Polish movie posters used to be unique, full of abstract images that often had little to do with the movie they promoted. The main reason for this was the rise of communism in the country. While the government heavily policed fine art, Polish posters offered artists greater creative freedom. They took advantage of that freedom in many abnormal, interesting ways.
Communism in Poland
After World War II, Poland was under communist rule. The government censored fine art to uphold its own political beliefs. However, the film industry was state-owned, so movie poster artists did not need to follow any regulations. The communist regime itself did not seem to care what they put on their posters. Artists also did not have to follow Hollywood’s approach to their movie posters, which often featured actors or used large text. Instead, they operated outside of the norm and created whatever they wanted.
The Polish School of Posters
During this new era of artistic expression, the Polish School of Posters emerged. Tadeusz Gronowski is often considered the creator of the school, which focused on creating movie posters with a new style. The artists learned how to incorporate the features of painting with the rigidity of a movie poster. They approached poster-making with the mind of a fine artist rather than a marketing agent trying to sell the movie.
Polish-style movie posters drew inspiration from folk art, with painterly brushstrokes. The posters also incorporated many metaphors and symbols, since the communist government hindered their political expression in other media. Viewers had to use their imaginations to understand the artist’s intent beyond the piece’s abstract nature. Artists focused on complicated themes and moods rather than the film’s stars or even the title, relegating the text to the corners of the piece.
Many art genres inspired Polish posters. Some art historians cite Jugendstil, Cubism, Modernism and general architectural practices as the prominent influences of the poster artists’ style. However, others make connections to expressionism, Dada and surrealism. Regardless, Polish movie poster art can stand on its own, combining modern art movements and the creative minds of its artists.
How Artists Surpassed Censorship
Even though there were no strict rules governing movie poster art, Polish artists could not outright express the political references they made in their work. Artists created circus posters by using symbols to represent real-life things. For example, a bear could represent the Soviet Union, and animals performing circus acts symbolized a repressed population. These images typically went over the government’s head, allowing artists to make subtle statements through their art without punishment.
The Impact of Artistic Freedom
Polish movie poster artists did not adhere to the rules of Hollywood film marketing, which has evolved into the Wicked marketing craze popular today. In fact, artists rarely saw the movies they made posters for, relying on a summary and the movie’s title to get a general idea. That is why so many of the iconic posters from this time do not resemble the actual movie at all.
The posters remained widely popular, reaching broad audiences through their unifying themes. Some notable themes were sexuality, existential dread and morbid humor. Artists conveyed these ideas through color, lines and sometimes hauntingly horrific images. The posters became separate from the movie, acting as a singular artwork that began as a simple advertisement.
Notable Polish Poster Artists
There were many prominent Polish poster artists during this time period. However, the following are some notable names.
Henryk Tomaszewski
Henryk Tomaszewski was one of the original artists hired to make movie posters. He became a professor at his old college and created many cartoonish movie posters that were already branching away from the norm.
Jan Lenica
Jan Lenica was an architecture student who doubled as a movie poster artist. He created notable art, including abstract figures with prominent eyes. His work also featured many dismembered body parts, haunting faces and strange shapes.
Franciszek Starowieyski
Franciszek Starowieyski created art that viewers deemed disturbing. He incorporated surreal and fantastical elements into his work as well. He placed dates on his art hundreds of years in the future, adding to the fantasy elements of his posters.
Waldemar Swierzy
Waldemar Swierzy created movie posters that resembled fine art, with smooth brushstrokes and a fluid feeling to each work. He has a poster for a movie featuring a cowboy silhouette with pink lipstick, which has become one of his more famous pieces.
Popular Polish Posters
Many Polish movie posters are considered iconic. Below are some notable posters and how they relate to the films they promote.
Return of the Jedi
The poster for this film features a Darth Vader mask, sectioned into pieces. The mask looks like it is falling apart. The image takes up most of the page with the title and actors’ names in small letters at the bottom. The primary color is black with hints of red and green. The artist chose to portray the film’s villain rather than its heroes.
Alien
This film’s Polish poster features an entirely black background with a red creature in the center. The organism resembles the ribcage and nervous system of a human, but has blue eyes in the middle of its body. The creature on this cover does not resemble the alien in the movie at all, suggesting that the artist did not watch the film before making the poster.
Cabaret
The Polish poster for Cabaret is a horror-esque image of a face with four legs emerging from it. The figure resembles a character in the film, but its legs form an infamous shape reminiscent of the country’s government at the time. The dark political nature of this poster could represent the emotions of Polish society during that era.
The Legacy of Polish Movie Posters
Once communism left Poland and computer technology entered, artists began to stray away from abstract movie posters. There is still political unrest in the country, but people protest differently than in the past. The art also inspired several generations of artists. Some still note that time period as influential to their current art style.
The movie posters from the communist era are sold at high prices to collectors due to their unique nature and cultural significance. The price shifts depending on the poster’s rarity and condition, as well as the film it advertises. Some of the art is at museums around the world, most notably in Poland. Other companies sell high-quality prints of the posters for decoration.
Posters Gave Artistic Freedom
Polish artists used movie posters as a form of creative expression because of the country’s political censorship. Without strict regulations, movie posters were the only way to make comments about the communist regime without outwardly saying anything. This abstract and shocking art is still highly influential today, inspiring young artists and fetching high prices.
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