The strength and vitality of Denver artist Paul Kontny’s work reflected his passion for life and the inspiration he found in his environment. Happy to have escaped death during World War II, he relished the opportunity to paint and sculpt those subjects that fascinated him. He took images from the visual world and recast them in works ranging from the representational to the abstract and never ceased to evolve in a career that spanned more than fifty years.

Kontny’s creative output—works on paper, sculptures, and oils done in his signature marble dust technique—derived from his keen observation of people and the world around him, whether in Europe or on his trips to North Africa, Central and South America, and the Pacific or later in the United States and Mexico.

Paul Kontny: A Modern Artist in Europe and America is rich in the history of early twentieth-century Poland and the plight of soldiers conscripted into the German army—and the life of an architect dedicated to helping rebuild and then embarking on a transcontinental life as an artist. The book includes photographs and images of Kontny’s life and travels, input from friends, collectors, and family, and more than 100 color reproductions of his striking and varied works.

Published in Association with the Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decorative Art.