From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A poster is any piece of printed paper designed to be attached to a wall or vertical surface. Typically posters include both textual and graphic
elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or wholly
text. Posters are designed to be both eye-catching and convey
information. Posters may be used for many purposes. They are a frequent
tool of advertisers (particularly of events, musicians and films), propagandists, protestors and other groups trying to communicate a message. Posters are also used for reproductions of artwork,
particularly famous works, and are generally low-cost compared to
original artwork. Another type of poster is the educational poster,
which may be about a particular subject for educational purposes.
Many people also collect and sell posters, and some famous posters
have become quite valuable. Collectors' posters and vintage posters are
usually framed and matted. Posters may be any size.
[edit] Poster history
[edit] Introduction
According to French historian Max Gallo,
"for over two hundred years, posters have been displayed in public
places all over the world. Visually striking, they have been designed to
attract the attention of passers-by, making us aware of a political
viewpoint, enticing us to attend specific events, or encouraging us to
purchase a particular product or service." [1] The modern poster, as we know it, however, dates back to 1870 when the printing industry perfected color lithography and made mass production possible.
"In little more than a hundred years," writes poster expert John
Barnicoat, "it has come to be recognized as a vital art form, attracting
artists at every level, from painters like Toulouse-Lautrec and Mucha to theatrical and commercial designers."[2] They have ranged in styles from Art Nouveau, Symbolism, Cubism, and Art Deco to the more formal Bauhaus and the often incoherent hippie posters of the 1960s.
[edit] Mass production
Posters, in the form of placards and posted bills, have been used
since earliest times, primarily for advertising and announcements.
Purely textual posters have a long history: they advertised the plays of
Shakespeare
and made citizens aware of government proclamations for centuries.
However, the great revolution in posters was the development of printing
techniques that allowed for cheap mass production and printing,
including notably the technique lithography which was invented in 1796 by the German Alois Senefelder. The invention of lithography was soon followed by chromolithography, which allowed for mass editions of posters illustrated in vibrant colors to be printed.
[edit] Developing art form
By the 1890s, the technique had spread throughout Europe. A number of noted artists created poster art in this period, foremost amongst them Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Jules Chéret.
Chéret is considered to be the "father" of advertisement placards. He
was a pencil artist and a scene decorator, who founded a small
lithography office in Paris in 1866. He used striking characters,
contrast and bright colors, and created over 1000 advertisements,
primarily for exhibitions, theatres, and products. The industry soon
attracted the service of many aspiring painters who needed a source of
revenue to support themselves.
Chéret developed a new lithographic technique that suited better the needs of advertisers: he added a lot more colour which, in conjunction with innovative typography,
rendered the poster much more expressive. Not surprisingly, Chéret is
said to have introduced sex in advertising or, at least, to have
exploited the feminine image as an advertising ploy. In contrast with
those previously painted by Toulouse-Lautrec, Chéret's laughing and provocative feminine figures meant a new conception of art as being of service to advertising.
Posters soon transformed the thoroughfares of Paris into the "art
galleries of the street." Their commercial success was such that some of
the artists were in great demand and theatre stars personally selected
their own favorite artist to do the poster for an upcoming performance.
The popularity of poster art was such that in 1884 a major exhibition
was held in Paris.
[edit] Commercial uses
By the 1890s, poster art had widespread usage in other parts of
Europe, advertising everything from bicycles to bullfights. By the end
of the 19th century, during an era known as the Belle Époque, the standing of the poster as a serious artform was raised even further. Between 1895 and 1900, Jules Chéret created the Maîtres de l'Affiche
(Masters of the Poster) series that became not only a commercial
success, but is now seen as an important historical publication. Alphonse Mucha and Eugène Grasset were also influential poster designers of this generation, known for their Art Nouveau
style and stylized figures, particularly of women. Advertisement
posters became a special type of graphic art in the modern age. Poster
artists such as Théophile Steinlen, Albert Guillaume, Leonetto Cappiello
and others became important figures of their day, their art form
transferred to magazines for advertising as well as for social and
political commentary.
