Exposicion de la Habana '68

This poster from the cultural agency Casa de las Americas was issued to promote the 1968 Exposicion, an exhibition of contemporary art. The '68 show featured work by lithographer and poster artist Rafael Zarza González and painter Juan Moreira.
This poster is in very poor condition and the silkscreened ink is very fragile, but that's part of its charm. I don't know the artist but the art nouveau style is great.

Yo Voy Estudiar Para Maestro - Mederos 1971

An absolute classic of Cuban poster design, this image by Rene Mederos is beautiful and very simple with only a few colours and very simple shapes to illustrate the young Cuban girl who plans to study to be a teacher. Working with silkscreen printing compelled the Cuban designers to use flat colours and simple shapes in their designs. And although this poster is offset printed it has the look of some of the best Cuban silkscreens. It was commissioned by Editora Politica.

Tricontinental Conference Fourth Anniversary - Rostgaard 1970

This simple and playful image by Alfredo Rostgaard uses the revolutionary fighter in three colours to represent the armed struggle for freedom among the three geographic areas represented by OSPAAAL (A, A, A = Asia, Africa and Latin America). The conference was designed to further the aims of a number of communist and socialist countries including Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam and was an annual event in Havana.

Invirno en Llamas - Raymundo 1968

A touch of San Fran psychedelic art lightens up this poster the way that flames light up churches in Răscoala, a Romanian film that highlights the struggle between rich and poor, religious and sectarian. A simple poster from Raymundo with a major contrast between the understated graphics of the church and the dramatic and in your face flames.

Los Hermanastros - Bachs 1969

Bachs' poster for this 1957 Japanese production features his trademark style to illustrate the tyrannical military officer at the centre of the film. Los Hermanastros (Stepbrothers) is a critique of male dominated Japanese society. The poster artwork is restrained yet creative, using limited colours and shapes to illustrate the aggressive face of the protagonist and the bright colours of his outfit.

Tres Invencibles Samurais - Nico 1969

Here's a great poster for the 1964 Japanese film Three Outlaw Samurai (Sanbiki No Samurai) featuring wandering warrior Shiba defending the poor from the evils of the taxman. The playful artwork by Nico is typical of good silkscreen printing - using a few bold colours and simple shapes to create a bold and colourful design. The typography is typical of the late 60s and as usual with Cuban posters when the words don't fit on a single line they carry on to the next.

Londres a Go-Go - Reboiro 1968

Londres a Go-Go is The Sandwich Man, an odd British film from 1966 featuring a man who carries an advertising board round London witnessing a series of strange goings on. Reboiro's artwork is pretty and vibrant featuring a slightly psychedelic package, but doesn't relate to the plot of the film which centres around a model reunited with her boyfriend. This is still a nice poster and may well be an example of a Cuban poster design that was done without the artist actually seeing the film.

Senales Sobre la Ciudad - Nico 1969

Senales Sobre la Ciudad (Signali Nad Gradom or Signal over the City) is a 1960 Yugoslavian film about a rescue mission to save a member of the resistance during the second world war. Nico's playful imagery features the traditional helmet of the officers and colourful pop art graphics to illustrate the drama of the military operation.

7 Hombres y una Muchacha - Azcuy - 1968

This Azcuy designed poster is wild, combining crazy colours and graphics to encapsulate the frenetic action of the film. 7 Hommes et une Garce (Seven men and a girl) is a swashbuckling French adventure set among the troops of Napoleon Bonaparte. Azcuy has managed to squeeze all seven men into the poster among the canons, explosions, costumes and flags. This poster is a classic.
 

Gigi - Nico 1969

Gigi is a sumptuous American musical set at the turn of the century. Its commentary on the lives of the wealthy and priveledged must have appealed to the Cuban authorities. This 1969 poster by Nico takes the best of San Francisco poster design and adds an art nouveau twist to present a simple but effective image.

Fantomas Contra Scotland Yard - Bachs 1968

A great mix of photo montage and cartoon-style imagery collide in this 1968 poster by Bachs for a French crime caper film. The plot of the film revolves around multiple disguises adopted by Fantomas, the anti-hero of a series of James Bond knock-off comedies. The poster is a classic, and simple by Bachs usual standards. This poster has been torn in half at some time in its life and put back together with tape.

