Last fall, the National Museum of Fine Arts of Cuba presented a major exhibition of Cuban revolutionary posters. The show is down, but the catalog will remain. Published by Polymita Publishing House, “Poster of the Revolution” contains more than three hundred creations of political, social, and cultural themes printed between 1959 and 1989.
Aesthetically beautiful, the little known Cuban revolutionary posters belong to the collections of José (Pepe) Menéndez and Damián Viñuelas, considered the most important collectors of posters in the country.
Produced under the editorial direction of Julio Larramendi, who is responsible for the photographic reproductions with Menéndez, the “Poster of the Revolution” stands out the range of contemporary styles that were a highlight of Cuban graphics. Texts are in Spanish, English, French and German, and it includes “Fourteen questions (and answers) about the Cuban poster,” as a prelude to the extensive display (some shown below).
Menéndez calls it a “volume of obligatory reference for designers, researchers and scholars of the genre.” The book reveals the ingenuity and talent of graphic design architects in the country, “who knew how to reconcile the original idea with their individual artistic creation.” At present the book is unavailable outside of Cuba, but hopefully Menéndez will have some available soon.
