD
White Devil
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Fri, Oct 18, 2013 11:04 AM
A quite legitimate point: Bob has been more or less "grandfathered in" by virtue of his historicity, while sharing seemingly little in common with traditional Polynesian iconography. I'm not saying there aren't gray areas: those are everywhere, and can actually work to improve the whole. I do think Tiki can be blended with other design concepts, but the creativity has to match the inspiration, and that's what's lacking in the mugs I cited, IMHO. |
TM
tiki mick
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Fri, Oct 18, 2013 11:07 AM
WD, I am right with you. I would be ok with the addition of all these other elements to "tiki", if it were not for the fact that in today's scene, they now occupy a position of primacy, pushing far more authentic items (be it artifacts, drinks, decor or music) to the "pay no mind" list. Tiki farm is capable of awesome work. I have a few of the original mugs. Good stuff. I admit, (though I have a lot of friends here that would disagree with me), that I really don't care for the addition of low-brow, punk, rock, kar kulture, or any of that other stuff. For me, I always found the original idea and concept of tiki, as it was in the 50/60/70s to be cool enough without expanding or watering down the concept to make it more acceptable to the masses. I know this has nothing to do with mugs, but if you are going to expand on tiki or try to modernize it, I think it's better to go the way of the new Tonga Hut in palm springs, or this new "Ventiki" place. I am not against anything new, but i prefer when things are "In the spirit of" the original concept of tiki. And this is real important....I find a lot of this supposed tiki stuff (be it mugs or music) to be first rate, very creative, and made with obvious passion and care....I just find the relation to tiki is far too nebulous. really, are people that bored with the original concept of tiki? Isn't that why the orginal tiki died in the first place? in 1964, times were a changing...youth culture took over, and that youth culture deeply resented the themes of the Eisenhower and Nixon generation. Rock was suddenly cool and hip, where it was Jazz before. Tiki bars and restaurants became something your nerdy parents were into. There is even a scene in "Jailhouse rock" where Elvis gets all flustered when someone at a hip hollywood party asks his opinion on Dave brubeck...classic, and really shows the divide. You may disagree with me. In fact, seems like most of tiki central has always disagreed with me..but I love the original concept of tiki. I don;t need skull mugs or hot rods...(though I actually like both) |
WD
White Devil
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Fri, Oct 18, 2013 11:15 AM
I don't disagree with anything you wrote, Lucas. I'm not throwing off on the relative virtues of the mugs for what they are, nor the quality of the product. But as you say more eloquently, this stuff will be identified by the less-exacting as "tiki", and those who know better have an obligation to make the distinctions plain. I think it's marvelous that we live in a country where anyone with an inclination can manufacture a hot rod mug, or hell, a Rat Fink toilet if they're so moved to. But a Rat Fink vessel ain't tiki, and if words don't matter then nothing else does either. Your Elvis/Brubeck analogy is perfect, and that purist mindset has beset the arts since they were invented. And new art has almost always come about as a result of those few who could imagine Elvis with Brubeck...but the high standards of the purists have to prevail to some degree in order to preserve the integrity of the hybrid's original inspiration. Otherwise, all we ever end up with is brunswick stew. It may be that every word ever logged on Tiki Central has been one concentrated effort to crystallize the essence of Tiki, and to differentiate it from non-tiki. But if that definition can't ever really be nailed down verbally, and we're left with only a relative compare-and-contrast process of expressing an inexpressible ideal, then here's my stab at it (by way of Tiki Farm and Notch)...
