Tip of the Spear - a new direction

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.