NAJLEPSI POLSCY ILUSTRATORZY THE BEST POLISH ILLUSTRATORS posters artists

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THE ROADS AND CROSSROADS OF THE POLISH POSTER Text: Grzegorz J. Budnik (translation: Agnieszka Nowosad)

Political transformations which occurred in the late 1980s and early 1990s had a significant outcome in the form of changes in the economic and social life of Polish society as well as in Polish culture. The changes have also been visible in the area of graphic design as well as artistic activity related to poster. The poster before changes and after them is, in fact, two different phenomena.

The Polish school of posters is one of the phenomena of Polish art of the period Labour Protection, the Polish Airlines LOT, the Tourist Information Centre, Orbis, the frames of which are marked by the events connected with the political Moda Polska, Polski Len, the Polish Fishing Association, Totalizator Sportowy, thaw in 1956 and the social opposition in 1980 together with further results the Polish Red Cross as well as many state theatres and publishing houses. in the form of martial law (1981‒1983) and political changes after 1989. Huge demand for posters as well as no interference in the artistic form, The social unrest in Poznań in 1956 finished with a change in the position provided that the content did not pose any danger for the political system of of the first secretary of the Polish United Workers’ Party. It was Władysław the country, created good conditions for Polish poster artists and enabled Gomułka, who, analogically to the position of Nikita Khrushchev, the first them to release from the traditional relations occurring between an ordering secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, significantly limited party and a contractor in situations where capital economy was functioning. the repressive actions in implementation of the communist system. In the A huge area of artistic autonomy released the artists from pressure of the culture area, censorship was released for a certain period and artists had ordering parties as regards the artistic form of posters, pressure imposed more freedom to take decisions as regards the means of artistic expression. by the assumed marketing objectives and the adopted strategies of obtaining Polish artists rejected the Social Realism, which was dogmatic as regards profits. Artists were able to create works fulfilling their artistic aspirations. context and devoid of any authentic influence, and started creating works The poster became an individualised artefact through which the personality reflecting the contemporary artistic tendencies of Western Europe focused of a graphic artist could be revealed. It was transferred from the area of mainly around the French expressive abstractionism, including the allusive applied art into the area of pure art. Such a combination of favourable abstraction and informel. conditions created the foundation of the phenomenon known as the Polish school of posters. The Polish poster, looking for its artistic language and means of conveying content through image in the late 1950s, reached its final shape in the In the 1960s and 1970s, the Polish poster was developing based on the next decade. New political authorities, having noticed the propaganda experience of Polish arts. It reflected the artistic orientations typical for ineffectiveness of the art related to Social Realism, were favourable towards them. For obvious reasons, the poster referred to these trends in Polish new artistic formulas undertaken by young artists. With a view to using painting, drawing and workshop graphics which, due to the figurative the outburst of artistic potential, the institutional framework was established system of imaging, were fit to conveying contents in a manner expected for further development of Polish art, also in the area of graphic design from the poster. including poster. The artistic language of the propaganda poster of the first two post-war In 1955, Wydawnicto Artystyczno-Graficzne (the Arts and Graphics Publishing decades (Tadeusz Gronowski, Lucjan Jagodziński, Helena and Juliusz Krajewski, House) was established, which started to publish “Projekt” – a bimonthly Konstanty Maria Sopoćko, Tadeusz Trepkowski and Włodzimierz Zakrzewski) undertaking the theoretical issues of interest for Polish design graphics. In 1968, was discredited and, thus, devoid of any carrying capacity. On the other the Poster Museum was opened in Wilanów as a branch of the National Museum hand, the tradition of the advertising poster of the interwar period with in Warsaw. The institution was supposed to record the artistic achievements its specific decorative character (Tadeusz Gronowski, Jan Mucharski and of Polish poster artists. Regular exhibitions, organised from 1965 as a part of Konstanty Maria Sopoćko) was already anachronic in the new era. Neither the Polish Poster Biennial in Katowice and from 1966 as a part of the International did anyone want to refer to the tradition of Polish avant-garde connected with Poster Biennial in Warsaw, were devoted to presentation of what was happening the Constructivists (Henryk Berlewi, Henryk Stażewski, Władysław Strzemiński, in poster art. Poster artists were commissioned by many state institutions related Mieczysław Szczuka and Teresa Żarnowerówna) due to the emerging negative to culture, industry and administration. They performed orders for the Arts and attitudes towards geometric abstraction although, still in the 1960s, a return Graphics Publishing House, the “Agpol” Foreign Trade Publishing House, the Polish to this system of imaging could be observed, yet in accordance with the new Film, the Centre of Film Rental, the Central Bureau of Art Exhibitions, the Polish formula assuming the role of an emotional factor in the rational system of Jazz Association, the Polish Foreign Trade Chamber, the Central Institute of creation and receipt (op-art, post-paintery abstraction and minimal art). In the 1960s, i.e. at the time when the Polish poster began to obtain its mature The third artistic trend which influenced the Polish poster of the 1960s artistic form, the expressive abstractionism lost its significance and was and 1970s was pop-art, mostly connected with the American and British replaced by the movements returning to figurativeness (neo-figurative art, environment. Pop-art was a reaction to the expressive and elitist art of pop-art and hyperrealism) as well as movements turning towards geometric the expressive abstractionism. It juxtaposed this art with the art easy in receipt, abstractionism (op-art, post-paintery abstraction and minimal art). Moreover, referring to the commercialised social expectations, the interests, sensitivity the movement appeared combining the forms of artistic expression from and imagination shaped by the standards of mass culture. The objects of various areas of art (environment, happening and conceptualism). While interest of the pop-art version of posters were mass-produced objects of geometric abstraction and conceptualism did not have any significant influence daily use or personality models created by mass culture – pop-cultural idols. on the Polish poster, the artistic systems of neo-figurative art and pop-art The imaging used elements of advertisements, photography and comics. As as well as the surrealist painting tradition were adapted by Polish poster regards the selection of the means of expression, except for manual activities, artists. The influence of hyperrealism and geometric abstractionism can be photomontage, collage, serigraphy and mixed techniques (combine painting) noticed to a lesser extent. were used. Introduction of purely functional objects into composition and artistic affirmation of the existing elements of reality were a