The work of Vojtech Preissig spans a wide range of graphic processes
and styles. His work can best be seen as an evolution beginning with
the Art Nouveau "fin de siecle" style of Alfons Mucha and culminating
in the bold Czech Modernist abstraction of the 1930's. His type and
book designs helped define the Czech graphic arts identity of the
early 20th Century. As an artist who
sought to emulate the Arts and Crafts ideals of William Morris, Preissig
studied various graphic techniques in Paris and thereafter established
a studio in Prague dedicated to all aspects of Book Arts. His plans
did not work out in Prague, and in 1910 he moved to the US where he
lived, worked and taught for twenty years. During this time, Preissig
designed several major books and type faces. From the type which he
designed to the paper which had to be just right, he was the complete
renaissance craftsman/artist. Inexplicably, Preissig is virtually
unknown in the graphics arts world today. His work was inspired, emotional
and visionary.
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