Jožka Baruch was a Czech designer who immensely influenced the world of the arts and graphic design. Inspired by prints and woodcuts, his artworks were emblems of how everyday materials can turn into revolutionary and thought-provoking artworks. The gamut of his art stretches from wooden toys (greatly inspired by the world of children and literature) to book illustrations, posters, and advertisements. Studying ornamental and figurative carving at the Vocational School for Woodworking in Valašské Meziříčí, Baruch is unmistakably a master in his field, displaying innovative techniques in both content and form.
Baruch’s lapidary-sounding drawing line, which can be seen in his meticulous shapes, is usually dimmed by a system of ingeniously changing hatches, presenting a beautiful and conspicuous chiaroscuro in different tones. In his passion for drawing, Baruch applied it to wood engraving and the geometrized stylization of mundane objects (such as animals and plants). Many of his paintings in watercolors, pastels, and even his woodcuts present the unique system of drapery that fold on the solid and angular bodies of his figures.
Using the aforementioned techniques and the play of all elements of art (including the two dimensional and three-dimensional, and miscellaneous materials), Baruch completes an idiosyncratic ornamental order to his work, which brings forth both an immense technique and a resonating artistic message. Through that, Baruch exemplifies art nouveau and coalesces human figures with the objects of nature and the earth, vehemently letting his viewers question the organization of laws and the connection between human beings and the world around them.
We are proud to be able to say that you will be able to find all of Jožka Baruch’s toys in our collection.
