What made Klimo stand out in the field of illustration?

It was his original approach to illustrating a children’s book. He chose collage a technique that is not new – modern art has been working with it since Cubism, but one that has been used very rarely in our country. From the very beginning, he aimed for a simplified artistic form that did not slavishly follow the depiction of details.

He used roughly, irregularly cut and torn paper, from which he composed forms only in approximate outlines. Humorous and grotesque interpretation, such as in the way in which he highlighted eyes and limbs, also played a role here. He gave greater importance to color, letting color spots dissolve on the paper, thus achieving a rich layering. The aspect of color most closely connects illustrations with free creation. In his paintings, he also used the method of applying paint to an unprimed canvas covered with paper, which dissolves the paint.

This exhibition commemorates Alojz Klimo’s extraordinary position in Slovak modern art, including his sometimes underappreciated illustrations of children’s books.

(Text by Eva Trojanová)