As far as the consumer is concerned, to each his own. As far as the creator/manufacturer is concerned, which do you want to be identified with? [ Edited by: White Devil 2013-10-18 11:52 ] |
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tikilongbeach
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Fri, Oct 18, 2013 11:46 AM
London based CheekyTiki has Bespoke Barware which produces their non-tiki related barware. That being said, I prefer the traditional style. |
WD
White Devil
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Fri, Oct 18, 2013 11:56 AM
Business is business, but art is art. Just because you helped establish tiki mugs as a resuscitated collectible, that doesn't give you the authority to twist the defining concepts of Tiki. I'm all for anyone making money doing what they do best and love, but don't sell me shit and tell me it's chocolate. [ Edited by: White Devil 2013-10-18 11:57 ] |
TM
tiki mick
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Fri, Oct 18, 2013 12:50 PM
I think there is really too much emphasis on irony and kitsche in this scene. The original purveyors of tiki did not see things the same way most tiki-ites do today. The fact that the stuff was in-authentic had less to do with irony and more to do with being naive.In those days, Martin Denny and les baxter really thought they were making world music....and those tiki restaurants serving cantonese style american food really probably thought they were serving authentic island cuisine....I mean, serve POI? Most people can't stand it! Same goes for the music these days. Turns out, most people actually dislike hawaiian music. Also, less people probably really like Les baxter then would admit. I for one, listen to the albums over and over, but for many others, the albums are only used for wall decorations. I find the same disconnect with the neo lounge/swing scene of the 90s. I was watching "swingers" the other day, and was reflecting on those scenes with Big Bad Voodoo daddy playing "swing" music in the back ground....good band, don't get me wrong, but they rely heavily on the crime jazz hype, and the imagery of swing, all the while ignoring what made real big band music of the 40's great. I get that tiki farm makes stuff for other businesses other then tiki bars...and I love what they do. I looked at some of those mugs that WD posted, and think they are really creative and well done...heck, I sure could not design and make one....but are they tiki? 10-15 years from now, when the average lay person thinks about tiki mugs, it will be skulls and hot rod figurines and other low-brow stuff that will be the main representation. Can't really blame tiki farm for any of this. Production follows demand. If more people were into real, pure tiki, they would focus on that. I can't really blame them, since they are providing what people want. I do love the latest Trader Sam's lava mug....did TF make those? [ Edited by: lucas vigor 2013-10-18 13:03 ] |
WD
White Devil
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Fri, Oct 18, 2013 1:23 PM
Oh, but I do blame them. By taking ownership of the "Tiki" in Tiki Farm, they also inherit the responsibility not only of truthfully and faithfully delivering on what the word entails, but being ambassadors of quality. If you want to (or have to) produce this type of product... ...in order to support the real thing... ...then be up-front and precise in your descriptions: don't deliberately confuse the unenlightened public (or tiki community, for all that). But the fact that Tiki Farm HAS occasionally delivered the real deal over the course of its existence means that they know the difference. So why this streak of product that progressively puts a new low in lowbrow? Since you know the difference between the authentic and the inauthentic, why do you consistently deliver mostly the inauthentic? My opinion of the buying public isn't so cynical that (given the choice) they can't tell the difference between high and low-quality merch, but even if that's true, I still have the responsibility to inform their taste as an ambassador of Tiki culture. |
ATP
Atomic Tiki Punk
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Fri, Oct 18, 2013 3:20 PM
This thread gets my vote for best Tiki related discussion for today! As a staunch Tiki traditionalist & purest myself (how many people have I pissed off by pointing out inaccuracies) [ Edited by: Atomic Tiki Punk 2013-10-19 04:36 ] |
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ErichTroudt
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Fri, Oct 18, 2013 5:06 PM
It goes back to what each person believes "Tiki" is... Is it the first man?, is it a wood polynesian statue?, is it the decoration style from 1950-1970?, is a hawaiian luau theme?, is a bar with bamboo and some seashells in florida? The answer is Yes, depending on who you ask and what there personal definition is. Seems like Tiki Farm is providing Tiki for all those opinions and tastes. Which is smart business. While tiki central and a few people may have Decreed what Tiki is ..... there are people who disagree, don't understand, or don't care. I'm sure the sales of the mugs the "purists" don't like, help keep the business going to produce the ones they do like. |
BB
Bongo Bungalow
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Sat, Oct 19, 2013 4:31 AM
This is an interesting to mix "What you think tiki is" with "What you think a for profit business should be doing". I operate a group of restaurants, and guests, with the best of intentions, often tell us what we ought to do. Their perspective, while very important to us, comes from a different place. (And yes, sometimes the customer IS right.) |
WD
White Devil
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Sat, Oct 19, 2013 6:03 AM
But someone's personal definition may be so far removed from fact that it doesn't register as a vote. I dare say no one would opine that true Tiki has bumbling British detectives with magnifying glasses peeking out its ass.
