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pop-up books

Art

Gorgeous Pop-Up Book Explores the Insides of a Unicorn

By Emily Temple on

Seeing a unicorn is nothing, but seeing inside a unicorn? That’s magic. Or at least it is in the hands of Alison Woodward, whose macabre but beautiful pop-up “book” Heirloom, which we spotted over at io9, lets you dissect a dead baby unicorn, removing layer after layer of magical tissue. We’ve never seen anything like it. Head here to see the entire project unfold, and then perhaps you’d like to dissect one of Woodward’s birds – there’s a prize inside. … Read More

Books

Incredible Pop-Up Books for Grown Ups

By Alison Nastasi on

When we saw Portland-based designer and art director Mengyu Chen’s paper pop-up books on Booooooom, we instantly fell in love. The minimal design and simplicity of action recalled our childhood, when craftily constructed stories sprung to life. It was a magical first encounter with animation and one we can happily relive until we’re old and gray. Lucky for us, playful pop-ups are being marketed for adult readers more frequently, and we’ve chosen a few incredibly designed books to share with you past the break. Some can be purchased and others simply admired — the handiwork of artists who similarly view the 3D books with childlike wonder. See more amazing pop-ups below.

… Read More

Art

Beautifully Desolate Pop-Up Books by Andreas Johansson

By Emily Temple on

Swedish multimedia artist Andreas Johansson, whose work we first discovered over at Collabcubed, creates oversize photo collage pop up books that are both beautiful and slightly disturbing. For his exhibit entitled From Where the Sun Now Stands, he has created six books whose images show different angles of the same abandoned lot. Johansson explains, “I take photos of areas in my neighborhood that I cut apart and join together again in new constellations. By doing this, I create imaginary places that are both recognizable and completely alien. These new sites are constructions and have no history, while the places where the photographs once were taken have a very important past. For me, deserted places have a great symbolic value. They represent society’s backside, but also freedom beyond control and regulations.” Click through to see a few of our favorite images of Johansson’s work, and then head here to see a video of the pop up book in action. … Read More

Tech

Wanted: Virtual Reality Pop-Up Books

By Emily Temple on

So, apparently this is the pop-up book of the future — and while we’re not exactly sure that the future needs a special kind of pop-up book, we have to admit it’s pretty awesome. Between Page and Screen, an “augmented reality pop-up book” by Amaranth Borsuk and Brad Bouse due to come out this spring in a limited run from Siglio Press, has printed symbols on every page that when held up to your webcam, spring up from the paper to become 3D poems. Poetry in three dimensions? Could get kind of interesting. Click through to watch the video, and let us know what you think in the comments. … Read More

Art

RIP Wally Hunt: The Pop-Up Industry Loses Its Pop

By Isis Madrid on

Waldo “Wally” Hunt, the man responsible for the modern renaissance of the pop-up book industry, passed away earlier this month at the age of 88. After selling his West Coast-based advertising agency in the early ’60s, Hunt ended up in New York City. Disillusioned with his company’s fate, Hunt looked for a new passion. He found it on Fifth Avenue when he caught a glimpse of a Czechoslovakian children’s pop-up book in a toy store window. From that moment on, Hunt essentially became the pop-up business.

He started Graphics International and, using his business savvy, produced a series of pop-up ads as part of a magazine campaign for Wrigley’s gum. After a few advertising-related ventures, Hunt sold Graphics International, moved back west, and opened Intervisual Books, a publishing firm that would dominate the market for decades, counting Disney among its clients. A dedicated collector of pop-up art, Hunt owned more than 4,000 antique and contemporary works. Check out 10 of our favorite pop-up books after the… Read More