Vladimír Birgus Books

The work of Jaroslav Rossler, one of the most important photographers of the Czech avant-garde of the first half of the twentieth century.

The contradictions of life in Eastern Europe in the 1970s and '80s Czech photographer Vladimír Birgus (born 1954) presents black-and-white photographs of Eastern European cities that capture the contrasts between optimistic communist propaganda and the gloomy reality of everyday life in this era.

"Czech Photography of the 20th Century, published simultaneously in Czech and English versions, is the first book to present the main trends, figures, and works of Czech photography from the beginning to the end of the last century to such a large extent. Its 517 plates include not only the most important, well-known photographs and photomontages, but also works that have long been forgotten or are published for the first time. The book is arranged in seventeen chapters, supplemented with chronologies of the most important events in twentieth-century Czech photography and history." --Publisher's website.

Not until the fall of the communist regime in 1989 and the end of Czechoslovakia's cultural isolation did the world begin to appreciate the Czech avant-garde photographers of the first half of the twentieth century. This first survey of Czech avant-garde photography introduces the important work of František Drtikol, Jaromir Funke, Jaroslav Rossler, Jindoich Štyrsky, Josef Sudek, and numerous others whose work made Czech photography synonymous with visions of modernity. The essays introduce the period and explore the background and connections among the photographers. Biographical profiles are also included. But the book's main attraction is its outstanding collection of duotone and color images, many published here for the first time. The Czech edition of this book received the "Best Photographic Publication of 1999-2000" award from Primavera Fotografica in Barcelona and from Month of Photography in Bratislava and was one of six finalists for the 2001 Kraszna-Krausz Photography Book Award.Not for sale in the Czech Republic

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