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Polish one sheet, signed by Martin Scorcese,
1985 Martin Scorsese film After Hours. The distinctive, surreal artwork was created by the acclaimed Polish poster artist Andrzej P?gowski in 1987 for the film's Polish release.
Movie Details
Title (English): After Hours
Title (Polish): Po godzinach
Director: Martin Scorsese
Release Year (USA): 1985
Starring: Griffin Dunne, Rosanna Arquette, Verna Bloom, Thomas Chong (Tommy Chong), and Linda Fiorentino, among others.
Synopsis: The film is a black comedy that follows a word processor named Paul Hackett (Griffin Dunne) who experiences a series of increasingly bizarre and nightmarish misadventures during one night in the SoHo district of New York City while trying to return home after a date gone wrong.
Poster Information
Artist: Andrzej P?gowski
Year of Print: 1987 (for the initial Polish theatrical release)
Style: Polish film posters from this era are known for their heavy use of metaphors, symbolism, and painterly, artistic styles, often differing greatly from their Western counterparts. This specific design is celebrated for capturing the film's dark and bizarre, Kafkaesque tone.
Awards: The text on the poster mentions a "Nagroda za re?yseri? MFF Cannes '86" which translates to "Award for direction Cannes IFF '86," referencing Martin Scorsese's win of the Best Director Award at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival for the film.
The
Polish School of Posters was an internationally renowned graphic design movement that flourished from the 1950s through the 1980s, known for its distinctive blend of fine art aesthetics with the communicative format of the poster.
Characteristics and History
Artistic Expression Under Oppression: Emerging in post-WWII Poland under communist rule, when all media was strictly censored, artists found a loophole in poster design to express themselves with relative freedom. The state-funded cultural institutions (like film, theatre, and the circus) commissioned a vast number of posters, which became the primary public art form.
Unique Style: The movement rejected the commercial, actor-focused style of Western posters, which were often banned in Poland. Instead, Polish artists used a unique visual language characterized by:
Metaphor and Symbolism: Posters were designed to be "read," using complex, intellectual, and often humorous imagery to engage the viewer in interpretation, sometimes including subtle, camouflaged political critiques.
Painterly Aesthetics: Artists, who were often classically trained fine artists, used painting techniques, a strong feeling for color, and a linear quality in their designs, blurring the line between designer and artist.
Expressionistic Color: Vibrant colors, often traced back to Polish folk art, were used to evoke emotion and contrast with the grey post-war cityscapes.
Hand-Lettering: The lack of access to official fonts during the communist era led to the development of unique, hand-drawn typography.
The movement is recognized as one of the best in contemporary poster art, comparable to France's La Belle Époque. A museum dedicated exclusively to the art form opened in Warsaw in 1968, the first of its kind in the world.
Iconic Posters by Andrzej P?gowski
Andrzej P?gowski, part of the third generation of the Polish School, created many highly individualistic and iconic posters. His work can be found in museums worldwide, including the MoMA in New York.
Some of his notable works include posters for:
The Beatles (1985)
Cabaret (1988 Polish release poster)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1979 Polish release poster)
Rosemary's Baby (1984 Polish release poster)
"Blue Hand Circus" (Cyrk poster from 1978)
The Man of Iron (1981)
His posters are known for their ability to evoke a range of moods and ideas, with each design being an individual artistic exercise. |
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