Roman Cieślewicz: Zawrót Głowy

Zawrót Głowy (Vertigo Poster), 83 x 59 cm, Poland

Roman Cieślewicz (Poland 1930–France 1996)

To me a picture could never be separated from the content. I always go for the maximum picture and the maximum information. You need to stimulate imagination to the maximum. —Roman Cieślewicz

Cieslewicz earned huge international recognition, exhibiting his works throughout the world. He was one of the key founders of the Polish poster school which promoted simplicity and clarity of artistic statement, use of the synthetic sign and poetic metaphor, and abundance of means of expression. His artistic interests included posters, press and publishing prints, typography, photography, photomontage and exhibiting.

Emily Amanda Searle: Various Photography

Follow Emily Amanda Searle: Twitter, Tumblr, MySpace, Facebook

Amy Bennett: "Neighbors"

On Thin Ice, oil on panel, 12 x 16 inches 

Coincidence, oil on panel, 20 x 20 inches 

Cold Compress, oil on panel, 12 x 16 inches 

Amy Bennett: "At the Lake"

Escape, oil on panel, 14 x 18 inches, 2008 

Taking Arms, oil on panel, 18 x 24 inches, 2008

The paintings are glimpses of a scene or fragments of a narrative. I am interested in storytelling over time through repeated depictions of the same house or car or person, seasonal changes, and shifting vantage points. Like the disturbing difficulty of trying to put rolls of film in order several years after the pictures have been taken, I hope the collective images suggest a known past that is just beyond reach. —Amy Bennett

Nippon: Issue 18

Nippon: Issue 18 (1938)

Designers: Kono Takashi, Yamana Ayao, and Kamekura Yusaku

Yônosuke Natori (1910-62) was a professional photographer, founder of “Nippon Studio” and publisher of the international, multilanguage magazine “Nippon” (Japan). With his studio and the magazine Yonosuke Natori introduced to Japan cutting-edge photographic techniques and design that he studied in Germany. The magazine was designed to promote Japanese culture to the West and was published in English, French, German and Spanish until 1944. Utilizing designs and techniques from German magazines “Nippon” was much higher in quality than other magazines of the same kind in prewar Japan, but became a very rare item soon, since most of its copies were distributed overseas.“Nippon” magazine is very hard to find in Japan, even in specialized libraries.

Cheki: School Bus, Crossroads...

←Los Angeles County school bus, 09.05.21

→Crossroads of the World, 09.05.20

Two images taken during a walk through Hollywood, CA.

William H. Bradley: The Chap‐Book

The Chap‐Book poster. 1895, 52.5 x 35.5 cm, USA

William H. Bradley (USA 1868–1962)

The name "Chap-Book" came from the earliest days of printing. In the sixteenth century chapbooks — or "cheap" books — were short pamphlets, often illustrated, that contained folk stories, remedies, and other popular literature.

Cheki: Orange Tree

Orange Tree, 09.05.17

I took this picture on a hike through the Silverlake hills as I passed by a home with an orange tree in the front yard. 

Cheki: Santa Monica Pier

Ferris Wheel, 09.05.16

I took this photo on a trip to the Santa Monica pier. The sun was barely out that day and there was a lot fog in the air, which is why image is so underexposed. Apparently this film does best on very bright days. I still like the picture. 

Cheki: Numero Uno

1635 Sunnyside Up, 09.05.14

I just received my Cheki Instax Mini camera and this is the first photo, roughly the size of a standard business card. It is most likely going to be my new obsession and drive me into debt considering the film price per image works out to be about $1.70. I guess I better make them count. This image is the flower bed in front of my apartment; the one to the upper left looks like a fried egg.

Hans & Grete Leistikow: Das Neue Frankfurt

 Das Neue Frankfurtvol. 4, 1 (January 1930)

Nas Neue Frankfurt vol. 4, 8 (August 1930)

 Hans and Grete Leistikow (Germany, 1892–1962 / 1893–?)

Paul Schuitema: De 8 en Opbouw

De 8 en Opbouw vol. 5. 26 (1934.12.31) Back cover, design by Paul Schuitema   

De 8 en Opbouw vol. 5. 26 (1934.12.31) 

Double advertising page, design by Paul Schuitema  

← De 8 en Opbouw vol. 10. 20 (1939.09.30) Cover, design by Paul Schuitema

→ De 8 en Opbouw vol. 08. 21 (1935.10.12) Cover, design by Paul Schuitema

Employing the design principles of De Stijl, Schuitema created simplified visual compositions with rectangular forms and asymmetry, utilizing only primary colors with black and white.

