Presentation details
Freedom on the fence
The history of Polish posters after World War II
Andrea Marks
Saturday 2 October | 15:30 – 16:15
Location: A-1 (Archa Hall 1)
Presentation | Theme: Central and Eastern European Traces | Duration: 45 minutes
Can Communism be a fertile ground for artists? If yes, then how and why? These are the questions explored in Freedom on the Fence, a video documentary that presents the history of Polish posters and details the significance they played in the social, political and cultural life of Poland. Freedom on the Fence examines the circumstances that enabled artists to develop unique and individual artistic styles within a Communist culture, from WWII through the fall of Communism. These colorful posters announcing political, cultural and social events hung from the many construction fences erected in Warsaw and other cities in Poland after WWII. The gray streets were transformed with color and the street became a poster gallery for the masses. To continue the irony, today’s free market economy in Poland has seen the street poster’s demise. The Internet has become the realm where most Polish posters are seen these days, and they have become valuable collectibles. International buyers and dealers bid online for works that were once free for all to experience. Nonetheless, the posters remain powerful documents of a remarkable time in the history of Poland. For more information, see: oregonstate.edu/freedomonthefence
Speaker details
Andrea Marks Assistant professor Oregon State University | USA
Andrea Marks, is an assistant professor in the Graphic Design program at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. Her work focuses on creating innovative ways to experience design history. She is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Design Arts Grant, for her project Women of the Bauhaus, which documents nine women and their achievements through an interactive CDROM. She received her BFA in graphic design from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and received a Fulbright International Scholarship for post-graduate studies at The Basel School of Design in Basel, Switzerland. Her work has been included in the American Institute of Graphic Arts Communication Design show.