Tiki the pug loves his Munktiki

Munktiki is looking for Munktiki lovers to submit images for an upcoming book about Munktiki. The book is to be published by The Shooting Gallery in San Francisco. They especially want candid images, showing how Munktiki mugs work their way into people’s lives. It’s okay if it’s one mug or a hundred, but make sure it’s high resolution. You can email them to cheers@munktiki.com. You can see some of the swell pictures they’ve collected so far on their Mug Shots page (warning: NSFW!). Also, be sure to check out their fancy-schmancy new website!

• Mug Shots (warning: NSFW!) [Munktiki]
• Munktiki’s website
• Munktiki’s New Web Site [Tiki Central]

TP pufferfish light, by atomictonytiki

While I’ve never made a pufferfish lamp myself, I’ve known enough people who have to have learned that it can be a somewhat messy, smelly, even bloody, undertaking — but is generally worthwhile. But if you’re squeamish, animal-rights-oriented, or just have an abundance of “nasty thick recycled toilet paper,” as was the case for atomictonytiki, you can make your very own faux pufferfish. Atomictonytiki posted this on Tiki Central way back in 2003, but I think it’s worth some fresh attention. He made his using the aforementioned TP, wire, glue, and toothpicks. Convincing or no, I think it’s quite lovely in its own right.

• Building puffer fish [Tiki Central]

Painted Tiki Mug for DvA Gallery show, by Mr. G

As I reported back in April, DvA Gallery is celebrating their 2nd anniversary with their Gala-Tiki event. Over 30 artists have contributed — of particular interest is a series of tiki mugs hand-painted by artists, including Flounder, Dave Krys, Derek Yaniger, The Pizz, Squid, Mitch O’Connell, Tiki Tony, and the above beaut by Mr. G. There will be hula dancers on hand (with leis!), the Cocktail Preachers are performing, and it’s all free to the public. Additionally, Flounder is making prints of his painting from this show available at a shockingly affordable $30. The Gala starts this Saturday at 4pm and goes to 11pm. DvA Gallery is at 2568 N. Lincoln Ave. Happy Anniversary, DvA Gallery!

• One-Of-A-Kind Tiki Mugs By Your Favorite Artists [Tiki Central]
• 2nd Annual Gala-Tiki at DvA Gallery! [Tiki Central]
• New FLOUNDER Tiki print [Tiki Central]
• Chicago: DvA Gallery’s 2nd Anniversary Party [Humu Kon Tiki]

Tiki "Thinker" at Stanford University

While making plans to visit the Rodin sculpture garden at Stanford University a couple weeks back, I made a startling discovery… the Cantor Arts Center, which manages the Rodin sculptures, also has a second, separate sculpture garden on the other side of campus — and this one is all art from Papua New Guinea.

In 1994, several artists from Papua New Guinea were brought to Stanford to create carvings on-site. The sculptures are all clustered in a wooded area at the corner of Santa Teresa and Lomita. At the center are a cluster of poles carved from trees that are 20-30 feet tall, surrounded by still-untouched trees. There are two large slit drums on the ground, ready to be thumped. To one side, there are some painted poles, and some great tikis. To the south is a large, striking carving with bird wings outstretched, and to the north are a variety of lovely stone carvings.

The Cantor Arts Center museum also has a small collection of Oceanic art, but the real treasure is this somewhat-hidden sculpture garden. Just a short ways down the road from Stanford, right on El Camino Real, is the Palo Alto Trader Vic’s; while this Trader Vic’s pales in comparison to other TVs, it does house an impressive private collection of Papua New Guinea tikis and art, making a visit to both spots in one trip work well.

I’ve been a couple times now, and naturally, I’ve taken a bunch of pictures. You can see them at Humuhumu’s Life in Photos, or in a thread at Tiki Central.

• Art at Stanford [Humuhumu's Life in Photos]
• Tikis at Stanford U. (image heavy) [Tiki Central]
• Papua New Guinea Sculpture Garden, Palo Alto [Critiki]
• New Guinea Sculpture Garden @ Stanford [Art.Net]
• Cantor Arts Center

Aloha Hut mug painting by Flounder

Two original paintings by Flounder from his very popular Tiki Mug series are up for auction right now on eBay. The paintings are an amazing example of Flounder’s photorealistic skills, and pop beautifully against their black background. The two paintings up for sale are two of four that were commissioned by Primo Kimo for his now-gone Kahiki Moon restaurant in Burlington, Vermont. The two paintings are of an Aloha Hut mug and a green Harvey’s mug. Pictures truly do not do these paintings justice, they are amazing in person, and this is a unique opportunity to own a piece from this popular series of Flounder’s — all the original paintings in this series were sold long ago.

