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TIKI FREAKout Art show @ Closing Reception this Saturday 8/9 7p.m. til Midnight

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S
squid posted on Wed, Jul 30, 2008 6:01 PM

On 2008-07-30 10:56, BigToe wrote:
you people are out of control.

i will be bringing the BigToe art kit and working on another 'tiki w/tawdry dame' themed piece. Sideshow Kinny will be on-hand to explain the magical process and daub my sweaty brow with a fluffy puppy...

BIG TOE JAM!!!!!!!

On 2008-07-30 16:42, bigtikidude wrote:
Sorry Can't make it tonight,
got lots of stuff to do for the big sg101 event this Sat.

sorry, was looking forward to it.

Jeff(bigtikidude)

On 2008-07-30 18:01, squid wrote:

On 2008-07-30 10:56, BigToe wrote:
you people are out of control.

i will be bringing the BigToe art kit and working on another 'tiki w/tawdry dame' themed piece. Sideshow Kinny will be on-hand to explain the magical process and daub my sweaty brow with a fluffy puppy...

BIG TOE JAM!!!!!!!

You can put some of that Big Toe Jam on your Bigtikidude Spam. Mmmm. Tasty.

Kate,
just because I say why I can't be there, does not mean I am spaming my event.
take a chill pill.
Jeff(bigtikidude)

Will Trapper Toe and Hawkeye Kinny be back from 1951 in time?

T

HEY HANK , arent those the pros from Dover ?

B
BigToe posted on Fri, Aug 1, 2008 9:53 AM

if anyone is keeping score, LLT scored a TKO at the first live art smack-down. bT was flitting around like a fairy in a ballerina outfit spilling beer on everyone, GregRod was flirting with ETs roommate, ET got in a girly slap-fight with Roy Gonzales and Justin just lacked focus. Bill drank all the booze, Raven won Best Dressed and Rory's dog gets the nod for Belle o' the Ball.

T-Ray, sorry about breaking ur sand-dollar eyes again.

Peace-Out

hhahahah...the eyes got broken again....ok, time for a design change because tiki people can't be trusted. New ones plasma cut from steel is the way to go!
any pics from last night??

SD

So there I am riding the stationary bike at the health club, ritually reading the OC Weekly and there is a full color, creatively cropped photo of Toe's most excellent painting and a nice little blurb about the show.

Yeah Toe!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jen

RH

This whole thing is way more entertaining than any of the books I've picked up lately!

R

Well, Wed night was a total blast!

Met some great arteeests there, everyone was real mellow and it was a nice relaxin evenin spent with awesome people :)

so enuff babblin here are the pics I snagged from that night, my apologies if some came out blurry!





































































B

Thanks Ravenne!

great docudrama.

I almost feel like i was there!

And incase anyone is wondering, i did get releases from that model and photog to use that image as reference!

Don't steal art people!

Well, unless it's Dave Lozeau's artwork, he doesnt mind.


Not so much 'lowbrow' as 'unibrow' art
http://www.bigtoeart.com
http://www.myspace.com/tom_laura

[ Edited by: BigToe 2008-08-04 10:03 ]

E

Wow, I'm quickly learning that all rumor paths lead back to Bigtoe on the Drama flowchart! The fame has really gone to his head!! First he arrives fashionably late, tells me he can't work "under these conditions" and wouldn't allow me to take his pictures. Instead he insisted "his people" will get in touch with "my people" and would send me his "fabulous" headshot if they so felt like it! He then insisted that no one in the room should make eye contact with him for any reason, and should only be referred to as "THE BIGtoe" from here on out :roll:..Sheesh
And these are the day of our lives.. Stay Tuned! :lol:

The Fun continues this Sat 8/9! 8pm-midnight!!
TIKI FREAKout Closing reception last chance to see all the artwork and
catch up on all the lates gossip!! :P


http://www.thelightgalleries.com
http://www.myspace.com/thelightgallery

[ Edited by: ETseven 2008-08-04 14:56 ]

[ Edited by: ETseven 2008-08-04 15:12 ]

There ya go folks!
PROOF RIGHT HERE ON THIS THREAD
that gallery owners ARE NOT FUNNY!
Not one bit!
not even a little! :lol:

not even a teensy-weensy bit!

[ Edited by: little lost tiki 2008-08-04 15:21 ]

B
BigToe posted on Mon, Aug 4, 2008 5:32 PM

ha ha. now KENNY is funny. i think i am just an easier target than you because i am a bear of very little brain.

