Best or Most Influential Tikis

first I am on my phone so bollocks on the spelling

so we had an offline discussion and I was wondering your opinion as to the Best or Most Influential Tikis?
Now this could be vintage, contemporary, mugs, traditional or nuevo.
what do you think?

Peanut Mug; Ku; and Greg Brady's discovered Tiki.

I'm not sure about 'best' or 'influential', but as far as instantly recognizable tiki iconography goes, you can't beat Tiki Bob.

Well, the big three Ku that just got re-united in Hawaii come to mind.

DC

Seems like Moais are the most prevalent. Plus, they're easy to do for complete animation hacks like GROGself, or mildly talented Styrofoam carvers.

[ Edited by: GROG 2010-08-10 09:44 ]

Not an easy question to answer, kind of a generic approach. Asking about "BEST" of course is a very subjective question, it depends on everyone's personal taste. "INFLUENTIAL" is an interesting question, and could be separated into to two categories: Classic mid-century Tiki and Tiki revival Tiki

There are some specific mid-century Tiki-designs that got copied more often than others, for example I have seen the Kahiki fireplace swiped on a few matchbooks of other restaurants...but not enough that it can be called "influential". The Tiki Bob mug design was used by several places too --but not because it was "best" or "influential", more likely because it was available in the mug manufacturer's sample catalog. And I believe some carvers were prolific enough and had a enough of a personal style to influence mid-century Tiki design in general, like Milan Guanko.

Concerning the Tiki Revival: For obvious reasons, I make it my hobby to find and track Tiki products that use Tikis from the "Book of Tiki". Among them, the Hanalei/ Luau courtyard Tiki takes the cake, having had the most use of any. Here is my photo of it in the book:

And here is a smattering of its appearances in various media since the publication of the book in 2000:

The most astonishing version of it was used for the dreaded Las Vegas Trader Vic's, in giganto size:

I wonder where these babies are now, I think I should have one of these, having provided the blue print for it. :)

There are others in the book that have been used repeatedly...

...like the Pitcairn sign and Leroy's carving chapter opening page Tiki, but the Hanalei guy must possess the right mixture of elements to make him one of the most "influential".

Interesting question. I agree that "best" should be left out of it, that will just end in tears.

Most influential is a good head scratcher, whether the actual anthropological sources or the Tiki icons that artists are fond of revisiting.

For an influential Tiki icon I'd also go with Tiki Bob. A lot of artists like recreating him in one form or another and those recreations are popular with collectors.

Maori designs are a popular source inspiration for many artists. I would guess it's the intricate linear aspects of the designs that artists find appealing.

The moai is possibly the most influential singular "tiki" for contemporary artists. It's popular with creative types from those first trying their hand at Tiki art to fine artists to the complete hacks in the world of animation.

As a maker of useless dust gathering objects I'm most drawn to the moai as source because the "big stone head" is so flexible. The moai can be rendered almost completely abstractly yet still remain recognizable and retain its strong presence, it "cleans up" well for a sleek mid century modern decor look, and it works great in a cartoony rendition.

I also like how interpretation of the moai expression is in the eye of the beholder. The exact same moai may seem like a silent yet menacing guardian, a deep thinker holding great secrets, or a stoic immortal mildly amused with the goings on of the tiny fleshy creatures around him.

I have to agree with woofmutt, as the Moai has to be the most widely recognized type of Tiki in and out of the Tiki world.

I have to agree with what woofmutt said as well, although, correct me if i'm wrong, isn't a Moai just that, a "Moai". It's not actually a Tiki.

[ Edited by: swizzle 2010-08-11 00:27 ]

On 2010-08-11 00:26, swizzle wrote:
I have to agree with what woofmutt said as well, although, correct me if i'm wrong, isn't a Moai just that, a "Moai". It's not actually a Tiki.

You, son, seem to have a basic misunderstanding of the "Happy Family" concept of American Tiki culture here! :)
Allow me to point out again:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=9964&forum=1&vpost=102388

Sorry Bigbro. I don't have the entire book committed to memory. The comment made was from a vague recollection of what I had read. I wont do it again.:)

On 2010-08-09 23:11, GROG wrote:
Seems like Moais are the most prevalent. Plus, they're easy to do for complete animation hacks like GROGself, or mildly talented Styrofoam carvers.

[ Edited by: GROG 2010-08-10 09:44 ]

" Mildly talented sytrofoam carvers". heh thats funny. I agree Moai are the first thing that comes to mind, and the easiest most minipulated basic tiki form.

For sure, one of the most influential ones was the figurehead of schooner Tiki III in "Adventures In Paradise" and the similar one worn around Capt Troy's neck.