A poster is any piece of printed paper designed to be attached to a wall or vertical surface. Typically posters include both textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or wholly textual. Posters are designed to be both eye-catching and convey information. Posters may be used for many purposes, and they are a frequent tool of advertisers (particularly of events, musicians and films), propagandists, protestors and other groups trying to communicate a message. (“Poster”, 2009, para. 1)
Posters are everywhere, and they are conveying messages to you. Today posters are generally used as advertisements for products and services, and they can be seen everywhere. However, artists such as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Peter Doig have used posters in a slightly different way. Both artists have used posters to convey messages to the public, and both artists’ posters have used posters to advertise an event or place. Yet, Toulouse-Lautrec helped establish the poster as an art form, and Peter Doig paints posters to self-promote a local Trinidad event, the StudioFilmClub.
Although both artists are using posters as a medium to transmit information, they can also be considered works of art. The idea of a poster being a work of art seems somewhat unfamiliar, especially when most posters are considered a commodity. Ironically, even reproductions of art appear on posters, yet they are still a commodity and not the actual work of art.
Artists:
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
In the late 19th Century, Toulouse-Lautrec was an artist and poster maker. At a young age, Toulouse-Lautrec received an injury that did not heal properly, leaving him with a physical disability. “Physically unable to participate in most of the activities typically enjoyed by men of his age, Toulouse-Lautrec immersed himself in his art. (“Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec”, 2009, para. 4)”
Living in Paris, Toulouse-Lautrec became influenced by the bohemian lifestyle, and often portraying it in his artwork. The famous Moulin Rouge commissioned Toulouse-Lautrec to make posters. These posters and Toulouse-Lautrec’s work show people dancing and engaging in bohemian social activities. Depicting scenes of the night, his work has very bold and vibrant colors and type.
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Peter Doig
Peter Doig is an accomplished contemporary painter. Living in Trinidad, he creates abstracted and surreal-like landscape images. “In 2007, a painting of Doig's, entitled White Canoe, sold at Sotheby's for $11.3 million, then an auction record for a living European artist. (“Peter Doig”, 2009, para. 7)”
Although Doig’s artwork is captivating and renowned, I’m going to focus on his film club. StudioFilmClub was started because Doig wanted to screen movies, usually classics, that the local people of Trinidad did not have easy access to. With the help of Che Lovlace, Doig selects and screens films weekly. However, Doig almost always creates a weekly poster to promote StudioFilmClub. Although Doig has thought of these posters as disposable, they are in their own right works of art.
Black Orpheus, 2001, Oil on Paper
18.3"x18.7", by Peter Doig
The World of Apu, 2005, Oil on Paper
Discussion:
Who uses posters? What do they use them for?
How do posters convey information? How do they grab our attention?
What have Toulouse-Lautrec and Doig used their posters for? How is it different from other posters?
When did posters begin to be considered works of art?
Where was the place most often depicted in Toulouse-Lautrec’s posters?
Activity:
Self-Promo Poster
- Brainstorm about activities or events in your life (Athletics, clubs, social events, etc.).
- Decide on one that you want to promote via a poster.
- Begin by sketching images or words that you think will convey your message.
- You have several options of executing your poster: printmaking, painting & drawing, digitally, or a combination. Think about creating a hand-produced image, then designing the type using a computer.
- If you wish to go the traditional route, painting & drawing or printmaking, begin laying out your poster on a large sheet (at least 18x24). Think about how poster makers make eye-catching posters (contrast, color, bold type, etc.).
- With printmaking, a linoleum block print would be easiest. Transfer your layout onto one large block or several small blocks. Hint* text needs to be backwards on the block in order to print the right way.
- With Painting & Drawing, go ahead and begin painting if you are satisfied with your layout. Remember how to create an eye-catching poster.
- With either of these routes, you can scan the layout, or even final product, and overlay images, colors, and text using Adobe InDesign or Illustrator.
- Display and discuss the final projects. Which ones are eye-catching? Which ones convey the message they intended?
References:
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. (2009, October 26). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 22:16, October 30th, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Henri_de_Toulouse- Lautrec&oldid=322130709
Peter Doig. (2009, September 27). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 22:50, October 30th, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.phptitle=Peter_Doig&oldid=316482681
Poster. (2009, October 24). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 22:01, October 30th, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Poster&oldid=321751225
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