Date: 1971
Size: 32 x 22.5 inches
Artist: Starowieyski, Franciszek
About the Artist: Franciszek Andrzej Bobola Biberstein-Starowieyski (July 8, 1930 in Bratkówka, Poland – February 23, 2009) was a Polish artist. From 1949 to 1955 he studied at Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków and Warsaw. He specialized in poster, drawing, painting, stage designing, and book illustration. He was a member of Alliance Graphique International (AGI). Throughout his career his style deviated from the socialist realism that was prevalent during the start of his career and the popular, brightly colored Cyrk posters, however he did create one Cyrk poster 'Homage to Picasso' in 1966. He was the first Polish artist to have a one man show at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York in 1986.
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.
Ready to frame!