Velvet painting, a medium that in the recent past has been devoted to scenes of dogs playing poker, Jesus, Elvis Presley, Star Wars, and famous Republicans, actually has a long and distinguished history. In the 14th century, Marco Polo described seeing velvet paintings in the Kashmir, and Japanese artists of the Meiji Period experimented with velvet painting.

These days, velvet painting is undergoing something of a renaissance. Contemporary artists in the Lowbrow movement like Sandow Birk and Church of the Subgenius artist-in-residence, Paul Mavrides are producing striking new works in this cheesiest of mediums. In addition, Tiki and Lounge aficionados have resuscitated the subtle Polynesian cheesecake of Edgar Leeteg of Tahiti.

Posted by MrBaliHai at 11:24 AM | Permalink

Leave it to iconomy to find the coolest stuff on the web. Although I'd seen the Muntiki site before, I never really bothered to look at it very closely until she posted it. Such is the power she holds over me.

Generally speaking, I'm not a huge fan of modern-day tiki mug designs, I prefer the stuff from the '50s and '60s. However, there are some exceptions. Tiki Farm is one of the better purveyors of drinkware out there, they manage to capture the charm of the classics, with a distinctly modern flair.

As far as obtaining the actual classic mugs goes, you have to be willing to scour thrift stores, flea markets, garage sales, and if you're really desperate, eBay. I had a lot of luck initially at Oceanic Arts in Whittier, CA, but on my last couple of visits I've come away empty-handed. Btw, I lived in Whittier for 8 years and had absolutely no idea that Oceanic Arts was there until I bought a copy of L.A. Bizarro, a book that I unhesitatingly recommend to anyone who's planning a visit to Lost Strangeles or already lives there.

Posted by MrBaliHai at 8:41 PM | Permalink