In the United States,
posters did not evolve to the same artistic level. American posters
were primarily directed towards basic commercial needs to deliver a
written message. However, the advent of the travelling circus brought
colorful posters to tell citizens that a carnival was coming to town.
But these too were very commercially utilitarian, of average quality,
and few saw any real artistic creativity.
Many posters have had great artistic merit and have become extremely collectible. These include the posters advertising World's Fairs and Colonial Exhibitions.
[edit] Political uses
German propaganda poster, 1921
Other times of great turmoil also produced great posters. The 1960s saw the rise of pop art and protest movements throughout the West; both made great use of posters.
Perhaps the most acclaimed posters were those produced by French students during the so-called "événements" of May 1968.
[edit] Poster printing
Many printing
techniques are used to produce posters. While most posters are
mass-produced, posters may also be printed by hand or in limited
editions. Most posters are printed on one side and left blank on the
back, the better for affixing to a wall or other surface. Pin-up sized
posters are usually printed on A3 Standard Silk paper in full colour.
Upon purchase, most commercially available posters are often rolled up
into a cylindrical tube to allow for damage-free transportation.
Rolled-up posters can then be flattened under pressure for several hours
to regain their original form.
It is possible to use poster creation software to print large posters on standard home or office printers.
[edit] Types of posters
[edit] Travel posters
Poster advertising or proposing a travel destination, or simply
artistically articulating a place have been made. An example is the Beach Town Posters
series, a collection of Art Deco travel posters of American beach
resorts that refer to the advertising style of the 1920s and 1930s.
[edit] Propaganda and political posters
One of the many poster aping Kitchener: Smokey Bear poster for forest fire prevention in America (1985)
During the First and Second World Wars, recruiting posters became extremely common, and many of them have persisted in the national consciousness, such as the "Lord Kitchener Wants You" posters from the United Kingdom, the "Uncle Sam wants you" posters from the United States, or the "Loose Lips Sink Ships" posters[1]
that warned of foreign spies. Posters during wartime were also used for
propaganda purposes, persuasion, and motivation, such as the famous Rosie the Riveter posters which exhorted women workers during World War II that "We can do it!". The Soviet Union also produced a plethora of propaganda posters[2], some of which became iconic representations of the Great Patriotic War. During the democratic revolutions of 1989 in Central and Eastern Europe
the poster was very important weapon in the hand of the opposition.
Brave printed and hand-made political posters appeared on the Berlin Wall, on the statue of St. Wenseslas in Prague and around the unmarked grave of Imre Nagy in Budapest and the role of them was indispensable for the democratic change. A recent example of an influential political poster is Shepard Fairey's Barack Obama "HOPE" poster.
Advertising with posters can be a "poor mans advertising media" and sometimes, it seems any surface is suitable.
[edit] Advertising posters
Many posters, particularly early posters, were used for advertising
products. Posters continue to be used for this purpose, with posters
advertising films, music (both concerts and recorded albums), comic books, and travel destinations being particularly notable examples.
[edit] Film & movie posters
Main article: Film poster
The film
industry quickly discovered that vibrantly coloured posters were an
easy way to sell their pictures. Today, posters are produced for most
major films, and the collecting of movie posters has become a major
hobby. The most valuable poster in the world, of which there is only 1
known copy, is the 1931 stone litho Frankenstein 6-sheet.[citation needed]
[edit] Comic book posters
The resurgence of comic book
popularity in the 1960s led to the mass production of comic book
posters in the 1970s and onward. These posters typically feature popular
characters in a variety of action poses. The fact that comic books are a
niche market means that a given poster usually has a smaller printing
run than other genres of poster. Therefore, older posters may be quite
sought after by collectors. Promotional posters are usually distributed
folded, whereas retail posters intended for home decoration are rolled.
[edit] Railway posters
In the early days of steam railways in Britain, the various rail
companies advertised their routes and services on simple printed sheets.
