8749 Shirley Ave. Unit B
Northridge, CA 91324
Tel: 818.882.1214
Email: postermount@aol.com
www.postermountain.blogspot.com
The Researcher Of Hammering
Small
Soviet exhibition poster titled "The Researcher of Hammering". Created in 1987 by artists Oleg Maslov and Alexey Kozin, the image of a hand hammering a nail into a skull is a powerful symbol of self-destruction, often associated with Soviet anti-alcohol campaigns.
Poster Details

Artists: Oleg Maslov and Alexey Kozin
Title: "The Researcher of Hammering"
Year: 1987
Context: The image became a a famous symbol for the 1988 exhibition "From Unofficial Art to Perestroika" which showcased non-conformist art from the Leningrad underground scene between 1949 and 1989.

The poster is recognized for its potent visual metaphor related to the popular Russian saying, "If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail". The image has been widely used in discussions about thought bias and the dangers of a single-minded approach to complex problems, or in a more direct interpretation, the self-inflicted harm of excessive drinking.
The Researcher Of Hammering
The Researcher Of Hammering