But it's true, i do take FABulous head-shots.

and ET, no more reduced-fat chips for you.

BIGtoe

On 2008-08-04 17:32, BigToe wrote:
I do take FABulous head-shots.

Yeah? Well look what good that did for guys like Joe Frasier or Bugsy Seigel.

Dig those bird of paradise warriors Kinny.

If I didn't sell ULTRATANG at The Light, i'm gonna to take him to Ralphs Deli Dept, have him thickly sliced into 365 wooden postcards, and send one a day to Paipz in NZ.

Sure he'll have to do alot of lamination, but by years end he'll have the biggest pendant I ever made. lol!

T
teaKEY posted on Tue, Aug 5, 2008 7:56 AM

On 2008-08-04 22:07, hodadhank wrote:

On 2008-08-04 17:32, BigToe wrote:
If I don't sell ULTRATANG at The Light, i'm gonna to take him to Ralphs Deli Dept, have him thickly sliced into 365 wooden postcards, and send one a day to Paipz in NZ.

Sure he'll have to do alot of lamination, but by years end he'll have the biggest pendant I ever made. lol!


I want this one hodadhank

On 2008-08-05 07:56, teaKEY wrote:

I want this one hodadhank

Addendum.....
gallery owners AND teaKey should not attempt humor....
Hodad and Toe get an A plus!
:lol:
thin slices......:lol:

Hey man, ain't no impurities
in my Tikis... I get my logs
from Bay Park Buzzy and every
body knows his shit is 100% pure!

E

So we have a special guest DJ Mr. E coming in to join us for the FREAKout closing reception. He works at Ubiquity records, and has quite a collection of
music. He will be joining Big TIKi D who will be opening up the night.
So come join us this Sat for the grand finale of the TIKI FREAKout!
We'll be going late for all of you who will be at the beachburn, swing by for a nightcap!

RH

I gotta have me one of those hats, but my hair is straight... can I do a pube hat?

what time should I get there?
seems last time people didn;t show till 7 or so.

Jeff(bigtikidude)

On 2008-08-05 16:35, ETseven wrote:
So we have a special guest DJ Mr. E coming in to join us for the FREAKout closing reception...........So come join us this Sat for the grand finale of the TIKI FREAKout! We'll be going late for all of you who will be at the beachburn, swing by for a nightcap!

The BeachBurn will be over by 10pm and the Light Gallery is only 20 minutes down the road! Can we bring whatever doesn't burn to display??? :P

E

Mayor Kinnith has asked me to burn all of the Artwork that hasn't sold at the the closing of the night! So come by this Sat and help save the Artists' hard work from the inferno! Mayor Kinny has also suggested he will help set ablaze the Light Gallery, and we can watch it go up in smoke at the end of the night as well!

Come be a part of history, while enjoying a cold mai-tai!
Sat Aug 9th
8pm-Midnight
440 e. 17th st
costa mesa, 92627
714-642-7899

Hoo-Boy!
this is how the Freakout ends...
not with a Bang,but a Whimper...
may i suggest we save the artwork
and just burn Steve's notebook of jokes and comedic sketches....

B
BigToe posted on Thu, Aug 7, 2008 1:55 PM

that was comedy from Steve??? I will be there for the entertainment for SURE

Saturday, 9/9 from 7 to Midnight!!! screw the Olympics!!

T
teaKEY posted on Thu, Aug 7, 2008 2:22 PM

On 2008-08-04 07:44, little lost tiki wrote:
WOW...
Thanks for all the Wonderful birthday greetings!
My one birthday wish is for that photoshopped Liberace picture to disappear! :)
Hugs to you all!

Some wishes don't come true

O

On 2008-08-07 10:25, ETseven wrote:
Mayor Kinnith has asked me to burn all of the Artwork that hasn't sold at the the closing of the night! So come by this Sat and help save the Artists' hard work from the inferno! Mayor Kinny has also suggested he will help set ablaze the Light Gallery, and we can watch it go up in smoke at the end of the night as well!

um... not for nuthin' but I've already had to go through one gallery fire in the last 12 months, thank you very much let's not jinx ourselves :wink:

once again, I wish I coulda' been there to paint live with you fellas... well, if I didn't have to take the fumes outdoors I coulda', um... you'd have made me keep em' indoors for "creative inspiration" I'm sure

E

Well my friends,
I just picked up today's new issue of the OCweekly and there is a full page writeup
on the Tiki FREAKout, featuring pictures of Robb Hamels "First Moonrise" Moai and David Lozeau's "Frankentiki".. There is also mention of many of the artists in the show, be sure to check it out! The caption of Hamel's Moai painting jokingly reads
"When we said let's go to the beach and get stoned, we didn't mean literally"..

