Looking at Rafal Olbinski’s paintings and
posters ...
... one cannot ignore the
special metaphoric and poetic allure of his artwork. Simply speaking: to look at
these posters is a pleasure. An excellent technique, a rich spectrum of deep
colors, and a Surrealistic imagination that moves freely, with a discrete sense
of humor inside the world of symbols: these are the main reasons why Rafal
Olbinski enjoys such widespread recognition. Many of us may not be familiar with
his name but undoubtedly have seen the covers of “Newsweek,” “Time, or “New
Yorker” magazines with Olbinski’s art work. Some Seattle movie goers may
remember a poster by Olbinski to Andrzej Wajda’s movie “Man of Iron” showing how
a steel nut forced on a worker’s head breaks in half. The message is clear:
once again man’s mind wins over artificially imposed barriers.
Born in the Polish town of
Kielce, where he returns periodically with his poster exhibitions as the most
celebrated citizen, Rafal Olbinski has lived and worked in the USA since 1985. A
professor at the famous School of Visual Art in New York, he is a versatile
artist: graphic, painter, stage designer and, most recently, short animated
movie director. The medium that made him famous is the art of opera posters.
Olbinski, since his years as an architecture student in Warsaw, has been a jazz
music lover, but it was the world of opera - with its strong emotions and
picturesque characters - that became a paradise garden for the artist’s
unrestricted imagination. In Olbinski’s “Madame Butterfly” poster, a small,
insignificant Pinkerton walks on a charming Japanese geisha fan. Fragile Mimi,
the heroine from “La Boheme” looks dreamingly into a burning candle’s slight
line of smoke, that forms Mimi’s beloved man’s profile. These two opera posters,
similarly to the other Olbinski works, show the quiescence of the given opera in
a way that is both subtle and erotic. One can best see erotic notes in the opera
heroines translucent dresses, with straps flirtatiously falling off naked
shoulders. No wonder Carmen and Salome had such a bad reputation. For them men
were losing hearts, money and sometimes … life. Seeing this sensual presentation
of women, I find it rather disappointing that Olbinski does not show men in an
adequate desiring fashion. On the contrary, men are presented as a rather
unattractive group, wearing, depending on times, either historic garb or
business suits, both equally boring. Beauty, “animal attraction”, charm are
solely privileges and rights of women. I find it to be a rather simplistic
generalization and a significant shortcoming of Olbinski’s otherwise universal
art.
Click here to visit the Olbinski Opera
Poster Gallery.
My favorite poster by
Olbinski is the one rewarded with the International Oscar for
the World's Most Memorable Poster, "Prix Savignac 1994" (named so after
the famous French street poster artist) in Paris given to
the art works representing a concise message in a beautiful and simple way. This
poster, Say No to Drugs before it’s too late, shows the white, dying dove
with its now useless wings kept together as they were praying hands. It is a
very moving and powerful image
Seattleites will soon have a
chance to see more of Olbinski’s posters and even hear him give a lecture. The
artist has been invited by the Department of Slavic Languages and Literature at
the University of Washington as one of the guests speakers for the series “The
50 years of Polish Language at the University of Washington”. The lecture,
“Towards the Total Art”, will take place at 7:00 P.M. on May 16th, 2003, at the
Walker Ames Room at Kane Hall, University of Washington Campus. Its subject will
be an artist’s mission in the 21 century and the “love - hate” relations between
commercial and pure art. Admission is free, reception follows.
Department of Slavic
Languages and Literatures and the Polish Home Foundation organized two Olbinski
art exhibitions to accompany his visit: the main exhibition, at Suzzallo
Library, room 102, UW (May 3 - 30) and the smaller one, at the Polish Home
(1714 - 18 Avenue, Seattle) that will present about 40 posters from different
periods of Olbinski’s life in addition to his books (including exclusive
Olbinski and the Opera, (Patinae, Inc., Stamford, CT, 2000), cards and
calendars (2003; Olbinski Nudes), some of which will be available for
purchase at the University Bookstore in University District.
We invite you to enter Rafal
Olbinski’s beautiful and fascinating world. Who knows what you will find there …
Hanna Gil (“Gazetka Polonijna”, no. 44)
