Poster Designs / Sixties – Stanislav Duda. The Story of Film Posters.

ByjozefSquare

Film posters in history. Sixties poster designs.

Poster Designer / Stanislav Duda

Animation / Applied Arts / Book Illustration / Graphic Art

 

1960s Vintage Movie Poster, Among Us Thieves
Movie poster Among Us Thieves / Stanislav Duda, 1963

 

  • b. 2nd July 1921, Ostrava, Czech Republic [^1]
  • 2008, Czech Republic

Education:

  • 1941 – 1947, Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague (Antonín Strnadel)

Art groups:

Exhibitions (selected):

  • 1954 – 1958 Group exhibitions, Bilance
  • 1956 – Exhibitions of Graphic Artists from Czechoslovakia. Poznan, Moscow, Warszaw [^3]
  • 1958 – EXPO. Brussels, Belgium
  • 1965 – Plakate aus der Tschechoslowakei. Munich, West Germany [^4]
  • 1959 – 1969 Ontario, Wien, Hamburg, Karlovy Vary, Bochum, Koln, Tolentino, London
  • 1967 – Contemporary Czechoslovak Poster. Olomouc, Czech Republic
  • 1964/1970/1972/1976/1980 – Brno Biennials, Czech Republic

Awards (selected):

  • 1964 − Applied Arts Prize. 1st Biennials of Czechoslovak Poster and Applied Arts. Brno, Czech Republic
  • 1968 – Prize for Installation. XVI. Triennale, Milano, Italy [^5]
  • 1985 – Jiří Trnka Prize for animation Omalovánky / Colouring Books. Czech Republic
  • 1986 − 1st Prize for animation. Chicago Film Festival, USA

Awarded posters:

  • 1964 – Honourable mention for Harold Lloyd in his best Comedies movie poster (bellow). International Film Festival, Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic [^6]
  • 1965 − 1st Prize for The Haunted Castle / Strašidla ze Spessartu movie poster. Filmplakat Wien, Austria
  • 1984 – Silver Hugo for Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid movie poster. Chicago Film Festival, USA

 

Stanislav Duda's Movie posters
Harold Lloyd in His Best Comedies, 1963 / The King of Kings, 1963. Exhibition catalogue excerpt, Munich, 1965.

 

Welcome to the humorous world of Stanislav Duda, possibly one of the longest lasting poster designer Czechoslovakia had on offer. His poster activities are dating to late 40s, where he gained several awards for his commercial poster designs. [^7]  Stanislav Duda begins to work professionally right after his graduation as graphic designer in Centrotex company (import / export of mostly textile products) where he stayed until 1953. From then onwards he works on his own as freelancer. He takes part in several group exhibitions representing graphic art from Czechoslovakia and also participates on International Exposition in Brussels (EXPO 58), where Czechoslovakia won prize for the best pavilion.

 

By the beginning of 1960s when Stanislav Duda started designing movie posters he was already well established graphic artist. Not sure if it was just by mere coincidence or because of his personal character, but it seems that majority of his 1960s movie posters were designed mostly for grotesque comedy (most of the posters shown in the article). Parallel to his illustrated caricatures that could be seen in several popular periodicals or art magazines, one can suggest that circumstances were working in his favour.

 

When Comedy Was King Movie Poster
When Comedy Was King / Stanislav Duda, 1965. Brno Biennials catalogue excerpt, 1970.

 

It is interesting to observe artist’s development through out his career. Stanislav Duda remained faithful to drawing all the way to mid 1980s. Apart of occasional use of very simple collage (Bewitched Love, 1969 (bellow) / Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid, 1985) or his phenomenal movie poster for Francois Truffaut’s Day for Night (great example of his graphical abilities) he was focused mainly on illustration and experimented a lot with fonts and colour. Eventually he also takes control over typography and masters everything in very unique almost childish quality of naive artist as can be seen in his later poster designs.