Now back to more important things Like the damn Closing party on Sat, let's send the show out with a bang!..(no pun intended)
Ruzic, Bigtoe and Clysdalle will be participating in some midget wrestling!

C

If you are a collector of tiki come check it out!!!!!!! This is the stuff the next generation will look back on as vintage Tiki!!!! They will be going to museums instead of art gallery's to check out this stuff!!! We brought together the best of Classic and Freaky in what is Tiki!!!!!!!

the Right Artist at the Right Place and Time!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am not Just a Fan or Tiki Art,I am a collector!!!!!!!!!What better to invest in!!!!!!

S
squid posted on Sat, Aug 9, 2008 11:44 AM

I am so there!

T

"Some of it is meth-head crazy, like the squiggly, cheery nightmare visions of Ken Ruzic. (His Night Journey is burned onto my retinas; I can still see the damn thing when I close my eyes to sleep.)"

Funny, I thought it was zipfizz-crazy....hmmm...

Here's the full O.C. Weekly article:

The 'Tiki FREAKout' Art Show at the Light Gallery in Costa Mesa Proves Some Styles Never Truly Die

By GREG STACY
Thursday, August 7, 2008

After decades of being dismissed as pure kitsch, the tiki aesthetic has enjoyed a revival in the past 10 years or so, with cute little cartoon hula girls turning up all over while big, carved Jack Palance tiki-god heads sit scowling in the background. But here in OC, the tiki style never really went away. The historic Sam’s Seafood restaurant debuted in Huntington Beach in 1960, and after closing in 2006, it’s now open again under the name Kona, offering up its burbling fountains, plastic birds of paradise and gorgeously hideous murals to a new generation. The birds are still singing words and the flowers have never stopped crooning at Disneyland’s Enchanted Tiki Room, a kind of animatronic, everlasting shrine to all things tiki. And of course there’s home-grown artist Josh Agle (a.k.a. Shag), who made his name off the look. When everybody else was hiding their tiki mugs and grass skirts at the back of their closets, the hodads (and, er, homoms) of OC were still proudly letting their tiki freak flags fly.

So it’s entirely appropriate that OC’s own Light Gallery should play host to “Tiki FREAKout,” an exhibit that I’m just going to go ahead and call the largest showing of contemporary tiki-themed art ever. If it’s not, it’s surely all the tiki art you could ever want in one go. We’re talking about several banana boats full of tiki goodness, enough to sink Easter Island.

If you take art seriously at all, this retro-lounge-culture business can be hard to defend. It is silly and kitschy, and it’s pointless to pretend otherwise. This is art made by people with pseudonyms such as “Odd Rodney” and “Bamboo Ben,” after all. But if you’re not looking for profundity—if you go into this show fully prepared for hula girls on black velvet—you’ll be richly rewarded for your fortitude.

You expect “Tiki FREAKout” to be colorful and loud, but you don’t expect it to be this varied, given the seeming narrowness of the theme. There are a few traditional-looking pieces, but the ones that jump out at you put their own weird spin on tiki tropes. The artist known as Babalu carves big and surprisingly fearsome tiki bunnies—well, why not? Tobunga (Eric October to the IRS) has done a series of classic movie-monster paintings in tiki form, so you get a Tikizilla, a Rodan Tiki, a Tiki From the Black Lagoon. Frankly, it’s kind of a stupid idea, if you think about it. But if you don’t think about it, they just look really neat. Godzilla! As a tiki!

Some of this art is brooding, like the enveloping black-velvet moodiness of Robb Hamel. Some of it is meth-head crazy, like the squiggly, cheery nightmare visions of Ken Ruzic. (His Night Journey is burned onto my retinas; I can still see the damn thing when I close my eyes to sleep.) But almost all of the art on display here is technically dazzling. These artists don’t seem to be saying much about themselves or the human condition or any of that other stuff you kind of hope to find in fine art, but they make some exciting choices with color and shape, and their work absolutely crackles with dorky, wiseguy energy.

