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Buffi
Press is an album publisher established in 1992 by Halina and Marek
Buffi. The press relies exclusively on Polish artists and authors for
its original album projects, which are devoted to the art, architecture
and landscape of Poland. The art is often interspersed with poetic commentary;
romantic landscapes are complemented by the prose and poetry of Poland's
greatest writers,
including Nobel laureates.
No Buffi Press publication escapes the attention of lovers of fine books.
Recognizable at first glance, the albums become events in the book trade.
Refined simplicity and elegance distinguishes these albums. Prized by
bibliophiles, they combine the best of traditional publishing
with innovative book design.
The high standard of these albums is affirmed by the awards and honors
they have earned in competitions held by the Polish Association of Book
Publishers (Most Beautiful Books of the Year) and the Raczyński Library
(Poznań Review of New Publications), and the prestigious Arkady Fiedler
Award.
In 1997 the work of Buffi Press was recognized at the 37th Polish Association
of Book Publishers Competition, where it was honored with the seldom-awarded
prize for outstanding achievement in the field of book publishing.
Buffi Press was the first to publish photographs by the outstanding
Polish writer and journalist Ryszard Kapu¶ciński, the harvest of his
many journeys to Africa. Rights for that album, Ryszard Kapu¶ciński
from Africa, has been licensed to Italy and Spain.
An unparalleled phenomenon in the Polish book trade is Konstanty Ildefons
Galczyński's Olsztyn Chronicle, a beautiful album combining the poetic
word and artistic photography.
On the 150th anniversary of the birth of Poland's greatest
watercolorist, Julian Fałat, Buffi Press published an album
presenting works of his from the collections
of the Bielsko-Biała Museum.
Artur Pałyga's debut publication Kołchoz imienia Adama
Mickiewicza ("The Adam Mickiewicz Collective Farm") is in the
best traditions of Polish reportage.
Awards:
Honorary
Award of the Polish Association of Book Publishers for Buffi Press, for
outstanding achievement in the field of book editing (1997).
Stanisław Markowski, Fascynacje - main prize, Polish Association of Book
Publishers Competition for Most Beautiful Books of the Year 1994 (1995);
honors from Raczyński Library at the Poznań Review of Publishers’
New Offerings - Books Winter 94 (1995).
Krzysztof Dydo, Masters of Polish Poster Art - honors, Polish Association
of Book Publishers Competition for Most Beautiful Books of the Year 1995
(1996); PUNKT award from Gazeta Wyborcza journal for the most beautiful
new work, for Władysław Pluta, designer of the book (1996).
Jan Fejkiel, Polish Printmaking of the Nineties - honors, Polish Association
of Book Publishers Competition for Most Beautiful Books of the Year 1996
(1997); PUNKT award from Gazeta Wyborcza journal for the most beautiful
new work, for Władysław Pluta, designer of the book (1997).
Mieczysław Wieliczko, The Forest - honors, Polish Association of Book
Publishers Competition for Most Beautiful Books of the Year 1996 (1997);
PUNKT award from Gazeta Wyborcza journal for the most beautiful new work,
for Władysław Pluta, designer of the book (1997).
Stasys Eidrigevièius, Pastels - honors, Polish Association of Book
Publishers Competition for Most Beautiful Books of the Year 1997 (1998).
Mieczysław Buczyński, Glass Art - main prize, Polish Association of Book
Publishers Competition for Most Beautiful Books of the Year 1997 (1998).
Mieczysław Wieliczko, Polish Landscapes - Warmia - honors, Polish Association
of Book Publishers Competition for
Most Beautiful Books of the Year 1998 (1999).
Wojciech Kryński, Parks and Gardens of Warsaw - main prize, Polish Association
of Book Publishers Competition for
Most Beautiful Books of the Year 1998 (1999).
Ryszard Czerwiński, Polish Landscapes - honors, Polish Association of
Book Publishers Competition for Most Beautiful Books of the Year 1999
(2000).
Ryszard Kapu¶ciński, Ryszard Kapu¶ciński z Afryki -honors, Polish Association
of Book Publishers Competition for Most Beautiful Books of the Year 2000
(2001); Arkady Fiedler Award (2001).
Maria
Gatnar-Guzy, Hanna Szczudłowska, Noc wigilijna w Beskidach - nominated
for awards and honors in the Polish Association of Book Publishers Competition
for Most Beautiful Books of the Year 2001 (2002).
