Polish Film Poster of the Week (10/8-10/15)

This week: Tootsie (1984); artist: Wieslaw Walkuski

Ed's Comments: Neither of these are particularly good examples of the bulk of Walkuski's work, although I suppose the image for Tootsie is the one more representative of his fine arts background. According to Polish Poster Gallery, Walkuski studied at the Warsaw Academy of Art and "is ranked as one of the most outstanding poster artists today." Much of his work is obsessed with the depiction of the contorting and active human form and is indebted to the old masters. More recent influences are shown in his homages to Dali.

The more cartoony representation shown in the Willow poster (done in 1989) is a style that Walkuski apparently hasn't pursued much in the last two decades. Both images indicate the great degree of experimentation in Walkuski's work his first decade out of art school, since abandoned for an ever-increasing mastery over his mature style.