 

60s poster, Bewitched love, Excellent movie poster
Movie poster Bewitched Love / Stanislav Duda, 1969.

 

Stanislav Duda was author of several animated films and illustrated a good number of books for both children and adults. His work brought him a world recognition in pretty much everything he has touched. He has designed around thirty movie posters all with genuine signature and obtained some important movie poster awards.

Note: this showcase is part of our ongoing article Film posters / Made in Czechoslovakia. The story of film posters.

Many other magnificent posters by Stanislav Duda can be observed in our movie poster archive.

***

The Haunted Castle, Award Winning Movie Poster,
The Haunted Castle movie poster designed by Stanislav Duda, 1961.

***

Resources:

Literature:

  • II. Bienále Užité Grafiky Brno ’66, Medzinárodní Výstava Knižní Grafiky a Ilustrace, Moravská Galerie v Brně. / 2nd Biennale of Graphic Design Brno ’66, The International Exhibition of Book Graphics and Illustrations, Moravian Gallery Brno, 1966
  • [^3]:[^5]: IV. Bienále Užité Grafiky Brno 1970, Medzinárodní Přehlídka Plakátu a Propagační Grafiky, Moravská Galerie v Brně. / 4th Biennale of Graphic Design Brno 1970, The International Exhibition of Poster and Promotional Graphics, Moravian Gallery Brno, 1970 (p.41)
  • V. Bienále Užité Grafiky Brno 1972, Medzinárodní Výstava Ilustrace a Knižní Grafiky, Moravská Galerie v Brně. / 5th Biennale of Graphic Design Brno 1972, The International Exhibition of Illustrations and Book Graphics, Moravian Gallery Brno, 1972
  • VII. Bienále Užité Grafiky Brno 1976, Mezinárodní výstava ilustrace a knižní grafiky, Moravská Galerie v Brně. / 7th Biennale of Graphic Design Brno 1976, The International Exhibition of Illustrations and Book Graphics, Moravian Gallery Brno, 1976
  • IX. Bienále Užité Grafiky Brno 1980, Medzinárodní Výstava Ilustrace a Knižní Grafiky, Moravská Galerie v Brně. / 9th Biennale of Graphic Design 1980, The International Exhibition of Illustrations and Book Graphics, Moravian Gallery Brno, 1980
  • [^6]:Současná světová grafika, Deset brněnských bienále / The World Graphic Design at the Ten Brno Biennials, Jiří Hlušička. Odeon, Praha, 1985 (p.272)
  • [^7]: 1948, 1949, 1955 – 1st, 2nd & 3rd Prize for commercial poster design. IV. Bienále Užité Grafiky Brno 1970, Medzinárodní Přehlídka Plakátu a Propagační Grafiky, Moravská Galerie v Brně. / 4th Biennale of Graphic Design Brno 1970, The International Exhibition of Poster and Promotional Graphics, Moravian Gallery Brno, 1970 (p.41)
  • [^4]: Exhibition Catalogue: Plakate aus der Tschechoslowakei / Posters from the Czechoslovakia. Münchner Stadstmuseum, Munich, West Germany, 16.2 − 20.3. 1965. Texts: Alena Adlerová & Johanna von Herzogenberg.

Online:

  • [^1]: abArt / Stanislav Duda / Most of the biographical details are coming from AbArt’s archive unless otherwise referred.
  • [^2]:  AbArt  / Group of Artists and Graphic Designers established in Prague between 1957 − 1968. Main activities were exhibitions of group members in Czechoslovakia and abroad.
  • Article about exhibition Plakate aus der Tschechoslowakei / Posters from the Czechoslovakia, Munich, West Germany (1965) was printed in Gebrauchsgraphik Magazine, January/1965 and is available thanks to International Advertising & Design DataBase (pages 46-60).
  • Centrotex / cs.wikipedia.org

Images used:

