Swiss Poster Museum-Gorowski

gorowski Precious World Poster Design

Mieczyslaw

master of poster design

MusĂŠe Suisse des Affiches Schweizer Plakate Museum Swiss Poster Museum

Exhibition Poster Opening of Swiss Poster Museum September | 2010

gorowski Precious World Poster Design

Poland

Mieczyslaw

master of poster design

MusĂŠe Suisse des Affiches Schweizer Plakate Museum Swiss Poster Museum

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Swiss Poster Museum

Poland

master of poster art

Precious World Poster Design

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Mieczyslaw

Autobiography

Mieczyslaw Gorowski / Autobiography

I was born during World War II, on the 5th February 1941, into a farmer’s family in the mountain village of Milkowa in Poland.

After graduating from Art High school I went to the Academy of Art in Cracow.

Here I changed faculties and courses a number of times whilst trying to establish the path I wanted to follow. I started as a student in the Interior Design Faculty, changed to the Faculty of Fine Art & Painting, and finally graduated from the Faculty of Industrial Design. There, whilst studying in the Laboratory of Product Design & Visual Communication I realized my thesis, a “Fumes Analyzer” measuring apparatus project, with the best grade. As a result, Prof. Andrzej Pawlowski, the Dean of the Faculty and my tutor, offered me a job as an assistant in his department.

In 1968 I participated in a poster competition organized by the Short Feature Festival in Cracow. I won and for the first time saw my posters displayed throughout the streets of Cracow. This inspired me to follow and develop this art form. In the following years I won the next four poster competitions at this festival plus other events in Cracow and throughout Poland.

During this period my posters were heavily influenced by the Faculty I had graduated from and where I was now working.

I used geometric synthesis and symbols as expressive shortcuts and creative elements to build modules, which, combined with other modules on the poster, or others in a series of posters, presented a symbolic representation of the idea or concept I wanted to portray.

I wanted to create posters for plays and films being shown at theatres and cinemas and visited a number of local theatres offering free posters for the plays they intended to produce. Krystyna Skuszanka, a director of the famous “Slowacki Theatre” gave me the opportunity to design a poster for “Lilla Weneda” a play written be the renowned Polish romantic poet Juliusz Slowacki.

My poster was very much appreciated and used to publicize the play. I worked for the theatre for the next eight years.

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I strove to develop the language of my posters.

The synthetic - geometric techniques I was using at the beginning did not seem to permit the possibility to express human emotions that are a characteristic of the theatre. I turned to my various experiences at the Faculty of Fine Art & Painting, in several departments at the Academy of Art and a two year course I followed in psychology. I have always been fascinated with understanding the aims and ideological messages the play writer is trying to transmit to his audience. Consequently I make a series of sketches setting out my interpretation of these as the basis for discussions with the theatre director and the producer of the play before designing the poster.

I was also influenced by the technological constraints imposed by the companies printing my posters who were at the time limited to just five colours.

I favour earth like colours which correspond well with my origins, temperament, love of nature and its’ continual changes.

Can my work, which is so personalized by its’ nature, be considered to fall within the definition of a poster? I concur with numerous opinions that they go beyond the basic specification, approaching painting and sculpture depending upon the subject matter requested by their sponsor. However, once reproduced and printed in standardised format they become posters fulfilling their traditional communication role.

My posters have won numerous awards in Poland and at many prestigious international competitions.

Large numbers of prints of my posters have been made available to organize exhibitions all around the globe and I have been invited to lead “Poster Workshops” as a visiting professor in Canada, Chile, France and Mexico.

Parallel to my work in the field of Poster Art I follow a second, scientific and teaching career at the Cracow Academy of Fine Arts. I am a professor at the Faculty of Industrial Design where I head up the “Alternative Design” project that I created jointly with my former tutor and mentor Prof. Andrzej Pawlowski.

This project sets out to promote thinking and design for pollution free industrial development that is in harmony with both nature and our cultural roots.

Posters

Mieczyslaw Gorowski / Posters

Painting in Posters Poster in Paintings | 1997

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Polish Posters

Police | 1982 The poster of a play by Slawomir Mrozek, shown at the “Miniatura” Theatre in Cracow during the final phase of communism in Poland and Eastern Europe. The poster presented an opportunity for me to express my opinion about the oppressive system.

