Without hesitation I assert that Polish graphic design is by far the most original, meaningful and expressive of any Western country. And to think, much of that originality occurred during Communist censorship. Well, if you don’t believe me, a new book published in Warsaw in English by the Adam Mickiwicz Institute, VeryGraphic: Polish Designers of the 20th Century, is 448 pages on 64 of the most significant Polish formgivers of posters, books, products, logos and more.
Below are some examples, but the real impact of the book is the critical mass of designers from the early 20th Century to the latter years. Of course, the avant garde ’20s and the Polish Poster School of the ’60s are covered, but so are some of the experimentalists who do not fit into neat buckets.
I was, however, surprised by a few omissions, notably illustrators who made posters and books, including Andrezj Czecot and Andrezj Dudzinski. Nonetheless, what is presented is an historical treasure.
Karol Jozef Frycz
Mieczyslaw Szczuka
Janusz Mario Brzesk
Boleslaw Barcz + Anatol Girs
Henryk Tomaszewski
Jan Mlodozeniec
Bronislaw Zelek
Andrej Krajewski