Of course, there’s good dorky, and then there’s just . . . dorky dorky. I have never quite grasped the appeal of hot-rod culture in general or the leering, sneering creations of Ed “Big Daddy” Roth in particular, and both are treated with the usual lowbrow reverence here. Some of these pieces, while pleasant enough to gaze upon, look a little too much like backgrounds left over from the old Gilligan’s Island Saturday-morning cartoon (David Lazeau’s The Islander Spring Cleaning, I’m gazing meaningfully in your direction).

But that’s just the part of the review where we critics have to drop in something a little bitchy to make it seem like we’re not just fawning. And, really, I’m fawning. This show offers the tiki experience in multiple dimensions, with dozens of colorful paintings crawling across the walls and goodness only knows how many intricately carved pieces lurching out at you from all sides. Of course, no matter how lax your critical faculties are, that carved tiki version of Ultraman is maybe pushing it.

“Tiki FREAKout” group show at the Light Gallery, 440 E. 17th St., Costa Mesa, (949) 515-2018; http://www.thelightgalleries.com. Call for hours. Through Aug. 16.

"Some of it is meth-head crazy, like the squiggly, cheery nightmare visions of Ken Ruzic. (His Night Journey is burned onto my retinas; I can still see the damn thing when I close my eyes to sleep.)"
Funny, I thought it was zipfizz-crazy....hmmm...

it IS Zipfizz!
I get a case a month...if I'm a good boy!
Costco sells it
Vitamin B is the lift for me!

That article is like a good review
wrapped in rancid bacon and used coffee filters...
this Greg Stacy guy took jabs at
Odd Rodney
BooBen
Tobunga
meth-head LLT
David Lazeau :lol:
Hodad Hank

but still managed to write a funny article
with good things to say about the show...
unfortunately,i can't send the parents a clipping
unless i want concerned phonecalls and interventions
for no good reason...

he even snaked Wildsville's "proudly letting their tiki freak flags fly. " quote

oh well...publicity is better than no publicity...
Hope that article brings some folks down for the opening tonight!
See y'all there!

E

Did anyone meet Greg who wrote the article?
I didn't so i am just wondering..
I've read some of his reviews, and he'll write about some plain old (Read boring, i.e. a fruit bowl painting) crappy shows and manage to fill a page with his words of the artist's struggle to convey their message about society.. I think he was surprised the show was actually much better than the usual stuff he is forced write about. I'm guessing he has an important "fine art" degree to blame for his often Hoity-Toity reviews. But you know He has a fun side that is dying to come out, Your guys art was probably a new beginning for him eh?

See you Krazy's tonight!
8pm-midnightish
NO STREAKING
or SKEETIN in the parking lot
:lol:

B
Babalu posted on Sat, Aug 9, 2008 9:02 PM

Hey,

Just landed back in SD...Spent all last week in the Keys with the whole family (20 people)...Can't make it down tonight you freaks. Have a blast!

T

Hey Babalu! Cool pic! I missed the event too, as I was on the awesome LA Home Tiki Bar Tour.

"Tobunga (Eric October to the IRS) has done a series of classic movie-monster paintings in tiki form, so you get a Tikizilla, a Rodan Tiki, a Tiki From the Black Lagoon. Frankly, it's kind of a stupid idea, if you think about it. But if you don't think about it, they just look really neat. Godzilla! As a tiki!"

Hey waitaminit... I'm thinking about taking umbrage at that... Stupid? STUPID? Well, yeah, kinda... but the point is you're not really supposed to THINK about it, so I guess by the criteria put forth by the reviewer, I'm safe, 'cos "they really look neat", there it is, he said it, in newsprint, so you can't argue with it! "NEAT."

