"Atomic Tiki" Fine Art Polynesian Pop a group show August, 2010
...About the show...
Elroy Artspace Gallery Present Atomic Tiki Group Exhibition Opening Reception - Thursday, August 5th, 5-9pm August 2, 2010 through August 27, 2010
Summertime is finally here, and Elroy Artspace gallery is celebrating with "Atomic Tiki", a group exhibition of ‘Tiki Style’ fine art. The exhibition will include the works of over 20 artists – including several already famous for their tiki works, and many of our local favorites who soon will be. In Portland’s largest exhibition exclusively of this art genre whose pull has waxed and waned in recent decades, Atomic Tiki aims to excite Portland’s art fans with Tiki Style, because it’s back and more powerful than ever!
Although dictionaries define ‘Tiki’ as “a wooden or stone image of a Polynesian God,” the art and lifestyle they inspire are a wholly American artistic creation. More than just an art show, Atomic TIki offers a peek into a larger cultural phenomenon - an examination of the modern Tiki lifestyle, one in which people decorate their homes and social gatherings in the retro tropical motif and dreamy island trimmings of yore; wooden masks, grass skirts and velvet paintings of nubile women - this Tiki style had more to do with what Americans wanted the South Pacific to be than what it really was…
Also dubbed “Polynesian Pop,” this “Tiki Style” is becoming recognized as a bona-fide art movement whose resurgence is met with excitement, because frankly, Tiki is fun!
Amy Ruppel was born and raised in the Kettle Moraine woods of Wisconsin near the Mammoth Ice Age Center.She drew plants and comics, dug up fossils and went for endless forest walks among all her forest friends, the birds being her favorite.Her love for nature and science led her to an art and illustration career, and to the Pacific Northwest.Amy now works as an artist, illustrator and so-so gardener in beautiful & green Portland, Oregon.
Born in Amsterdam Netherlands of two fine artists, Arnold Pander grew up in Portland Oregon exposed to a wide array of creative disciplines at a young age including theatre set design, painting, printmaking. Pander’s editorial illustrations and paintings have appeared in Details, Paper and Wired magazines, and his graphic design and logos include the Lotus Bar & Lounge and for the re-erecting of the historical Hung Far Low’ sign. Pander’s fine art works have been shown at the Mark Woolley gallery, and large-scale murals and velvet paintings can be seen in many Portland restaurants and lounges, as well as LA’s Standard Hotel, and boutiques in San Francisco, New York and Amsterdam, Netherlands. Following a stint in Hollywood developing concepts for live action and animated series’, Pander returned to Portland to focus on the Pander Brothers’ debut feature film ‘SELFLESS’ that Arnold co- penned and produced, and stayed. Arnold is currently Producing and Directing commercials and viral content for advertising agencies and is also developing the Brothers’ graphic novel properties for the screen, television and web.
Ben Adamshas has worked as a Disney Clean-up Animator, Art Directed TV commercials, Illustrated numerous Children's books and done character design for Saturday morning cartoons. When he's not spending time with his beautiful wife Shilpa, he is sculpting and painting for art shows or sleeping. Ben now works for Laika Entertainment as a sculptor and visual artist 12 miles from where he grew up in rural Mountaindale, 25 miles West of Portland. He is also into Heavy Metal, fast cars, motorcyles, Tiki, Rum & Coke.
Benjamin Burch's application of skills as a fine art painter, 2D animator and illustrator traipse the line of their individual disciplines, providing for razor-sharp images of his always-fun subjects! His childhood and enduring passion for the diverse works of Charley Harper and the 'Schoolhouse Rock' animations speak to the ultimate direction of Benjamin's career in art.
Brent Wear is a painter and illustrator who is most noted for his paintings of round, toy-like birds and birds in pants, but he also paints abstracts, trains, helicopters, cupcakes, blackbirds, and other creatures. His work combines the abstract and representational into an absurd, storybook narrative. In his free time he likes to ride his bike and bird watch. He is also very fond of cats and trains. Brent is a native of Kansas City, MO, and moved to Portland in 1997 to pursue painting.