By the 1850s, with increasing competition and improvements in printing
technology, pictorial designs were being incorporated in their
advertising posters. The use of graphic artists began to influence the
design of the pictorial poster. In 1905, the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) commissioned Norman Wilkinson to produce artwork for a new landscape poster, advertising their rail/steam packet link to Ireland. In 1908, for the Great Northern Railway (GNR), John Hassall
produced the famous image of the "Jolly Fisherman" with the "Skegness
is so Bracing" slogan. The development of this commercial art form
throughout the first half of the 20th century reflected the changes in
British society, along with the changing styles of art, architecture and
fashion as well as changing patterns of holidaymaking. [3]
[edit] Event posters
Posters advertising events have become common. Any sort of public
event, from a rally to a play, may be advertised with posters; a few
types of events have become notable for their poster advertisements.
This role involves you liaising with the performance/production team to
discover what information they will need on the poster. Posters are
common because this can be hung around places where people go.
[edit] Boxing posters
Boxing Posters were used in and around the actual venue to advertise
the forthcoming fight, date, ticket prices, and usually consisted of
pictures of each boxer. Boxing Posters vary in size and vibrancy, but
are not usually smaller than 18x22 inches. In the early days few boxing
posters survived the actual event and thus they are indeed very
collectible and scarce.
[edit] Concert posters
Many concerts, particularly rock concerts, have custom-designed posters that are used for advertisement of the event. These often become collectors items as well.
Coppelia ballet Poster, Society of Illustrators of LA 2008 selection
This file has an uncertain copyright status and may be deleted. You can comment on its removal.
[edit] Educational posters
A poster session at the EPFL
[edit] Research posters and "poster sessions"
Main article: Poster session
Posters are used in academia to promote and explain research work.
They are typically shown during conferences, either as a complement to a
talk or scientific paper, or as a publication. They are of lesser
importance than actual articles, but they can be a good introduction to a
new piece of research before the paper is published. Poster
presentations are often not peer-reviewed, but can instead be submitted, meaning that as many as can fit will be accepted.
[edit] Classroom posters
Posters are a standard feature of classrooms
worldwide. A typical school in North America will display a variety,
including: advertising tie-ins (eg. an historical movie relevant to a
current topic of study); alphabet and grammar; numeracy and scientific
tables; safety and other instructions; artwork and displays by the
students(shashwat).
[edit] Vintage poster restoration/conservation
Poster restoration and conservation. The backing of posters with
fabric dates back to 19th century France, where posters were
occasionally glued to linen for reinforcement. This provided some
protection, but with the passage of time the paper continued to become
brittle and was frequently torn by stress. Modern backing techniques
have eliminated this problem by using an acid free paper between the
poster and the fabric. The adhesive used is wheat paste treated to
inhibit mold growth.
Why fabric-back a poster? The principal reason is to provide support
for the paper. It also enables the conservator to flatten the folds and
to more easily make repairs. Fabric backing also eliminates the waviness
that can occur when the poster is framed.
Reversibility is a concept that is important in all conservation
work, because today's curators and collectors are only temporary
custodians of a cultural object (the poster) that will have continuing
and timeless interest for future collectors. We strive to make certain
that materials and techniques that are applied to the poster are not
harmful over time and are reversible to bring it back to the state in
which we found it.
Restoration can dramatically improve the appearance of a poster.
Damage caused by clear adhesive tape, residual stains, water marks and
dirt can be easily repaired; combining this with the replacement of lost
paper can bring the poster back to virtually its original state.
[edit] Cheesecake posters
Cheesecake posters, or "pinups," are pictures of attractive women
designed to be displayed, first coming to popularity in the 1920s. The
popularity of sexy Pin-up girl posters has been erratic in recent decades. Pin-ups such as Betty Grable and Jane Russell were highly popular with soldiers during World War II but much less so during the Vietnam War. The late 1970s and into the beginning of the 1980s were boom years for large posters of television actresses, especially Farrah Fawcett and Cheryl Tiegs.
[edit] Fanposter
The goal of creating a Fanposter
is to show all or a large portion of devoted fans on one poster which
will be presented and can be seen in a place where many other fans or
members have access (hallway of a club house, fanzine, fan webpage, public place).
An example of an affirmation poster
[edit] Affirmation posters
This refers to decorative posters that are meant to be motivational
and inspirational. One popular series has a black background, a scene
from nature, and a word such as "Leadership" or "Opportunity." Another
version (usually framed and matted) uses a two-image hologram which changes as the viewer walks past.
