Examples of contemporary art printing

Samples of Contemporary Polygraphic Fine Art

Along with the rarities of the past centuries, presented in the collection are sample of contemporary polygraphics. Original in its shaping is the monograph of E. L. Nemovirskoho “The Invention of Johann Gutenberg”, which was released by the Moscow publisher “Nauka” in 2000.  The publication is very illustrated.   More than 800 black and white and color illustrations visually represent the technical history of book printing and its evolution.  The massive leather binding is produced in the finest traditions of French classic settings.  The book's back is laminated with articulated ribbon/bandage. On the top cover of the binding, in gilded embossing is the title of the book and a decorative frame.  The back cover of the binding is adorned with a decorative frame of colorless pressing. All sides of the edge are tinted with “marbling”.  And, as an indispensible attribute of any solid publication, in the book is a silk ribbon (a book mark).  The substantial, comprehensive unveiling of the subject and the expansive research appartus permits this publication to be carried into the category of an essential.  And thanks to the highly artistic style of the shaping, selection of illustrative material, and well thought out composition of the construction, it can be viewed as a sample of contemporary polygraphic fine art.

Facsimile and reprint variants of literary keepsakes of the past can also be ascribed to the number of samples of contemporary polygraphics.  These would be - “The Alphabet” of I. Fedorov, the reprinted reproduction of the first printed book (Moscow, 1974), “A Tale of Mamay's Battle”, a reprinted reproduction of a manuscript of the XVII century (Moscow, 1980); “Mozart and Salieri” O. S. Pushkin with pictures by M. Vrubel, facsimile reproduction of a Petersburg publication of 1913 (Leningrad, 1988); “The Alphabet in Pictures” O. Benya, a facsimile reproduction of the publication of 1904 (Moscow, 1990); small format souvenir publications , such as “The Small Book” T. G. Shevchenko, a facsimile publication of a manuscripted compilation of poems by the poet in his first four years of exile (1847-1850) (Kiev, 1984); “A Word about Igor's Regiment” in three languages, a small format illustrated publication (Kiev, 1977); the tiny book size 17x20mm «Better than All Medicines, Eating and Drinking» (Moscow,1975); a wonder of contemporary polygraphy – “Master and Marguerita” by M. Bulgakov (Kiev, 1997) on one page, formatted at A4 and so on.

Naturally, to become acquainted with all of the exhibits of the collection and to demonstrate them at one time would be quite complicated.  Moreover, the research work in studying them, the work up and the discovery continues.  And in reviewing the most interesting book exhibits, each time one comes to the conclusion that the fine art of the book is an outstanding achievement of the masters of printing and chiseling, as in the past and so to the current.  And it is good, that there are idle people, who not only preserve, honor and value the book, but generously share with those around them their knowledge and their collections.
We are sincerely enthralled with book keepsakes of past centuries and are in awe of the high quality  and mastery of their production.  So it is desirable to anticipate, that the fine art of the book  today, having aggregated positive research and mastery of the past, will be perfected.  And who knows, perhaps, after many years, researchers will parsimoniously study current samples of polygraphic fine art, which will, in that time, have become rarities. 

More information on the topic:

Україна: поезія тисячоліть: антологія : у 2 т. /авт., кер. проекту: А.В.Толстоухов, В.О.Зубанов; упоряд. Ю.Г.Буряк; ред..: В.Вишневий, І.Рябчий; худож. В.С.Мітченко; фотогр. О.Шпака. – К.: Кріон. –
Т. 1: Роксоланія: вигнання з раю, ч. 1 : De Profundis, ч. 2 : Булат і троянди – 2008 – 607 с.
Т. 2 : Вітчизни дим: повернення до себе, ч. 3 : Україна: шлях Енея, ч. 4 : Зелене Євангеліє. – 2008. – 683 с.

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