The Graphis Poster Annuals used to be excellent, representative and interesting documentations of
the international poster scene, but that time is long gone. The Poster Annual 2000 has reached
a new low point in that sad development.
To begin with, the book's designer has cleverly put two page numbers on one page, and then
leaves one page empty, and is even more creative in the (mis)placement of figure captions.
This apparently confuses and frustrates the editor to such an extent that he is unable to
prepare a passable index. Consider this:
- Victor Mello is on p.73 instead of p.72, and Mustafa Horasan on p.116 instead of p.117
- Photographer Nakanishi and designer O Chun are left out of the index altogether, and so is Milton Glaser
- On the positive side, a new name "Maruberei Tabei" is invented, probably a mixture between a client "Marubeni Corporation"
and a photographer Mitsuru Tabei
- The german agency Jung von Matt in Munich has also acquired newly created partners: Jung Von Mattander Isar
- Leslie Chanv Wang-Kei and Leslie Chan Wing-Kei are listed under separate entries, with different posters
- Veress is listed under Tamas, and Imboden under Melchior. Imboden lives in Buochs, not in Buaochs,
and his client's name is not "Tunikunz Juweiller Lezern" but "Toni Kunz Juwelier Luzern", as anyone can see
on the poster
- Spelled differently throughout the book are Johnny Vitorivich, Sandyv Lee, Wadjowicz, Woody Pittle,
Gary Yeh Kuo Sun, Marko Lavriha, Daivd Ansett, Colen Baden, Sharon Barret, Bret Terwilliger and so on
- Finally, the portuguese city of Porto where Joao Machado lives, has now been moved to Spain
Judged from the one example where I know the original poster ( Bortolotti's "Sydney 2000" ), printing quality
is poor, despite a general impression that the book is an expensive high-gloss production.
You find a much better picture in Bortolotti's mexican catalogue.
The publisher boasts that this book "is the result of a careful selection of works
from thousands of international entries". There are no country names listed together with
the pictures, but my guess would be that 80% are from the United States. Notably absent
are posters from France, Poland, Finland, the Netherlands. Great contemporary masters like Fukuda, Nagai, Rambow,
Le Quernec, Faldin, Matthies, Mitsuo Katsui, U.G. Sato, Makoto Saito, Swierzy, Beeke, Orosz, Tissi
did apparently not quite make the grade and are missing in this so-called International Annual of Poster Art.
Nevertheless, the title of the book is written in three languages, but the editor can't even
spell "Plakat" correctly on the front page.
This compilation has some entertainment value, but you have to have a good sense of humor to
spend 70 Dollars for that.