LBJ - Reboiro 1968

LBJ is a surreal documentary by Santiago Alvarez which mixes photo montage with footage of Lyndon B Johnson's background and political life. With moments of Monty Python style animation and crude juxtaposition the film attempts satire and humor while portraying LBJ as a merchant of death. The poster is a classic using the same style of photomontage, objectifying and ridiculing. Reboiro also worked on the film's imagery and is credited in the titles.

Here's the film:

Alvarez - LBJ (1968) by simpleappareil

Hasta la Victoria Siempre - Rostgaard 1968

One of the more famous Cuban posters, this 1968 poster by Rostgaard for a Santiago Alvarez documentary makes use of Korda's iconic image of Che Guevara. Hasta la Victoria Siempre (Onwards Forever to Victory) is Che's declaration of commitment to the revolutionary struggle. It's a simple pop-art style poster that places Che's iconic image in a heavy-bordered black box - a common method of displaying images of the dead in some cultures.

The film was made after Che's death to tell the story of his efforts in Bolivia to highlight the struggle of the opressed indigenous peoples and to foment revolution there. The 19 minute documentary was made quickly and makes use of photographs of Che's experiences in Bolivia cut with speeches and footage of him working among the people.

Notice the tape damage top and bottom of this poster which was given to an American visitor by Santiago Alvarez in 1968.

Here's the film:

Bela - Oliva 1969

Another psychedelic design from Oliva that references the best of San Francisco's poster art, Bela is a now obscure 1966 Russian film set in the 19th century and featuring an army officer posted to the Caucasus who falls in love with a local prince. The poster's mysterious prince looks like a sinister magician while the dashing officer on horseback dominates the colourful design. As with the most famous Cuban poster designs the style is about as far as it is possible to get from socialist realism.

Tengo 19 Anos - Reboiro 1968

Tengo 19 Anos or Ich War Neunzehn (I was 19) is an East German pro-Soviet military drama in which the protagonist recalls his time as a commander in the Red Army. As with other Reboiro posters the colourful psychedelic design, which recalls Western concert posters, belies the serious nature of the East German production. The use of the portrait in positive and negative illustrates the divided alliances of the film's hero.

El Nino del Ingenio - Reboiro 1968

Reboiro borrows heavily from San Francisco psychedelic art for this rarity of a poster for a Brasilian film about a boy sent to live on a sugar cane plantation in colonial Brazil. Menino de Engenho (Plantation Boy) is long forgotten black and white film with a serious message about the exploitative economics of an imperialist regime. Reboiro's decision to copy the poster art of San Francisco (which was almost certainly unavailable via any official channels in Cuba) is a statement of non-conformity by an artist who had seen his family's livelihood suffer under the revolution. The freedom that the Cuban film poster artists enjoyed under their guardian and protector Saul Yellin allowed them to draw on artistic styles that were anathema to the Cuban government. Once again this is a poster promoting a serious black and white socialist film using a flamboyant, decadent, western design.

Ella y El - Bachs 1969

Bachs' poster for this Japanese drama Kanojo to Kare (She and He) is minimal and classy, using bold colours and simple shapes to illustrate the subjects of the film. The drama focuses on the growing stature of the female protagonist as she explores new interests and love, becoming more independent while her husband's status diminishes. Bachs illustration has her looking sassy, bold, colourful and in charge, while her husband is reduced to a character-less head, barely included in the design.

Pieza Inconclusa para Piano Mecanico - Reboiro 1979

Channelling the surrealists, Reboiro makes good use of his trademark etching style mixed with a 70s pop art feel to illustrate this Cuban poster for the Soviet film Neokonchennaya Pyesa dlya Mekhanicheskogo Pianino (Unfinished Piece for the Player Piano). This is a Chekov-style family love story featuring an undercurrent of political themed support for the rights of peasants and workers. It is rich in philosophy and symbolism with some strange surrealist touches. I don't know the significance of the hand holding up a hand with a hole in it but the design is superb and this is a classic poster.