'Greetings from Radioactive Cannibird Island', 11”x14”, Acrylic on Wood, Custom framed, $250.00
Brian Cookgraduated as class valedictorian from Kendall College of Art and Design in 2007, earning his BFA in art education with a focus in Illustration. Living in Portland, OR, he teaches and does freelance illustration for clients including Capitol Records, Warner Brothers and Threadless.com, and has written + illustrated two children’s book manuscripts in his spare time. Brian has recently begun earning his Masters in Illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design.
Chris Habermancalls his Outsider art ‘New Brow’ as a fresh sprout on the branch of the Lowbrow genre. His paintings are a novel take on the cartoon-tainted abstract surrealism we love, as he creates a mash-up of images pushed together with painted words, objects and societal ephermera to form the background for an integrated puzzle of human figures which embody the complexity of modern life. Chris is a voraciously active artist also as a curator, writer, rock star and organizer! Try to keep up with him on Facebook, and look for his new website, coming soon.
Chris Young has been carving under his company Frog Island Tikis ever since a trip to Maui hooked him on the ‘Island Lifestyle’ a decade ago. A t-shirt printing business owner since 1979, Frog Island Tikis, was formed with the intention of producing off-beat carvings for tikiphiles everywhere. Cy creates carvings that are different, humorous, bold, and protective…when properly located they will watch over you, guarding against skullduggery and evil-doers! In spite of the compliment which the legendary carver Crazy Al Evans gave Cy’s work, his idols are the good and not the bad kind of “KILLER"!
CZM / El Gato Gomez is a Pittsburgh-based artist with a mad passion for mid-century modern design. Her work is a caricature of the modern design revolution, and from the premise of encouraging playfulness and wild creativity while maintaining the dignity of form and balance. Vintage cartoons and advertising graphics and modern furniture design serve as catalysts to her creative process. CZM has shown in galleries in North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
‘Tiki Haha’, 18”x24”, Goauche on Board, $200.00
David Pariseof Miami, FL is an avid and tenured photographer / videographer who for the past year and a half has been shooting vintage Barbie and Ken dolls with a narrative of them in their original 1960’s outfits. Inspired by Miami’s Art Deco hotels and their timeless beaches, the luxury of The Hamptons, Los Angeles’ glamour and David’s own sense of humor is evident in all of his work.
'Barbie and Ken at the Mai-Kai', 11.5'x17', Photo Montage, Framed, $TBA
A self proclaimed Neo-Primitive Outsider,Dawn Frasierhas polished the look of her ‘Sophista-tiki’ Originals for over 20 years. Working in watercolors and acrylic, “grade-school-1962 meets vintage travel agency reception area” describes the flavor of her art; infused with misty combinations of blues, greens, browns and the juxtaposition of primitive and modern influences. Dawn has designed and manufactured vintage-style party favors, decorated MCM homes and created award winning art cars, too. Shown in most major Tiki shows, Dawn’s paintings have been featured in Taboo: The Art of Tiki, and Tiki Art Now 3.
Derek Yaniger:This cat’s got a way long history of scratchin’ out art for king-sized bigwigs like Marvel Comics and Cartoon Network. But nowadays he gets a large charge creatin’ art for way-out events such as the Tiki Oasis, The Rock n’ Roll Monster Bash, The Hukilau, and even Spain’s Wild Weekend! He’s also laid out art for several righteous rags like Barracuda, 1313, Atomic, and Tiki Magazine. Derek’s had his paint splatters well-hung in galleries all over the world. M Modern in Palm Springs, Outre` in Australia and Castor and Pollux. Books of Derek’s retro art include “Wildsville, the art of Derek Yaniger” and “Tiki Mugs”, which features a heapin’ helpin’ of Derek’s mid-century tiki art as well as several tiki mugs he’s designed for Tiki Farm and Munktiki.