Alicja
i Janusz Dramińscy, morze czerwone - nominated for awards and honors in
the Polish Association of Book Publishers Competition for Most Beautiful
Books of the Year 2002 (2003).
Ryszard Czerwiński, Poland. Jewels of Nature - honors, Polish Association
of Book Publishers Competition for Most Beautiful Books of the Year 2003
(2004)
Wojciech Kryński, New Warsaw - honors in the Polish Association
of Book Publishers "Most Beautiful Books of 2005" Competition
(2006).
Light - honors in the Polish Association
of Book Publishers "Most Beautiful Books of 2006" Competition
(2007).
Cezariusz Andrejczuk, 100 Narew river images - nominated for awards in
the Polish Association of Book Publishers Competition for Most Beautiful
Books of the Year 2007 (2008).
Hanna
Długosz "Mieszkać
piękniej" [Live more beautifully] - The publication was nominated
for awards in the Polish Association of Book Publishers Competition
for Most Beautiful Books of the
Year 2008 (2009).
Reviews
"It
is one of the few presses basing itself exclusively on Polish authors.
It doesn't buy licenses and doesn't deal with reprints."
Ekspres Wieczorny, 2/15/1995
"...using
quotations from one's laudable predessors sets the crossbar high (and
fittingly so!) for the newest 'child' of Buffi Press."
Artur Tanikowski, Art & Business, 6/96
"A
solidly produced album with a good choice of authors and works, carefully
edited, furnished with a straightforward and competent text, presenting
art that is truly valuable and not merely fashionable, can always count
on success. The Buffi Press album meets these conditions."
Łukasz K. Rytarski, POKAZ Pismo Krytyki Artystycznej, 2nd quarter 1997
"The
jury also wishes to congratulate two publishers whose books are recognizable
at first glance thanks to their careful design: słowo/obraz/terytoria
of Gdańsk (designer -Janusz Górski) and Buffi of Bielsko-Biała (Władysław
Pluta- both men are multiple laureates of the PUNKT design award) ...
today the honor of the industry is defended only by small firms."
Gazeta Wyborcza, 1/20/1998
Recipe
for an Exemplary Art Album:
"Take a renowend artist with as broad a reputation as possible and
able to reach the reader with taste, sensitive to form and color but by
no means an Academy of Fine Arts graduate. Next comes the writing of an
introduction or foreword by a person with a name, known for independent
and original judgements but not a professional who writes with an eye
to his critic colleagues more than to the readers. Finally, entrust the
work to a publisher that has work worthy of note already behind it, but
not yet so routinized as to allow itself a cranked-out product."
Polityka, 1/10/1998
"Buffi
Press constructs other albums, such as landscape albums, along different
principles ... Containing large-format pictures completely filling the
page, they absorb the viewer's attention completely. Thanks to this approach,
and to shifting the captions to the back of the album, any - even involuntary
- associations with place names are dispelled. What emerges is a chance
for complete engagement, for communion with a reality made almost palpable
by a faithful portrait. Masterfully interwoven with spare, poetic commentaries,
they enable us to be completely immersed in the experience of the picture."
Filip Borkowski, Megaron, June-August 2001
"For more than 5 years the national stands at the Frankfurt Book
Fair have featured Buffi Press albums. This is the result of the successes
it has achieved in Poland since almost the beginning of its existence.
It is one of the few presses publishing only Polish authors that is invited
to Frankfurt in October."
Wanda Then, Dziennik Zachodni, 8/1/01
"Mieszkać
piękniej" [Live more beautifully] - a slogan that became the title
of a fascinating album. It was published - and what a book it is! - by
the small Buffi Press which specializes in elegant, well-thought-out editions
... The pictures show something usually hidden and inaccessible - private
homes, well-designed by Polish architects ...
I warn you against reading this album - envy might begin to gnaw at us, we'll
start planning alterations, we'll fall into debt. But at the same time I warmly
recommend that you read it, because the more beautifully we live, the better
we will feel."
Grzegorz Sowula, Rzeczpospolita, 1/20/2009
"Yes, it can happen. What is more, it can happen in Poland. A journalist
and a photographer have created an extraordinary album about architecture and
interiors. It deals exclusively with Poland and what has been achieved in the
last four years. World-class design, taste and extravagance which designers of
homes for British high society wouldn't be ashamed of. This is groundbreaking,
essential for lovers of interior design."
Łukasz Modelski, Twój Styl, 3/2009
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