Samurai Asesino - Oliva 1968

Oliva, an artist who relished in copying the style of the psychedelic poster art of San Francisco, takes a more cartoonish approach to the design of this poster. The film, Samurai Assassin is a Japanese classic of clever plotting and swordplay and the subject matter appropriately features a time of revolutionary activity which saw the power of the Japanese classes diminished. The poster uses a very playful and childlike design aesthetic to illustrate the traditional samurai sword, in contrast to the dark subject matter of the film.

La Cura y La Muchacha - Bachs 1968

This is a really nice poster by Bachs demonstrating how the most simple of Cuban poster designs can often be the most beautiful. This is a poster for the Brazilian film O Padre e a Moça (The Priest and the Girl) about a passionate relationship between a young priest and a girl in a small town. The poster isn't too subtle in its interpretation of the subject of the film - two hearts against a cross - but the execution is excellent and this is a vibrant and pretty poster design.

La Masacre de Chicago - Navarro 1972

This poster, for the 1967 Roger Corman gangster flick The St Valentine's Day Massacre, ignores the conventions of the prohibition era tommy guns, big suits and wide brimmed hats and instead references Warhol-esq pop art. The artwork by Navarro is minimal but efective being based around the obvious heart motif, echoing the American poster (below).

No Somos De Piedra - Nico 1969

Here's a simple and effective colourful poster from Nico for the 1968 Spanish comedy No Somos de Piedra (We are not made of Stone) which examines traditional gender roles within the Catholic chuch. The plot revolves around the use of birth control pills and looks at the financial impact of children born through unplanned pregnancies. Hence the solitary female subject of the poster positioned in insecure pose, with the title positioned in the womb.

Sokolovo - Reboiro 1976

The battle of Sokolovo in 1943 saw the Red Army and Czech forces fighting together to hold back the Nazis. The film is a war film detailing the battle and highlighting the cooperation between the Soviet and Czech forces. Reboiro's poster seems to shy away from the imagery of war altogether and focuses on the blood red flower and 70s colour scheme. There is a possibility that this was one of those days when the artist didn't have time to see the film before he designed the poster. Or Reboiro's flower symbolises the bloody union as two armies joined forces to create bloodshed and massacre in the name of victory.

Debemos Saber - Reborio 1979

Once again this a great poster for a short film that is now long forgotten. Debemos Saber (We Should Know in English) is a 15 minute documentary by Cuban director Ramos. And that's all I can find out about it. This is a shame as the image of the eerie face has a mysterious look, making the film look very interesting. Again, this is typical Reboiro making use of complex detailed black and white technical illustration and adding a colourful Cuban twist.

Roble Maxima Urgencia - Reboiro 1976

This is a great moody poster by Reboiro for Roble Maxima Urgencia which is a 1973 Romanian war film originally called Stejar Extrema Urgenta. I can't find much detail about the film so I don't know the significance of the gun on a fish hook but the image is really nice.

El Brigadista - Reboiro 1977

Another vibrant poster displaying all the cliches of Cuban film posters by Reboiro. The 1977 film El Brigadista is a feature film that highlights the early days of the Cuban revolution and the efforts of the authorities to improve literacy among the population. The flower, one of the most common metaphors for the development of the people in Cuban poster art, is growing from the fertile bed of letters. Around the border is an army-style text with stars conveying the military aspect of the film's subject matter. The illustrated flower is set against Reboiro's trademark rainbow colour bands which feature in a number of his posters and are derived from psychedelic art of the late 60s.

Stylistically this is bold, confident and very colourful, representing the confidence and triumphant feel of the revolution during its heyday in the 60s and 70s. Note the missing border. Reboiro's personal collection of Cuban posters ended up with their borders cut off.

La Vieja Dama Indigna - Bachs 1966

This early poster by Bachs is less adventurous than his work of the late 60s. It is restrained, using a standard black font and straight layout, and follows the style of many early 60s international film and cultural posters by artists such as Saul Bass. The film is The Shameless Old Lady (La Vieille Dame Indigne) a 1965 French film from a Bertold Brecht story, about an old widow who blows her life savings as she ventures into the modern world to have fun, escaping her long life of living in qualor and poverty.

