2017_03 Polish Theatre Posters International Exhibition | Dunedin

Polish Theatre Posters International Exhibition in New Zealand

?Opening of the exhibition and raffle:
Friday, March 24, 2017, 5:30pm by invitation
?Exhibition hours: 11am-6pm, March 25-29.
?Free admission.
?All are welcome


Polish School of Posters:
In the world of Polish poster art, many consider the most significant category is that of theatre posters. Their freshness and innovation gives them a broad appeal, captivating a wide audience. Through many decades theatre posters have become ever more desirable collectables and the finest are now widely exhibited in museums and galleries throughout Europe and the world.

The history of the Polish theatre poster begins in 1891. The first known art of this type was created by Ludwik Nawojewski for the grand opening of the newly renovated Teatr Wielki in Warsaw. His poster was made using a lithographic technique and based on photographs made by pioneering specialist theatrical photographers, Karol and Pusch.

The golden age of the Polish theatre poster was the late 1950?s. Despite communist rule, the rights of artistic choice re-emerged and theatre posters could again ?speak for themselves?. In this period, artists such as ErykLipinski, HenrykTomaszewski, JozefMroszczak, Jan Lenica, Roman Cieslewicz, Franciszek Starowieyski, Waldemar Swierzy and Jan Mlodozeniec launched Polish theatre poster art as a cultural phenomenon, fascinating audiences worldwide with their originality.

A new generation of artists, born after World War II, further enriched the language of theatre poster art through the adaptation of new directions in design, drawing from their individual tastes and the influences of cutting-edge artistic movements. The best known of this new breed of artists include Jerzy Czerniawski, Mieczyslaw Gorowski, Roman Kalarus, Lech Majewski, Andrzej Pagowski, Wiktor Sadowski, Wieslaw Walkuski, Leszek Wisniewski, Tomasz Boguslawski, Leszek Zebrowski, Wieslaw Rosocha, Piort Kunce, Andrzej Krajewski and Wladyslaw Pluta.

Today in Poland, many artists continue to work with theatres, designing promotional materials and posters for them.



*The posters come from the private collection of Krzysztof Dydo, the leading collector and an authority on the genre. He owns the Galeria Plakatu in Krakow, Poland and has written widely on the theme.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS Polish Heritage of Otago and Southland Charitable Trust would like to acknowledge the help and generosity of the Polish Embassy in Wellington, Poster Gallery in Cracow/Galeria Plakatu w Krakowie, Nevill Studios Ltd., Fortune Theatre and University Book Shop in Dunedin.