Tiki is an American pop culture phenomenon. It came and had it’s hey day in the ’50s and ’60s but never disappeared completely and has recently seen something of a revival. During the war in the Pacific, American servicemen gained first hand experience of the tropical delights of Polynesian culture. A romanticised experience they brought back to a post war, conservative America that was the polar opposite of the seemingly carefree life of sun and sex in the Pacific. The popularity of Polynesian culture was reflected in the roaring success that was the 1958 silver screen version of the musical South Pacific, which further stoked the fires of Tiki escapism. For a few bucks the hard working American could sip on a strong, sweet rum based cocktail under palm fronds, listen to exotic immersive sounds all of which conjured up a warm breeze though the palms on a soft sanded south sea beach where reality drifted off with elaborately decorated drinks with names such as ‘zombie’ or ‘Mai Tai’. In addition to strong spirit based drinks the food was generally Chinese which again was exotic to many people at the time.
The 60’s saw the format grow and grow and the party was taken home into home basements and poolsides where home grown tiki bars were made resplendent with bamboo furniture, tiki idols and all manner of maritime paraphernalia and the overall aesthetic took on a life of it’s own further removed from it’s original tribal religious origins.
The ’60s also brought the age of love, rock n roll, the Vietnam war and a great generation rift. The generation who rode the tiki wave found the tropics less appealing and the next generation wanted absolutely nothing to do with the previous one. Tiki bars and restaurants extinguished their torches. However even though it lost it’s mass appeal, like most pop cultures it survived and became a niche relic and one who’s flames are burning bright again.
If you’d like to try some Tiki themed design take a look at the vector set below. It’s just two bucks and will get you rolling. Click the image for the link…