The loop image portrays an internal noose which prevents you from being free and having the ability to see and to express yourself. At this time all posters were subject to censorship and required to be approved before publication, creating a game of “cat and mouse” between artist and censor which I found intriguing. What forms and hidden metaphors could you use that would successfully communicate your ideas to the public and yet be approved by the censor.

In this case the title of the poster “Police” was the key. At that time in Poland the police were called “Militia”; “Police” was a term in the west and criticism of western police was acceptable whilst criticism of the “Militia” was not.

By the simple substitution of a word it was possible to transmit anti communist sentiment.

The poster design was drawn on a rusty panel with white pastel.

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Mieczyslav Gorowski

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The Hunger Artist Departs | 1980

Touch - Arcimboldo - Vanitas | 1996

This is the poster for a play by Tadeusz Rozewicz performed at the “Slowacki� Theatre in Cracow.

It is an interpretation of an act of self destruction, self isolation, self condemnation, a dramatic escape from the world. The spirit of the poster reflects the moods and general social feelings during the final period of communism in Poland.

The poster design was drawn on a rusty panel with white pastel.

A poster to promote the work of the Czech artist, Jan Srankmajer. I wanted to demonstrate my interpretation of his work. I was playing with the idea of giving a flat surface the illusion of space. By putting a hole in the surface I was able to modify the surface whilst having the possibility to explore something deep at the same time.

The aim was to promote the concept / idea of creating a three-dimensional poster. (not accepted)

Polish Posters

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Mieczyslav Gorowski

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Satyrykon 2000 | 2000

Poster with egg | 2000

Designed for a great exhibition of satirical drawings in Legnica, Poland.

Satiric artists capture life’s absurdities in their own particular style.

In colloquial Polish “egg” also means or suggests satirical. I like the “egg” as a symbol and also to have egg for a breakfast. For me an “egg” also represents basic things in life, like grains and seeds.

In this image the egg transforms itself into cannon.

There are the beginning of life.

I am trying to build my own, great egg.

The Father | 1994 A mother always knows that the new born baby is hers.

A father may have doubts.

The cock is trying to reach the truth.

Polish Posters

Hommage Ă Verdi | 2000 An elegantly dressed composer is wearing a white scarf.

On this scarf you find the names of all Giuseppe Verdi’s works.

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Mieczyslav Gorowski

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Profan und Sakral | 1986

Eugeniusz Mucha | 1999

Fight between “good” and “evil”.

“Good” is symbolized by a white soldier. The black devil stands for “evil”.

This poster is dedicated to work of my friend and famous painter Eugeniusz Mucha from Cracow.

Viewed one way you can see the devil carrying a white soldier (evil is dominating); for another angle the a white soldier is carrying the devil (good is dominating).

Polish Posters

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Hamlet 70 | 1978

Don Juan | 1988

Posters M. Gorowski | 1992

An indecisive modern Hamlet.

The snake symbolizes the real personality of Don Juan by Moliere.

The aim of the poster is more evident when display alongside.

He is just a simple shell draped over a hanger.

A paint-brush in an ear on the left poster appears in the nose on the second.

Unfortunately, one of malicious intent. Will he shoot someone to his right or left?

The crossed arms signify he is ineffectual.

Mieczyslav Gorowski

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Polish Posters

90th Anniversary of Cracow Photographers Guild / Poland | 2000 Shows historical progress in photography, the introduction of color. Walking photographic plates symbolize the step by step progress of photography.

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Mieczyslav Gorowski

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Polish Posters Avignon ‘99 | 1999

Polish Posters Avignon ‘2000 | 2000 Posters for the annual poster fair in Avignon. The poster can be cut into two parts and shown separately.

Similarity establish the integrity of two parts whilst differing elements separate them.

Polish Posters - Avignon ‘96 | 1996

Polish Posters

Process - The Trial | 1985 Designed in the communist era in Poland. The hero of the play ”Process / The Trial“ by Franz Kafka is a normal, quiet person as shown in his calm face with half closed eyes.

From the start the tribunal treats him “à priori” like a dangerous criminal. Exactly the way communist authorities used to treat their citizens.