• Flounder Tiki Mug Painting “Harvey’s” SOLD OUT Beauty! [eBay]
• Flounder Tiki Mug Painting “AlohaHut” SOLD OUT Beauty! [eBay]
• Flounder Art
• Kahiki Moon, Burlington [Critiki]
• Astounding Tiki Art by Flounder [Humu Kon Tiki]

Volcano Goddess, by Nicole Steen

Xeni at Boing Boing linked to these swell tarted-up dishwashing gloves, by Nicole Steen. There are a few tikified gloves, the ones pictured here are “Volcano Goddess,” others include “Blue Hawaii,” “Tiki Nights” and “Ukulele Lady.” These are all sold out, but Steen will create a custom pair for you for $75. These gloves aren’t suitable for use, and are meant only to be framed and hung — these are for the girl with the ultimate lovely hula hands, who has someone else to do the dishes for her.

• Dirty Dishes [The Tart Gallery]

Crazy Al’s Tiki #3, King Tiki

This fall, a Ten Year Retrospective of Crazy Al’s tiki works will be held at La Luz de Jesus gallery in Los Angeles. It takes place on Friday, October 13, and there will be a commemorative mug of Crazy Al’s tiki #3, King Tiki (pictured to the right). Seeing Crazy Al’s early tikis helps one understand just how excellent an artist Crazy Al is — he was producing detailed, balanced, gorgeous tikis right out of the gate. His recent masterpiece, “Tiki Lee Tree,” is five tikis in one: Tikis #107 through #111. As mentioned earlier, it’s on the cover of the latest Tiki Magazine, and the tikis’ owner has just shared pictures of it in its home. When he’s not busy carving tikis, he’s engaged in any number of other creative tiki endeavors: mug design, singing in the band APE, or working on the decor of a new tiki bar (like Hale Tiki, Kona Club and Puka Bar). My personal favorite thing about Crazy Al is that he’s a dancin’ fool. He’s truly talented.

Before the October La Luz show, Crazy Al’s Ten Year Retrospective will also be shown in August at the previously mentioned Long Beach Tiki Fest, and at Bird in San Francisco (details TBA).

• Over Ten Years of Tiki’ing [Tiki Mania]
• Crazy Al’s Tiki Mania
• Crazy Al’s Tiki #1 [Tiki Mania]
• Crazy Al’s Tiki #2 [Tiki Mania]
• Crazy Al’s Tiki #3 [Tiki Mania]
• Tiki Hideaway (featuring Crazy Al’s “Tiki Lee Tree”)
• Mug Designer: Crazy Al Evans [Ooga-Mooga]
• APE [Tiki Mania]
• Latest Issue of Tiki Magazine [Humu Kon Tiki]
• Long Beach: 6th Annual Tiki Beach Fest [Humu Kon Tiki]

Otto von Stroheim’s showcase of tiki in modern art will have its third incarnation in Seattle this fall. The two previous shows, 2004′s Tiki Art Now and 2005′s Tiki Art Two, took place in San Francisco’s Shooting Gallery. This year, the show is headed north to Kirsten Anderson’s celebrated Roq La Rue gallery in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood. I went to Roq la Rue frequently when I lived in Seattle; Belltown’s Lava Lounge and ‘Ohana are within stumbling distance, in case you want to make a tiki crawl during the evening. The Roq la Rue website has the opening date as September 8, 2006, while Crazy Al’s website has it opening on September 15 — I’ll update this post with the actual date once I find it out.

UPDATE — Thanks, Kirsten! The shindig’s happening on September 15.

• Roq la Rue Gallery
• Lava Lounge, Seattle [Critiki]
• ‘Ohana, Seattle [Critiki]

Tiki Magazine Spring 2006

The latest issue of Tiki Magazine is on its way to people’s homes and select newstands and tiki sellin’ sorts of places. This is the first issue of Tiki Magazine’s second year (which means a bunch of you probably are due to renew your subscriptions!), and the cover features Crazy Al and the absolutely astounding 7′ tiki he created for Tiki Lee’s guest bedroom, dubbed the “Tiki Lee Tree.” Inside, the centerfold spread is of Doctor Z’s home tiki bar, the Castaway Lounge. Doctor Z’s lounge is currently in boxes, as he’s recently moved. The Tiki Magazine profile serves as an historic archive of a happening spot, where many tikiphiles experienced Doctor Z’s legendary (and often all-night) parties. I myself actually got to live at the Castaway Lounge for a while. Doctor Z exhibited extraordinary trust and generosity when he let me stay with him when I first moved to California from Seattle — despite my not having a job lined up, and our having barely met before. The Castaway Lounge has a special place in my heart, and I look forward to seeing the spread. If you’d like a subscription to Tiki Magazine, or you’d like to advertise in it, visit the Tiki Magazine website.

• Tiki Magazine
• Amazing Tiki Guest Bedroom by Bamboo Ben [Humu Kon Tiki]

DvA Gallery’s Anniversary Tiki Party

Chicago art space DvA Gallery will be celebrating their second anniversary on June 17 with their Gala-Tiki Anniversary event. The Cocktail Preachers will be performing; other details have not yet been announced, but last year’s shindig was jam-packed with artists, books and music. The party starts at 4pm and goes until 11pm. DvA Gallery is at 2568 N. Lincoln Ave.

• DvA Gallery Shows [DvA Gallery]