Results tagged “documentary” from :: ( CRIT ) :: DESIGN BLOG ::
In this two part interview series we will look at post WWII Polish poster design through the eyes of two design educators who share a passion for this provocative and inspiring period in history. This week I bring you an interview with Andrea Marks and next week Lara McCormick.
This fascinating aspect of design history is often overlooked in the typical American design education and holds great value to be studied, which is why I wanted to present these two voices in hopes to spark curiosity in our readers.
I should also point out that sadly, while not planned, this series comes following the passing of one of the greats of Polish poster design, Franciszek Starowieyski. A man of vast accomplishments who inspired many. (His Teresa Desqueyroux poster is show below.)
We will begin by meeting Andrea Marks, graphic design professor and program coordinator at Oregon State University. Andrea produced and co-directed, with Glenn Holsten, the documentary Freedom on the Fence which tells the story of poster design in Poland from WWII through the fall of Communism. It was at a screening of this film back in 2006 at my alma mater, Oregon State University, that I was first introduced to the art of Polish poster design. I also had the privilege of studying under Andrea during my undergraduate years and am very happy to introduce her to you...
CRIT: What first attracted you to Polish posters?
Andrea Marks: There were two aspects of the Polish poster that I was intrigued with. I should qualify here that I am specifically referring to posters following WWII through the fall of Communism. The first aspect was the visual power they had. These posters were visually very different, yet all possessed wonderful visual and conceptual qualities. The second aspect that pulled me in was the story itself. I was interested in learning more about how these wonderful cultural posters came to be seen on the streets of Warsaw, Krakow and other Polish cities. I was immediately captivated by the story that these powerful posters were not only produced during Communism, but actually flourished during this time period. As one artist said, “Communism was a fertile ground for poster making” and that is really an interesting thesis to explore. I was also interested in capturing the voices of the artists, many who were well into their 80s, as a way to preserve this very important part of art/design history.
CRIT: What is currently happening with your film, Freedom on the Fence?
AM: Here is a short history of the making of this film. In 1997, I had a Polish student in my class and she introduced me to Polish posters through books she had. She and I discussed the fact that the posters, announcing films, theater, opera and other cultural events were no longer produced in the same numbers as they were, prior to the fall of Communism. I thought this was an interesting story and one I wanted to pursue through the medium of film. This was 1998.
In the subsequent 10 years, I chipped away at this project, making three trips to Poland. I consider this a ‘passion project’— that is a project that you feel very strongly about for one reason or another and you work on it as long as it takes to get it finished. The film is now completed, aside from the purchase of final archival footage and it is hopeful that the funds for that footage will be raised by late spring. I have screened the film at many national and international venues, including AIGA events, film festivals and schools. I never imagined this film would be so well received by such a wide audience. I did imagine that designers and artists would find the story interesting, but I have shown it to high school students and senior citizens and all find something inspiring in the story. I think the film is particularly exciting to see when it is shown in conjunction with a Polish poster exhibition. This past January, I screened the film at Drexel University in Philadelphia. They have recently acquired a huge collection of Polish posters, and had a terrific exhibition that accompanied the screening.
Crit: What was the transition from design to documentary film making like?
AM: Well, I knew that in order to make this film, I needed to collaborate with someone who knew how to make a film. Fortunately, my friend Glenn Holsten, a very talented, independent filmmaker in Philadelphia agreed to work on the project with me. The collaboration with Glenn was great and we both had a similar vision of what the film could be. I really wouldn’t have been able to make the film without Glenn’s guidance and experience. I think design and film making both come down to storytelling. Instead of writing an article or designing a book about these Polish artists, I chose film and sound as the medium. There was new technology to learn, the real challenge was how to take a 50 year period in history and summarize it in 40 minutes. Once I transcribed the many interviews, we edited sections and began shaping the story. I developed a “look and feel” for the film, with the goal of flooding the film with as many posters as possible.
The fact that it was a foreign film added another layer of complexity. I applied for many grants, both from my university and external grants for funding and received enough money to make a preliminary research trip to Poland. This trip was important and we spent 2 weeks traveling to various cities in Poland to meet with artists and hear their stories. We brought a very low end camera, and made short videos. In a sense, this was a bit like initial sketching in a design project. Following that trip, I worked on plans for the next trip, in which we would do the final filming of the documentary. Unlike a design project, which can be completed in a relatively short time, a film, even a 40-minute film, can take a much longer time to complete and I wasn’t used to that. Granted, 11 years is a very long time, even for a film, but there are inherent complexities in film that are not present in design.
All of my interviews were done with a translator I hired in Poland and then I had to transcribe all interviews on paper. It was an incredibly tedious process that took dozens of hours, but it was the only way I could view the various voices and understand how to string these voices together to tell a story.
CRIT: What are some of the new discoveries about Polish posters that you made in the process of making the film?
