KU ?????

this may be of interest only to me, but now that Drew Brophy's TikiFarm mug has hit the big time (being presented in the Bishop Museum, Hawaii)... I thought I would ride his coat tails....

this is a comparison of my 1998 lightswitch cover...


interesting........
Drew's design is called 'Kalifornia Ku'2003... a fitting tribute to Mainland cavers here in CA.

My 'Tikiman Design' is popular....
LakeSurfer posted this pic some time ago...

my 'TikiMan' Design I first sculpted as an incense holder in late 1995'ish.

I have a '?' for you TC research types... are there and examples of my 'Squinting Hollow Eye' Design before my incense holder in 1995........ I like to think of this as my own, but I my just be stoking my self...... I like that... it feels good.

[ Edited by: crazy al on 2004-04-23 10:14 ]

Al,
We love ya just the way you are.
So Keep On Strokin!

[ Edited by: Unga Bunga on 2004-04-23 10:27 ]

[ Edited by: Lake Surfer on 2004-04-25 22:56 ]

Al,
I don't know what the hell I meant on that last post, just my stupid sense of humor.
The resemblance is clear and you deserve Carte blanch.
Unga

Crazy Al's the man.

http://www.samgambino.com

CAl, I've Always loved that light switch cover, When I first found TC, I also found your website and your carvings just Blew me Away, So far I'm not back yet. Keep up the good work.

no way...
yur a dirty low down squint snatcher!
the squint was first created by one Leopold Ostwic Toggle, the inventor of the toggle switch! Each time he tested his new invention which was hooked up to a light, he would squint when the light came on and say,"Damnnnn... thats bright". Inspired his oldest son Raymond Banning Toggle invented, "RayBans" or what we now know as sunglasses. as if this was not bad enough the father son team went on to invent the "Toggle switch covers" or what we now know as "Lightswitch covers". So it would seem as though the gig is up eh Al? I'm sure you would like to think of it as your own, wouldn't you ya big faker. As a descendent of the above mentioned Toggles I must insist on restitution! A Mai Tai should make for a good start and I shall extract said down payment upon our next meeting. Will the cheap knock offs never end? Dressing your knock off in a tiki suit has worked to throw me off track for a few years but your post pulled it all into sharp focus for me and now you are exposed in the harsh light of a bare bulb, much like poor old Leo all those years ago. now that I think about it I've seem you in sunglasses, even at night. where will it end?

Bwana Tiki

[ Edited by: Bwana Tiki on 2004-04-23 19:44 ]

AAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL!

Hey Al,

Another of your lightswitch covers is of the Ku in the British Museum. Here's a comparison. (The book is 'The Tribal Image' a British Museum publication from 1970)

Trader Woody

[ Edited by: Trader Woody on 2004-04-24 03:44 ]

I love the fact that the tikis TIK is the light toggle. Way cool!

the LS06 switchplate shown by TW is clearly stated as a Hawaiian image in a 'Classic Tiki' section on my site

http://tikimania.com/docs/covers_class.html
dang good bit of workman ship looks like, thanks for posting this.
I am guilty of exploiting the sacred images of the Hawaiians. This is not something I am proud of, but caving into the demands of what is popular is part of doing business sadly enough. GLOW IN THE DARK DASH BOARD TIKIS ARE NEXT! Ye Ha!

Also I might say that Drew kick's ass and I like the guy allot, I know him some what through the Farm, and meet him years ago at a surf trade show drawing tikis on surf boads, fantastic work.....hope he understands where I'm coming from. I tried not to say he copied me, but rather was inspired buy resent work, or was part of a
California Style.

[ Edited by: crazy al on 2004-04-26 08:51 ]

You guys have all gone Ku Ku!!!

C'Al's switchplate covers are way cool and they adorn more than one room at the Bong Hut.

(OK Al, where's my $20 for the plug?)

Al, I don't think there's anything wrong with copying the sacred images of Hawaii. At least you're giving credit to the origin. From my research, the actual wooden image (tiki) was seen as a representation of a god, not the actual god. Like Buddhism, the Kapu system saw almost everything as sacred, and full of the spirit, but not the seen as the actual spirit. The tiki was like a house for the spirit, but so were bananas and coconuts. Seriously, I'm not being funny.
As for appropriation of images, everyone should at least recognize where they're work is coming from. When I started carving, I was a bit blind to it, but now I realize, and acknowledge my influences. I won't deny I'm inspired by, and even use the same techniques, or features as other carvers have done. I find that who's ever else's work I'm really into at that particular moment, my carving will start to take on a bit of their character. I never work from photographs, but sometimes work from my drawings which get influenced quite subconsciously. Also, I don't think Al thought at all that Drew blatenly copied his work. I do realize how frusterating it must be to build up a style, then only to have it "honored" then it ends up in the Bishop Museum of all places. As for Drew, I'm sure he never intended any of this, and Al means it in the best of light.

I did some research and found Crazy Al's plates...they look incredible!! I am ordering these right now:

YOU da man, AL.

I realy like drews art alot, but in my opinion, He is realy more a surf artist than a tiki artist,and if he was gonna design a tikimug he should of put sum of his own style into it wich is very distinctive...I think since he realy didnt do that he must of been lookin at als stuff to design this mug...

How do you make one of those laughing dudes...you know, the ones with the big teeth?
No offense, but he should also wiggle a bit.
Crackin up!!!