Crime Times Three: Czech Detective Books

Photomontage covers for a series of Czech detective books. Each volume is a trio of stories—“Trikrat” means “three times.” Printed right onto the fabric cover, the weave lends an extra-grainy tabloid look to the images.

Artist, Libor Fara (1925-88), was responsible for the distinctive look of the series published by Odeon. He produced most of the Trikrat covers of the 1980s. Fara was a surrealist artist associated with the post-WWII circle of Karel Teige. Like many Czech artists of that period, his work spanned multiple disciplines. His body of work included theatrical design, large-scale assemblages, posters, and many books.

1986

1985

1984

1983

1981, 1977

1987

1980

1987

1989

1988

Images are from Antikvariát Slaný and various other booksellers.