I'm just annoyed he didn't mention March of the Tiki Gods and how awesomely un-stupid it is.



http://ericoctober.com

[ Edited by: tobunga 2008-08-10 15:13 ]

[ Edited by: tobunga 2008-08-10 19:35 ]

so what does it mean when you get no mention at all either good or bad???????? Ive always wanted to know. Dawn
After re reading "the article" it seems like the writer has the typical outlook of most Americans. Meaning he's going into the show with pre-conceived notions of what he THINKS it should be based on information that he was taught by the OLD SCHOOL establishment of art. Had he attended the show with an open mind he wouldn't be expecting us to depict our views of the human condition. Better to take things as they are, and have an open mind. Makes life more enjoyable.
AAAANNNDDDDD I spend hours looking at all of the fine art produced by our group and what I'm seeing is great ideas, great painting technique, good design, and those of us who are experts at "setting the mood". Weather or not a particular painting is making a statement about the human condition has never crossed my mind.


https://tikicentral.com/uploads/3734/44e0b79e.jpg

[ Edited by: Sophista-tiki 2008-08-10 19:27 ]

[ Edited by: Sophista-tiki 2008-08-11 07:25 ]

[ Edited by: Sophista-tiki 2008-08-11 07:41 ]

Dawn-You were lucky enough to fly under the radar!
Eric-I LOVE your work,so don't listen to Mr. Stacy..Just keep doin what you do and ignore STUPID comments...

I'm just stoked we didn't get dogged as bad as Clysdalle! :lol:

Some of these pieces, while pleasant enough to gaze upon, look a little too much like backgrounds left over from the old Gilligan's Island Saturday-morning cartoon (David Lazeau's The Islander Spring Cleaning, I'm gazing meaningfully in your direction).

Fun time last night!...
a lotta folks were waaaaaaaaaay burnt out from the Beach burn....
Thanks Steve and Rory for a great show that really pushed the envelope!
and thanks for showing up last night if you did! :)

T

Pictures from the closing reception
















Ray- Here is that six foot Tiki no one seemed to be able to find
Must of thought you said six inch tiki.

Plus other items that were ingored or not posted.




I miss all the good stuff!!!! I need to quit my job so I can do the Burn and Freakout too!!!!!!
Thanks to all the Artist and Tiki Fan's for being part of a cool experiment....

Thanks to Skinny Dog and Tiki Rick for making this show more interactive and coming up with new way's to enjoy TIKI!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. Bigtoe I want my Tablecloth from my picnic table back!!!!! Oh,forget it,it looks great on you!!DIG?


Great People and Great Art is what it's all about!!!

R

I've read better articles in a high school newspaper OOOOOOO...

but seriously, I re-read the article again and man, lame-o.

ANYWAY! Closing Reception was fun! :)

Didn't take any pics, but whatever hilarious times were had! That's all ya gotta know! :lol:

:D

B

These artists don’t seem to be saying much about themselves or the human condition or any of that other stuff you kind of hope to find in fine art

:up: heh?

[ Edited by: Babalu 2008-08-11 08:14 ]

I'm just stoked we didn't get dogged as bad as Clysdalle! :lol:

Some of these pieces, while pleasant enough to gaze upon, look a little too much like backgrounds left over from the old Gilligan's Island Saturday-morning cartoon (David Lazeau's The Islander Spring Cleaning, I'm gazing meaningfully in your direction).

Are you kidding...I love that quote...it's going on my business cards, website, Christmas cards...everything. I've spent my whole life trying to paint like an old background from a Hanna Barbera cartoon!!!

B

thanks for the photos, Rick...almost makes it look like the lovely ladies WEREN'T creeped out by me!

and i LOVE the stink-eye Ivy is giving Steven! classic.

and regarding the article. any pub is good pub right??? i am just bitter he didnt take some cheap shots of my work!

And no thanks the rest of u lunk-heads, i don't need u to step in and wax eloquently about my short-comings in his stead.

tee hee, t

E

That pic is too FUNNY! One second we were discussing our plans for the next Art Tease show, the next I was turned to stone. :lol: I must have been trying to goof on Ruzic again, before Ivy slapped me across the face! Lesson learned, I'm now gonna make one of those Texas shirts that will read "Don't mess with Ken" 8)

I like that the OC article mentioned me and Ken together. I'm moody and he's crazy - we go together like Abbott and Costello, Hope and Crosby, Little Timmy and Lassie....

"Doesn't say anything about the human condition?" My paintings are about loneliness - that IS the human condition.

He DID say he's fawning; I thinks he was surprisingly positve.

Kick-ass job everyone!

E

So here's a few pics I snapped from the closing reception of the FREAKout.


B.T.Dude Hipped me to some good wax early in the eve



Mr Blair happy as a clam

Squid & Bai!

Kinny had em convinced he was the model for Ultratang!

Thanks again to all of you for the good times!
you guys seriously Rock
Insert shameless plug here :D
Next stop Surf Revival August 23rd!

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