Category: Art
James Dyer is the man behind Eye Sea Posters, a website dedicated to his extensive collection of Polish posters. James is first to admit that their print quality and paper stock is best admired in the flesh, so he is hosting an exhibition, ILUZJON, at the Protein Gallery, alongside a series of themed events. The accompanying limited edition poster (above) was designed by none other than Scott Bendall of La Boca, who also did design and art direction for issue 2 of Amelia's Magazine. No wonder it is so fab.
Here's the official blurb:
Iluzjon showcases the very best of Polish film and theatre posters from the 1960s and 1970s, collected by Eye Sea Posters. These posters were commissioned by state controlled film and theatre institutions during the communist era in Poland, in order to create alternative imagery to the foreign originals they deemed inappropriate to use as advertising.Often they had little visual reference to the film itself when creating the alternatives, resulting in off the wall and seemingly unrelated imagery. It provided an opportunity for some of the most revered national artists of the time to showcase their skills in conceptual design. Polish poster design has since gained international acclaim for its distinctive graphic style – bold, colourful, surreal and often with a satirical sense of humour or subversive theme. This makes them highly collectable and increasingly sought after.
Rare examples will be on display, and for sale, by renowned designers including: Wiktor Gorka, Waldemar Swierzy, Franciszek Starowieyski, Andrzej Krajewski, Jerzy Flisak, Maria Ihnatowicz, Jan Mlodozeniec and more. There will also be an limited edition screen print designed exclusively for the exhibition by Scot from design studio La Boca, who is an enthusiast of the genre. There will also be a series of events to coincide with the exhibition that highlight Polish culture and contribution to design and film. London based artist and curator, Stanley Schtinter, has organised an impressive array of film related events that often involve the screening of previously unreleased and forgotten cinema gems and soundtrack music nights. He will be curating an evening dedicated to Polish cinema, allowing for a unique opportunity to watch on a big screen carefully selected and incredibly rare films. Protein will also be hosting a Forum event that explores the history and influence of Polish poster and graphic design. There will also be a pop up vodka bar with crafted cocktails utilising arguably Poland's most notable export.
Find out more about the event and see photos from the launch party here. Then go visit for some design inspiration!
Opening times – Mon – Fri: 8am – 6pm, Sat – Sun: 11am – 4pm