reference Neo-figurative art was a reaction to the progressive process of dehuman­ to the tradition of dadaism. It is from dadaism that pop-art took the type of isation of civilisation and culture. It undertook the problem matter of dangers artistic activity which involved levelling of “the seriousness” of the artistic resulting from civilisation changes caused by the development of industry, form. A typical feature of the pop-art poster trend is resignation from sublime technology and science. As a protest against the transformations, the artists aesthetic values, frequently elimination of the element of individualism and connected with this trend postulated a return of art to a human being as its replacement with the type of creation devoid of any features of manual regards content (the human figure understood as the main theme) as well as activity with a reduced or even eliminated texture, a smoothly laid colour, creation and perception (the artistic form comprehended as the emotional acting through a synthesised image form brought to the role of a sign intended record of the artist’s perception of human existence problems as well as for quick perception analogical to quick consumption. adjustment of the artistic form to the cognitive abilities of the viewer and using of such means of expression which involve the viewer emotionally). The Polish poster did not, actually, accept the pop-art formula rejecting as The new figuration, although it returned to topicality, did not want to use a whole the subjective method of imaging, impersonal and passively using anecdote, illusion within the meaning of realism from the previous century. the common forms of communication. A closer concept here was adaptation, The visual thinking was based on the expressive and metaphoric system by an artist, of the elements of mass culture – artistically transformed and of presentation. The climate of grotesque and macabre emanating from interpreted. The Polish poster, referring to pop-art, looking for modern systems presentations of neo-figurative artists, was genetically derived from the of communication and perception of reality within it, breaking the previous tradition of expressionist painting, dadaism and surrealism. This manner artistic tradition through free mixing of conventions and destroying of habits, of imaging was mainly adopted by the main trend in Polish poster and undertook the discussion with modern civilisation. The image motif and remained alive until the 1980s and 1990s in the posters of the painting the manner of its artistic solution, sometimes based on a convention close and metaphoric trend saturated with macabre, turpism and sexualism. to neo-dada derision, were supposed to create a certain form of a mirror where the contemporary society could look at itself. Other artistic trends to which the Polish poster referred and which fit in the metaphoric system of imaging included metaphysical painting, To a small extent, the Polish poster was influenced by the geometric abstract figurative and non-figurative trends in surrealism as well as dadaism. art, op-art and conceptualism. The artistic activities directed towards a pure Within the area of these artistic references, it is also necessary to point form, breaking up with the concept of theme art and art entering, to a certain to the connections with symbolism. A specific sentiment to this artistic extent, into a relationship with the reality perceived by the senses, intellectually tradition, developing in the 1920s but still alive in the 1960s or even later, involving a viewer in the artistic structure, its internal logic and relations seemed to be useful for some Polish poster artists. An interest in this between the function and the artistic form as difficult in perception for wider imaging convention stemmed from the belief that the manner of imaging social circles, were, according to most artists, not suitable for being used based on the use of traditional means of expression and metaphor did not in a poster. The exceptions include posters and graphic designs of Wojciech pose any significant perceptive problems to viewers. The attractiveness Pluta remaining under the influence of the artistic creativity of Ryszard Otręba. was also the result of the area of content interests – referring to the sphere of dreams as the area where a human being feels unhampered and free A significant part in shaping of the Polish school of posters was played from the pressure exerted by modern political and social systems. In by Henryk Tomaszewski (born in 1914) and Józef Mroszczak (born in 1910). the ideological sense, the metaphysical and surrealist trend, similarly In 1952, they started teaching at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts. The first to neo-figurative art, focused on the humanistic aspect of culture and of the above mentioned began to run the Poster Studio and the second one the dangers resulting from civilisation changes. the Propaganda Graphics Design Studio. Except for the above mentioned ones, it is worth mentioning Eryk Lipiński The growing tension between the state authorities of the People’s Republic of (born in 1908) although the latter one was not involved in educational activity. Poland and most of the society, resulting in a wave of unrest and strikes in 1980, Nevertheless, he was the initiator, curator and participant of the 1st International the martial law in the period 1981‒1983 and the parliamentary elections held Poster Biennial in Warsaw in 1966. In the 1950s, the professional activity was in 1989 significantly changed the political, economic and social situation in undertaken by design graphic artists born in the third and fourth decade Poland. Such transformations occurred not only in Poland but also in the whole of the 20th century. This group included those connected with the Warsaw area of Central and Eastern Europe. Academy of Fine Arts: Wojciech Fangor, Jerzy Jaworowski, Jan Młodożeniec (the student of Henryk Tomaszewski), Julian Pałka (the student of Józef Mroszczak In the period of political and social turbulence, the poster art activity was and Jan Cybis) and Franciszek Starowieyski (the student of Michał Bylina). commenced by Piotr Młodożeniec and Wiktor Sadowski leaving the studio of At the same time, the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow was finished by Roman Henryk Tomaszewski as well as Wiesław Wałkuski connected with the studio of Cieślewicz (the student of Jerzy Karolak and Maciej Makarewicz) and Wiktor Maciej Urbaniec at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. The studio of Waldemar Górka (the student of Jerzy Karolak), whereas the Faculty of Graphics in Katowice Świerzy in the Sate Higher School of Arts in Poznań was then left by Lex Drewinski of the same academy – by Waldemar Świerzy, the student of Józef Mroszczak and Eugeniusz Skorwider, whereas Ryszard Kaja left the painting studio of Norbert as well as Tadeusz Grabowski and Zenon Moskwa connected with the studio of Skupniewicz also functioning in this school. Among graduates of the State Bogusław Górecki. Jerzy Flisak and Jan Lenica, belonging to the same age group, Higher School of Arts in Łodź there were Michał Batory (the studio of Bogusław completed their studies at the Faculty of Architecture of Warsaw University of Balicki) and Sławomir Kosmynka (the typography studio of Krzysztof Lenk and Technology. Not much later, the artistic activity was initiated by the students of the painting studio of Stanisław Fijałkowski), whereas Tomasz Bogusławski Henryk Tomaszewski connected with the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw – Maciej was connected with the Gdańsk school as the student of Marek Freudenreich Urbaniec, Stanisław Zagórski, Janusz Stanny and Bronisław Zelek. and Witold Janowski.

