Today we’d like to introduce you to Bruce Foster.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
Following graduate school in Knoxville, Tennessee where my paintings had become more and more three dimensional, I eventually found myself in Houston freelancing as a graphic designer. One of my assignments was to create a three dimensional mailed piece for Hi-C Juices to introduce a new product: the juice box. This was about 1988. One of the challenges for this was to create a pop-up. Until that time, I had seen only ONE pop-up: a simple cone shape for an invitation! But once I dove in, I found I loved the process of turning what is essentially a flat printed piece into a three dimensional one.
Months later, an art director for a publisher in Baltimore who had seen the piece, called me and offered free-lance assignments. While not elaborate, over the next seven years, it allowed me to self-educate myself by performing book “autopsies” on pop-up books. Eventually, I was given a break by Simon&Schuster to create a book for them: Little Red Riding Hood and my career was officially launched… after a ten-year learning curve!
As of today, I have created over 60 pop-up books, 50 of them published, over 75 pop-up cards, several books on papercraft, and even have work seen in movies and commercials, including Disney’s “Enchanted.”
My work covers a very wide arc of subject matter from children’s books to adult humor, to art museums, to corporations and private commissions.
Please tell us about your art.
The simple answer is that I use paper to create sculptures in motion. This is usually in books, but also encompasses cards, catalogs and special promotional items like even a calendar.
The reason I do this is that I enjoy creating paper magic. To see paper almost dance into a new form that achieves a goal: to tell a story, to illustrate a concept, or to simply make something breathtaking.
I want people to realize that pop-ups are not “just” for children. Actually, the first few centuries of movable paper books were for adults: medical anatomy, astronomy, astrology, etc. Books for children didn’t come about until early 20th century. I prefer people to see my work as three-dimensional art. The subjects often speak to adults rather than children, although creating a children’s pop-up book is still an important part of my repertoire.
I also want people to be entertained, inspired, amazed and educated by my work. More often now, I provide the illustration, which is allowing me to be more in control of the intent and final form. Earlier, I was valuable as a paper engineer because my background in art direction gave me the skill to work and direct illustrators who had never done pop-up books before.
We often hear from artists that being an artist can be lonely. Any advice for those looking to connect with other artists?
I, like many artists and writers, do work from home or studio and don’t have a way to connect with other people, not to mention other artists, on a daily basis! It can be isolating.
To combat that, I first like to visit schools and organizations to make presentations about the artform and how it works in tandem with math. Second, I enjoy working with a couple of organizations that are for us artists (and writers), like the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators or The Movable Book Society.
The SCBWI is an international organization with chapters in most large cities and an expanding group of international chapters as well. Here, in Houston, we meet once a month, and annually we host a conference where writers, illustrators, editors, agents, and art directors come to speak and give critiques of members work. This is a very supportive way to stay in contact with others who love to do what you do.
The Movable Book Society holds a conference every two years with the location changing each time. This year I was honored to give the keynote address to the 25th Year Conference in Kansas City. This is an organization of not just paper engineers, but those who collect and love them as well. This also gives us paper engineers a chance to connect and make friends with other pe’s and to inspire and advise those new to the art as well.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
My work is of course mostly available on Amazon. Bookstores like Barnes&Noble or local bookstores will stock a pop-up book when it is just released, or if it has become a fan favorite over time. But since there is a commitment to stock and protect these books from rough handling, many pop-up books’ appearances in brick and mortar are short lived. Amazon then becomes quite important in making them available over time.
Unfortunately, though, Amazon is not the optimum location to “discover” these works especially if you are new to this art. One can’t exactly open and explore them online.
In conjunction with my public presentations on pop-up books, I will make my books available for purchase. However, many of my books are now out of print. Once a book has sold out, there is little incentive for publishers to re-publish. So many of my fan favorites are unavailable, sadly.
Also, my work can be seen in Disney’s “Enchanted.” The pop-up book in the intro, as well as the pops at the end of the movie, are my works.
Currently, there is an exhibition at the Children’s Museum of Houston that features some of my work. And my books have been seen in exhibitions at the Smithsonian Museum, The IDA Center of Seoul, South Korea, The Dennos Museum of Art in Traverse City, MI, and recently, the Fondazione Culturale Hermann Geiger Center in Cecina, Italy.
Additionally, my work is featured in the books: The Art of Pop-Up, The Magical World of Three-Dimensional Books, by Jean-Charles Trebbi and Playing With Pop-Ups, the Art of Dimensional, Moving Paper Designs by Helen Heibert.
Contact Info:
- Address: 11723 Brydan Drive
Houston, TX 77429 - Website: https://paperpops.com www.themovablebooksociety.org www.scbwi.org
- Phone: +1 832-594-8939
- Email: bruce@paperpops.com
- Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/bfpop/ - Facebook: Bruce Foster, Bruce Foster Paper Engineer
- Twitter: @bfpop438
Image Credit:
all images, copyright Bruce Foster
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
