Date: 1994
Size: 40.5 x 29 inches
Size: 40.5 x 29 inches
Artist: Colin Forbes
Printer: Toppan Printing Co.
About The 100 Best Posters Collection: This poster was originally created by Colin Forbes in 1987 for IBM. This is an official reissue from 1994 from the collection The 100 best posters from Europe and the United States / 1945-1990.
"In describing the rationale behind this portfolio, Hiromichi Fujita, the President of Toppan Printing Co., explains in the introduction that, "the decision to publish The 100 Best Posters from Europe and the United States 1945-1990 was motivated by our earlier collection of Japanese reproductions published four years ago . . . the first collection was intended as a small contribution to the field of graphic design, which has enjoyed an inseparable relationship with the printing industry for many years now." The selection of posters in this collection were chosen by a panel consisting of Steven Heller, Alain Weill, Milton Glaser and Yusaku Kamekura. All posters chosen (...) were reproduced and were then donated to art museums and related educational institutions in 200 locations around the world. In addition to being forms of expression, these posters, which were created in the diverse social conditions that have prevailed since the end of World War II, truly serve as a testament to the age in which they were produced." (Source: swanngalleries.com)
About the poster: An associate of Alan Fletcher at Pentagram, Colin Forbes shares his former colleague's restrained graphic style. Here, for a promotional campaign for IBM, he engages in a high-wire stylistic exercise. "Rather than curse the darkness" is printed in black against a dark background, while "Light a candle" is printed in white and jumps out at a glance. In using these two colors, Forbes established an identity between text and image - The letters in white become the candle and those in black the darkness. A subtle game and a demonstration of the power of graphics to render language instantly comprehensible. (Source: The 100 best posters from Europe and the United States / 1945-1990, p.186)
This poster is in good condition with some minors rips around the edges (see photos). Ready to be framed.