New Eye Sea Posters show brings retro Polish poster design to life

Late last year we flagged up the sterling work of Eye Sea Posters, James Dyer’s labour of love bringing together Polish film and theatre posters from the 1960s and 1970s. In a state-controlled cultural landscape, it was felt the foreign originals were too subversive and so replacements were commissioned from designers like Wiktor Gorka, Waldemar Swierzy, Franciszek Starowieyski, Andrzej Krajewski and Maria Ihnatowicz.

These commissions helped cement Polish poster design’s place in the genre,with big, bright, bold imagery and a certain dark streak of humour. Now James is putting some of the best examples on show here in London alongside an interesting programme of events relating to Polish culture.

Anyone with an interest in the graphic arts will relish the chance to immerse themselves in these sumptuous, significant works but on-line too these posters maintain much of their mischief.

Iluzjon runs at the Protein Gallery from October 19 until October 29.