  • Harold Lloyd in His Best Comedies, 1963 / The King of Kings, 1963. Exhibition Catalogue: Plakate aus der Tschechoslowakei / Posters from the Czechoslovakia. Münchner Stadstmuseum, Munich, West Germany, 16.2 − 20.3. 1965. Texts: Alena Adlerová & Johanna von Herzogenberg
  • When Comedy Was King / Stanislav Duda, 1965.Exhibition Catalogue: IV. Bienále Užité Grafiky Brno 1970, Medzinárodní Přehlídka Plakátu a Propagační Grafiky, Moravská Galerie v Brně. / 4th Biennale of Graphic Design Brno 1970, The International Exhibition of Poster and Promotional Graphics, Moravian Gallery Brno, 1970 (p. 145)

***

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  • Movie posters by Jaroslav Fišer and his collaboration with Věra Chytilová

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    We can hardly hide our excitement about BFI’s wonderful retrospective of one of the most innovative Czech filmmakers Věra Chytilová. It is also a very good opportunity to introduce the work of Jaroslav Fišer, prolific graphic designer and author of several posters for her films.

    Jaroslav Fišer studied at the Technical University in Prague and at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design, Prague, former Czechoslovakia. During 1959 – 1987 Jaroslav Fišer designed 104 movie posters and his poster for film The Apple Game won a Silver Hugo at the International Film Festival in Chicago, USA.

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    The 400 Blows, Francois Truffaut, 50s Movie Poster
    The 400 Blows / Francois Truffaut, movie poster by Josef Hvozdenský, 1959.

    EXPO 58 – Brussels and travelling

    It was not likely until 1958 EXPO show in Brussels when Czechoslovakia suddenly reappeared in the world wide art discussion. Overleaping thickness of Communist propaganda was overshadowing the cultural existence not only for another side of the Iron curtain. No wonder, as Stanislav Kolibal, one of the most refined Czech artist / sculptor recollects in his interview for Czech radio broadcast:

    [quote]”Travelling before 1957 was just not happening.”[/quote]

    It was not happening after that either, but things were a bit smoother and significantly moving towards lots of explorations.

    • typical early example of the “Noodle” shaped film poster, returning as an idea back in 60s without any further success.

    • film posters following old poster traditions.

    • 50s film posters came very rarely with the signature.

    Early days of film posters.

    Unhealthy political regime in Czechoslovakia had very strong impact on cultural distribution within the country. Country was perfectly sealed off. Presence of cold war was also effecting the possibilities of any official cultural exchange. Art making was going through all kinds of metamorphosis, but in reality it only had one face. That face was called Social Realism and it had very clear, strong and long lasting statement. Visual disillusion would chase one everywhere. And if a little flag was’t displayed on the window seal on the 1st of May, one would be chased by someone else, too. Simply put; politicians were using art for their own propaganda and there was no way around it. Or maybe there was?

    • fascinating starts from the “old school” representatives. Many artists were trying to cover the new medium. By the end of 50s poster still did not have that film look.

    Film poster in Czechoslovakia was also going through many changes before it meets the doors of collectors and film festivals. All sorts of artists were trying out to fit the new medium, but it was not until early sixties when fresh new ideologies were presented in both films and similarly in film posters design. Poster designers had it very hard to make pleasing posters for bad propaganda or WWI-II films at the beginning. Significance of EXPO 58 and sudden interest of politicians in foreign currency from the fresh source[^1] turned a blind eye on art scene ever since. Censorship however remains necessity.

    • Adolf Born is getting involved in poster making.

    • another famous Czech sci-fi books illustrator Teodor Rotrekl designs several film posters.

    Censors in form of critics were very much responsible for the public picture. That could never lack enough sympathy for the comrades from the Soviet union / countries of Warszaw pact and on the other hand it had to be critical enough towards anything coming out from the west.
    In visual art weird symbols of the era were the most preferable. Motifs of smiling women standing behind the factory machine pretending they do enjoy the heavy work and at the same time they are equally helping in cultivating the nation. This and similar images, everyone possibly came across when they say Communism, were implied in every possible media and censors had to make sure there was enough of it visible.

