Houston collectors Mary and Roy Cullen visited Czechoslovakia just after the Velvet Revolution in 1989 and became captivated by Czech art. They began collecting 20th-century modernist and avant-garde works in a variety of media, including paintings, photography, collages, drawings, artists' books, and glass. This generously illustrated catalogue is the first to detail their extensive collection. An interview with the Cullens traces the evolution of their collection, and noted Czech scholars Karel Srp and Lenka Bydzovska delve into their in-depth holdings of landmark journals and artists' books, which include works by prominent artists such as Toyen, Josef sima, Karel Teige, and Jindrich styrsky. The publication presents original texts by artists and writers of the period, many of which have been translated into English for the first time. Another focus of the book is the tradition of Czech glass art and its technical and artistic innovations, described in detail by glass expert Jan Mergl. New Formations brings these various facets of Czech artistic output together to demonstrate the rich contributions of Czech artists in the 20th century.

Karel Srp is a curator at the City Gallery Prague. Lenka Bydžovská is a researcher at the Institute of Art History of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague. Alison de Lima Greene is curator of contemporary art and special projects at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Jan Mergl is deputy director for collections at the Museum of West Bohemia in Plzen.