C a Pt Ai Ns

C APTAINSC A P T A I N S OF I LLUSTRATION 1 0 0 Y EARS O F C H I L D R E N ’ S B O O K S FROM P OLAND 2. Bohdan Butenko Niewiarygodne przygody Marka Piegusa [The Unbelievable Adventures of Marek Piegus] by Edmund Niziurski, Nasza Księgarnia, Warsaw 1959 A prolific master of his craft, Butenko illustrated close to 300 books, most of them for very young readers, from colourful, in-depth treatments of individual poems by Jan Brzechwa, published as books with a dozen or so pages [1, 3], to comical illustrations of detective stories, adventures [2] and poetry anthologies for slightly older audiences, as well as nonfiction guides for mature readers, which spanned a wide array of subjects. 1. Bohdan Butenko Pali się! 3. Bohdan Butenko [ F i r e ! ] Tańcowała igła z nitką by Jan Brzechwa, [The Needle Danced Krajowa Agencja Wydawnicza, with the Thread] Warsaw 1975 by Jan Brzechwa, Nasza Księgarnia, Warsaw 1972 E l ż b i E Bt a J a m r ó z -S t o l a r S k a As the most recognisable trademark in Polish children’s book publishing, Bohdan Butenko’s unique signature befuddled and fascinated young readers who were new to the world of illustration. Some children signed their own drawings with the phrase, believing ‘Butenko pinxit’ to be an integral part of any drawing, while others thought that the illustrator who’d given life to their beloved character Gapiszon was in fact a foreigner who went by the name of Pinxit. Eventually, they would come to discover the true Latin meaning of pinxit (meaning: ‘painted by’) and find out that the illustrator behind these hilarious illustrations was a Pole by the name of Bohdan Butenko. To be the student of masters and grow up to become a master in one’s own right – well, that’s certainly masterful! As Butenko declared time and time again, he considers himself a student of masters who directly lead back to Jan Matejko himself. The famous painter taught Józef Mehoffer, who, in turn, tutored Jan Marcin Szancer, who then relayed the same services to Butenko himself in a line of artistic ascendancy that travelled between Kraków and Warsaw. This is where the whole ‘pinxit’ affair began, giving way to a mastery of intelligent, absurdist imagery marked by a deft poignancy and sense of humour using only the most basic resources. He likened this sort of mastery of storybook illustration to the kind of control one would exert over a living organism… or even a pullover, as Butenko himself declared, ‘Books are made like pullovers. When you begin at one end, you can’t throw anything out of the middle’. 60 61 7. Bohdan Butenko Kwapiszon i tajemnicza szkatułka [Kwapiszon and the Mysterious Casket], Nasza Księgarnia, Warsaw 1975 4. Bohdan Butenko Pierwszy! Drugi!! Trzeci!!!… [First! Second!! Third!!!], Krajowa Agencja Wydawnicza, Warsaw 1975 Bohdan Butenko’s style of illustration brings to mind the drawings of children, executed in a hand that is still rather unsteady. At first glance, they may appear unpractised, bereft of detail, set in undefined circumstances, with no background. His characters are presented in a caricatural way, built out of simple, geometric figures. The basis of Butenko’s illustrations is a creative dialogue with the text, a game of associations, mental shortcuts and word play. Butenko’s books blur the boundaries between text and graphics, merging the two to create an indivisible whole. He treats the entire book like a unified composition, rather than simply illustrating a story. He is a classic ‘architect’ of the genre, bowing his head over the cover, dust-jacket, endpapers, title page, table of contents and the colophon [5]. He pays a great deal of attention to the way the text is set, its font, size and colour. He makes a book something more than just an interesting bit of reading – Butenko’s 5. Bohdan Butenko books are a captivating adventure, a joyous voyage, an unforgettable exploit. Cyryl, gdzie jesteś? [Cyryl, Where Are You?] Among the authors whom Butenko has been most happy to illustrate are Krystyna Boglar, Jan Brzechwa, Wanda Chotomska, by Wiktor Woroszylski, Nasza Księgarnia, Edward Lear, Edmund Niziurski, Hanna Ożogowska and Wiktor Woroszylski. Another major component of his work has Warsaw 1962 been his independent books - Pierwszy! Drugi!! Trzeci!!! [First! Second!! Third!!!], Wesoła gromadka [The Happy Bunch], Pyś, czyli wiadukt nad chaszczami [Pyś, or the Viaduct over the Thicket], Nocna wyprawa [A Journey by Night] – to name but a few [4]. Butenko’s fame has also come from the endearing heroes he’s created, such as Kwapiszon and Gapiszon. The adventures of the former, a friendly scout, were laid out in the form of a ‘photographic’ comic book, with Butenko the first of Poland’s illustrators to adopt the