The Art of Film Posters in Japan: Revisited

　Used as promotional media for films, film posters have been displayed in theaters and on street corners. In Japan, most of them have been created anonymously under the control of production and distribution companies. However, if we trace the threads of history, we can find posters that push beyond these boundaries and assert their value as independent graphic works.

　Especially since the 1960s, various talents have intersected with the film industry. In the intertwining of genres like film, art, literature, and theater, a new generation of designers appeared, including Kiyoshi Awazu, Tadanori Yokoo, Makoto Wada, and Eiko Ishioka, and the founding of the Art Theatre Guild (ATG) stimulated designers both within and outside the industry. This transformed conventional poster styles, in a track running parallel to the movement for innovation in cinematic art.

　This exhibition builds upon The Art of Film Posters in Japan, an exhibition hosted by the NFAJ in 2012, incorporating new acquisitions since then. It explores nodal points of film and graphic arts through over 90 posters, most of which were created between the 1960s and 1980s. Some masterfully capture the emotional depth of a film, while others incorporate elements of surprise. Please enjoy another aspect of cinematic art that has flourished away from the screen.