A while ago I ran into an old friend I used to play hockey with, Dave West. We were both ordering beers at a bar before watching a hockey game. Dave knows I’m into Tiki, so he asked me if I was familiar with the work of his uncle, Mark Thompson.
Now I had heard of Dave’s uncle, but I had never really checked out any of his work. A quick Google search led to me to his website: TOPESart. Mark Thompson is really good at the art of hot rods, pin-ups, and Tiki. Hailing from Michigan, he is a part of the growing number of Midwestern Tiki lowbrow artists and enthusiasts. Kymm! Bang. Megan Besmirched. Ken Holewczynski.
For the first piece of TOPESart in my Tiki Lounge, I chose to buy the Moai N Mermaid print. He included a nice, personalized thank-you sketch, which I chose to laminate and hang with the 11” x 17” print. Next I’m looking at an original painting from Mark Thompson that will just blow you away. Stay tuned!