George Perrou’s art is inspired by mid-century animation, and gives nods to Miro, Kandinsky and Calder. Perrou's is a style all his own, painting colorful abstractions of reality onto the canvas using retro and modern colors in acrylic. George lives and paints in the creative epicenter of Portland, Oregon.
Ian "Pian" McWilliamsconsiders himself a Polyhistor - but first an airbrush artist, and second a welder. With much love for many things that he can work with his hands, Ian is drawn mainly to those things consisting of elements which tell a story by they way look through age, beauty, or destruction. Self taught on the airbrush, it’s his tool of choice as it creates a truly unique look to things. Ian strives in his work to show how airbrushing has more usages than folks realize and to help the art regain its place in the world. Ian lives and works in Portland, OR.
Tūmatauenga, 34”x18”, Mixed Media on Airbrushed Bamboo, $325.00
Portland Artist Jack Pollock started out writing and drawing comic books and switched to cartooning and illustration, and he created the character Devil Chef for Dark Horse Comics, of whom he says with a grin “You’re too young to remember but it was a huge hit and an influence on every single thing you find entertaining today.”Jack’s drawings have appeared locally in The Portland Mercury, The Stranger and The Willamette Week., and in many other places elsewhere.
Jackie Avery's paintings are like little scenes from a larger story which invites the viewer to relate them to our own lives. Avery is drawn to quirky photographs and old books as visual resources in creating her narrative pieces. Jackie lives, paints and photographs in Portland, OR.
'Woman Canoeing Through Tiki-studded Waters’, 11.5”x14”, Acrylic on Wood, $225
Jessica Kreig Hendron is an Artist & Animator living in Hollywood, CA. She has been working in the animation industry for eight years, as a Color Stylist, Animator, Background and Character Artist. Credits include two independent feature films, award-winning television shows, short films, music videos, and documentaries. A painter, too, Jessica’s enormous collection of Tiki collectibles and hula girls are an inexhaustible source of inspiration. Her love for island kitsch evolved from memorable family trips to Hawaii as a child. Intrigued by the seductive and playful designs, Jessica loves to explore these distinctive mid-century icons and color in her work.
'Moai Moon', 12'x6', Acrylic on canvas, $140
John McClain...
‘Pop Kane Wall Sconce’, 22”x12”, Steel and Art Glass, $400
Born into an artistic family and raised in California,John Mulder142has an eye for bright color and a narrative style, and seeks the unusual in his paintings. In his current series, “Scooter Gods”, John is working with iconic Deities from the world’s many religions while modernizing the imagery with pop culture, trend, and scooters. Mulder142 received a BFA in painting and printmaking from Oregon State University and currently lives in Brownsville Oregon where he paints every day.
Luis Diazhas worked as an illustrator and graphic designer for TV, web, print and video games. Some include IDW Publishing, Devil’s Due, The Topps Company, Univision Network, FanTapper, Bang Productions, Miami New Times, The Village Voice, Education Weekly and the WWE. His work has been seen in Corel Painter Magazine, Ballistic's Exposé and Spectrum Fantastic Art Annuals. Diaz also created over 40 paintings for the new Garbage Pail Kids and Wacky Packages. He was named one of "Six Artist You Need To Know" by CITY LINK Magazine in 2008 and recently named "Artist of the Month" by ImagineFX Magazine (Issue 56). Diaz is a graduate from The Maryland Institute, College of Art. He has a studio at the Bakehouse Art Complex in Miami.
With a love of Pop, Dada, Surrealism and advertising imagery, Mark Randall’s artwork under the pseudonym Bbert Goo can be anti-described as among the Fluxus genre. Rather than making a statement, his art is a tactile survey of elements of those artists whose influence can be seen in it - including Magritte, Rosenquist, Cornell, Ernst, Warhol, and Rauschenberg among others. Mr. Randall hails from the Pacific NW, born and raised in Eugene, Oregon. He earned a BS in Art Education from the University of Oregon in 1978, and has been creating and selling his artwork ever since.
