The bold takeover of Polish posters on Hollywood blockbusters

Film posters are designed to sell a story from a look, but for Polish artists under communism, they have become a tool for visual challenge. Forced to reinterpret Hollywood classics in a small environment, they have shown an extraordinary artistic ability, creating posters that were both imaginative and subversive.

Polish film poster exhibition from outside Famous Strange, currently currently TO Coal drops in London, It reveals how the Polish artists reinterpreted American and British cinema, while sailing on the harsh realities of communist and post-Soviet Poland, at a time when censorship, propaganda and supervision were ubiquitous.

By mixing the gross intensity with the haunting beauty, these posters reflect the psychological landscape of a society of repression; You will never forget Cabaret, The glowor Tootsie the same again. The public familiar with these cinematic classics will face unexpected perspectives, revealing hidden narratives that criticize the subtle oppression and explore the human condition of a communist regime.

The school appeared after the Second World War, a period of immense devastation and political disorders. The school of Polish posters flourished under the communist rule in the middle of a widespread artistic suppression, the poster’s design has become a vital exit for the relative freedom of expression. The artists have developed a visual language that used the metaphor, symbolism and painting techniques to send messages, often provoking the predominant political climate. This approach distinguished them from the most commercial and photographic styles predominant in the design of the Western poster.

The key figures of the Polish poster school and influential graphic artists themselves include Henryk Tomaszewski, Jan Lenica, Waldemar świerzy and Roman Cieślewicz.

The exhibition runs until April 2 at Coal Drops Yard in London. The Kinoteka Polish film festival It runs until April 29 in London locations and throughout the UK.

Scroll down to view movie posters.