tiki in the art world.

I was wondering if tiki can be high art in the ceramic world?

I am mostly fascinated with tikis of course and with tiki mugs to be more specific. As much as we all like them and collect them and how we are amazed with the new mugs being created, can they be of the highest art? I would say that most aren't. I've seen a couple of Munktiki that may be. (Example: the relief vases that are on Ebay currently)

I want to make this happen. I want to create a high art piece. Its the only way that I will be able to create them in art school. I know that there are tiki art shows but could a tiki mug hold its own outside of a tiki group affair. Could a tiki mug(probably would have to be labeled vase) sit next to a Van Gogh?

In print tiki, a Shag is high in price and name, but looks nothing like a museum piece and if done by another person would be very basic. Although nothing is wrong with that.

I would like to hear arguments for tiki mugs being high art from mug makers, collectors and tiki artists. And post pictures of examples that could be.

i suspect gauguin is probably the link between fine art and tiki...

Ceramic Vase with a Caricature Self-Portrait 1889

http://abcgallery.com/G/gauguin/gauguin119.html

Jug in the Form of a Head, Self-portrait 1889

http://www.artchive.com/artchive/G/gauguin/gauguin_jug.jpg.html

http://abcgallery.com/G/gauguin/gauguin126.html

http://abcgallery.com/G/gauguin/gauguin131.html

http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/gauguin/gauguin.portrait-idol.jpg

[ Edited by: Johnny Dollar 2005-09-14 11:26 ]

thanks johnny, thats a good example. I love the treatment of color on the last picture. It appears to be a human and a tiki figure living together. It looks super old (and is) and could be made into a nice mug if not one already. Plus its in a museum. The other examples are good too, but I have to say the first one looks like a California raisin.

I consider the work Danny is putting out ceramic high art... and if it isn't in some people's eyes it is pretty damn close.

Paul Nielsen and Stuckie from Munktiki both submitted ceramic pieces (not mugs from their line, one-of-a-kind art-mug pieces) for the Tiki Art Now! show last year. I remember Paul's in particular, but I'm afraid I don't have pictures. They're in the Tiki Art Now! book that came out with the show. They'll be there at this year's show which is happening this weekend, with their vending machine, I assume they've done some art pieces for the show again, too. I'll try to get some pics.

here is the Munktiki submission to last year's tiki art show that H2 is referring to. Photos taken from the Shooting-Gallery website.

this is this years submission from Munktiki and I believe that they are all Paul's designs. And this is what I believe could be the tiki mug that feels at home in an art gallery.

Yes, that Marquesan bowl I forgot about. I'm sure if that was two hundred years old is would be sitting in an museum right now. I was thinking about it last night and I think that the only reason that they are not in museums is that they are not in museums right now. I guess the reason that I can't imagine more tiki mugs in a museum setting is that you can't go in a museum and see them. I bet that time is the only thing that seperates this.
But if anyone else has pictures like J$ I would really enjoy seeing them. Also I hope to make a mug like one of these soon.

[ Edited by: teaKEY 2005-09-15 06:41 ]

How about we open a museum dedicated to comtemporary tiki art. "make it so #1"