"he Evolution of Poster Design: Poster Graphics from the A.G. Edwards and Sons Corporate Art Collection"
2004-11-03 until 2004-12-18
Dublin Arts Council
Dublin, OH, USA United States of America

Prior to communication through film and television, posters were the most visible and potent way to advertise products, promote places and events, and foster an ideological point of view. Growing from a combination of commercial needs and artistic impulses, the poster has incorporated prevailing art movements since the late 19th century, and continues to be a vibrant cultural medium today. The Dublin Arts Council Gallery will trace the history of the poster as a vehicle for advertising and art in The Evolution of Poster Design: Poster Graphics from the A.G. Edwards & Sons Corporate Art Collection, on view November 3 through December 18, 2004.

Considered to be merely ephemera by most, posters were usually discarded after serving their intended purposes. Fortunately, many were rescued and now offer a unique lens through which to view cultural trends, political movements, art historical influences, popular culture and the development of visual communication throughout recent history.

The Evolution of Poster Design includes works ranging from late 19th century color lithographs by Jules Chéret and Alphonse Mucha, the Art Deco-inspired imagery of Cassandre, and designs produced by modern day pioneers like Wolfgang Weingart and Werner Jeker. Not only does the exhibition offer a survey of printing technology advancements, it also showcases the aesthetic traditions of the venerable French, Swiss, German, English and American schools of design, among others.

A.G. Edwards & Sons began its corporate art collection in 1967. Spanning more than 200 years and including over 4,000 works by noted American and European artists, the collection represents a broad range of print types, including lithographs, engravings, woodcuts, serigraphs, gelatin silver and platinum prints as well as mixed media. The firm began collecting poster graphics in the mid-1980s, viewing them as an extraordinary sociopolitical documentation of their times.

A.G. Edwards created the traveling exhibition program in 1991. With the collection, the firm’s branch offices have the opportunity to bring portions of the collection to their communities and share it with a greater public. It also allows for AGE branches to give back to their communities, and for small museums and community cultural institutions to be able to host exhibitions of a caliber that would otherwise be beyond their means.

Also in conjunction with The Evolution of Poster Design, teacher/designer Oscar Fernández will present “The Poster: Indelible Ephemera.” Through slides and lecture, Fernández will address the historic evolution of the poster, and its continuing impact on modern visual communications. The lecture will be held Thursday, November 4, 7:30pm, at the Canzani Center on the campus of the Columbus College of Art & Design, as part of the Columbus Society of Communicating Arts (CSCA) lecture series. A social hour starting at 6:30pm will precede, and the event is open to the public. Admission is $5 for CSCA members, $7.50 for DAC members, and $15 for the general public.

IMAGE
Palais de Glace
Jules Cheret
1893

Related Links:

Indepth Arts Resources for the State of Ohio

Other Important Exhibitions in Ohio