abcd - Česká funkcionalistická typografie 1927-1940

The publication presents the most important examples of functionalist typography from the private collection of Karel Císař, a teacher at UMPRUM, in the form of photographic documentation and detailed commentary. The author thus builds on similarly conceived previous monographs by Zdeněk Primus or John Vloemans. In contrast to them, however, he focuses exclusively on functionalist typography of the late 1920s and early 1930s, from Rossmann's famous Fronta collection through Teig's architectural publications, Sutnar's exhibition catalogues and Tschinkel's didactic manuals, to Antonín Jero's lesser-known private prints. In the catalogue, he takes into account their - characteristic of functionalism - combination of abstract forms with photographs of new materiality, which were to lead to the creation of a "new kind of pictorial writing". The intention of the publication is not only to present isolated book covers, but also to compare the graphic design of the sets and to trace the use of empty space, the reduction of geometric elements, the use of pictorial statistics and photomontage techniques on the covers. The book is not only aimed at specialists in the history of graphic design or the history of modern art, but also at others interested in the subject.

Czech edition