A Truly Unique Form of Communication & Artistic Expression – the Poster

The return of in-person events brings back that project just about every graphic designer loves – the event poster.

We’ve been fortunate to design posters for many festivals over the years, as well as posters for other special events and occasions of note. Here, we take a look at the history and practice of one of our favorite art forms.

The Poster as an Art Form
We can say with reasonable assurance that the modern poster was “born“ in the mid-19th century, but the poster as a medium can trace its history even further. It can be argued that prehistoric art such as cave paintings are the earliest examples of what we now call artistic posters. Now, lithography is considered the direct predecessor of modern poster art, and this has had an impact on the evolution of the medium as an art form.

The early lithographic process was limited in colors, but advances in printmaking allowed posters to be mass-produced for use by advertisers. The process changed when artist and inventor Jules Chéret developed a more advanced lithographic process in the 1860s.

This “stone lithography” was less expensive to produce and allowed for a richer and more expressive color palette, which enhanced the aesthetics of the poster. Influenced by the then-new and popular woodblock prints from Japan, Chéret’s compositions emphasized graceful design and appeal. For his role in advancing the lithographic process and poster-making, Chéret is widely known as the father of the fine art poster.

The Poster as the Great Communicator
The last decade has seen a resurgence in popularity in poster art due somewhat to the use of the art form by politicos and activists. Keep in mind that the printed and copied version of the Declaration of Independence was considered a broadside, a common format of a poster at the time. In major urban areas posters can still be found being used in this format as a form of public communication. The artistic poster, as always, is a staple decorative element in homes and public spaces.

Text posters with inspirational and personalized text abound, while graphic posters get influence from past and contemporary art movements. They are also seeing a new purpose as the primary medium for reproducing famous paintings as prints on canvas. In advertising the poster must now compete with digital and online messaging, but there is little doubt that the poster plays a role in grabbing a potential customer’s attention.

Closer to home, the festival or event poster is widely used in heralding our highly anticipated annual events. These posters are also sought by enthusiasts as collectible items, as well as being utilized as unique interior design elements.

What Makes the Poster Work?
As in any type of art form, there are no hard and fast rules as to what makes a poster successful, collectible or “wall worthy.” Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, but we believe the thematic or conceptual angle paired with engaging artwork and typography fits the bill. The color palette, typographic treatments and contextual information should all work in harmony to communicate the vibe of the event.

Time to Hang it Up
Whether painted on a cave wall by our distant ancestors, posted on a telephone pole or hanging in your living space, the poster should provoke emotion. And perhaps, pull the viewer into an unexplored or unexpected realm.

Prejean Creative poster examples exhibited below are, from top to bottom: 1) Acadiana Workforce Solutions’ Job Opportunity Poster Series; 2) Mercredi Show Spring 2010 Poster; 3) Hurricane Katrina 10th Anniversary Poster; 4) Acadiana Workforce Solutions’ Job Opportunity Poster Series; 5) Mercredi Show Spring 2013 Poster

The return of in-person events brings back that project just about every graphic designer loves – the event poster.

We’ve been fortunate to design posters for many festivals over the years, as well as posters for other special events and occasions of note. Here, we take a look at one of our favorite art forms.

The Poster as an Art Form
We can say with reasonable assurance that the modern poster was “born“ in the mid-19th century, but the poster as a medium can trace its history even further. It can be argued that prehistoric art such as cave paintings are the earliest examples of what we now call artistic posters. Now, lithography is considered the direct predecessor of modern poster art, and this has had an impact on the evolution of the medium as an art form.

The early lithographic process was limited in colors, but advances in printmaking allowed it to be mass-produced for use by advertisers. The process changed when artist and inventor Jules Chéret developed a more advanced lithographic process in the 1860s.

This “stone lithography” was less expensive to produce and allowed for a richer and more expressive color palette, which enhanced the aesthetics of the poster. Influenced by the then-new and popular woodblock prints from Japan, Jules’ compositions emphasized graceful design and appeal. For his role in advancing the lithographic process and poster-making, Jules is widely known as the father of the fine art poster.

The Poster as the Great Communicator
The last decade has seen a resurgence in popularity in poster art due somewhat to the use of the art form by politicos and activists. Keep in mind that the printed and copied version of the Declaration of Independence was considered a broadside, a common format of a poster at the time. In major urban areas posters can still be found being used in this format as a form of public communication. The artistic poster, as always, are a staple decorative element in homes and public spaces.

Text posters with inspirational and personalized text abound, while graphic posters get influence from past and contemporary art movements. It’s also seeing a new purpose as the primary medium for reproducing famous paintings as prints on canvas. In advertising the poster must now compete with digital and online messaging, but there is little doubt that the poster plays a role in grabbing a potential customer’s attention.

Closer to home, the festival or event poster is used as the primary form of heralding our highly anticipated annual events. These posters are also sought by enthusiasts as collectible items as well as being utilized as unique interior design elements.

What Makes the Poster Work
As in any type of art form, there are no hard and fast rules as what makes a poster successful, collectible or “wall worthy.” Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, but we believe the thematic or conceptual angle paired with engaging artwork and typography fits the bill. The color palette, typographic treatments and contextual information should all work in harmony to communicate the vibe of the event.

Time to Hang it Up
Whether painted on a cave wall by our distant ancestors, posted on a telephone pole or hanging in your living space, the poster should provoke emotion. And perhaps, pull the viewer into an unexplored or unexpected realm.

Prejean Creative poster examples exhibited above are, from top to bottom:  • Acadiana Workforce Solutions’ Job Opportunity Poster Series;  • Mercredi Show Spring 2010 Poster;  • Hurricane Katrina 10th Anniversary Poster;  • Acadiana Workforce Solutions’ Job Opportunity Poster Series;  • Mercredi Show Spring 2013 Poster;  • 2003 Festival International de Louisiane Poster;  • Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok Opening Celebration Poster;  • Mercredi Show Spring 2020 Poster;  • University of Louisiana at Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns Athletics Poster;  • 2004 Festivals Acadiens Poster