The 1989 Velvet Revolution ended Communist rule in Czechoslovakia, reigniting global interest in its rich cultural legacy. Though disrupted by Nazi and Communist regimes, Czech artists played key roles in early 20th-century European avant-garde movements.

Czech Avant-Garde: European Art and Photography in Book Design, 1922–1940 showcases the brilliance of Czech graphic design, photography, and photomontage through about 800 books and journals from Zdenek Primus’s extensive collection. Featuring artists like Karel Teige, Ladislav Sutnar, Toyen, and others, many affiliated with Devětsil and the Surrealist Group, the exhibition explores four themes: Constructivist Design, Picture Poems of Poetism, Isms and the Book, and Photography and Photomontage. Constructivist works emphasized basic geometric forms, while Poetism fused visual and verbal expression. The "Isms" section reflected evolving art ideologies like Surrealism and Purism. By the 1930s, photography and photomontage dominated.

This body of work is a significant but underrecognized contribution to European modernism between the World Wars.

WORKS
800 in 140 frames

DIMENSIONS

32 x 36 (inches)

SPACE REQUIREMENTS

Aprox. 600 linear feet

INQUIRIES

exhibitions@curatorial.org
626.577.0044