Hawaii’s Avant-Garde Artists are a group of people who develop new and often very surprising ideas in art based on their experiences of living and working in Hawaii. These artists have experienced an artistic evolution because Hawaii is an island and has a unique and thriving native culture. From 1983-2015 many artists were involved in defining what is Contemporary Hawaiian Art.
New York art critic Clement Greenberg has noted that vanguard
cultures have historically been opposed to "high" or "mainstream"
culture, and have rejected the artificially synthesized mass culture. Likewise Hawaii has experienced a similar
opposition to mainstream culture that has evolved through commercial
enterprises that have transformed Hawaii in to a tourist mecca via land
development and the internet. Hawaiian Culture has effectively absorbed other
cultures that have migrated to Hawaii because they all respected the indigenous
culture and together they evolved a unique local Hawaiian culture.
Hawaii is a direct result of capitalism and decisions are
driven by profit-fixated motives of the real estate industry and tourism, not
the ideals of true art and the needs of the people. Art forms used by these entities are faked and
often pretended to be more than they are by using formal devices stolen from the
vanguard culture. They express a style without an understanding of the underlying
substance. Greenberg carefully
distinguishes true avant-garde creativity from the market-driven fashion change
and superficial stylistic innovation that are sometimes is used to claim
privileged status by the new visitors to Hawaii who plan to reap their profits
and leave.
The Tip of the Spear art movement is an effort place Hawaii’s
Avant-Garde Artists in a global art community context and secure the
recognition it deserves.
