Karl Korab (Ed. Hilger)
Karl Korab was born in 1937 in Falkenstein (Lower Austria), the son of a forester. As a child he experienced the horrors of World War II, which influence his artwork today.
Playing cards designed by Karl Korab and published by Edition Hilger in 1991.
Karl Korab was born in 1937 in Falkenstein (Lower Austria) in the wine district, the son of a forester. As a child he experienced the horrors of World War II, which influence his artwork today. He studied from 1957 to 1962 at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts at Sergius Pauser. In 1959 he moved within the then highly influential “Vienna School of Fantastic Realism”. Korab is a versatile artist and starting from Surrealism he evolved a simplified, enigmatic imagery. His works include oil paintings, graphics, collages, screen printing and lithography, mainly still lifes, mask-like heads and landscapes, but also postage stamps, bottle labels and book illustrations. His works stand out for their simple forms and contents. He also works as a stage designer.
This is the second of two decks of playing cards designed by Karl Korab. The first, published by Molden Edition Graphische Kunst in 1973, can be seen here.
Above: non-standard playing cards designed by Austrian visual artist Karl Korab (b.1937-), printed by Piatnik, Vienna and published by Edition Hilger, 1991. 52 cards + 3 Jokers; 58x88mms. Images courtesy Barney Townshend.
By Barney Townshend
Member since October 06, 2015
Retired Airline Pilot, interested in: Transformation Playing Cards, Karl Gerich and Elaine Lewis. Secretary of the EPCS. Treasurer of the IPCS.
Related Articles
Tactics Design
Late modernist Japanese playing cards designed by Masayoshi Nakajo for Tactics Design.
Luditz Pattern by Georg Geiselreiter
The discovery of 2024 changes the current state of knowledge of the history of this pattern.
The Decadent Deck
Studies in the eroticism of the female body by Inge Clayton.
Historic Shakespeare
“Historic Shakespeare” playing cards featuring Shakespearean characters by Chas Goodall & Son.
Sunday Night / Nichiyoubi no Yoru
An irreverent, avant-garde deck unofficially titled "Nichiyoubi no Yoru" (Sunday Night), designed by...
Emilio Tadini playing cards
Beautiful dreamlike playing card designs by Emilio Tadini.
Zürcher Festspiel 1903
Swiss-suited pack designed by Robert Hardmeyer featuring figures from art and politics.
Never Mind the Belote
Limited edition Belote pack with designs by a collective of 24 street artists.
Ukraine playing cards
Historical figures from Ukraine’s past in a familiar Piatnik style.
Playing card designs by Franz Exler
Reconstruction of playing cards from the original 1903 designs.
MITSCHKAtzen
Clever cat designs by the Austrian artist and illustrator Willi Mitschka.
22 Pittori in 22 Arcani
Collaborative Tarot with contributions from 22 different Italian artists including Menegazzi and Tav...
Tarock Cards by NIL Spielkartenfabrik
A deck of tarock cards from the eastern end of the ending Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Whist by Ditha Moser
Ditha Moser created this minimalist Whist deck in 1905, in the style of the Vienna Secession art mov...
Keith Haring playing cards
Energetic graffiti images by the American artist Keith Haring.
Gabriel Uffenheimer
Rare example of the production of Johann Gabriel Uffenheimer, Guntramsdorf, 1825.
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 28 days
