Tag: tiki

For anyone who's going to be in the Los Angeles area anytime soon, you still have a few weeks to catch the exhibit titled "In Search of Tiki" at the Forest Lawn Museum in Glendale, California.

The exhibit features traditional Oceanic art created by the native people of the Pacific Islands contrasted with the pop artifacts that celebrated the tiki culture following World War II. It also showcases tiki-inspired art by modern artists like Josh "Shag" Agle and Susannah "Atomikitty" Mosher.

"In Search of Tiki" continues through January 4, 2009. Admission is free.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. And tiki is my favorite celebration style. Yet, I've never thought of putting the two together.

Admiration goes to author, L.A. celebrity and "King of Retro" Charles Phoenix for melding the two in a way that only he could.

Of course, I'm not so sure about the turkey loaf, but I think the Aku Aku sculpted face makes up for it.

Enjoy the video below. And happy Thanksgiving! ... Continued

I haven't had much time to update the site, being busy with Weird Oklahoma and all, but I thought I'd at least take the time to share a few things I've recently come across in my work-avoidance surfing.

First up, a man after my own heart. Steve Lodefink has discovered what he believes will replace the Altoids tin as the homebrew tinkerer's project box: the coconut.

"The shell is hard and durable, easily machined, has a pleasing organic texture which can be left hairy, sanded smooth, or anything in-between. The little brown dome of a half-shell is cute as a bug, bringing a smile to all who see it. The dome shape is extremely stable and tip resistant. I could go on all day."

For anyone who loves the look of tiki as I do, Steve's innovative implementation has opened a whole new chapter in retro design, which it appears he himself has termed "cocopunk." His inaugural project: an amplifier for a homebuilt electric ukelele. ... Continued

Another great find at the Dollar Tree!

I almost passed these beauties over. I was convinced they were pretty useless as mats (their apparently intended function) and promptly decided they weren't much good as window blinds or any sort of decorative trim, either. But after laying a few out on the floor and letting them titillate my right brain a minute or two, I began to realize their potential if only they were unleashed from their kite-string shackles.

The bamboo itself is actually pretty good quality, nice and rigid. And each mat appeared to consist of one of three different bamboo thicknesses: narrow, medium and large. I saw picture frames, chimes, beer holders — all sorts of small projects. The clincher was the 3-D, bamboo-lettering sign I envisioned hanging out on my tiki patio.

So, I gathered as many as I could buy with the $7 in my wallet and schlepped them up to the register. Now all I need is a free weekend and a bag of hot-glue sticks.

I was informed just yesterday that Trader Vic's in Dallas, which opened in 1966 and closed in 1989, will soon be reopening!

Reportedly, the original tiki decor has remained in place since its closing. The developer was quoted last May saying that it will all be restored to its original luster and replaced exactly the way it was found.

The rumor is that everything's now complete; they're just waiting for the rest of the Hotel Palomar development to be finished.

I drove by there today and it looks like they've got a long way to go. Let's hope they still hit their target to open in June.