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Mieczyslav Gorowski

Graphics from Cracow Sculptures / Poland | 1988 Poster for exhibition of works of graphics and sculptures from Cracow in Swedish Roneby.

Graphic art is portrayed by a footprint, sculpture by a foot.

This poster may be cut in half.

Creating two, one showing only sculpture, and another one showing only graphics.

This poster was chosen by Japanese Editorial Company as the one of hundred best posters from Europe and Asia.

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Ferdydurke | 1994 This poster is trying to underline the intellectual, ironic, hilarious and at the same time very absurd creative work of polish writer Witold Gombrowicz.

Polish Posters

Hommage to Toulouse-Lautrec | 2001 Artist and his creative works were part of bohemian life style of the Parisian quarter of Montmartre, immortalize by the Moulin Rouge. The mill turns in the red hat of the artist.

One of a series of posters paying homage to great artists, featuring their portraits, personalities and creative work.

Hommage to Beuys | 1996 Poster from the collection “Portraits�.

Joseph Beuys used to artistically experiment with his own head.

In this poster he is packing himself as a packet of bacon.

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Mieczyslav Gorowski

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Picasso I | 1995 My attempt to demonstrate Picasso’s art concepts at a certain time in his carrier: showing three-dimensional figure in two-dimensional format.

Picasso is drawing an eye on one half of his face, other half is covered.

He creates a new face - half real and half drawn. It is easy to distinguish both parts thanks to the drawn nose.

Picasso II | 1992 From the collection “Portraits” version “Painting art in poster- poster art in painting”. To create a poster I like to use ambiguity for example shocking denial of reality. A man is watching the real world with one eye; the other one is watching denial of reality.

As I state in the title my art poster is close to painting, but when I try to paint I paint posters.

Polish Posters

Theatre of Tarnow city | 1988 The poster evokes the spirit of theatre.

A troupe travelling through Poland.

Pegasus represents the theatre.

The head stands for reality, the wooden body and wings symbolize fictional elements, the fifth leg -absurdity. The buffoon’s hat hold in the horse’s mouth evoking humor and smartness in the theatre.

America! America… | 1991 This poster was made for the international competition organized

by Mexico-City to commemorate 500-th anniversary of Columbus arrival in America. For me, there is nothing glorious in this event.

I see it as the beginning of enormous suffering of the local people, a confrontation of two nations with different cultures that ended in bloodshed.

This is one of my best known posters, it won first prize in the competition, was widely shown in the Mexican media sparking national debate.

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Mieczyslav Gorowski

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The last emperor | 1990 His profound influence is represented, depicted by a monument which penetrates deep into the earth.

Contact is possible via stairs leading underground.

Dico-Cracovia ‘95 / Poland | 1995 This poster promoted a festival of contemporary, Italian theatre.

It shows Arlequin from Italian Teatro Dell`Arte and Lajkonik- a symbol of Cracow.

Polish Posters

Poster-Expo | 1984 Posters represent the language of art with its double meanings, irony etc.

In colloquial Polish the word “language” also means “tongue”.

You can show off your tongue in a manner of speaking and this is exactly what artists do. This is why we can see “tongue” on the poster.

Conceived for the exhibition of Polish posters. This poster was awarded a bronze medal at International Triennale of Posters in Toyoma in Japan. Subsequently to this recognition I started working with Japan.

III International Theatre Week Bialystok / Poland | 1995 Actors make theatre, other people the audience- together they form culture.

The two classes of people may reach of each other in other ways.

For example, the audience may include butchers, bakers, farmers, who produce food necessary to nourish artists bodies.

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Mieczyslav Gorowski

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Jewish culture in Polish posters | 1989 The index finger pointing into the centre of the star of David, where you can see the eye.

It symbolizes the central role of culture in the life of our societies.

XXV Sculpture of the year annual exhibition of sculptors Cracow / Poland | 1989 The strong arm of a sculptor with chisel becomes a sculpture itself when fixed to the wall.

The poster shows fixing the “sculptor’s arm” to the wall.

When you put two identical posters side by side the meaning changes.

It shows that sculptor doesn’t hold in his hand a chisel but a fixing tool.

Polish Posters

Marriage | 1988 The theme of the play by Nikolai Gogol is great preparation for a wedding.