    • playful illustrations and collages of Jan Kubíček were accompanying Czechoslovak film poster all the way to seventies.

    • photograph stretches all across the poster.

    Thankfully not all of the art disciplines were destined for an extinction. Illustration, animated films as well as film posters remained intact with only few slight obstacles.[^2] By the beginning of 1960s several renown artists, graphic designers and illustrators such as Bedřich Dlouhý, Miloš Reindl, Richard Fremund, Zdeněk Palcr, Karel Teissig, Jaroslav Fišer were shaping up the future visuals of film posters. When award winning poster and graphic designer Zdeněk Ziegler meets the official film posters committee for the first time, he remembers his feelings were strongly in favour of his critics.

    [quote]”There were always two or three graphic designers among commissioners who would defend fellow colleague. It was Karel Vaca and Dobroslav Foll in my case.” [^3][/quote]

    Film posters came along with catalogue, The 400 Blows
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    The 400 Blows, Francois Truffaut, Catalogue for Film
    The 400 Blows / Francois Truffaut, Catalogue view opposite side.

    With increasing attendance at the international film festivals, film poster was also heading towards new directions. International success of movies created by Miloš Forman, Věra Chytilová, Jiří Menzel and other important directors of Czechoslovak New Wave, introduced Czechoslovak poster design to the foreign audience. Film posters designed in 1960s were created by some of the best poster designers of the era and we will be exploring them in more details in our next post.

    •••

    [^1]: Enough currency was floating in the country. Czechoslovakia was one of the greatest business partners with the death at the time. Military industry was among the most popular and export was doing just fine. / 150 000 Slov – former exile magazine, X/91/27, p.3-5, Morálka musí počkat (Morale must wait), Inge Santnerová.
    [^2]: Vratislav Hlavatý for the Czech Radio Interview / 29.3.2013 (Several of his publications were banned throughout Communism).
    [^3]: Zdeněk Ziegler for the Czech Radio Interview / 15.5.2013.

    Additional research:

    Literature:

    • Flashback / Czech and Slovak Film Posters 1959-1989, ed. Libor Gronský, Marek Perůtka, Michal Soukup,  Olomouc Museum of Art, 2004.

    Online web:

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  • Poster Designs / Sixties – Jan Brychta. The Story of Film Posters.

    ByjozefSquare Poster Designer | INdEX

    Film posters in history. Sixties poster designs.

    Poster Designer / Jan Brychta

    Book Illustration / Caricature / Film Animation / Painting

       ***

    Karel Čapek, 60s movie poster
    Jan Brychta’s poster design for movie adaptation of Karel Čapek’s novel, 1964.

       ***

    • 11th of May 1928, Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic
    • 14th of November 2013, London (?), United Kingdom
    • lived in London exile since 1968

    Education:

    • State Graphic School, Prague (Zdeněk Balaš, Josef Vodrážka)
    • 1945 – 19.., Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague (Josef Kaplický, Antonín Pelc)

    Exhibitions:

    • from late 1950s until 1968 mostly Prague exhibitions
    • Surrealism Unlimited 1968 – 1978, Camden Arts Centre, London 1978

    Awards for Film Animation:

    • The main prize in the category of animated films, Oberhausen 1966
    • The prize of the union of cinema owners, Oberhausen 1966
    • Grand Prix “Bronze Caesar”, Tours 1966

    ***

    In 1968 Jan Brychta vanished off the face of the earth and that is the fact. Russian occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1968 brought in many immediate changes within the state. Political trials were about to return back to fashion and not everyone was waiting for the resume. Or at least Jan Brychta did not.

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    ***

    Excellent minimal poster art
    Five Minutes to Seven movie poster by Jan Brychta, 1965.

