Hasta La Ideas

Later this week London’s Kemistry Gallery, in conjunction with the Twarda Sztuka Foundation (which looks to promote Polish culture) will present Mr T: The Posters of Jerzy Treutler, a celebration of the Polish poster artist’s work from the 60s and 70s…

Born in Beszyn, Poland in 1932, Treutler graduated from the Warsaw Fine Art Academy in 1955 and during the course of his career produced dozens of posters for films, exhibitions and sporting events for various central agencies such as the Central Wynajmu Filmow (CWF), Art & Graphics Publishers (WAG), and Central Office for Art Exhibitions (CBWA).

Having been freed from Stalinist rule in the 1950s, such state controlled bodies in Poland allowed artist-driven approaches to commissions – which in turn enabled designers to produce work that was largely free of commercial and economic constraints. This is why many Polish film posters of the 50s, 60s and 70s don’t have images of film stars but rather sport often abstract and surreal imagery.

From 1970 to 1984 Treutler was an advisor at the Publishing Institute and then graphic supervisor at WAG (later KAW). Then, from 1985 to 1991, he was the chief graphic designer of the Polish Association of Book Publishers (PTWK). He is a key figure in Polish graphic design (he also designed corporate logos and book covers) and in 1977 received the title of Graphic Expert from the Polish Ministry of Culture.

Here is a selection of posters that will be exhibited at the show:

Mr T: The Posters of Jerzy Treutler runs from February 2 to March 17 at Kemistry Gallery, 43 Charlotte Road, London, EC2A 3PD. A selection of limited edition, signed reproduction prints will be available to buy at the gallery.

kemistrygallery.co.uk

CR in Print

If you only read CR online, you’re missing out. From the meaning of beans to the power of love, the February issue of Creative Review features our 20 favourite slogans of all time and the stories behind them.

What makes a great slogan? We investigate the enduring power of these clever little phrases in our special slogans issue, dedicated to our choices for the top 20 slogans.

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