Tiki Modern (Hardcover)

by Sven A Kirsten (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
TASCHEN`s Book of Tiki provided the blueprint for the re-appreciation and revival of Tiki style. Almost completely wiped from the consciousness of Americans until recently, Sven Kirsten's tome put Tiki on the map as a unique pop culture phenomenon. Never before had Tiki culture's visual power and pervasiveness been revealed with such detail and insight. Not only did the book inspire the erecting of many new Tiki bars from New York to London to Berlin to Prague to Waikiki, but also motivated a myriad of Tiki artisans to pick up the chisel and carry on the forgotten tradition, while spurring many others to create their own home hideaways, making "Tiki" a household name again.

This new follow-up book, which brings together the two recent retro trends of mid-century modernism and Tiki style, is bound to lift the Tiki craze to a new level. With his usual mixture of ironic detachment and genuine enthusiasm for the subject, Kirsten shows us how primitivism and modernism were two sides of the same coin in the 1950s and 60s. Decor deities and ersatz ancestors outrageously merged in the modern brutalist furniture from the house of Witco, a company that outfitted Elvis Presley's Jungle Room and Hugh Hefner's Chicago Playboy pool. This was design porn at its best. cover: © Estate of Stanley Stubenberg

About the Author
<div><div><b>James Teitelbaum</b> has been the webmaster of the Tiki Bar Review Pages since 1994 and has contributed more than 70 articles and reviews to magazines such as <i>Alternative Press</i> and <i>Blue Harvest</i>. He lives in Chicago. <b>Sven A. Kirsten</b> is an internationally renowned artist and illustrator. He is the author of <i>The Art of Shag</i> and <i>The Book of Tiki</i>. He is the illustrator of <i>Night of the Tiki</i>, <i>Shag Party</i>, and <i>Tiki Drinks</i>. He lives in Los Angeles.</div></div>

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Taschen (September 12, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3822847178
• ISBN-13: 978-3822847176
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 9.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #97,204 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #57 in	Books > Arts & Photography > Architecture > Interior Design > Style
  #58 in	Books > Home & Garden > Interior Design > Style

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tiki Bible #2, December 18, 2007

By	"Tommygun" Tony "sailorjerry" (Canada) - See all my reviews

This book is large, this book is loaded, and this book is awesome! It is a steal at this price and it is loaded with TONS of cool retro color tiki pics. Also, did I mention there is some nude (topless) vintage tiki PIN-UP babes in this book too? It is perfect for lonely Friday nights in your tiki bar bachelor pad. Oops, did I just say that? Anyways, what more could you possibly want from a tiki book! I can't say enough good things about this book other than it must have been a true labor of love by the author and I wish there were more books out there like this one! Anyone that would criticize or knock a book like this is either not into tiki, has their nose out of joint because they too are "another-modern-tiki-artist-come-lately" with an over inflated sense of importance and ego, and were not mentioned in this book, or they have had one too many Mai-Tai's with their crack cocaine and have fried their brain. This book is a freakin' tiki bible man, pure and simple.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, intoxicating sensory overload, October 2, 2007

By	B. Richardson "5crows" (COLUMBUS, OH USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've read many, many art books. Seldom have I had one that gave me such a delirious buzz as Tiki Modern. It's like walking into some cool but forgotten museum until your mind feels like it's going to explode from too much input. I just got it, today, and I can only look at it for short bits. It's so powerful.

Although I'm not a baby boomer and I do have more than my share of irony, I genuinely love this stuff. The tiki art craze was exciting and gutsy. It was totally unafraid to take a concept and run naked through the streets with it. The fact that it still offends the delicate artistic palates and political sensibilities of others only proves its validity. Besides that, tiki was damn fun.

I never thought anyone could pull off a book that was better than the original "Book of Tiki", but Sven has done it. It's a tiki feast for the eyes and the soul.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tiki Modern, March 9, 2008

By	eddie (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

I haven't seen a more engaging and easy to read book on Tiki than 'Tiki Modern'. It is full of vintage photographs that help readers integate the worlds of modern and primitive art. This book leaves you wanting more on the subject of Tiki while wondering "Where can I get a piece of Tiki to add to my home or personal art collection?"