Detail View: University Art Galleries (UMassD): A collection of state sponsored Polish 20th century posters

35 YEARS OF POLISH POSTERS

June 9 - October 2, 2011

2011

University Art Gallery (UMass Dartmouth Galleries)

Lasse B. Antonsen

he history of Polish posters goes back more than one hundred and twenty years. Poster art rose to a position of prominence in Poland in the late 19th century where the First International Exhibition of posters took place in Cracow in 1898. From the beginning, and up to the period shortly before World War II, the posters reflected prevailing international and modern trends, including Expressionism, Constructivism and French Art Deco. They were also part of a larger, naturalist, trend of European posters focusing on light-hearted subject matter and a certain celebratory and optimistic rendering of topics that served purposes of general education. After World War II, and after Poland became a Communist puppet state of the Soviet Union in 1945, Socialist Realism, with its depiction of heroic workers and peasants, became the preferred style for public propaganda. Poland, however, had had a long and rich cultural history before World War II -- especially within the fields of theater, poetry and film – and managed to retain much of its originality and artistic integrity during the Communist years, though mostly focusing on imagery and subject matter that tended to be dark and introspective. This artistic freedom remained in place as long as the artists were uncritical of the general political situation and did not focus on the larger social reality. It is the continuation of these strong artistic trends in the other arts that we see reflected in the posters created in the 1970s through the early 1990s, the period many of the posters on display in this exhibition were created, and the period in which the artists included found their voice. Strangely enough, it was the state control of all cultural production that made the flourishing of posters possible. More than 1,000 posters were commissioned every year to promote theater, national and international films, ballet, opera performances, puppet festivals, and other cultural events. Not only were the artists asked to design posters, they were given the freedom to explore the subject matter of the opera or film in an artistic and subjective way. Not surprisingly, that freedom resulted in work that had a generally dark tenor, leaning toward the expression of existential states of fear, isolation and persecution. In that way the posters strangely enough were able to publicly manifest much of what the general population could relate to in terms of a government that ruled though intimidation and terror, through an "all-knowing" secret police. Poland was also a nation that had lived through almost unimaginable suffering during World War II, and wasn't allowed the general capitalist consumer optimism that Western Europe experienced in the post war years (including West Germany). The period of mourning, and the general feeling of loss, was in that way "extended" in Poland, and another reason for the bleak or despairing viewpoint. In recognition of the importance of the unique character of Polish posters, the First International Poster Biennale was held at Warsaw's Zacheta Museum in 1966. Two years later, in 1968, a Polish museum dedicated to the art of the poster opened in the City of Wilanow. Once the Communist regime came to an end in 1990, so did the state sponsorship of posters. International capitalist advertisement was introduced in the country for all consumer goods, including cultural production, but posters were so highly regarded that they continued to be designed and commissioned, though in much smaller numbers, and generally as independent works of art by the most outstanding of the practitioners. We have examples of those posters on view in the exhibition as well. These posters reflect how, under the new market economy, the artist is now to some degree promoting his own vision and style. The posters in the exhibition are from a private collection, and from the collection of the University Art Gallery.

posters

http://www1.umassd.edu/cvpa/universityartgallery/past/2011/polish_posters.cfm

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12006_006b

ephemera - invitation

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UMass Dartmouth Art Galleries

Walkuski Wieslaw

Polish

1956

Born in 1956 in Bialystok, Poland. Between 1976 and 1981 he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. Main professors: Teresa Pagowska - painting and Maciej Urbaniec - graphic design. In 1981 he started to cooperate with a number of publishing houses , theatres as well as Polfilm and Film Polski - film distributors. Since 1987 he has been working as a freelancer. He has published about 200 posters. His prolific body of works includes paintings , artistic posters , illustrations. Lives and works in Warsaw. Major awards: Hollywood Reporter Key Art. Awards, Los Angeles 1st prize 1988 , 2nd prize 1990 Chicago Film Festival 1st prize 1986 , 2nd prize 1983 , 2nd prize 1988 International Poster Biennale , Mexico City 2nd prize 1990 Art. Directors Club , New York 2nd prize 1992 International Biennale of Theatre Poster , Rzeszow , Poland 3rd prize 1993 International Poster Festival , Chaumont , France 3rd prize 1996 International Theatre Poster Competition , Osnabrueck , Germany 3rd prize 1997 Poster competition ( by invitation ) "20th Pope John Paul II Pontificate", Warsaw 1st prize 1998 Biennale of Polish Poster , Katowice , Poland Grand Prix 1997 , 2nd prize 2001

http://www.walkuski.link2.pl/biography.html

Polnar, Boleslaw

Polish

1952

He graduated in Cracow Academy of Art , earning his degree in graphic art in 1977 . Although well endo-wed with all forms of art, it is painting, drawing and poster, Which has become his artistic domain. Being well known in native Poland and abroad, he holds many awards, both domestic and foreign, springing from his rare talent and unique, unpretentious style. He has enjoyed his work being exhibited in galleries and museums long before his graduation from art school. Today, Majority of his work can be found in various private collections thorough Europe and U.S. as well as in some museums.