In the late 1950s, the following students of Andrzej Rudziński from the Warsaw The 1980s and even the subsequent decade brought the primacy of the painting Academy of Fine Arts began their artistic activity: Tadeusz Pietrzyk, Karol Śliwka and metaphoric trend in posters, saturated with melancholy, darkness, terror and Andrzej Zbrożek as well as Zenon Januszewski connected with the studio of and turpism. As regard the methods of visualisation characteristic for this Józef Mroszczak. At the beginning of the subsequent decade, they were joined trend, there are forms built with soft plasticity, frequently sfumato enshrouded by Andrzej Bertrandt, Leszek Hołdanowicz, Andrzej Krajewski and Rosław Szaybo, or presented in a tenebristic convention, dim colours and richness of image studying at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, as well as Gerard Labus and metaphors. The above mentioned features create a suggestive, emotional aura Marek Mosiński connected with the studio of Bogusław Górecki at the Faculty of the posters of this trend drawing from symbolism, metaphysical painting of Graphics in Katowice of the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. and surrealism. It should in particular be associated with the art of Stasys Eidrigevicius, Wiktor Sadowski and Wiesław Wałkuski. A slightly different form In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the next generation of artists born in the 1940s of imaging was adopted by Michał Batory and Tomasz Bogusławski. Using macro came into prominence: the students of Maciej Urbaniec from the State Higher photography, strong frame as well as photomontage and collage techniques, School of Arts in Wrocław: Jan Jaromir Aleksiun, Jerzy Czerniawski, Jan Sawka they showed, in a manner close to the tradition of dadaism and neo-dadaism, and Eugeniusz Get-Stankiewicz, as well as those connected with the State the elements taken from reality, deprived of their natural contexts, subject Higher School of Arts in Poznań: Tadeusz Piskorski and the student of Waldemar to artistic processing, thanks to which the metaphysical mystery was brought Świerzy – Grzegorz Marszałek. The Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw was then out shaping the poetic and surreal dimension of the presented world. finished by the students of Henryk Tomaszewski: Andrzej Dudziński, Andrzej Klimowski, Cyprian Kościelniak, Lech Majewski, Wiesław Rosocha and Mieczysław The anticommunist opposition connected with the “Solidarity” Independent Wasilewski. The following artists were connected with the Academy of Fine Self-governing Trade Union as well as social movements of the type of Wrocław Arts in Krakow: Władysław Pluta – the student of Ryszard Otręba and Piotr Orange Alternative, contesting the political and social situation in the 1980s in Kunce – the student of Maciej Makarewicz and Włodzimierz Kunz, whereas their own way, introduced a new kind of message into the public space, based the following were connected with the Katowice branch of this academy: on hastily, lopsidedly shaped image signs and lettering elements painted on Tomasz Jura and Michał Kliś – the students of Tadeusz Grabowski. walls with the use of hand applied paint or a stencil or distributed on small sheets prepared with a duplication technique. This type of expression turned The late 1970s may be connected with the professional activation of Roman out to have an extremely powerful influence. Thus, in the 1990s, this type Kalarus – the student of Tadeusz Grabowski, a graduate of the Faculty of Graphics of communication was extraordinarily popular. It was also undertaken in in Katowice of the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow; Leszek Żebrowski – the student street art and graffiti activities imitating, then, also the American patterns. of Jerzy Krechowicz from the State Higher School of Arts in Gdańsk as well as Such a model of public visual expression was not solely connected with Andrzej Pągowski and Leszek Wiśniewski – students of Waldemar Świerzy from subcultures but also characterised the activity of young people from outside the State Higher School of Arts in Poznań. the subcultures demonstrating their objection against the new political and social reality not accepted by them. An example here might be the activities of to Lex Drewinski, a mirror reflection of contemporary reality with its complicated the Warsaw “Pinokio” group in the late 1990s, later continued by the “Twożywo” network of contexts and undertones connected with daily daily existence. group after 1998. Another artist opposing the painting and metaphoric trend is Eugeniusz The formal imaging solutions of the above mentioned protest movements entered Skorwider. His aim is to shape the forms with the use of economical means the poster and a noticeable example of this is the art of Piotr Młodożeniec. Hand influencing a viewer through a message condensed in an internally coherent sketched image and lettering elements were obviously none of a novelty in structure devoid of excessive expressiveness. Tension is built not through the Polish poster. They had already appeared in the art of Wojciech Fangor, Jerzy a system of mimetic reproduction of the reality but through purely artistic Flisak, Tadeusz Grabowski, Roman Kalarus, Michał Kliś, Jan Młodożeniec, Andrzej qualities. He adapts some elements from reality, subjects them to transformation Pągowski, Franciszek Starowieyski, Henryk Tomaszewski and many other poster and, simultaneously, situating them in a new artistic space, makes them artists. However, in this case, we are not dealing with a procedure of an artistic obtain different connotations. What we have here is an artistic procedure and expressive nature, but rather a consistently evoked type of expession in originating in dadaism. The difference, however, is that these adapted elements posters borrowed from spontaneous systems of street communication of the 1980s of the reality (ready objects) are subject to radical processing changing and 1990s. The artists adopt this visual language code being fully aware that them into signs of what they used to be and, simultaneously, into signs of it is the system of “living” street expression. This is their way of building real the concepts which these elements were supposed to designate. connections between a poster artefact and the environment to which this artefact refers and about which it wants to “talk”. This significant change in In the 1990s, the artistic activity was commenced by the students of Mieczysław the approach to the poster, which more frequently feels the need to talk, first of Wasilewski – Wojciech Korkuć and Marcin Władyka as well as the student of all, about the social, moral and civilisation reality instead of political or cultural Lech Majewski – Ryszard Kajzer, all connected with the Academy of Fine Arts in events, is revealed in various ways and in many systems of imaging undertaken Warsaw. The Krakow Academy of Fine Arts was, then, completed by the student of by poster artists from the generation of Piotr Młodożeniec and younger ones. Piotr Kuncy – Wiesław Gregorczyk, whereas Mirosław Adamczyk left the studio of Waldemar Świerzy in the Poznań State Higher School of Arts. On the other hand, Fascination with banality and absurdity of every-day reality, careful observation Artur Skowroński graduated from the studios of Halina Pawlikowska and Jan of common motifs, glorification of what is trivial, stereotypical and kitschy Jaromir Aleksiun in the Wrocław State Higher School of Arts. This decade also – this is the main sphere of artistic references in the posters of Ryszard Kaja. witnessed the beginning of the artistic activity of Rafał Olbiński – a student He uses a “sketch” language but does not forget, simultaneously, about the of the Faculty of Architecture of Warsaw University of Technology, who, in sublime artistic value of the visual form in the undertaken decisions. He does 1981, moved to Paris and, a year later, to the United States. There, he taught at not reject any typical painting or drawing methods of work. His aim is to make the School of Visual Art in New York and Tyler School of Art at Temple University the colour