by D. Sproul | March 20th, 2010
I recently came across a fun internet find: Colorado State University Libraries’ International Poster Collection (about). Created in 1991, these graphic posters may be viewed online, or seen in person at the campus library. The collection, which showcases artists worldwide, shows:
trends in graphic design and provide a far-ranging view of social, cultural, and political perspectives.
You could look up all the Japanese or German artists, for instance, or only look at posters from a certain year. They seem to be from every odd year from 1991 onwards.
One interesting poster shows a panda image with the message “Hope for Sichuan,” which had just had an earthquake. The design at first looks like random flower petals (chrysanthemum petals, which I believe mean grief), but these petals gather closer to create the panda image, a traditional symbol of China. This poster was created by German artist Gotz Gramlich.
The Japanese artist Shino Suefusa’s poster of a tree with roots that looked burnt at the edges, is quite remarkable. It reminds me of the craft with burnt paper edges, although this might be digital.
It’s wonderful that they are online, so you can see them day or night, without having to fly to Colorado. I hope you will enjoy browsing through them as much as I have.
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