AM: Not sure I made any new discoveries about Polish posters, as all of it was new to me. It was poignant to hear the artist Wiktor Gorka talk about how advertising, such as billboards was worse than some of the Social Realist art created under Communism. That was something I didn’t find written in journals or books. I am sure that none of the artists would like to live under Communism again, but those that were commissioned to design posters (and there were many), were paid very well and could make a living as poster artists.
CRIT: Being a design educator yourself, what do you feel are the most beneficial aspects of incorporating the history of Polish poster design into a graphic design curriculum?
AM: As cliché as this may sound, I think the story of the Polish poster shows the strength of the human spirit. The way this is done happens on several levels. On one level, these posters can be viewed for their pure, imagistic beauty. Students are typically very inspired by the visual strength of the Polish posters. I think the fact that they were drawn and painted, including the typography, speaks to the students of today. For many students, the idea of working “off” the computer on a poster is a bit of a revelation. The next level is the content of the posters. Though these are for the most part cultural posters, announcing theater, film, opera, etc., the message on the poster is never literal. In fact, the posters are wonderful examples of how not to be literal, as they use metaphor, irony, satire and humor in very clever ways.
The third level is examining the history and how the time period played a pivotal role in the development of these powerful posters. One might say that the added constraints of Communism and the fact that each poster had to go before a censor board pushed the artists to dig a little deeper.
CRIT: How are the students you come in contact with responding to Polish poster design and is it being reflected in their work?
AM: Each time I show the film to students, from high school to college age, the response is similar—they love the images. They usually ask where they can purchase these posters and I can see they are inspired. After seeing the film, I have had students tell me they are much more interested in working by hand—bringing more painting and drawing into their work. I do think the Polish posters show students that much can be done off of the computer. I also think Polish posters are a great example for students to see how metaphor and satire can work in communicating a message. When we ask students to capture the essence of something visually, Polish posters are great examples to show.
CRIT: What is the next thing you hope will happen in the study of Polish poster design?
AM: I think it would be interesting to explore contemporary Polish poster design. That is something I was not able to do in my time in Poland. Whenever another generation is developing their history, the challenge is how to develop a new voice. The artists of the 50s and 60s were mainly trained as painters, and so there is a lot of drawing and painting in the work. Students studying at the Warsaw Academy of Art today have new technologies they are working with. I am curious as to how the past influences what is being done today.
Go here to learn more about Andrea’s film, Freedom on the Fence.
Visit us next week for the second installment of this interview series featuring Lara McCormick, freelance designer and graduate of the SVA MFA Design program who is currently teaching at SVA’s undergraduate and continuing education program.
This fascinating aspect of design history is often overlooked in the typical American design education and holds great value to be studied, which is why I wanted to present these two voices in hopes to spark curiosity in our readers.
I should also point out that sadly, while not planned, this series comes following the passing of one of the greats of Polish poster design, Franciszek Starowieyski. A man of vast accomplishments who inspired many. (His Teresa Desqueyroux poster is show below.)
We will begin by meeting Andrea Marks, graphic design professor and program coordinator at Oregon State University. Andrea produced and co-directed, with Glenn Holsten, the documentary Freedom on the Fence which tells the story of poster design in Poland from WWII through the fall of Communism. It was at a screening of this film back in 2006 at my alma mater, Oregon State University, that I was first introduced to the art of Polish poster design. I also had the privilege of studying under Andrea during my undergraduate years and am very happy to introduce her to you...
CRIT: What first attracted you to Polish posters?
Andrea Marks: There were two aspects of the Polish poster that I was intrigued with. I should qualify here that I am specifically referring to posters following WWII through the fall of Communism. The first aspect was the visual power they had. These posters were visually very different, yet all possessed wonderful visual and conceptual qualities. The second aspect that pulled me in was the story itself. I was interested in learning more about how these wonderful cultural posters came to be seen on the streets of Warsaw, Krakow and other Polish cities. I was immediately captivated by the story that these powerful posters were not only produced during Communism, but actually flourished during this time period. As one artist said, “Communism was a fertile ground for poster making” and that is really an interesting thesis to explore. I was also interested in capturing the voices of the artists, many who were well into their 80s, as a way to preserve this very important part of art/design history.
CRIT: What is currently happening with your film, Freedom on the Fence?
AM: Here is a short history of the making of this film. In 1997, I had a Polish student in my class and she introduced me to Polish posters through books she had. She and I discussed the fact that the posters, announcing films, theater, opera and other cultural events were no longer produced in the same numbers as they were, prior to the fall of Communism. I thought this was an interesting story and one I wanted to pursue through the medium of film. This was 1998.
