| Translated literally, "plakat" is the German word for poster. When used in the context of English, however, plakat describes a poster that is used for propaganda or advertisement. The history of creating visual symbols for commercial purposes vis-a-vis paper stretches all the way back to the time of Shakespeare, when his theatre company used posters to attract the masses to his playhouses. Governments have employed various forms of color lithography and printing to reach audiences, as well. In the 1890s, the French artist, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, became renowned for his unique and stylized poster art. On a more serious note, the Communist governments in Russia and China--as well as the Nazi government that took hold of Germany in the '30s--made use of plakat to intimidate, control, recruit, and spread rumors. The United States also put out recruiting posters, such as a famous bearded gentleman in red, white, and blue imploring: "Uncle Sam Wants You." Movie advertisers as well have long employed posters to attract attention. In the 1960s, thanks to the rise of pop artists like Andy Warhol, movie posters gained value as collectors' items. Serious collectors began to buy and trade posters on the open market, and mint condition relics sometimes sold for thousands of dollars. Today, thanks to the advent of internet photography, digitally-inspired art, and mass production of new materials, poster art has entered a new period. Despite the seeming ubiquity of television and radio advertisements, posters still pack a powerful, visual punch. The age-old challenge of poster art remains--to turn a blank canvas into a moving message to reach and inspire the public. |
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