Exhibition Posters, Major Witnesses of Art History Evolution

August 19, 2021

The exhibition posters topic is one that many people are not familiar with. Just like its name implies, an exhibition poster is an image and print that was created to be used at exhibition events. These posters were usually printed in limited numbers and distributed during or after the exhibition took place, however these days many artists make exhibition posters available for purchase directly from their studios or online through galleries. The goal of exhibition posters is essentially to promote the event and create a buzz around it before it takes places sometimes months ahead of time, while other times they are created shortly before the actual exhibition begins. Exhibition posters have been around since about 1840 with several art movements adding their own unique spin on them over time including Art Nouveau, Impressionism, and Pop Art.

The presence of exhibition posters has evolved into a great art form by itself in modern times as it combines many different elements of art and design including typography, illustration, photography and collage. Some artists have even used exhibition posters as part of an entire exhibition theme or concept. So when we talk about exhibition posters we are essentially talking about works of art that may be hung from walls in exhibitions spaces or displayed in private homes for the purpose of decoration or appreciation both now and potentially years later.

The idea of producing exhibition posters dates back to the mid-19th century when commercial printing became widely available due to technological advances like the steam press. Since then exhibition posters have been created by some great artists who were hired for the exhibition to create promotional materials that include exhibition posters, exhibition catalogues and exhibition programmes. These exhibition posters are usually used to advertise the exhibition itself as well as the participating artists and their work in a great way.

The making process of posters are created in several colors using silkscreen or offset lithography means of printmaking which themselves may use various color separations. In both cases there is a skill involved in creating exhibition posters since they have to be printed against a template or grid without missing any details because it can cause very visible jumps in the final product.

Not all exhibition posters were created for the sole purpose of advertising a specific exhibition or event, there exists many that were made as works of art to be sold for their own individual value as prints (some just use exhibition posters as part of their design). One great example would be Picasso's iconic exhibition poster from his show 'Le cubisme' held at Galerie Druet in Paris during April-May 1912. There are many other master artists that also created exhibition posters such as Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, Salvador Dalí, and Rene Magritte.

Obviously art exhibition posters vary greatly depending on what event they were created to promote but there are also certain styles and genres that exhibition posters tend to fall in. For example, most exhibition posters are made by the best artists of each era so they will often fall into certain periods such as the early 1900s, 1940s or 1960s Pop Art movement or even Abstract Expressionism from the 1950s among others. The exhibition poster can be considered a type of art print since it is created by an artist for exhibition use but it also may be a more unique version of popular graphic design styles like typography, illustration and photography.

As exhibition posters are highly sought after as works of art just like any other fine art prints, it is no wonder that exhibition poster collecting has become a very popular hobby. There are many reasons why exhibition posters make for great collectibles including their strong historical presence, ability to increase in value overtime and interestingly enough exhibition posters are often hung on the walls in homes and offices because they look good in contrast with interior design.

Before looking at exhibition posters you should take a moment to consider what you want out of your exhibition poster collection such as how much money do you have available to spend? You will also want to determine what kind of exhibition poster styles and genres interest you as there are so many different types on the market today.

As you can see exhibition posters are great works of art that have evolved to become some of the most popular pieces in exhibition showings and displays from modern galleries to private homes. They are also a great way of collecting art as they represent an honest interpretation of a specific exhibition showing or exhibition theme at the time when it was created usually by one of the best artists such as Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso and many others. From there exhibition posters have developed into unique artworks in their own right especially with events taking place today such as music festivals where designers take inspiration from these historical exhibition posters while adding their own spin on them for amazing results.

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