Awarded
Eric Andersen
Posters
Graphic Design
Awarded
Posters
Graphic Design
When the Poster Bares Its Teeth
Why should one still laboriously print posters by hand in this day and age? For Zurich-based graphic designer and poster artist Eric Andersen, what sounds like an anachronism is a working method which he has consistently adopted for many years. From conception to execution, he does everything himself. Eric Andersen takes his very own approach to traditional printing processes such as woodcut, screen, lino and relief printing. He designs programme cards for various music clubs in Zurich as well as posters and books. Within his oeuvre, his political posters in particular stand out. These agitation posters are screen printed in an edition of 500 copies. They are not only politically charged but also so original in terms of their design that they are collected by the poster collection of the Museum of Design, Zurich. A 1st of May protest poster shows, resembling some type of stamp collection, a row of people who are baring their teeth: 'Zurich is baring its teeth', the apt caption reads, supplemented by a call to assemble for a protest march on the 1st of May. Another poster protests against the moneymaking schemes of an international football association based in Zurich: dozens of distorted faces can be seen. They are cut up and reassembled Panini images of footballers. Underneath them in bold letters: 'Fuck Fifa'. Yet another poster takes part in a hot Swiss political debate, setting some kind of visual trap for the viewer: 'Scared of scaremongering' is proclaimed in large type. What is confusing is: Andersen uses an outmoded typography which at first tends to be associated with the design preferences of right-wing extremists. But those who take a close look and read the text realise that the poster in fact makes a statement against the xenophobic policies of certain right-wing populist parties – and also against the policies of those who benefit politically from this fear of foreigners. A winner of the competition in 2009, Eric Andersen is honoured with the Swiss Federal Design Award for the second time already for his original and consistent work.
Peter Stohler
Eric Hans Andersen
Born in
1981
Education
Graphic Designer