Date: 1978
Size: 26.75 x 38.5 inches
Artist: Swierzy, Waldemar
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 Artist: Waldemar Swierzy (born 1931) is a Polish artist. He graduated from the Krakow Academy of Fine Arts in 1952. In 1992 the government of Poland issued a postage stamp to honor one of his "Cyrk" posters. Swierzy is one of the Polish School of Posters most prolific artists (having created over 2500 posters).
This Polish circus poster is unlined and in excellent condition.