structure, built on a monochromatic scale, faded and suppressed, in Philadelphia. Then, his artistic activity within the scope of poster, painting shape a subtle mood emanating with something like mellowness. His works, and drawing began to gain common recognition around the world. although referring to the external world, are, in fact, the artist’s reflexions connected with perception of this world. Out of the above mentioned group of artists, Wiesław Grzegorczyk and Rafał Olbiński are the ones connected with the painting and metaphoric trend. Wiesław A completely different system of imaging may be noticed in the art of Lex Grzegorczyk looks for sources of artistic inspiration in the art of the old times: Drewinski. He uses “pictograms” taken from common contemporary systems of medieval art, Italian Renaissance, Spanish, Flemish and Dutch Baroque, French visual identification. He transforms them artistically, reinterprets, freely mixes 18th century art, symbolism, Viennese secession, art déco as well as many conventions and destroys habits. Subjecting them to artistic transformations, other styles, trends and movements. His posters are a paraphrase, a pastiche he shows, with neo-dada humour, a wider social and anthropological context of the cultural legacy inherited from the past. These references are not only functioning in the mass culture of images based on visual systems of political, visible in relating to stylistic codes, but are also revealed in creative penetration social or ideological pressure. of the cultural abundance of allegories, symbols and metaphors, the carriers of meanings imposed by culture, additionally endowed with new author’s contents. A return to image elements reduced to artistic signs is also characteristic for Rafał Olbiński is inspired with figurative surrealism, metaphysical painting, the art of Sławomir Kosmynka referring to the tradition of interwar avant-garde Pre-Raphaelites and Italian Quattrocento painting. The world presented in his and abstract art of the late 20th century. The artist “constructs” his posters, uses works is imaginary, poetic reality taken from the area of dreams. This world of simplified artistic elements, often multiplies them and combines into complex classic beauty charms, but is also intriguing and provoking. The magic space structures. He avoids expressive means of expression and emotions, rather involves the viewers, attracts their senses with ideal beauty and, simultaneously, tries to refer to the rational sphere of the viewers, playing on their associative surprises with ambiguity of meaning of the presented motifs – for, even if sensitivity. In the “abstract” artistic code as well as in the iconic layer taken the theme is presented in a serious manner, a certain frivolous aura emanates from the visual systems common in our reality, he wants to include, similarly from it, complicating the interpretation traces. A wide spectrum of artistic means is used by Wojciech Korkuć – except for typical political authorities and the economy-related environment considered arts “easel” techniques, he uses drawing, graphics, photography and photomontage. In and graphic design, similarly to other areas of culture, as elements of the free many of his works, composition is very simple, even ascetic, whereas in others, capital market and, thus, their further development was supposed to be based the system of imaging is of anecdotal nature with multiplicity of elements on principles of free market play. The state activity within the scope of artistic entering complicated relations based on poetics related to surrealism. Posters patronage became radically weaker. Undertaking the attempts at systemic of this artist are emotional, sometimes perverse, funny, ironic, muckraking, involvement of the state in activities supporting contemporary culture may only critical and always “involved”. be noticed in 2004. It was then that, upon the initiative of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Bogdan Zdrojewski, a national programme was lunched A compromising attitude between the painting and metaphoric trend and supporting and stimulating the artistic life through creation of a collection of the “pictographic” one is represented by Mirosław Adamczyk. He uses visual contemporary art as a part of sixteen specialised museums scattered around minimalism based on laconic, synthetic artistic signs and a moderate colour the country and located in the most important culturally-active urban centres. structure. The iconographic sphere, on the other hand, is a metaphoric message The programme planned for the years 2004‒2013 was only implemented partially. frequently containing some anecdotal punch line and acting, simultaneously, upon the area of the viewer’s loose associations. Design graphic artists had to enter into tighter relations with the ordering parties, listen more carefully to their expectations and perform works in accordance with A huge freedom of artistic gesture is characteristic for posters of Ryszar Kajzer. the requirements. These requirements not only covered the content message but He uses artistic forms with a huge expressive load, built with a sketching line also, more frequently, the selection of the artistic language. Pressure of the ordering duct or vigorous colour patches. In his works, there is freshness, laconism and parties upon the content of the message and the artistic form resulted from simplicity of quick shaping of the message characteristic for “street art”. the assumed marketing objectives. Graphic design understood by the ordering parties was supposed to be an activity not in the area of culture, but rather economy The artists clearly cutting off from the metaphoric and painting trend is Marcin and business. Design graphic artists stood on the crossroads. They had to adjust Władyka. He breaks up with the concept of a poster understood as an artistically to the market requirements posed for graphic design in the altered reality of liberal attractive message based on a metaphorical system of imaging. He values formal economy, yet this created a danger that their activity in the design sphere will asceticism and compositional discipline. Transformed into simple graphic signs, become “shallower” as a result of an increasingly stronger pressure of low taste, the visual and typographic elements shape an explicit message intellectually specifically perceived stylistic correctness, the primacy of message “legibility” provoking the viewer. understood in a peculiar manner as well as the dictatorship of the so called prettiness demanded by the market. The second method of solving the existing Artur Skowroński’s posters are cleared of emotions, expression and manual problem was undertaking of independent design activities by graphic artists aspects; they are cool and analytical in the choice of the means of artistic as a part of self editon. This type of attitude, although it guaranteed retaining expression and development of the visual form, subject to synthesis, which of the independence of selecting the type of imaging and means of artistic changes it into signs – the carriers of contents encapsulated in a visual short-cut. expression, cut off from the roots of graphic design, i.e. its relationship with In a succinct manner void of coquetry, at times with an inclination for the pure the specific social and economic reality. The intermediate choice was not an decorative value, the artist presents his own point of view on the contemporary easy one and not each graphic artist was successful at it. social, political and cultural reality. The above described changes also referred to the poster. The former freedom The above mentioned directions of creative search of the last two decades of within the scope of artistic language from the period of Polish school of posters the 20th century occurred in the uneasy times for the poster. Some of the poster was significantly limited not really by censorship but rather by the market of artists, looking for better working conditions, left Poland at that time. This was the ordering parties. Almost all elements of the „environment” that it used done by Rafał Olbiński, as it was mentioned above. Poland was also