But as I alluded to above, smart business doesn't get to change the definitions of the art they may or may not be producing. The people "who disagree, don't understand, or don't care" also don't get to redefine the meaning & history of it, any more than the businesses pimping Tiki for all it's worth. And that's literally what's happening, if we're to be brutally honest here: the forced prostitution of a legitimate popular culture meme in the cause of generating revenue. When you resort to cramming porta-potties and cartoon celebrities into your notions of Polynesia, who is it you think you're fooling the most? If you cheapen the heart & soul of your chosen art form by hiring it out to the supposedly highest bidder, are you still worthy of the mantle? |
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tikilongbeach
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Sat, Oct 19, 2013 7:43 AM
Inspector Clouseu is a bumbling French detective. |
WD
White Devil
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Sat, Oct 19, 2013 9:06 AM
I stand corrected. I don't know why the popping-out-the-ass part didn't remind me of that. |
TM
tiki mick
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Sat, Oct 19, 2013 1:41 PM
And that's what I have always liked about you, ATP....you can "agree to disagree" without accusing someone of being "Negative" or being a "sociopath" just because that person writes something others might disagree with. I think people need to chill on that attitude, you know? It's OK to disagree with things, to critique things, to offer dissenting opinions on things....this is supposed to be a talk forum, after all. |
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AdOrAdam
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Sat, Oct 19, 2013 5:02 PM
Just noticed this thread 'popped' back up from a month ago. Comments have got a little less flippant! Can someone please clarify for me, Trader Vics is still tiki right? I mean Trader Vic is responsible for a lot of good drinks that would be called 'tiki' drinks but had no ancestral links to Polynesia? The scorpion bowl & fog cutter mugs aren't very carving like either... I'm kidding - common sense dicates what 'tiki' is'. Tiki is not just polynesian carvings but they are one of the best parts. Have a look at this thread & post your thoughts: http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=46298&forum=1&start=last&1 I'd vote with my wallet & just not buy anything I didn't like.
There is quite a lot of cross over between Bespoke Barware & Cheeky Tiki, I like quite a few of their 'non tiki' bits I have one of their Grand Marnier Oranges that I like - it sits on my shelf with the mugs non the less: Not 'offensively' non tiki tho right? Maybe Tiki Farm could split their range into 'General Fun' & 'Purist'? :wink: |
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swizzle
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Sun, Oct 20, 2013 2:58 AM
How do you define a tiki mug? What makes a tiki mug, a tiki mug? |
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TikiTacky
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Sun, Oct 20, 2013 8:03 AM
Of course then we can get into a discussion about what a tiki is, but I think both of those are easily defined terms. The mugs Tiki Farm is currently producing seem to be to be character mugs, but not tiki mugs for the most part. |
WD
White Devil
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Sun, Oct 20, 2013 11:20 AM
I didn't intend to hijack this thread, just amp it up a bit. I've started a non-tiki mug review thread (on Beyond Tiki of course) called Mug Shots. Please feel free to post reviews of anything non-tiki you care to there... http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=46301&forum=6&start=last&0 |
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AdOrAdam
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Sun, Oct 20, 2013 3:06 PM
Your point is valid White Devil. I would say that the mugs from Tiki Farm that I dont like I could probably seperate into 'not my kind of tiki' & 'not tiki enough'.
Too narrow. What about barrel mugs & coconut mugs? Or the Trader Vics coffee grog skull mug? :wink: I likewise started a thread: what does tiki mean to you? PS Above all else, my fave mugs are the all brown tiki ones :) |
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TikiTacky
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Sun, Oct 20, 2013 3:39 PM
Well certainly they're from tiki places, but are they tiki mugs? |
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swizzle
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Sun, Oct 20, 2013 7:52 PM
Exactly. And c'mon TikiTacky, do you really think i posted that question to get such a simplistic response? I want to hear from the self-confessed purists who have posted in this thread what they have to say. |
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tikicoma
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Sun, Oct 20, 2013 8:40 PM
To push it a little further, is this tiki or just a horrible clown head mug (imho :wink:) accepted as a "Ku mug" because Stephen Crane Assoc. designed it? [ Edited by: tikicoma 2013-10-20 21:50 ] |
N''
nui 'umi 'umi
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Sun, Oct 20, 2013 9:55 PM
Dats one ugly ass mug imho, but if it’s from a tiki establishment den it’s tiki, again imho. don’t mean you gotta buy it or like it though. |
