Polish Poster Design

Poster Design is a key feature of art and design education in Poland. When we visited the drawing studio on the Graphic Design study programme, we spoke to the professor and assistant about the creative process of creating posters that represent films. The professor showed us work his wife had created when she was a student, these were kept in a drawer within the studio and they were on large pieces of paper. I initially noticed how beautiful the paintings were, they were more art-based than design, they explained that this was what their studio involved. Making art posters rather than design-based because they have a deep appreciation of art and they love to use a range of different mediums that can be applied to paper by hand. 

We need to find out if we are actually able to participate in this class because it is possible that it may only be available for third-year students but I'm still doing some thumbnails and practice British film poster designs because I find the concept of it enjoyable, I haven't designed many posters before especially for films. 

Examples of Polish film posters exhibited in a Theatre in Katowice

The History of Polish Poster Design
"Before the era of globalised entertainment made movie posters look the same in every country, Polish artists were creating their own versions for the internal market. What resulted was a whole school of artists trained in the art of the poster."

http://www.austinpolishfilm.com/apff-blog/2016/10/9/the-legacy-of-polish-poster-design

Researching online, I have found an article explaining 'The Legacy of Polish Posters', written by an Italian freelance designer called Andrea Austoni. He currently lives in Krakow, Poland and specialises in icon design and illustration. His personal portfolio and blog is titled 'Cute Little Factory'.

Around the end of the 19th century, Poland still wasn't drawn on maps. Polish territory was separated and controlled by Russia, Austria and Prussia. Warsaw, the capital city of Poland, was under Russian rule at this time and was the largest economic, trade and industrial area of the non-existent country. Krakow was under Austrian rule and later established itself as 'a cradle for artistic, cultural, scientific, political and religious life, becoming the ideal capital of the Polish nation'.

There were many writers, poets and artists living in Krakow, many of them had travelled in Europe so were becoming aware of the modernist cultural trends of the time.
In France, the creation of the poster had just began and was created by Jules Cheret. This followed the invention of colour lithography. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, a French artist, was heavily influenced by the French masters of this new art form and he chose poster design as his new medium of expression. Polish artists also began to create posters, they had connections with the Academy of Fine Arts and were members of the Society of Polish Artists "Sztuka" (meaning Art).

The first Polish poster designs were created in the 1890s by painters such as Jozef Mehoffer, Stanislaw Wyspianski, Karol Frycz, Kazimierz Sichulski and Wojciech Weiss. They were influenced by the Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) and Secessionist (Vienna Secession) Art movements. The posters they painted were art-based and tended to portray announcements of exhibitions, theatre and ballet performances. The work created was very popular and it led to the first International Exposition of the Poster that was held in Krakow in 1898.

The art movements of Art Nouveau, Vienna Secession, Japonism (the study of Japanese Art and artistic talent) and modernist styles such as Cubism are mixed with traditional elements of symbolism and national folklore within poster designs.
Polish posters have their own unique style because they place a high emphasis on the artistic quality of the project, this artistic attitude continued to characterise the Polish poster throughout the 20th century.

https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/01/the-legacy-of-polish-poster-design/

Jozef Mehoffer - Furniture Lottery for Matejko's House (1899)

The use of red and black colours immediately make me think this could be some sort of political statement, although this was before wartime. The typography is bold and capitalised which makes the text almost seem angry. This poster references the floral Art Nouveau movement and possibly Japonism.

Jan Bulas - Symphonic Concert (1910) A poster inspired by Expressionism

I like the realistic style that has been used to draw the plant, I think coloured pencil may have been used. The tones fit well together and the use of a frame helps to separate the text from the image, this works for the purpose because it showcasing the delicacy of a symphony orchestra. This poster references Art Nouveau and Japonism possibly.

Jozef Czajkowski - Interior architecture exhibition (1912)

The flat, block colours and shapes make for a bold looking building. I like the use of a repeat pattern for the grid railing around the architectural structure. The cool and warm colours fit well together to create an atmospheric state. This poster references Vienna Secession in form and Cubism in shape.

Wojciech Jsartzebowski - Swoszowice Health resort near Krakow (1907). A fine example of Japonism

I like the naturalistic image and the balance of warm and cool colours. The typeface style has a nice flow that fits in with the flow of the lake/pond. The poster references Art Nouveau and Japonism.

Kazimierz Sichulski - Contemporary Polish Exhibition of Architecture, Sculpture and Painting (1910)

I think this is the boldest of the posters I have decided to include in this post. The figures appear quite dramatised and are painted in traditional dress. The text is quite thin and carefully positioned in lines. I like the repetition of the women, dress decoration and architectural wall features. This poster references Art Nouveau and possibly Vienna Secession.

The period between the two world wars was the time when Poland was finally put onto maps. Artist, Stefan Norblin, was commissioned to create a series of posters with the purpose of promoting Poland as a tourist resort. Norblin was a painter and he approached creating a poster in the same way he approached creating a painting. He used obvious imagery so that the reader would look at the image before they looked at the text. He used recogniseable forms and silhouettes as well as a neon colour palette. His style can be described as 'an irreal (unreal) atmosphere around familiar objects'. Below are some of his poster designs:

Sale for the poor (1916)

This poster has a limited colour palette that I think works for the subject matter it is exploring. When I think about the word 'poor' I think colourless, or very little colour of a dull shade. Silhouettes have been used to represent the buildings and a bold line is used consistently throughout. This poster references Art Nouveau and possibly Vienna Secession.

Lwow (Lviv) 1928

I really like this poster design. Yellow and black work very well together and the way they tones have been layered on top of each other almost makes it appear like a screen-print. The lime green text stands out against the black but not so much the yellow. This poster references Vienna Secession.

Toy (1933)

This poster design is a little creepy in terms of the subject matter. A toy doll is surrounded by lots of hands that look as if they are trying to grab her. She is immersed within a yellow spotlight as if she is on the stage in the Theatre. The colour palette is mainly warm with the addition of a dramatic black backdrop. The poster references Art Nouveau perhaps in a more dramatic form, it is less decorative and darker.

Poster design appeals to me because it has a purpose in its illustration and text, to promote an event or advertise a product. Polish poster design particularly interests me because it appears to be everywhere, in the University, in public places and in the streets. There are those advertising poles here that you can also find in the streets of the UK, full of posters that quickly get covered up when more get pasted on. An example of one of those poles is below. I look forward to creating my own posters that could perhaps be used to promote Katowice as a good place to visit in Poland as well as create the film posters the drawing studio tutors suggested.

Polish advertising pole in the street - poster for '4 Design Days', an event we may go to tomorrow