left by: Danuta to function in, changed. Bagińska, Michał Batory, Krzysztof M. Bednarski, Lex Drewinski, Andrzej Klimowski, Andrzej Krajewski and Leszek Wiśniewski. Roman Cieślewicz, Andrzej Dudziński A rapid increase in the pace of life resulted in the street becoming, to a lesser extent, and Rosław Szaybo emigrated a bit earlier. There were also opposite situations, the space where people moved on feet. The result of vehicle traffic domination was although this happened sporadically. In 1980, Stasys Eidrigevicius – the artist of that the traditional scale of image messages based on the B1 format (100x70 cm) Lithuanian origin, came to live in Poland. He was only granted the Polish citizenship was no longer useful. Thus, marketing activities began to focus on advertisements in 1996. Nevertheless, his artistic work entered permanently the heritage of of a much greater scale carried by billboards or mega-scale posters. Polish contemporary culture. The street space controlled in the socialist system period, after transformation, Together with the collapse of socialist political systems, the economy typical for was subject to pressure related to rationing of the available space. The image and countries of the former Eastern Block was transformed into capitalism. The new content information carriers placed within its space began to compete with each other through scale. Moreover, the possibility of free location of information was the “image” representation on a computer screen becomes more important than limited by the right of ownership of a given fragment of space. As a consequence, the image itself with its complex morphological structure constituting mainly the public space was seized by large-sized carriers of commercial or political the basis being a carrier of artistic values. information operating with a content slogan or an image banal. The complicated situation for Polish graphic design, including poster, in the last The film poster ceased to exist. It was replaced with ready placards prepared twenty years of the 20th century began to change in the first decade of this by film producers and presenting a selected frame with exposed main actors, who century. The community of professional design graphic artists got together, which were supposed to “attract” viewers to the cinema. Undoubtedly, the individualised resulted in the establishment of the Association of Applied Graphic Designers in concept, presenting the potential audience with the ideological and artistic sense 2004. From 2001, a quarterly magazine “2+3D” devoted to applied graphics and of the film with the use of artistic means was not within the sphere of interest of industrial design was published. Unfortunately, it was only issued until December film producers and distributors. In response to this situation, an alternative version 2006. The magazine was as important for modern graphic design as the “Projekt” of film posters appeared, which was prepared as self edition. These posters do not, magazine for the Polish school of posters and the contemporary applied design. however, function in their natural environment, in the real space connected with The Poster Museum in Wilanów – a branch of the National Museum in Warsaw, the cinema, but are a kind of an artistic response to a commercial film poster is still functioning. Significant collections of posters are owned by all National intended for completely different reality. There was still the theatre and opera poster, Museums and several Modern Art Centres. There are also private galleries engaged but it only functioned within a very narrow area of influence related to theatre in gathering, popularisation and sale of Polish contemporary posters. These and opera buildings and their closest surrounding where information carriers include e.g. the Krakow Polish Poster Gallery run by Krzysztof Dydo and Ewa presenting the current repertoire are placed. Pabis, the Wrocław Poster Gallery and the Poster Gallery of Dariusz Zgutka and Włodzimierz Orzeł located in the building of the University Library in Warsaw. The assumption that graphic design, including poster, is the same element of building marketing strategies as non-artistic activities as well as the change in the character Presentation of what is currently happening in the area of poster art is provided of the street and the related transformations in the manner of functioning of by the well-known Polish Poster Biennial in Katowice and the International Poster public messages were not the only external factors which influenced the poster. Biennial in Warsaw as well as younger regular events such as: the International Poster Biennial in Bielsko-Biała, the Krakow Poster Festival, the Barbakan Advertising A very important, or even the most significant, reason was transformation of Poster Festival in Krakow, the International Social and Political Poster Biennial in communication systems. A progressing development of technology related Oświęcim, the International Theatre Poster Biennial in Rzeszów and the PLASTER to the Internet and, in particular, its sudden spread in the 1990s and the following Poster and Typography Festival in Toruń. decade resulted in changes within the scope of information transfer techniques and the language of communication. The Internet has taken the position of the main Polish poster artists also take part in national reviews as well as participate and medium used for communication in modern world and is gradually superseding achieve significant success in the most important world poster presentations: the traditional media: press, television and radio. Great hope is also vested in International Biennial of Poster in Bolivia, International Poster and Graphic Design the Internet as regards building of new marketing strategies. The Internet is, Festival in Chaumont, Chicago International Poster Biennial, Colorado International finally, the area of a relatively free exchange of information, thoughts and ideas. Invitational Poster Exhibition in Fort Collins, China International Poster Biennial It began to perform the function of public space – “a virtual street” replacing in Hangzhou, Lahti Poster Triennial, International Poster Exhibition in Leipzig, The former squares and streets of traditional urban structures. Poster Festival Ljubljana, International Poster Biennial in Mexico, International Poster Triennial in Toyama, Shenzhen International Poster Festival, International Development of digital technologies, digital photography, digital image pro­cess­ing Triennial of The Political Poster in Mons, International Triennial of Stage Poster – Sofia, software as well as common access through the Internet to the reservoir of “images” International Biennial of Posters in the Islamic World in Tehran, Trnava Poster created by civilisation led to certain egalitarianisation of the creation process Triennial and International Poster Triennial Ekoplagát in Zilina. and promulgation of the feeling of self-sufficiency in graphic design, which, as a consequence, gave rise to the belief that professional graphic designers The late 20th and early 21st century is the time of the actual generation change. It is are unnecessary. Ready “image” specimens available in the Internet and tools the period when the artistic activity of the classics of Polish poster of the late 20th for image processing acquired for free resulted in the fact that what used century began to subside. This is when the following artists deceased: Gerard to constitute an authentic artistic domain was quickly taken over, reproduced Labus (died in 1988), Eryk Lipiński (died in 1991), Zenon Moskwa (died in 1992), and commercialised. A new system of “image” processing and its common Roman Cieślewicz (died in 1996), Marek Mosiński (died in. 1998), Jan Młodożeniec availability blur the boundaries between an artist and a viewer, a material and (died in 2000), Jan Lenica (died in 2001), Wiktor Górka (died in 2004), Henryk a product as well as pose a danger of unification of the imaging systems and Tomaszewski (died in 2005), Franciszek Starowieyski (died in 2009), Jerzy Flisak rejection of originality as an important aesthetic category. Digital processing and (died in 2008), Waldemar