Gustav Klucis: The Development of Transportation, The Five-Year Plan

The Development of Transportation, The Five-Year Plan. 1929.
Gravure. 28 7/8 x 19 7/8" (73.3 x 50.5 cm)

Gustav Klucis (Latvian, 1895–1938)


Klucis is best known for his photomontages, claiming to having invented the sub-genre of political photomontage in 1918. He created energetic compositions, manipulating the scale and space of his subject matter while skewing perspectives; it is clear why his work holds a timeless modern appeal. My personal favorite image within the composition is the woman on camel-back waving, seen in the bottom right.

Celestino Piatti: Bell

Bell poster. Photo: Siegfried, 1962, VSK, Basel. 127.5 x 90 cm, Switzerland

Celestino Piatti (Switzerland, Wangen 1922–)

I tried to find information as to what type of brand Bell was. I only found one sentence suggesting it was a large chain of stores that sold meat, poultry, and fish. There doesn't seem to be much else available online.

Lance Wyman

Mexico City, Mexico 1968 Olympics Poster

Lance Wyman (U.S. 1937–)

Words are an effective method of communicating complicated interrelated ideas. It is symbols however that can communicate across the language barriers created by words. —Lance Wyman

Gustav Klucis: Postcards

Spartaklada Moskva 1928. Nine postcard photomontages.

Gustav Klucis (Latvia, 1895–1938)

Hendrik Petrus Berlage

Phot. Roelotzen & Hübner Amsterdam, 1893. 98 x 60 cm, The Netherlands.

Hendrik Petrus Berlage (Dutch, 1856–1934) 

Postcards: Spain

Avenue José Antonio. Madrid, Spain

Puerta del Sol (Sun Gate). Madrid, Spain

Witold Janowski

Troje i Las movie poster, c. 1961. 84 x 57.5 cm, Poland.

Witold Janowski (Poland 1926–) 

Herbert Matter

1950, Litho, in U.S.A. 116 x 73.5, USA. National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis poster

Herbert Matter (Switzerland, Engelberg 1907-USA, Springs 1984) 

Postcards: China pt. 2

Jardine House, Hong Kong formerly known as the Connaught Centre

Ching Chung Koon Temple, Castle Peak N.T.

Hong Kong Live Guard Club, Repulse Bay

Harbour Tunnel Entrance, Hong Kong

Bird's-eye view of Aberdeen, Hong Kong

Grande Albergo Plaza Menu

Grande Albergo Plaza Menu. Rome, Italy

This menu card is from one of the dinners my grandparents attended with their tour group in Italy. I have always been attracted to combinations of script and sans serif fonts. 

Postcards: France

Palace of Versailles, France 

My grandparents traveled all around the world and during their holidays my grandmother collected postcards, photographs, and other various souvenirs illustrating the landmarks they visited. Here my grandparents can be seen with their tour group standing in front of the Palace of Versailles, Île-de-France. The woman wearing sunglasses and a scarf around her head standing behind and to the left of the man kneeling down is my grandmother Johnny and the man standing to the left of her is my grandfather Murray. I like examining photographs of large groups of people, especially when most all of them are total strangers to me and they are looking directly at the camera. I like to make up my own conclusions as to who they are and what types of lives they lead based on the expressions and their body language. I like this image because the group of people bleed right off the page, as if the photographer had no clue how to compose a photograph of a crowd. I also like its poor quality and sepiatone. Sepiatone images always look like they were taken from someone's imagination or dream.

Postcards: Italy

Fountain of Trevi, Rome 

Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II, Rome

I like these two postcards because of the lush Kodak Ektachrome color. The photos look as if they are paintings and have an overall ethereal appeal.

Postcards: Monaco

Principauté de Monaco, a game room of the Monte-Carlo Casino

I really like the greens, pinks, and yellows of the Ekatachrome colors and the overall painterly appearance of the photograph. 

Bei-yuan Restaurant Menu

Menu front

Menu inside open

Menu back open

Postcards: China

Causeway Road, Hong Kong

Night scene with Jumbo Floating Restaurant, Aberdeen, Hong Kong

A scene from Hong Kong Festival, Tsim Sha Tsai, Kowloon

Day scene with Jumbo Floating Restaurant, Aberdeen, Hong Kong

Heini Fischer

Heini Fischer (Switzerland, Egerkingen 1921-) 

1952, city-druck ag, Zurich. 128 x 90.5 cm, Switzerland

I like the structured typography in this poster and the overprinting letters. I also like how the arm holding the pipe interrupts the composition for the viewer's attention. 

Adrien Barrére

Pathe Frères Editeurs, 159.5 x 119.5 cm, France

Adrien Barrére (France 1877–1931)