Pop-Ups from Prague: A Centennial Celebration of the Graphic Artistry of Vojtěch Kubašta

The catalogue of a lively public exhibition at the Grolier Club. The exhibition and catalogue showcase the broad range of artwork by Czech paper engineer, children's book illustrator, and graphic designer Vojtech Kubasta (1914-1992), and celebrates his life's work with paper, pencil, and scissors. Focusing on his creativity and diversity, more than 100 objects highlight Kubasta's passion for (among other things) the city of Prague, the composer Mozart, and the wonders of childhood. Woven throughout is the social and political climate in which he worked, first under the Nazi occupation, and then under Soviet domination. The Prague Uprising of May 5-9, 1945 against the Germans is spotlighted in several of his works. Working behind the Iron Curtain, Kubasta continued to illustrate books, advertisements, and ephemera. He "paper-engineered" an extraordinary number of pop-up books, and it was said of him, "He was born with a pencil in his hand." Best known for his puppet theater-like pop-up books, Kubasta's background in architecture and puppetry is evident in his imaginative children's books and advertising material, revealing the artist's joie de vivre and sly wit. 00Exhibition: Grolier Club, New York City, USA (23.01. - 15.03.2014).… (more)