Świerzy (died in 2013) and Wojciech Fangor (died in its use in the Internet also result in the fact that, within the scope of perception, 2015). Józef Mroszczak died earlier (in 1975). Their place was taken by the younger generation in the late 1970s and the 1980s. Still other methods of imaging are characteristic for Patryk Mogilnicki, Grzegorz In the first decade of this century, the artistic activity, also in the area of poster, was Domaradzki, Kaja Renkas and Bartosz Kosowski. Minimalism combined with dim, undertaken by artists connected with the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts – Małgorzata melancholic colours as well as a certain type of geometrisation and stylistic Gurowska from the studio of Rafał Strent and Edgar Bąk from the studio of Lech references to retro are revealed in many works of Patryk Mogilnicki. Grzegorz Majewski. The studio of Roman Kalarus in the Katowice Academy of Fine Arts Domaradzki, reaching to various artistic conventions: academism, symbolism, was completed by Sebastian Kubica (it was then still the branch of the Krakow secession and pop-art, shapes his recognisable style, sometimes nostalgic Academy of Fine Arts), Stefan Lechwar, Kaja Renkas, Michał Sitek and Monika and dark, sometimes – with a developed pure decoration value and sometimes Starowicz. The following artists graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk: – cool, factual and journalistic. The works of Kaja Renkas done in a grotesque and Joanna Górska and Jerzy Skakun (the students of Janusz Górski), Krakow – Łukasz macabre mood derived from surrealism show a stylistic similarity to the works Kliś (the student of Barbara Suszczyńska-Rąpalska), Łódź – Krzysztof Iwański of Ryszard Kaja. The artist uses various image motifs from the past painting (the student of Andrzej Smoczyński) and Bartosz Kosowski (the student of Krzysztof tradition as well as old photos, graphics and postcards, which, once being Wawrzyniak), Poznań – Grzegorz Domaradzki (the student of Tadeusz Jackowski scanned, are assembled into new formal and iconographic combinations. Except and Marek Zaborowski), Patryk Mogilnicki (the student of Lucjan Mianowski) and for computer techniques, she uses the means of artistic expression typical for Maja Wolna (the student of Zbigniew Lutomski). The studio of Sławomir Janiak at drawing, painting and graphics. The characteristic colouring dominated by fading, the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń was completed by Nikodem Pręgowski. steel-silver or sepia colour schemes brings to mind the mood of bygone, coloured, It was in the same period that the artistic activity was initiated by the artists old photographs and postcards. The artistic medium of Bartosz Kosowski’s style connected with the Warsaw community – Jan Kallwejt and Dawid Ryski, who did is a delicate line with a peaceful, even beautiful duct, sometimes subtly winding not study at any art academy, but their artistic achievements enjoyed huge interest. and, on other occasions, bringing out of the presented element, in the simplest manner, what is most important in the artistic sense. The decorative and lyrical Among the youngest Polish poster artists, who began their professional life in quality of his posters is emphasised by subtly washed glazed colour delicately the current decade, it is worth mentioning Wojciech Domagalski, Jan Bajtlik and vibrating, with peaceful pastel synchronisations of the faded colours. Łukasz Kowalski from the studio of Lech Majewski at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Ola Niepsuj from the studio of Sławomir Kosmynka at the Academy Jan Bajtlik, one of the youngest poster artists, uses a strongly synthesised visual of Fine Arts in Łódź and Piotr Depta-Kleśta from the studio of Leszek Żebrowski form with drawings, often in a simplistic primitive style that is close to children’s at the Academy of Fine Arts in Szczecin. artistic expression. Piotr Depta-Kleśta strives at purifying the essential artistic form, ridding it of unwanted ornaments and eliminating the excessive content The tendency to operate with simple, minimalist forms with the use of strong, layer with the use of traditional manual or graphic techniques. He seeks primary synthetic signs is represented by Małgorzata Gurowska, Łukasz Kliś, Stefan art signs, reaching down to the rudiments of the language of arts – abstract Lechwar and Monika Starowicz. Rooted in the tradition of constructivist avant- or nearly abstract geometric forms delivering artistic message in a simple, garde of the interwar period, the manner of approaching the synthesis of visual yet suggestive manner. Many of his works are based on methods of imaging form involving avoidance of manual means of expression as well as the use of rooted in the area of visual identification systems. Łukasz Kowalski constructs composition rigour, which results in the composition being “constructed” is flat, decorative, and single-tone structures using the simplest artistic elements, characteristic for the works of Edgar Bąk. On the other hand, Krzysztof Iwański, i.e. lines or dots resembling halftone images. Close relationship of the form reaching to the tradition of Bauhaus, constructivism and neoplasticism, tries with the surface, resignation from constructing spatial illusions and cleaning to combine creatively the construction rigour with the expressive valour of the presented motive of blatant meanings create an autonomous world of form and, thus, dynamism and striving towards getting control of it through almost pure decoration. a compositional balance coexist in his works. A system of imaging typical for him is based on a complex artistic relation stretched around such opposing Light and sketch-like manner of building forms, which seems to be done by hand, qualities as limitation and geometricality, singularity and multiplicity, tension as well as reaching to artistic systems of physical Cubism, anti-mimetic surrealism and calmness, distraction and striving towards restoring the balance. and street art form a recognisable code of Ola Niepsuj’s artistic expression. The posters of Wojciech Domagalski oscillate between silence and a delicate A different approach to synthesis with retaining of the manual system of movement of matter. Many of his works are almost “pure” backgrounds, which shaping with the use of expressive sketching forms drawn with a thick line exist in subtle pulsing. They reveal microscopic ideograms or simple forms, of a spontaneous duct is typical for the activities of Sebastian Kubica and drawn with quick movements, which are an emanation of formal and iconic Maja Wolna. Homework (Joanna Górska & Jerzy Skakun), Jan Kallwejt, Nikodem creation getting from the surface. The artist also creates works using simple Pręgowski, Michał Sitek and Dawid Ryski, with their individualised artistic styles, signs constructed with typical painting or drawing techniques. Their specific show a certain common tendency in the manner of developing the decorative character consists in a tension based on thickening and thinning of matter, form values, although they also belong to the group of artists looking for a co-existence of non-organized forms and forms arranged into rhythms, organic visual synthesis. “optic” elements contrasting with haptic elements defined with a “sharp” outline. The artistic solutions undertaken by the young and youngest Polish artists not only refer to the selection of new artistic codes and themes, but are also related to more basic issues concerning attempts at new definition of the poster, among other things, through the analysis of the “environment” where it functions or may function as well as the analysis of the mechanisms which constitute or may constitute the causative factors of undertaking the creative activities resulting in creation of a poster. We are currently dealing with a certain ferment being the effect of formation of new political, economic, social and civilisation factors significantly different from those which shaped the Polish school of posters. This situation requires a change of paradigms and is not exclusively characteristic for the poster or, in a wider scope, for graphic design.

