Tiki Modern by Sven A Kirsten Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Tiki Modern
Book Review: A Most Fitting Homage to a Very Unique Time & Lifestyle.
Summary: 5 Stars
When 'The Book of Tiki' released, it was a marvelous accomplishment unto it's own, helping to recharge public interest in a unique time & style in Pop culture. Suddenly, local stores are restocking their shelves with tiki influenced decor items for shoppers. The result was a renaissance of Tiki - with new interest in Tiki art and Polynesian pop culture now being appreciated by a whole new generation.
There was absolutely no doubt in my mind that Mr. Kirsten would go above and beyond in further researching that fascinating world of Polynesian Pop Culture. I was absolutely amazed at all the unearthed content. 'Tiki Modern' now takes tikiphiles and those interested in retro pop culture and styles to the next level- I was simply floored by Sven's attention to detail & thorough research of Witco's influence in hotel, home and bar decor & design, allowing so many the possibility of "escaping" to their own South Seas islands in their own local surroundings.
Kudos to the book. It is beautiful and marvelous. A true love letter to a fantastic era in pop culture.
Book Review: A Must
Summary: 5 Stars
We have several tiki books and this one is fantastic. Very good quality. Lots of information and wonderful pictures. We have some of the author's other books and they are equally good.Book Review: A Religious Experience
Summary: 5 Stars
Sven Kirsten's first book was the Tiki bible, but it has now become the Old Testament -- no less essential, but now merely the precursor to an even more impressive New Testament of Tiki. "Tiki Modern" is so full of fantastic vintage imagery and wry, entertaining commentary that you could add another zero to the price tag and it would STILL be worth the money. An essential purchase!Book Review: Another great tiki book by Sven Kirsten
Summary: 5 Stars
More beautiful images of a (sadly) bygone era, accompanied by well researched captions in multiple languages.
With that said...the main purpose of this book was to highlight a particular type of trashy looking furniture made by the Witco Company.
The Witco style can be extremely tacky looking to the point where I laughed out loud many times at how trailer trashy it was. Think: matching orange shag rug. This went far beyond the kitschy coolness of the tiki era. It's nauseating.
Witco's look was so repetitive it would be a bore except it was like a car wreck, you kept turning the page to see what other ridiculous item one could make out a dark stained log of wood and a chainsaw. It's like the guy who discovered he could make things with popsicle sticks and never stopped. Eventually he had a popsicle car.
The cover of the book, is a piece of art. The linen fabric of the hardback is tasteful and is enjoyable to hold. There is still enough non-Witco stuff here to keep the reader satisfied with the book.
All in all it was clearly a labor of love, and for that and most of the book, I give it an encouraging 5 star recommendation. Thank you Sven - waiting for your next project.
Book Review: Disappointing
Summary: 2 Stars
Sven Kirsten certainly knows the Tiki world. Why he decided to write half a book on the Tiki movement and half a book as an advertisement/tribute for the Witco Company is beyond me. The first half of the book is very interesting, covering the origins and growth of the Tiki culture. The second half is totally boring, focusing on the dark wood products of Witco. They were but one of many manufacturers of tiki products in the 50s and 60s, yet they rate 125 pages of coverage in Tiki Modern. To me that is serious overkill. I would have preferred a broader coverage, or a significantly reduced price on the book without the featurette on the dark wood carvings. Why not devote half the book to Shag? That would have been far more interesting.