technique. Kwapiszon’s unique qualities came about thanks to the combination of a simple line with an incredibly realistic, photographic background [7]. As for Gapiszon, he made his debut on television as a figure illustrated live during a programme in 1957. Next, his adventures were published in Miś [Teddy], a magazine for children, 6. Bohdan Butenko Gapiszon i tajemnicza paczka before graduating to a full-fledged children’s book. The boy in the striped hat is over 60 years old today and feeling great, [Gapiszon and the Mysterious Package], Zielona Sowa, still as adventurous as ever [6]. Warsaw 2017 Bohdan Butenko’s inventiveness has fed the imaginations of three generations of Poles – and counting. His sense of humour and characteristic style have proved timeless. And while he never taught at the academy, he inspired so many illustrators, even if the line of influence hasn’t always been direct… 62 63 E l ż b i E t a J a m r ó z -S t o l a r S k a D RESSED ess t o i m p r 1. Iwona Chmielewska W kieszonce D [In the Pocket], Media Rodzina, Poznań 2015 The way a character is dressed can often reveal a lot about who they are. So it comes as no surprise that clothing can play a major role in children’s book illustration. We don’t always pay attention to the particulars but there are certain characters whose personal style is so eye-catching that it’s impossible to overlook, such as Gapiszon in his black-and-yellow striped hat with the pompon, designed by Butenko himself (see: BUTENKO PINXIT [6]). Some authors and illustrators make heroes out of clothing itself, such as Iwona Chmielewska’s little pocket on a little girl’s apron [1]. Others like Bożena Truchanowska capture the essence of Polish fashion of the 1970s, piquing readers’ interest with an acute sense of nostalgia [2]. The human heroes of storybooks aren’t the only ones who get dressed up for the gig. Animals get their fair share of styling, such as those from Jan Brzechwa’s poems, dressed up in various types of hats designed by Franciszka Themerson. A turkey proudly struts through the city in a green hat, a crane wears a top hat on the day he proposes to his beloved heron, while the beetle takes his bowler hat off to address his own darling ladybird. The centipede is not only gifted with fifty pairs of nifty shoes, but a puffy, polka-dot cap as well [3, 4, 5, 6]. 3, 4, 5, 6. Franciszka Themerson Tańcowała igła z nitką 2. Bożena Truchanowska [The Needle Danced with the Thread] Chomik i Osia by Jan Brzechwa, [The Hamster and Osia] Czytelnik, by Jadwiga Werner, Warsaw 1949 Nasza Księgarnia, Warsaw 1971 124 125 9. Andrzej Damięcki 10. Daniel de Latour Storybook animals are often shod and fictional cats have proven themselves among the biggest fans of fashionable footwear, Kubrak żubra Niesamowite przygody dziesięciu skarpetek [The Bison’s Coat] [The Incredible Adventures of Ten Socks] with Puss in Boots the best-known of the bunch. For some, hats and shoes are just not enough. There was, for example, a by Tadeusz Śliwiak, by Justyna Bednarek, Krajowa Agencja Wydawnicza, P o r a d n i a K , certain bison whose wife advised him to purchase a new, stylish jacket. He ended up looking so fresh that the rest of the family Warsaw 1976 Warsaw 2015 all wanted new outfits too. Madame Bison opted for a remarkably tasteful ensemble: a woollen dress, lace scarf, matching shoes and wide-brimmed hat [9]. Elephants can be elegant too, as Słoń Trąbalski (Elephant Trąbalski) has demonstrated (see: ELEPHANTS ON PARADE [1]) along with Ferdynand Wspaniały (Ferdynand the Magnificent), the most wonderful of dogs, who also revealed himself to be a true gentleman in the illustrations of Kazimierz Mikulski (see: DOGS ON SHOW [1]). Frocks, crinolines, jabots, puffed sleeves, Elizabethan caps… How can anyone possibly keep up with the changing fashions and their elaborate nomenclature? Agata Raczyńska has come to the rescue with an illustrated history of fashion in the form of a fashion designer’s sketchbook, elaborating how styles changed and evolved, down to the very last detail [8]. Then there’s Katarzyna Bogucka’s endearing, vintage-inspired rundown of the styles of the past century-and-a-half [7]. What about the underpinnings? Pants also have a hefty job to do and there are books out there that celebrate their contribution to our lives, such as the one by Iwona Wierzba, illustrated by Marianna Sztyma, full of humorous commentary and imagery [11]. The secret to a well-made outfit is a fine tailor. And when there’s no tailor on hand, an enchanted needle and thread may well do the job on their own, dancing around to sew everything from a simple apron to a fanciful gown as in Bohdan Butenko’s playful portrayal (see: BUTENKO PINXIT [3]).

Load more