Jozef Baláž

Jozef Baláž was born on the 14^th of March 1923 in the town of Hlohovec. He studied at the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, at the Department of Drawing and Painting under the supervision of the Professors J. Mudroch, D. Milly and K. Sokol; and then at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava, at the Department of Landscape Art under the supervision of Professor D. Milly. He studied also at the Academy of Fine Arts in Sofia. He died on the 6^th of July 2006 in Bratislava.

He belonged to top Slovak printmakers, illustrators, and tapestry and mosaic artists. He is the Nestor of the Slovak stamp art. His art was partly influenced by traditions of the Slovak folk woodcut and Slovak folklore in general. He illustrated a great deal of books and also short stories published in magazines (mainly in 'Život'). In Jozef Baláž’s illustrations there is observable a graphic expression with bold sketched lines. His colour and shape contrasts are impressive. His illustrations are very evocative and elegant. He is trying to capture the essence of the event in his pictures, where there at the same time it is possible to discover a deep lyricism. His pictures are not only a part of the literary text, they enrich the text and they even can exist as autonomous artworks.

Author of the text: Mgr. Viera Anoškinová, art historian

Sebechlebskí hudci (J. Horák, SNDK 1954); Rozprávky z hôr (Ľ. Ondrejov, SNDK 1955, Mladé letá 1958); Ondrejko (J. Alexy, SNDK 1956); Julinkin prvý bál (T. Vansová, Mladé letá 1957, 1977); Biele ticho (J. Turan, Mladé letá 1958); Svetlana (N. Arťuchova, Mladé letá 1959); Dotyky (M. Válek, Mladé letá 1959); Ruže na úver (E. Triolet, Mladé letá 1960); Našiel som nožík rybku (J. Kostra, Mladé letá 1963); Tajomstvo hračiek (M. Ferko, Mladé letá 1963); Rozprávky pre Gordanu (D. Radovič, Mladé letá 1963); Veselá abeceda (J. Pavlovič, Mladé letá 1963); Maroško (M. Rázus, Mladé letá 1964, 1982, Albatros 1971, Ikar 2002); Sirota Podhradských (T. Vansová, Mladé letá 1964, Ikar 2002); Petrišorka (M. Haľamová, Mladé letá 1965, 1989, Tranoscius 2000); Tri víly na salaši (A. Habovštiak, Mladé letá 1966); Maroško študuje (M. Rázus, Mladé letá 1968, 1974, Tranoscius 1996); Srnček Parožtek (R. Moric, Mladé letá 1968); Pojď si se mnou hrát (P. Dvořák, Mladé letá 1969); Keby som mal pušku (M. Ferko, Mladé letá 1969, 1984); Maľovaná abeceda (J. Smrek, Mladé letá 1970, 1986), Ílias (Homér, Mladé letá 1973), Keby som mal dievča (M. Ferko, Mladé letá 1974, 1988); Sedemfarebný kvietok (Mladé letá 1975); Jar Adely Ostrolúckej (Ľ. Zúbek, Mladé letá 1960, 1990); Kytica (K. J. Erben, Mladé letá 1977, 1981); Balada o Jurovi Jánošíkovi (M. Figuli, Mladé letá 1980); Spievaj si, vtáčatko (Mladé letá 1990); Srnček Parožtek, O dvoch mravcoch Pobehajcoch (R. Moric, Mladé letá 1990).

HOLEŠOVSKÝ, František: Besedy o ilustráciách a ilustrátoroch. Bratislava : Mladé letá, 1980, s. 73-84.

Čeští a slovenští ilustrátoři knih pro malé děti. Praha : Albatros - Bratislava : Mladé letá, 1980, s. 54-55.

KUBOVÁ, Matilda – CPIN, Peter: Tvorcovia detskej knihy. 3. dopl. vyd. Bratislava : Mladé letá, 1991. [75] l. ISBN 80-06-00319-X.

Slovník českých a slovenských výtvarných umělců 1950 - 1997.  I.  A – Č. Ostrava : Výtvarné centrum Chagall, 1998, s. 72. ISBN 978-80-86171-00-0.

1974 Fraňo Kráľ Award 1973 for illustrations for children and youth

          Honorary Mention in the competition The Most Beautiful Czechoslovak Books 1973 for the book Ílias (Iliad)

          Award for Graphics at Fierra del Libro pre Ragazzi di Bologna for the book Ílias

1976 'Mladé letá' Publishing House Award 1975 for the book Sedemfarebný kvietok (Seven-Coloured Flower)

          IBBY Honour List for the book Ílias

          Biennial of Graphic Design Award for the book Ílias

1982 IBA Bronze Medal, Leipzig, Germany, for the book Balada o Jurovi Jánošíkovi (Ballad on Janosik the Highwayman)

1991 Honourable mention in competition The Most Beautiful Czech and Slovak Books 1990 for the book Spievaj si, vtáčatko (Sing, a Little Bird)

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