    ***

    It is fascinating to watch how with short step in time and history someone so publicly pleasing can become persona non grata. Researching many years later it really looks that party members did a great job. There was no Jan Brychta after 1968 in Czechoslovakia and same for his wife Lída Brychtová (artist and book illustrator) as they managed to escape the country together with their children Edita and Aleš.

    Through out his Czechoslovak career as a daily caricaturist, film animator and pioneer of television graphics Jan Brychta was never far away from the movie poster. His rapid illustration and excellent story telling could be easily applied to the discipline. As a surreal artist and two dimensional painter use of a collage and illustration was a natural choice. His portfolio ends with his disappearance in late 1960s. Jan Brychta’s posters are absolute pleasure to look at and it is real pity it does not contain more than ten movie posters. The master of many techniques with only one common goal which was to keep everyone amused.

    ***

    Our Household, Family Guide Book, Illustration Jan Brychta
    Our Household, third volume of the annual guide for modern family illustrated by Jan Brychta, 1963.

    ***

    British audience could recognise Jan Brychta’s illustration thanks to BBC children’s television series Jackanory.

    ***

    Jan Brychta, TV Graphics, 1960s Design
    Television graphics by Jan Brychta, Adolf Born and other pioneers of 1960s TV visuals.

    ***

    Note: this showcase is part of our ongoing article Film posters / Made in Czechoslovakia. The story of film posters.

    Available film posters by Jan Brychta.

    ***

    Resources:

    Literature:

    • plenty with zero results

    Online:

    • abArt / Jan Brychta
    • Krátky Film, Praha / Short Film, Prague. Archive of Jan Brychta’s 1960s animated films.

    Images used:

    • Collective authors: Záznamník – Naše Domácnost 3 / Family Guide Jotter – Our Household Vol.3. Obchodní Tiskárny, Praha, 1963. Cover and inner pages of the book.
    • Film a Doba 1 / Film and Times 1 / Bratislava City Gallery, 1965. Magazine spread out.

    Additional research:

    ***

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  • Poster Designs / Sixties – Rudolf Altrichter. The Story of Film Posters.

    ByjozefSquare Poster Designer | INdEX

    Film posters in history. Sixties poster designs.

    Poster Designer / Rudolf Altrichter

    Painting / Graphic Art / Typography.

    Before God and Man, poster by Rudolf Altrichter
    Before God and Man movie poster by Rudolf Altrichter, 1968.
    • 10th of June 1916, Vienna
    • 8th of September 1978, Bratislava

    Education:

    • 1938, Business High School, Trenčín
    • University of Economy, Bratislava

    Awards:

    • 1966, Prize for the most beautiful poster of the year.

    Film posters created: 32 (1959-1972)[^1]

    ***

    It is fairly interesting when thinking of Rudolf Altrichter’s designs for film posters, that behind all this visual trickery is hidden self-taught artist. Originally trained as a sales man (worked also for Bata / shoemaker company) he became one of the most influential Slovak graphic artist. In his thirties he became one of the establishing members of newly reopen Slovak Art Society (1946) and year later co-founder of Association of Slovak Graphic Artists (1947).

    Rudolf Altrichter’s film posters are full of visual harmony, unusually blended by pure abstraction and the hints of reality. Human element appears to be one of his strongest standing point, no matter if it is design for art exhibition, film or political poster. Visual harmony is also represented by the use of elegant thin lines and curvy almost psychedelic shapes. Absurdity of the war, another of his characteristic motifs, can be also seen on several of his film posters. Film poster designed for French drama Dangerous Love Affairs / Dangerous Liaisons (shown bellow, designed in 1969), belongs to the selection of the most significant acquisitions of the Poster and Graphic Design Collection of Slovak National Gallery.

    ***

    ***

    Note: this showcase is part of our ongoing article Film posters / Made in Czechoslovakia. The story of film posters.

    Available film posters by Rudolf Altrichter or other interesting film posters designed in Sixties.

