Franciszek Starowieyski's calligraphic superrealism

Franciszek Starowieyski (b. 1930) studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow. He works in graphic design, drawing, theater, television scenography, murals and posters.

He was the originator of the so-called "Theater of Drawing," a superimposition of acting with drawing backdrops.

He was the first Polish artist to have a one-man show at MoMA in New York, in 1986. 

No standard typeface either, in the school of Tomaszewski. See how he favors calligraphy over typeface. Are they not related? 

Major Awards: International Biennale of the Arts, Sao Paulo 1973, award; Cannes Film Festival 1974, film poster award; International Poster Biennale, Warsaw, Silver Medal 1974, 1978; International Film Festival, Chicago, film poster Gold Plaque 1979, film poster competition Silver Hugo 1982.

What's Starowieysk's style? 

1- use of fine calligraphy,  
2- theatricality, 
3- female bodies & the skull, 
3- ornamental motifs,

Roman Cieślewicz (the metaphysical poster)

Cieślewicz (1930-1996) transformed the poster into a metaphysical medium to express ideas that would be difficult to articulate verbally. 

Cieślewicz brought several techniques to graphic design: 

1. enlarging, 

2. montage, 

3. halftone images to a scale that turns the dots into texture, 

4. setting up an interplay between two levels of information: the image and the dots they create. 

Cieślewic worked in poster art, book typography, photomontage and collage.

While many Polish posters were painterly or poetic, Cieślewicz leaned toward conceptual and intellectual design. 

His posters had a political, philosophical, or existential edge, often critiquing power, mass media, or consumer culture. 

What's Cieślewicz style? 

1. Surreal, 

2. Russian constructivist avant-garde of the 1920s + the feel of Blok (the Polish group), 

3. Romantic poetic vision + Cold rationalism, 

4. Symmetry of pictorial elements.

Major awards: WAG Trepkowski Prize 1955; Film Poster Exhibition, Warsaw 1956, Central Film Office Prize; International Film Poster Exhibition, Karlove Vary 1964, first prize; National Poster Biennale, Katowice, Silver Medal 1965, Gold Medal 1967, 1971; International Poster Biennale, Warsaw, Gold Medal 1972, Bronze Medal 1984; Polish Poster Biennale, Katowice 1973, Gold Medal; Poster Biennale, Lahti 1993, second prize.

 

  

Hanna Bodnar

Bodnar is a Swedish/polish designer born in 1929. Over her career she worked with various publishers to produce at least 118 film posters between 1958 and 1980, including lots of beautifully colored children’s film posters and the rare and iconic Sleeping Beauty (below). 

Bodnar took part in many national and international exhibitions. winning the auspicious Grand Prix of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in Versailles, 1962. 

Her  style is a mix of Disneyesque, Pop, with a bit of avant-garde. 

What's the style of Bodnar? 

1- painting + drawing = mixed media, 

2- female figure, 

3- quizzical images, 

4- lower case,

Jerzy Flisak, master of the "ugly"

Jerzy Flisak was a drawer, poster, graphic and set designer. Graduated from Jose Marti High School in Warsaw, he studied architecture at the Warsaw University of Technology. 

Just compare Flisak's poster above with the original Warner Brothers movie poster (1971), below.

Flisak's illustrations are painted in a naïve style, with thick brushstrokes. This way of painting is the source of their incredible power and surprising diversity. 

Flisak used colours with incredible lightness. He also applied creative typography. 

Flisak was primarily an illustrator, and it shows. 

His posters feel like narrative drawings — often humorous, cartoonish, or gently satirical. 

He used ink, pen, and brushwork to create distinctive lines and characters with expressive faces and exaggerated features.

Humorous and whimsical. 

Humor is arguably the signature of Flisak’s work. 

His posters are filled with visual puns, irony, and gentle absurdity, especially in his film and theater posters.

Flisak is the master of a style often described as neglectful.

1- deliberately ugly,
2- non-aesthetic,
3- painted with fat paintbrushes, done almost casually.
4- be "clumsy," 

5- HUMOR works!

Stanislaw Zamecznik

Stanislaw Zamecznik (1923-1967) was a distinguished Polish graphic artist, architect, photographer, and interior designer. 

Zamecznik may not be as widely known for posters as his contemporaries, but his influence is quietly profound, especially in bridging architecture, exhibition design, and visual communication. He helped define what we might now call environmental or spatial graphic design.

Zamecznik's style:

Modernist and structured. 

Typographically sophisticated

Influenced by architecture and spatial design

Less about emotional expression, more about rational clarity and conceptual precision.

Zamecznik's touch:

1- Neue Typographie for the 1960s
2- To design is to collage

3- He said: "My goal is to organize reality around me."

Wiktor Górka

Wiktor Górka (1922-2004) was one of the founders of the Polish poster school, whose most famous work is the poster design for the cult film Cabaret (1973) directed by Bob Fosse with a memorable performance by Liza Minelli.

The poster depicts cabaret dancers’ legs in black stockings as well as Joel Grey’s face in daring makeup, which together form the shape of a swastika. 

In 1970, Górka went to Havana with a group of Polish artists to conduct design workshops in Cuba.