http://www.bp-atelier.com/index.php?strona=101

Eidrigecvicius, Stasys

Polish

1949

Eidrigevičius graduated from the College of Fine Arts and Crafts in Kaunas in 1968. In 1973, he obtained a diploma from Vilnius Academy of Fine Arts. Since 1980 he has lived in Poland. Eidrigevičius is active in many artistic fields, such as: oil painting, book-plate, book illustration, studio graphics, and photography. He has been interested in posters since 1984.

http://www.eidrigevicius.com/bio.html

Gorowski, Mieczyslaw

Polish

1941

Studied at the Krakow Academy of Fine Arts in years 1959-1966, including: - Interior Architecture - one year, Faculty of Painting under professor Taranczewski - two years, Faculty of Industrial Design under proffessor Andrzej Pawłowski - 3 years. He recived diploma in the Departament of Product and Visual Communication of the Faculty of Industrial Design, Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow in 1966. Right after receiving my M.F.A. diploma I had been employed in the Faculty of Industrial Design as assistant to professor Andrzej Pawłowski. Now, being the professor, I lead a subject Alternative Design with 4th year students at this Faculty. In 1966 I started designing posters, taking an active part in many posters competitions. Received Awards made my believe that perhaps it has been a right choice. Until now 400 posters have been realised.

http://gorowski.prv.pl/

Sadowski, Wiktor

Polish

1956 -

Born 1956 in Oleandry. In 1981 graduated of Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts (diploma under the supervision of prof. Tomaszewski). Specializes in posters and book illustration. Major awards: In 1984 received Gold Medal at 10th International Biennial of Posters in Warsaw; Awards "Best Poster of a Year 1985" and "1986" (Warsaw); Honorary Mention at 6th International Biennial of Posters in Lahti, Finland (1985); 1st and 2nd Prize at Theatre Poster Exhibition in Osnabruck, Germany (1987); Award of the Art Directors Club 69th Annual Exhibition in New York, USA (1990).

http://www.poster.com.pl/sadowski.htm

Rosocha, Wieslaw

Polish

1945

Studied Graphic Design at Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. Taught at Warsaw Academy and operates an independent studio in graphis, art poster, book illustration and drawings.

http://www.rosocha.pl

Starowieyski, Franciszek

Polish

1930

Francis Andrew Bobola Biberstein-Starowieyski born July 8, 1930, in Bratkówce near Krosno in the Carpathian, a noble family coat of arms Biberstein. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow and Warsaw under Wojciech Weiss and Michael Perennials. He practiced drawing, poster (over 250 works), mural painting and stage design. He trained in painting his own style, characterized by, among others, form of a calligraphic drawing precise lines. At the beginning of his artistic career Starowieyski invented the stage name - John Bull. - It was just a political joke - under Stalin came up with the most proletarian name that I could find - said in an interview. By creating their works antedated them about 300 years, because - as he said - the seventeenth century is his favorite period of time. Starowieyski gained popularity in the '60s as the author of theater and film posters. He is also a painter, graphic, stage sets and television. He is the creator of so-called. Drawing Theatre. Repeatedly exhibited in galleries and museums in Poland, Austria, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Canada, Switzerland, USA, Italy and others. He has won many awards, including the Grand Prix at the Biennale of Contemporary Art in Sao Paulo (1973), Grand Prix for a film poster for the Cannes Film Festival (1974), the Grand Prix at the International Festival in Paris (1975), Annual Key Award Hollywood Reporter newspaper (1975-1976), prize at the International Poster Biennale in Warsaw and at the International Film Festival in Chicago (1979-1982).

http://wiadomosci.onet.pl/kraj/zmarl-franciszek-starowieyski,1,3497440,wiadomosc.html

A collection of state sponsored Polish 20th century posters

design- graphic design - poster

20th century

AC