Dec 13, 2014 | Poster of the Day
The Swiss Object Poster Style sought to create unforgettable icons out of everyday objects through breathtaking graphics and printing. No one artist knew how to accomplish this better than Peter Birkhauser, who created more than 50 Object Poster masterpieces during the Thirties, Forties and Fifties.
This elegant poster featuring a simple box is a perfect illustration of Birkhauser’s magic – the crisp folds of the wrapping paper, the trompe l’oeil affect of the green string, and the whimsical flip of the handle represent everything that the department store stands for.
For more Swiss posters, click here!
Oct 10, 2014 | Poster of the Day
The Gallery is alive with Campari!
This new discovery is irresistible, playful, charming, seductive, hip, fresh and stylish, all rolled in one. You think Audrey Hepburn, Donald Draper & friends, La Dolce Vita and Twiggy. The long green stockinged legs, the stylish shoes, the tip of the cap to both modern art and hieroglyphics in the painted almond shaped eye…it is unbearably clever and fun…just what an ad should be.
Campari soda was first produced in 1930 and became the first pre-mixed drink sold world-wide. Its famous bottle was designed by none other than Italian Futurist Fortunato Depero and described as an upside down goblet. Surrealist fashion illustrator Franz Marangolo created an image that would position it solidly in the minds of a new generation: “It runs (keeps up) with the times (corre col tempo!)” His superb ads for the Fiat 500 and 600 were equally successful.
This handsome Object Poster by Mingozzi smartly plays on this theme, focusing only on the bottle and its interplay with a goblet in front of it. No tagline is necessary.
View more Campari Posters here!
Mar 15, 2014 | Gallery News
Most people are surprised to learn that there are more 20th century poster masterpieces from Switzerland than any other country. There are many reasons: an international tradition which absorbed and often mimicked the best of its neighbors; a vigorous national program to promote the poster and its printers; and a series of great teachers who advanced the art of the poster.
The Swiss poster had its roots in the travel poster as Switzerland became a popular travel destination at the turn of the century. Characteristic Swiss poster styles are the Sachplakat, or Object Poster, as well as the International Typographic Style which became the predominant graphic design style in the world from the Fifties into the Seventies and continues to exert its influence today.
Influential by Design: The Swiss Poster’s Impact on the Modern World explores Swiss design’s leadership in creating a graphic vocabulary for the complex, global realities of modern society. The exhibition begins with a backdrop of early Swiss posters, including ski, travel, transportation and product posters by leading Swiss poster designers Otto Baumberger, Emil Cardinaux, Herbert Leupin, and Niklaus Stoecklin.
The show then focuses on the remarkable flowering of Swiss graphic design in the Fifties – a new style heavily reliant on typography to create a universal language of design. Simple, clear and harmonious, it would become the leading language of the increasingly global postwar marketplace, from institutions and international exhibitions to packaging and traffic design.
As part of Boston Design Week, International Poster Gallery is hosting an event on March 26 in collaboration with swissnex Boston, including a gallery tour with Chris Pullman, artist, designer, poster collector and former Vice President for Design and Branding for WGBH. The program accompanies a one-day exhibition and sale of poster masterpieces drawn from the Gallery’s world-leading Swiss collection.
Browse all of our Swiss posters here and browse more of our Swiss poster favorites on Pinterest.
Oct 6, 2011 | Poster of the Day
We’re kicking off Proto-Pop with a look at an Object Poster classic: Peter Birkhauser’s Rheinbrucke.
The Swiss Object Poster Style sought to create unforgettable icons out of everyday objects through breathtaking graphics and printing. No one artist knew how to accomplish this better than Peter Birkhauser, who created more than 50 Object Poster masterpieces during the Thirties, Forties and early Fifties.
This elegant poster featuring a simple box is a perfect illustration of Birkhauser’s magic – the crisp folds of the wrapping paper, the trompe l’oeil effect of the green string, and the whimsical flip of the handle represent everything that the department store stands for.
Pop prince Andy Warhol captured a similar aesthetic in his famous Brillo Boxes sculpture, relying on the object to tell a powerful, if altogether contrasting, story. Both artists recognized the natural draw of the Object, and their works speak volumes on the pervasive consumer culture of their respective times.
Sep 22, 2011 | Gallery News
Our fall gallery exhibit, opening on October 6th, will showcase over 30 Swiss Object Poster masterpieces. Featuring hyper-realistic drawings of everyday things, the Swiss Object Poster focused on the beauty and precision of mundane, commercial products. These stunning, larger-than-life advertisements foreshadowed Pop Art’s similar fascination with basic consumer goods. Both styles transform the commonplace into symbols of their time.
Stay tuned for more details!
