Date: 1982
Size: 23 x 32.5 inches
Artist: Mieczyslaw Gorowski
About the Artist: Mieczyslaw Gorowski (1941 - 2011) is a Polish graphic artist. Although dabbling in interior design and painting as well, the artist claims "For many years I have been creating posters - this is the main direction of my artistic and design activity". Gorowski's academic career revolved around the Cracow Academy of Fine Arts, as he studied there from 1959 - 1966, and later taught as a professor on the Faculty of Interior Design. Starting in 1966, Gorowski created over 400 posters that can now be found in galleries all over Europe and North America. He is the recipient of several major awards, including the International Art Directors Club Exhibition (New York) in 1987, and the International Posters Salon (Paris, France) in both 1986 and 1987.
About the Poster: Beginning in the 1950s and through the 1980s, the Polish School of Posters combined the aesthetics of painting with the succinctness and simple metaphor of the poster. It developed characteristics such as painterly gesture, linear quality, and vibrant colors, as well as a sense of individual personality, humor, and fantasy. It was in this way that the polish poster was able to make the distinction between designer and artist less apparent.
Polish posters have come to stand apart from the advertising design conventions fostered in Europe during the 20th century. It was during the communist regime, a time when culture was closely monitored by the state, that Polish artists found liberation in poster art. Ironically, this foremost public art form became ground for individual expression. During that period, the cultural institutions, of theatre and cinema especially, flourished as they were funded by government agencies. Artists freshly out of the fine arts academy flocked towards poster production as the demand for this art was rapidly growing. The result became some of the most unique and expressive posters the world has ever seen - and artworks in themselves.
About the play: The play takes place in a mythical country where all opposition to the state has disappeared and the last remaining political prisoner is to be released. Rather than face the prospect of retiring the police force, the chief of police decides to create an enemy of the state by ordering one of his officers to commit political crimes. The absurdity of the play culminates when the characters mutually arrest each other repeatedly, in an attempt to restore order and meaning to their world. (Wikipedia)
The poster is in good condition and ready to frame!