Rafał Olbiński belongs to the small group of Polish artists acknowledged all over the world. The surrealistic imagination and unobvious eroticism are his well-established points of recognition. Passion for Posters shows the richness and diversity of the issues that the artist has been engaged in for the past forty years.
The album is split into several chapters. The first features the artist's early works, created for concerts, festivals and film screenings (such as the cult Jazz Jamboree and the UNESCO’s World Day for Audiovisual Heritage). The second chapter reflects the artist’s social awareness, including his comments on the arms race and international solidarity. The next part of the publication shows the artist’s works created in the past two decades: opera, theatre and ballet posters (e.g. Salome for Opera Philadelphia, The Journey to Reims for Wielki Theatre in Warsaw). The album is closed with a section called ‘varieties’, a collection of works that shows the artist’s great sense of humour and imagination.
Richard Wilde, the chair of School of Visual Arts Design Department, writes in the introduction of the album:
The seductive, mysterious, provocative and magic works have touched millions of people all over the world. Olbiński managed to acquire something exceptional, his posters surprise us, open us up to reflection, look within ourselves and ask questions whilst simultaneously feeding our beings.
Rafał Olbiński is a poster designer, illustrator and painter. In 1981 the artist moved to the United States where he soon gained the admiration of critics and audiences. His posters and illustrations are regularly shown in prestigious magazines as the New York Times, New Yorker and Time. He has received the most important international awards (e.g. Society of Illustrators in New York, Art Directors Club of New York, Prix Savignac in Paris). His works are featured in the greatest collections of contemporary art.