Myah Baileyis an artist living in Portland. Myah received a BFA in fine art photography and telecommunications. A painter and graphic artist as well, Bailey is also a curator and founder Benjamin Benjamin Art Gallery. She is inspired by the beauty of the region and the Columbia River gorge, which is often evident in her art.
Portland artistRenee Hartiguses techniques and heightened colors to represent the elements which heavily distress and degrade the Earth's topography. But oddly, her handling of these same blights provide a striking elegance and beauty to her painted landscapes and Tikis.
Born and raised in Long Island, NY,Richard Becker currently lives and works in Richmond, VA. Dedicated his life to illustrating tikis, hot rods, pin-up girls, skulls, optical illusions and all manner of strange things. Sustains himself through comic-books, heavy metal, and trash culture. Strongly believes in mass-scale Tiki proliferation, because Tikis don't just belong on islands - they belong to everyone.
‘Tiki Column’, 12x9 , Acrylic, Framed, $115.00
Rob Krameris a Portland-based painter, illustrator and graphic designer. His paintings and illustrations have appeared in a wide range of venues from galleries to t-shirts for a scuba apparel company, posters for the NJ Arts Collaborative, in a Gold Digger Swimsuit Issue, and neck ties for both the Marvel Entertainment Group and designer Nicole Miller. The common thread is that Rob's artwork is always about entertaining the viewer. Rob graduated from The School Of Visual Arts in New York, NY with a dual major in Cartooning & Illustration.
Robert Jimenezwas raised in Brooklyn NY, and a love of the drawing and comic artworks of Gil Kane, Jim Aparo, Neal Adams and then later George Peréz and John Byrne led him towards a career in the arts. Illustrating, designing and animating for broadcast television, he also maintains websites which showcase his artwork. www.tikitower.com which features his Tiki art and www.zerostreet.com where you will find a sample of all the work he does. Robert Jimenez now lives in Pembroke Pines Florida with his wife and 2 daughters.
‘Last Call at Tikilandia’, 22x26 , Giclee on Canvas, Framed, $275.00
Robert Wiles:I’m a graphic freelancer, cartoonist and T-shirt designer. While I do a lot of sketching during the planning stages of my projects, most of my finished work is of the digital persuasion. So I was very excited to take a stab at submitting to the Atomic Tiki show not simply because of my long standing fascination with vintage Americana, but because it also gave me an opportunity to step away from the computer and revisit some traditional mediums, as well as giving me a reason to experiment with a medium I had never found the time to work with before, gouache.
Rod Filbrandt is a Vancouver, B.C. - based cartoonist, illustrator, and animation production designer. Chief among his influences are jazz, film noir, detective pulps, and an ill-spent youth combing many a bar and cocktail lounge from New Orleans to Bangkok. Filbrandt has pushed pencil for many fine publications, including the Village Voice, Details, and the Seattle weekly. Always hip to the latest trends, he endeavors to dig what the kids are laying down by stealing their stuff.
‘Aiki: God of the Hangover’, Gouache, 6.75”x4.5” (12”x9.5” framed), $175
Sherill Anne Gross: My artwork is made only with paper, glue, and patience.I started paper cutting exclusively seven years ago. While in school pursing my BFA in Studio Art, I fell in love with collage and printmaking, and the evolution to working solely with paper evolved. With my background in graphic design and knack for color theory I find cut paper a wonderful way to combine all of my passions. Every part of my art is made only using cut paper; even the signature. The non-straight lines and imperfect circles that are created are layered upon each other to reveal a final realistic image. All of the work is done by hand - no stencils are used.My artwork is what happens when you run with scissors.
Hawaii-born and raised Tim Oakley began his love for the art of Tiki’s, Ali’i’s and Warrior Women while a surfing professional in his early teens.Being surrounded by everything Hawaii, Tim would sketch facial expressions of tiki’s for friends – and in return would receive a large bowl of poi. Ono’.While Tim is not creating Hawaii art, he is the owner & creative director of Oakley Design Worldwide in Portland, Oregon.And yes, Tim still surfs regularly. But only after having a bowl of poi.
