Saturday Morning Tiki

(c) zachary benson friedberg

Artist Statement: Saturday Morning Tiki

Saturday Morning Tiki combines popular cartoon characters of my youth with American Tiki culture in a vibrant graphic pop style. Like many children of the 80’s and 90’s, I found escape from daily routine, responsibility, and anxiety through popular television cartoons. I do not watch these shows anymore, however I still retain a strong emotional connection with these childhood programs because they are intimately associated with relaxation. Like many adults today, I find escape from routine and responsibility with a periodic vacation or more frequently, a cocktail. American Tiki culture embodies the stress free sensations of leisure that children attain while watching Saturday morning cartoons and adults attain while on vacation. Saturday Morning Tiki’s goal is to evoke the same emotional response both children and adults gain from these experiences.