In the subsequent 10 years, I chipped away at this project, making three trips to Poland. I consider this a ‘passion project’— that is a project that you feel very strongly about for one reason or another and you work on it as long as it takes to get it finished. The film is now completed, aside from the purchase of final archival footage and it is hopeful that the funds for that footage will be raised by late spring. I have screened the film at many national and international venues, including AIGA events, film festivals and schools. I never imagined this film would be so well received by such a wide audience. I did imagine that designers and artists would find the story interesting, but I have shown it to high school students and senior citizens and all find something inspiring in the story. I think the film is particularly exciting to see when it is shown in conjunction with a Polish poster exhibition. This past January, I screened the film at Drexel University in Philadelphia. They have recently acquired a huge collection of Polish posters, and had a terrific exhibition that accompanied the screening.
Crit: What was the transition from design to documentary film making like?
AM: Well, I knew that in order to make this film, I needed to collaborate with someone who knew how to make a film. Fortunately, my friend Glenn Holsten, a very talented, independent filmmaker in Philadelphia agreed to work on the project with me. The collaboration with Glenn was great and we both had a similar vision of what the film could be. I really wouldn’t have been able to make the film without Glenn’s guidance and experience. I think design and film making both come down to storytelling. Instead of writing an article or designing a book about these Polish artists, I chose film and sound as the medium. There was new technology to learn, the real challenge was how to take a 50 year period in history and summarize it in 40 minutes. Once I transcribed the many interviews, we edited sections and began shaping the story. I developed a “look and feel” for the film, with the goal of flooding the film with as many posters as possible.
The fact that it was a foreign film added another layer of complexity. I applied for many grants, both from my university and external grants for funding and received enough money to make a preliminary research trip to Poland. This trip was important and we spent 2 weeks traveling to various cities in Poland to meet with artists and hear their stories. We brought a very low end camera, and made short videos. In a sense, this was a bit like initial sketching in a design project. Following that trip, I worked on plans for the next trip, in which we would do the final filming of the documentary. Unlike a design project, which can be completed in a relatively short time, a film, even a 40-minute film, can take a much longer time to complete and I wasn’t used to that. Granted, 11 years is a very long time, even for a film, but there are inherent complexities in film that are not present in design.
All of my interviews were done with a translator I hired in Poland and then I had to transcribe all interviews on paper. It was an incredibly tedious process that took dozens of hours, but it was the only way I could view the various voices and understand how to string these voices together to tell a story.
CRIT: What are some of the new discoveries about Polish posters that you made in the process of making the film?
AM: Not sure I made any new discoveries about Polish posters, as all of it was new to me. It was poignant to hear the artist Wiktor Gorka talk about how advertising, such as billboards was worse than some of the Social Realist art created under Communism. That was something I didn’t find written in journals or books. I am sure that none of the artists would like to live under Communism again, but those that were commissioned to design posters (and there were many), were paid very well and could make a living as poster artists.
CRIT: Being a design educator yourself, what do you feel are the most beneficial aspects of incorporating the history of Polish poster design into a graphic design curriculum?
AM: As cliché as this may sound, I think the story of the Polish poster shows the strength of the human spirit. The way this is done happens on several levels. On one level, these posters can be viewed for their pure, imagistic beauty. Students are typically very inspired by the visual strength of the Polish posters. I think the fact that they were drawn and painted, including the typography, speaks to the students of today. For many students, the idea of working “off” the computer on a poster is a bit of a revelation. The next level is the content of the posters. Though these are for the most part cultural posters, announcing theater, film, opera, etc., the message on the poster is never literal. In fact, the posters are wonderful examples of how not to be literal, as they use metaphor, irony, satire and humor in very clever ways.
The third level is examining the history and how the time period played a pivotal role in the development of these powerful posters. One might say that the added constraints of Communism and the fact that each poster had to go before a censor board pushed the artists to dig a little deeper.
CRIT: How are the students you come in contact with responding to Polish poster design and is it being reflected in their work?
AM: Each time I show the film to students, from high school to college age, the response is similar—they love the images. They usually ask where they can purchase these posters and I can see they are inspired. After seeing the film, I have had students tell me they are much more interested in working by hand—bringing more painting and drawing into their work. I do think the Polish posters show students that much can be done off of the computer. I also think Polish posters are a great example for students to see how metaphor and satire can work in communicating a message. When we ask students to capture the essence of something visually, Polish posters are great examples to show.
CRIT: What is the next thing you hope will happen in the study of Polish poster design?
AM: I think it would be interesting to explore contemporary Polish poster design. That is something I was not able to do in my time in Poland. Whenever another generation is developing their history, the challenge is how to develop a new voice. The artists of the 50s and 60s were mainly trained as painters, and so there is a lot of drawing and painting in the work. Students studying at the Warsaw Academy of Art today have new technologies they are working with. I am curious as to how the past influences what is being done today.
Go here to learn more about Andrea’s film, Freedom on the Fence.
Visit us next week for the second installment of this interview series featuring Lara McCormick, freelance designer and graduate of the SVA MFA Design program who is currently teaching at SVA’s undergraduate and continuing education program.