    ***

    Literature:

    • [^1]: Flashback / Czech and Slovak Film Posters 1959-1989, ed. Libor Gronský, Marek Perůtka, Michal Soukup, Olomouc Museum of Art, 2004. (p.39)

    Resources:

    ***

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  • Poster Designs / Sixties – Jiří Balcar. The Story of Film Posters.

    ByjozefSquare Poster Designer | INdEX

    Film posters in history. Sixties poster designs.

    Poster Designer / Jiří Balcar

    Painting / Graphic Art / Typography

    The Death of Tarzan, Film poster, 60s Poster Art
    The Death of Tarzan movie poster by Jiří Balcar, 1962.

    ***

    • 26th of August 1929, Kolín
    • 28th of August 1968, Prague

    Education:

    • 1947-1948, Philosophical Faculty of Charles University in Prague
    • 1948-1953, Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague (prof. F. Tichý, F. Muzika)

    Awards:

    • 1960, The most beautiful book of the Year, (Brno ?)
    • 1962, Toulouse-Lautrec Prize, Paris (film poster Moby Dick)
    • 1964, Honorable Mention, First Czechoslovak Showcase of Poster and Promotional Graphic Art, Brno[^1]

    Film posters created: 34 (1960-1967)[^2]

    ***

    Excellent 60s poster design by Jiri Balcar
    This Year in September movie poster by Jiří Balcar, 1963.

    ***

    Czech artist Jiří Balcar could easily belong to one of the most fascinating poster designers of the Sixties. It’s hard to judge by the small number of his posters in our collection, but his artwork as we are finding out, spreads all across the globe (short list bellow). Internationally started off at Farleigh Dickinson University in Madison (New Jersey) where he took part in International Invitational Seminar of Art, followed by exhibition in New York in 1964[^3] , Berlin (1965-66) and Wien (1966). Paris exhibition in Musée d’Art Moderne (1969) was held soon after his early death in 1968.

    A wide spectrum of his artistic experiments are brought in from the painting and are reflected in his poster designs. Extensive use of letter templates, sometimes broken into separate parts, wise and bright selection of colours (unless Monochromatic, or sensible mix of both), unconventional use of photography and perfect understanding of space. His faceless figures, motif reappearing on several of his paintings, could become alive only on the film poster.

    ***

    Movie poster, The Dacians, 60s poster design
    The Dacians movie poster by Jiří Balcar, 1967.

    ***

    Jiří Balcar was the member of several art groups.

    ***

    His artwork takes place in collections of museums and galleries worldwide. We have picked little selection with direct links.

    • The Baruch Foundation (impressive collection of Jiří Balcar‘s portfolio and other artists from behind the “Iron Curtain”), Chicago, Illinois, USA
    • Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
    • The British Museum, London, United Kingdom
    • Centre Pompidou, Paris, France
    • Czech Museum of Fine Arts, Prague, Czech Republic
    • Museum of Modern Art, New York, New York, USA
    • National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, USA
    • Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Copenhagen, Denmark
    • Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
    • Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands

    ***

    Note: this showcase is part of our ongoing article Film posters / Made in Czechoslovakia. The story of film posters.

    Sixties film posters available in our shop.

    ***

    Literature:

    • [^2]:  Flashback / Czech and Slovak Film Posters 1959-1989, ed. Libor Gronský, Marek Perůtka, Michal Soukup, Olomouc Museum of Art, 2004. (p.41)

    Online resources:

    ***

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  • Milan Grygar, Revisited, PF 2016

    ByjozefSquare Posters & Things

    If you would hang around Milan Grygar in mid 1960s, you could possibly get similar New Year’s greeting card.

    Milan Grygar, PF 1964, New Year's Card
    PF 1964, Grygar Milan

    Thanks to everyone for all the wonderful support on our exciting movie poster research.

    P.F. 2016,

    Judy & Jozef

    ***

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