[edit] Band/music posters
Posters that showcase a person's favorite artist or music group are popular in teenagers' bedrooms, as well as in college dorm rooms and apartments. Many posters have pictures of popular rock bands and artists.
[edit] Book posters
Book text on poster
is a type of poster design where the entire text of a book (usually a
novel) is printed in legible form. This unique and modern design style is commonly characterized by a wall of text with a depiction of an important element of the book by use of negative space, which in this case is also known as white space.
[edit] Blacklight poster
Blacklight posters are designed to have a special effect under a blacklight (ultraviolet light).
[edit] Notable poster artists
[edit] Contemporary poster artists
[edit] Gallery
Vin Mariani, Jules Cheret's 1894 poster for the digestif and tonic wine fortified by coca
|
Official poster for the Exposition Universelle of 1905 in Liège
|
|
A digital poster illustrating twelve different species of flowers
|
A WWII propaganda poster with the text "Let's catch him with his Panzers down!"
|
|
Belle of Nelson poster advertising their sour mash whiskey, shows a
Turkish harem of nude white women, and a black man with water pipe in
foreground.
|
|
[edit] Gallery see also
- A 1990 Hungarian political poster by Fidesz (Alliance of Young Democrats): Choose!
(between Communism represented by the Communist politicians kissing in
the upper image, and capitalism represented by the young couple kissing
in the lower picture.)
- The Tennis Girl poster was an iconic image from the late 1970s'
- Death to the Brutes, an anti-war anarchist poster printed in France during the Second World War.
[edit] See also
- ^ Gallo, Max, The Poster in History, (2002) W.W. Norton
- ^ Barnicoat, John, Posters: A Concise History, (1985) Thames and Hudson
- ^ Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon, by Trisha Ziff, Abrams Image, 2006, pg 19
[edit] Further reading
- Gosling, Peter. (1999). Scientist's Guide to Poster Presentations. New York: Kluwer. ISBN 0-306-46076-9.
- King, Emily. (2003). A Century of Movie Posters: From Silent to Art House. Barron's. ISBN 0-7641-5599-7.
- Noble, Ian. (2002). Up Against the Wall: International Poster Design. Mies, Switzerland: RotoVision. ISBN 2-88046-561-3.
- Timmers, Margaret. (2003). Power of the Poster. Victoria and Albert Museum. ISBN 0-8109-6615-8.
- Le Coultre, Martijn F. & Purvis, Alston W, (2002)A Century of Posters, Lund Humphries ISBN 0-85331-863-8
- Rennert, Jack, (1990), Posters of the Belle Epoque, Wine Spectator Press, ISBN 0-9664202-1-7
- Wrede, Stuart, (1988), The Modern Poster, Little Brown and Company, ISBN 0-87070-570-9
- Gold, Laura (1988), Posters, Please ISBN 0-9664202-0-9
- Cole, Beverley and Durack, Richard (1992), Railway Posters 1923–1947, Laurence King, ISBN 1-85669-014-8
[edit] External links
General
- Poster Archive of the MAK-Austrian Museum of applied arts / contemporary art
- Posters, American Style (exhibition and educational site from the Smithsonian American Art Museum)
- Vintage Hungarian and international posters
- Rene Wanner's Poster Page
- The International Poster Collection (exhibition galleries from the Colorado State Libraries and the Department of Art)
- Visual Arts Data Service (VADS)
Over 100,000 images available free for use in education, including
thousands of posters from the UK's Imperial War Museum and the Design
Council collections.
- Electronic museum of russian posters Collection of Advertising, Political, Military, Social posters from 1880 to current time
- "Exposition Posters: Dreaming of the Future". Prints & Books. Victoria and Albert Museum. http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/prints_books/object_stories/posters/index.html. Retrieved 2007-08-27.
- Jean Michel Folon (1934 - 2005) posters website
- Poster Prints, 150,000 Arts Prints & Posters
(more than 150,000 arts and posters, such as Andy Warhol posters,
Vincent Van Gogh posters, Ansel Adams posters, Monet Posters,
Entertainment posters and various Motivational posters.)
Political
Academic
Railway
Other
Framed
Art