What's Gorka's secret? 

1- big, pop influence, 

2- cartoonish humor, 

3- striking color, 

4- center symmetry, 

5- hand-drawn, painterly quality, 

6- texture, brushwork, and manual typography for a rich, human feel.

Here is project 26 dedicated to Gorka's images.

Henryk Tomaszewski

Henryk Tomaszewski (1914-2005) was born in Warsaw and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. 

He taught there from 1952-1985 and was granted the title Honorary Royal Designer for Industry by the Royal Society of Arts, London. 

Though he studied commercial art, satirical illustrations and stage design, he devoted himself to poster design for most of his career. 

Tomaszewski was highly influential as a professor, and many of his students became influential poster artists in Poland. 

What do we see here?

1- photo-montage, 
2- dramatic perspectives,  
3- bizarre cropping, 
4- abstract collage with expressive lettering instead of standard typeset typefaces.

Waldemar Świerzy

Waldemar Świerzy (1931-2013) style draws on folk art and Twentieth-Century fine art. He incorporates acrylics, crayons, and watercolors into his designs. 

His Jimmy Hendrix posters are famous for their swirling psychedelic designs. He used to teach at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw.

Major awards; WAG Trepkowski Award, 1956; Toulouse-Lautrec Grand Prix, Versailles 1959; Polish Poster Biennale, Katowice, Gold Medal, 1965, 1971, 1975, Silver Medal 1977, 1987, 1989, International Tourism Poster Exhibition, Mediolan 1967, Silver Medal; International Biennale of the Arts, Sao Paulo 1969, first prize; International Poster Biennale, Warsaw, Silver Medal 1972, Gold Medal 1976.

what's Świerzy secret?

1- counterculture always lead,
2- be groovy,
3- be pop, 

here a brief youtube presentation of a Świerzy's poster. 

Julian Pałka (the drama of the human image)

Julian Pałka, born in 1923 in Poznań, he studied at Warsaw’s Academy of Fine Arts. 

Mutual Art, 1969

He defended his diploma in 1951 and two years later was employed at his Alma Mater, where he served as rector on two separate occasions. 

He won the gold medal at the International Poster Biennial held in Warsaw (1968) and the All-Poland Biennial in Katowice (1867).

what do we have here?

1. Thoughtful images, 

2. Attributes of unreal, dreamy characters.

3. The role of the information scheme for the symbolic.

4. At times, we perceive a tense atmosphere resulting from the scarcity of means of expression, use of symbols, and a contrasting juxtaposition of a cold, mathematical theme with the image of a human face.

Here's a good site for Palka posters.

The Polish poster (a little history)

Franciszek Starowieyski, poster for the film House under the Rocks

What is the contribution of the Polish poster to the poster design of the Twentieth Century? 

1. Unlike the more commercial approach of Western advertising, Polish posters often embraced painterly, expressive, and surreal aesthetics. Artists as designers: Many poster creators, such as Henryk Tomaszewski, Jan Lenica, and Waldemar Świerzy, were trained as fine artists. Their work was more interpretive than literal. 

2. Each poster was a unique artistic statement rather than a standardized, mass-produced ad. 

3. The Polish poster reflects the post-WWII cultural impact. From the 1950s to the 1980s, Poland's state-sponsored film and theater industries led to a boom in poster creation. Film & theater posters: These weren’t just marketing tools — they became visual interpretations of the subject, often more poetic, metaphorical, or abstract than their Western counterparts. 

4. Visual metaphor: Polish designers used symbolism, metaphors, and wit to communicate messages subtly, which was important in a time of political censorship. 

5. Polish posters are often described as “thinking posters.” They invited the viewer to engage mentally, rather than delivering direct, easy-to-digest messages. Designers had to work around political restrictions, leading to clever, layered meanings. 

6. International Influence: The Polish Poster School had a global influence, particularly on designers interested in expressive, emotionally driven design. It’s recognized in major museums (like MoMA and the V&A), and taught in design schools as a landmark movement. 

7. Characteristics: 

Distinct Visual Style. 

Bold, painterly textures. 

Hand-drawn lettering. 

Emphasis on mood and emotion. 

Use of surrealism, collage, and humor. 

Advertising!

1- Advertising uses techniques and practices to bring products, services, opinions, even causes to public notice for the purpose of persuading the public to respond in certain ways. 

2- Advertising is late-Capitalism's most important source of income for the media (e.g., traditional or social).

3- The most basic media for advertising are: (a) Newspapers (offers large circulations, a readership located close to the advertiser's place of business, and the opportunity to alter content on a frequent and regular basis), (b) Magazines (of general interest, aimed at specific audiences), (c) TV and radio. (d) Social Media. 

4- Advertising will be effective if its production -and placement- is based on a knowledge of its target, plus a skilled use of the media. The marketing side of advertising employs publicity to achieve its aim. 

5- There's no question that advertising is a powerful way to inform consumers. In a free-market economy, effective advertising is essential to a company’s survival, for unless consumers know about a company's product, they are unlikely to buy it. 

6- Then, comes the counter/advertising issues: 
a) undue influence, 
b) false advertising, 
c) deceptive techniques such as concealment of facts, exaggeration, etc.