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Lewis VanDercar, a mid 50's Tiki artist.... |
draig_glass
Member
Joined: May 04, 2004
Posts: 2 |  Posted: 2004-05-04 3:18 pm Permalink
Hello everyone, I'm looking for any information anyone might have concerning Lewis VanDercar, a Miami Tiki artist who died about 10 years ago.
He's main art was Tiki, but he did some other sculpturing aswell like the 20 ton dragon on the Merritt Island. And some, actually very few paintings with a wit...
Anyhow, the reason for my research is that there is a charitable organization trying to get funding for the Merritt Island Dragon of VanDercar. And I have 2 of his rare paintings, The Satyr and the Lady, and, Jesus, Mohamed and Buddha..( all 3 drunk..)
And I would like to give these paintings into an auction the charity will make for the dragon, but I dont have any idea for how much VanDercar's work goes...
So if anyone knows anything please email me asap.
Thanks to all and be well.
draig_glass@yahoo.com
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Humuhumu
Grand Member (5 years) 
Joined: Aug 22, 2002
Posts: 3536
From: San Francisco
| Posted: 2004-05-04 3:36 pm Permalink
Welcome to Tiki Central! Here's a recent thread discussing this artist:
http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/viewtopic-new.php?topic=7197&forum=1
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Critiki - Ooga-Mooga - Humu Kon Tiki
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Benzart
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 09, 2004
Posts: 10309
From: Port Saint Lucie, Florida
| Posted: 2004-05-07 5:18 pm Permalink
I grew up in Miami, 36th street NE and Biscayne Boulevard. VanDerCars house was on around 20th street 1 block eaast on Bisc Blvd. As Teens we (sister, brother and I) went to his house a few times. All the descriptions on these pages are pretty accurate. He was Strange. His local reputation was not favorable. Parents cautioned their kids to Stay away from the "perverts" house, lest bad things happen to you. He was Very friendly though and eagerly opened his home to strangers. I remember the wierd art work Everywhere. Sculptures, paintings and music. We enjoyed going to his house and sometimes he would be playing his piano. I don't remember any Tikis, but at the time in my early to mid teens, I don't think I knew what a Tiki was.
I just remember all the far-out art work. I have often wondered about the man and wished I had gotten to know him a bit.
Thats my story and I'm sticken to it.
This was in the mid sixties
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[ This Message was edited by: Benzart on 2004-05-07 17:24 ]
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draig_glass
Member
Joined: May 04, 2004
Posts: 2 | Posted: 2004-05-08 10:44 am Permalink
Wow Socialite,
then you and my husband probably know eachothers, he used to hang around VanDercar's house too, and Muggins and David, VanDercar's kids where good friends of him. My husband's family lived that time in the Star Island.
Anyhow, VanDercar did sculpt a lot of Tiki, some of it was onsale about a year ago on a private website, all sold by the time I got hold of the host of the site, and they didnt want to give me prices. A privacy issue, I was told politely.
VanDercar was recarded as "wierd" at that time by many people, especially people associating with church as he himself was more of a non-church goer...
But nevertheless a regodnized and respected artist, quite avangard at that time.
Best wishes,
Draig
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10600
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2004-05-08 11:06 am Permalink
Quote:
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On 2004-05-08 10:44, draig_glass wrote:
Anyhow, VanDercar did sculpt a lot of Tiki, some of it was onsale about a year ago on a private website, all sold by the time I got hold of the host of the site, and they didnt want to give me prices. A privacy issue, I was told politely.
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Very interesting. Could you e-mail me the URL of that site or it's host, even knowing that they sold all and won't give prices, I am interested in it for research, maybe they have photos of his Tiki works?
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tiki_kiliki
Grand Member (first year) 
Joined: Apr 01, 2002
Posts: 990
From: Hamtown USA
| Posted: 2009-10-02 1:56 pm Permalink
You might want to check out my flickr photos as I took some detailed photos of Van Dercar paintings at the recent Tiki event Ohana: Luau by the Lake.
Check them out here: www.flickr.com/photos/tiki_kiliki
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Yee-Haw & Aloha,
The Hukilau
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10600
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2009-10-03 01:43 am Permalink
Wow! I remember those paintings, especially the Tiki-carving one, from this earlier thread about the Motel:
http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/viewtopic.php?topic=21674&forum=2&start=0
...where I enthused:
Quote:
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On 2008-04-07 21:22, bigbrotiki wrote:
Great, Jack fixed the photos, and added the Witco Outriggers and some other cool pics. I especially love that painting of the Tiki carver A-frame, a master piece of naive Poly pop art!. Now I wanna go there....
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...but I had no idea that Van Dercar painted these! How did you find out that these are by him!? They must be signed? And nobody else noticed all this time? What a great discovery!
Now I am wondering how many of the stone Tikis at the Motel were his handiwork. There is one where I specifically recognize his modernist beatnik/ alien style, but since I am not at home yet, I only have this partial scan, it's the one cut off in the lower right corner:
You can only see the forehead here, check it out in full in the BOT. That must be a Van Dercar!
Here is the link (the above one is dead) to my search for Van Dercar Tiki art:
http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/bb/viewtopic.php?topic=7197&forum=1&start=0
Alas, due to the vagaries of the internet, many links on that thread are dead (but his photo in the BOT lives on -long live books!  )
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10600
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2009-10-03 12:26 pm Permalink
He also must have painted the mural in the "lower lounge" then:
Was that still there?
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TikiTomD
Grand Member (3 years) 
Joined: Sep 20, 2009
Posts: 631
From: Flagler Beach, FL
| Posted: 2012-05-25 1:40 pm Permalink
Lewis VanDercar’s spirit is restless again along the Space Coast, as yet another group emerges to resurrect Annie the Dragon...
Then
Now
Florida Today May 25, 2012
-Tom
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TikiTomD
Grand Member (3 years)
Joined: Sep 20, 2009
Posts: 631
From: Flagler Beach, FL
| Posted: 2012-08-20 09:36 am Permalink
Restoration of Lewis VanDercar’s fallen giant, Annie the Dragon, continues to be doubtful...
Florida Today August 20, 2012
-Tom
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TikiTomD
Grand Member (3 years)
Joined: Sep 20, 2009
Posts: 631
From: Flagler Beach, FL
| Posted: 2012-11-24 06:06 am Permalink
Lewis VanDerCar's Space Coast legacy continues to be controversy...
"State regulators, bank warn 'Annie the Dragon' fundraiser" in this Florida Today newspaper article by Rick Neale posted this morning, November 24, 2012.
-Tom
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Sophista-tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 13, 2005
Posts: 1603
From: Seattle WA
| Posted: 2012-11-29 01:52 am Permalink
That was so interesting. the first time i've ever heard about Annie the Dragon.
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3946
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2012-11-29 8:34 pm Permalink
I was looking through my postcard collections and noticed something from the Hawaiian Isle card I have.
The strange looking men and Tikis out front look a lot like the figures that Van DerCar did at the Luau.
I am thinking these are from him as well.
DC
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3946
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2012-11-29 8:37 pm Permalink
A bigger close up.
DC
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10600
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2012-11-29 10:29 pm Permalink
I would concur, yes. The big mask wall fountain with light-up eyes certainly is. Here is a photo of it that Jeff Berry took on a trip in the 80s:
...a little less glamorous than the brochure picture from Tiki's heyday
Here he is with similar statues in front of his home in Zephyr Hills:
Wonder if they were added later, or just did not last very long....
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