It seems that, on the ground of poster art, questions concerning the genre limits of the poster are of significance. Is a poster only a carrier created in a lithography or offset technique in the classic B1 format or can a poster also be created with the use of a digital medium? What is the environment where a poster functions: is it only the real, “physical” public space or is it possible for a poster, in the situation of today’s change in the system of social communication and a certain shortage of public urban space, to function equally well in the virtual Internet reality? Is a poster a form of a graphically designed visual public message devoted to a certain event or idea, the existence of which results from a certain order, or can it possibly exist separately from the classic relationship occurring between an ordering party and an artist, for example as a part of self edition? Is a poster a codified visual and typographic form or can it be a drawing or graphics solved in accordance with the principles of poster thinking, yet not fulfilling all the poster composition requirements codified and strengthened by tradition? Finally, is a poster something that belongs to applied art or can it also function as a certain type of pure art characterised by the fact that it speaks through a system of imaging typical for poster thinking but does not have to be connected with the functions traditionally ascribed to a poster, i.e. to the fact that it is a public visual message, the subject of which is presentation of a certain event or idea, ordered to be performed by the artist for a certain ordering party?

The thing worth emphasising is a growing interest in the poster as a carrier of purely aesthetic values rather than functional and communicative ones, treating it as one of the types of artistic statement in analogy to other not applied genres of art, as an object of perception and aesthetic experience, which may occur within the space of a gallery or a museum, in a private, public or company interior.