Unfortunately this marriage is against the will of the fiancé. In the end marriage did not take place as fiancé escaped through the window.

The two hands on the poster are the symbol of the finale. In Polish custom the man’s hand gesture means rejection, run away.

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Mieczyslav Gorowski

VI International Teathre Week Tydzien / Poland | 1998 The poster shows the hands of actor hidden behind a curtain.

The fingers of left hand make a “V� the sign for victory.

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Old Times | 1984 Three elderly people drinking coffee recall their youth in play by Harold Pinter.

Youth is represented by a young girl legs (I painted my wife); the spider web indicates the passage of time.

Polish Posters

Study ‘98 - V International Film Festival | 1997 Debut movies are presented during this Film Festival. Young filmmakers have courage to show their vision of movies, with respect to that established producers.

In Polish custom poking a nose through the door symbolizes courage and daring to do something.

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Gorowski’s Posters 1984 | 1984 From an exhibition of my posters in City of Poznan.

Exhibitions are very important for the artist. They create the opportunities to observe himself introspectively.

In this picture of my face the upper part depicts two faces coming together, the eyes analyzing each other.

Mieczyslav Gorowski

Simon Boccanegra | 1997 Giuseppe Verdi.’s Simon Boccanegra was a Renaissance Dignitary with many faces.

On poster he holds his own face which is changing into a mask.

In the empty space left by the face, you can see another face emerging.

Is this Boccanegra`s real face or yet another mask?

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Portrait in the Gorowski’s Posters | 1999 The hand is unveiling the poster like a curtain, revealing the whole work.

Looking at this poster today, I might consider it as a self-portrait.

Polish Posters

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Mieczyslav Gorowski

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Crossing Jerusalem | 2003

The imaginary invalid | 2002

The design shows a bird that cannot fly, it is missing a wing and the other is the wrong way around.

In play by Molière, sick man’s nose has too obvious connotations…

Cracow Film Festival | 2001 Portrait of a filmmaker.

Tape is his tool. Thanks to tape he can record anything.

Everything recorded on the tape can be interpreted as being through “eyes” of the filmmaker.

I don’t like this poster.

Polish Posters

La Tempete / Shakespeare | 1986 The head in bird mask represents the threat of the tempest in your own imagination.

Cyclops | 1988 A play for the theatre by polish writer Wladyslaw Terlecki.

From 1795 until 1918 Poland did not exist, being partitioned and governed by its neighbors: Prussia, Russia and Austria.

This poster shows in an allegoric way the suffering of Polish nation under brutal and repressive Russian rule.

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Mieczyslav Gorowski

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Noises off | 2003 Play by Michael Frayn.

What you cannot see, you can easily imagine.

Poster art Masters | Gorowski

Over the years he has received many awards in recognition of his work including that of honorary membership of the Polish Medical Society named after a great Polish surgeon, Ludwik Rydygier.

Award of the Polish Ministry of Culture and the Arts (1997).

Award of the Rector of the Cracow Academy of Arts (1989) for his work and teaching, and from the Prime Minister of Poland for his achievements in art for children and young people (the design of toys and teaching aids for disable children, 1984).

He has been decorated with the Polish Gold Cross of Merit (1989), and is also an honorary citizen of the Japanese city of Ogaki.

Musée Suisse des Affiches Schweizer Plakate Museum Swiss Poster Museum

Information

Awards

Artist Awards

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Precious World Poster Design Publications Poster Biennale 2011 Lausanne, Switzerland l. bettens | communication m. gasiorowska | organization & public relations i. ivanovic | management d. s. stefanovich | art direction & design, p. dupont | photography m. gasiorowska & k. baxter | english translation d. s. stefanovich | portrait of Gorowski Special Thanks to aldo, delfino, gilbert, ivan, ken, ljs, laurence, lorraine, maja, monika, oliver, peca, polygravia, philipa, rachel, zoran, and many others… without them we will not make it!

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place suisse des arts schweizer kunstraum Swiss art space gallery & publishing

master of poster design

MusĂŠe Suisse des Affiches Schweizer Plakate Museum Swiss Poster Museum Mieczyslaw Gorowski

Precious World Poster Design