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TikiTacky
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Sun, Oct 20, 2013 10:06 PM
I wasn't trying to be flippant, but isn't that really what defines a tiki mug? You can start getting into semantics after that, it's right there in the name. |
ATP
Atomic Tiki Punk
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Sun, Oct 20, 2013 11:02 PM
Well in historical terms any Tiki (Vintage) mug that came from an |
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tikicoma
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Mon, Oct 21, 2013 12:21 AM
ATP, I don't think I can agree with you. Though Sven's construct that tiki bars started in, what, the '50's?, is very compelling the use of the the phrase "tiki bar" didn't come about until the 80's or 90's? So, to rephrase you, any vintage mug that came from this era was a polynesian/tropical mug. I've always felt that a step was left out from the 50's-60's, the exotic stage, when influences from the Caribbean, Asia, Africa and Polynesia/South Sea's were frequently jumbled together in popular culture. The most successful establishments seem to have gone to Polynesian tiki/PNG carvings but our view of the "classic" tiki era is just the present labeling the past. Even the Tiki Restaurant in Lakewood, WA (from the 60's) was referred to as a Hawaiian restaurant though it had tiki decor. So in one respect a tiki mug is just a mug made to look like a tiki but if you see the classic era as being the tiki era than any mug from that era's tiki joints would be a tiki mug. But is this mug, from this classic era joint in any respect "tiki"? And either way I still don't like Stephen Cranes Ku mug! aloha, tikicoma [ Edited by: tikicoma 2013-10-21 00:22 ] [ Edited by: tikicoma 2013-10-21 00:37 ] |
ATP
Atomic Tiki Punk
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Mon, Oct 21, 2013 1:53 AM
Unfortunately we get caught up in semantics when it comes to the genre of "Tiki" So even the butt ugly nothing to do with the tiki of today mugs, have a set history of a place & time I would label most of what all us associate today with the term "Tiki" as more of an idealistic interpretation. |
WD
White Devil
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Mon, Oct 21, 2013 7:38 AM
For me, the only way to cut through the semantics is to ask myself, "would I keep it, sell it, or shoot it?" :) |
TM
tiki mick
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Mon, Oct 21, 2013 7:39 AM
It all really depends on who is doing the labeling... Is it the jazz loving mid century purist like me? Or is it the rockabilly/punk/surf/Kar Kuture/low brow person for whom tiki is just a sub-set of low brow culture? I don't have any proof, but I would estimate today's neo-tiki scene is about 70-30. 70% being the low brow enthusiasts, 30 % being those that like pure tiki. That seems to be the make-up on this forum. (of course, some, like Lucky Designs dabble in BOTH, and like BOTH, but that seems to be an exception, and not really a rule....most seem to come from one or the other viewpoints exclusively) The thing to consider is that the original tiki scene (if you can call it that) was one of Yuppies. Yes, Yuppies. They were the yuppies of that era. What proof do I have? The faces in BOT. Especially the Luau scene (forgot what page)...but these were NOT youth culture. They were the parents of youth culture. Women still wore beehives, men still wore suits. Cocktails were cool, drugs were not. And they did NOT surf! Neither were they all tatted up! They didn't drive hot rods. They were urban people who liked to become urban savages on the weekend. They had the money to invest in fancy hi-fi stereo home consoles, with tubes and made of wood but otherwise hi-fi, and those Arthur Lyman records were often used as demo recordings in the stereo shops (sears, woolworth, etc) Some of these people would probably feel very out of place watching the Creep Creeps headlining some big "tiki" festival, but they would absolutely LOVE the Martini kings (probably without the burlesqe, though) So it really depends on what age you were in 1965. 40, or 20. Me, I was Zero, so I am clearly a product of the neo-tiki scene...but damn, I wish some times I was living back then! http://soundcloud.com/lucas-vigor/sets/set-3/ I AM A SOCIOPATH! [ Edited by: Lucas Vigor 2013-10-21 07:53 ] |
ATP
Atomic Tiki Punk
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Mon, Oct 21, 2013 2:17 PM
Speaking for myself Lucas, I dig both also, but....as I am old,I was lucky to I love nothing better then going into an old Tiki Bar(or accurate recreation of one) & Hawaiian or If you make me choose only one though I would pick the old school traditional Polynesian bar [ Edited by: Atomic Tiki Punk 2013-10-21 14:17 ] |
TM
tiki mick
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Mon, Oct 21, 2013 4:09 PM
You are in a minority, though, ATP. This is the future of tiki: and this was the past. Can you guess which I prefer? http://soundcloud.com/lucas-vigor/sets/set-3/ I AM A SOCIOPATH! [ Edited by: lucas vigor 2013-10-21 16:24 ] |
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TikiTacky
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Mon, Oct 21, 2013 4:43 PM
I feel like this thread is turning into "My concept of tiki is better than yours." All I wanted to do was lament the recent dearth of traditional form tiki mugs. |