Similar revaluations have occurred in the twenty-year history of painting and sculpture. No wonder, thus, they are currently affecting the poster. This specific searching for new paths for this type of artistic expression, experimenting within the area of defining its borders, the material forms of existence, the functioning environment as well as its artistic and non- artistic role show us that we are in an extremely interesting period. Staying calm, we will definitely find out in which direction the poster is heading. This, however, demands some time. 1938 ANDRZEJ BERTRANDT bertrandt.pl

– born in Poznań – lives and works in Warsaw – specialises in painting, illustration, interior design, graphic design, visual identification systems, applied graphics, including posters and murals

“Freedom, precision, a thought, a wide-range, pro-social, monographic view and a biographic author with haptic, visionary, clairvoyant values. Harmony of the visible with the invisible. The time and the viewers verify everything. There is something more that is worth saving from oblivion”.

He graduated from the Faculty of Interior Architecture, Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts, in 1963. He received a Diploma with Honours from Professor Kazimierz Nikita Exhibition and Fair Design Studio. In 1965, he started creating film, theatre and opera posters for the Centre of Film Rental, the Ateneum Theatre and the National Opera House. He designed posters also for UNICEF and foreign trade companies (Textilimpex, COOPEXIM, Skórimpex). Moreover, he cooperated with the National Publishing Institute (PIW), the National Agricultural and Forestry Publishing House (PWRiL), the National Institute of Medical Publishers (PZWL), Oficyna Krakowska and Muza Publishing House. In the years 1979‒1985, he recreated the polychromes in the Constitution Chamber at the Royal Castle in Warsaw in tempera. Since 1991, he has been interested in easel painting and drawing. He is one of the creators of the Polish school of posters.

He has held numerous solo and group exhibitions in Poland (Katowice, Kraków, Łódź and Warsaw) and abroad (Buenos Aires, Karachi, Kolkata, Duisburg, Düsseldorf, Heilbronn, Kassel, London, Los Angeles, New Delhi, New Hampshire, New York, San Francisco, Sofia, Vancouver, Washington and Vienna).

The most important prizes and distinctions: the Austrian Ministry of Culture grant, 1973; Honorary Gold Laurel, ZAiKS Association, 1993; Medal at the ZAiKS Association’s Jubilee, 1998; The Minister of Culture and National Heritage Award, 2008.

The means of expression employed by Andrzej Bertrandt in his posters are based on drawing techniques. The haptic value of the visual forms used by the artist goes hand in hand with the rigour of composition which shapes the relation between the lettering and the art motifs. The visual form plays the role of a visual sign, the aim of which is to present the essence of a movie, theatrical performance or an opera. Many of Bertrandt’s posters abound in decorative value through the application of multiple lines, rhythmic systems of contoured colour spots or a decorative, ornamental 35A duct of lines. Andrzej Bertrandt is a person not only showing great concern for art problems but also with a great Solaris Centre of Film Rental sense of humour, as demonstrated by illustrations in his posters. 1972

ANDRZEJ BERTRANDT WA XA↑ ↓XB XC↑ ↓XD Un Certo giorno Weiße Wölfe Vanishing Point A Gunfight The Star of the South Centre of Film Rental Centre of Film Rental Centre of Film Rental Centre of Film Rental Centre of Film Rental 1970 1970 1972 1972 1970

ANDRZEJ BERTRANDT ANDRZEJ BERTRANDT WIRTUALNA GALERIA NAJLEPSZYCH POLSKICH ILUSTRATORÓW THE BEST POLISH ILLUSTRATORS

A series of THE BEST POLISH ILLUSTRATORS was designed and produced by the team of SLOW Foundation. We would like to thank all these people without whom it would not be possible.

Editor in Chief: Bartosz Klonowski Artistic director: Anna Jasińska Text “The Roads and Crossroads of the Polish Poster” and bios: Grzegorz J. Budnik Polish editor: Natalia Dąbrowska Polish proofreader: Ewa Szostakowska English translators: Agnieszka Nowosad, Sylwia Sierszeń, Dorota Winter, Krystyna Jasińska, Bartosz Jatczak English editor: Agnieszka Nowosad English proofreader: Agnieszka Nowosad, Jarosław Rybski Project coordination: Łukasz Klonowski https://gallery.beslow.pl

Publisher: SLOW Foundation ul. Domaniewska 17/19/133 02-663 Warsaw, Poland

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