Las Parrandas - Reboiro 1979

I know nothing about the documentary by Constante Diego but Las Parrandas is a festival of fireworks and celebration on Christmas eve in Remedios, one of Cuba's oldest towns. The partying, originally designed to encourage the locals to attend midnight mass on Christmas eve, is wild, the processions and floats are extravagant and the crowds turn out in large numbers. This poster by Antonio Reboiro uses his trademark geometric design to convey the fireworks and fiesta in a very colourful image. This poster has had its border removed.

Jornada del Guerrillero Heroico - OCLAE

This fantastic poster from OCLAE, The Organización Continental Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Estudiantes or Continental Organization of Latin American and Caribbean Students, features a contemplative Che in simple two tone, to promote the Day of the Heroic Guerilla. A great poster from one of the lesser publishers of Cuban posters. I don't know the year and I can't read the signature in the corner of this cool poster.

Solidarity with Palestine - Abelenda 1968

This 1968 poster once again mixes a very serious political issue - the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine - with some inventive and bright graphics. The warm colours and psychedelic text create a positive vibe. The heroic armed character is the romantic view of the defender of Palestine. Cuban support of Palestine is typical of the anti-Western sentiment that flows through the graphics and iconography of its poster output.

Solidarity with Guinea - Lazaro 1970

The 1970 invasion of Guinea by Portugeuse-led forces was an attempted coup against the government of Ahmed Sékou Touré. Cuba was openly supportive of a number of African states as they repelled imperialist European forces in their struggle for independence. In Guinea the 1970 invasion failed but sparked a period of violent repression. Typically this fun 1970 OSPAAAL poster by Abreu Lazaro uses playful pop cartoon graphics to illustrate a very serious and bloody subject.

For Sale: Day of the Heroic Guerilla - Martinez 1978

This OSPAAAL poster from 1978 by Olivio Martinez uses warm sun drenched colours to idolise Che whose capture by the CIA and Bolivian Special Forces in October 1967 is commemorated each year on the Day of the Heroic Guerilla. Che was killed a day later on 9th October 1967. The simple design shows a sombre Che deep in thought and gazing into the distance - a more mature image than some of the more playful Cuban posters which tend to reference pop and psychedelic art.

This poster is for sale. See sidebar for details.

Hiroshima - Mederos 1970

This OSPAAAL poster from 1970 by René Mederos features a simple but very dramatic image of a victim of Hiroshima, to commemorate the anniversary of the bombing of the city by the Americans. The simplicity of the poster and the use of crazy colours is classic Cuban - mixing dramatic imagery, pop art colours and very simple graphics to deliver a powerful message.

For Sale: Moncada - COR

Here's a very simple poster celebrating the 18th anniversary of the attack on the barracks at Moncada by the Cuban rebels on 26th July 1953, dating it to summer 1971. I don't know any other details about the poster other than it was produced for COR, the Comisión de Orientación Revolucionaria. This example has a water stain which adds to the charm.

This poster is for sale. See the sidebar for details.

Sao Paulo Sociedad Anonima - Oliva 1968

One of my favourite Cuban posters, Sao Paulo is for a classic of the Brazilian new wave. The film depicts an anonimous and difficult city life in Sao Paulo and paints a grim picture of life there. Thanks to Oliva's superb graphics which imitate Roy Lichtenstein's cartoon style this ICAIC poster is garish and dramatic, and it probably had a hard time conveying the negativity of the film.

Here's the opening scene:

Screenprinting at the ICAIC

I came across this short video of silkscreen poster production in progress at the ICAIC's facility in Havana.

Tricontinental magazine - images of Che

Here's a sweet little booklet from OSPAAAL's Tricontinental magazine with around 25 posters featuring Che Guevara. Printed in Cuba, the paper is thin, the printing is a bit rough but as usual the images are great.

Elevando la Conciencia - 1974

This 1974 poster for the COR celebrates the anniversary of the triumph of the revolution with the famous image of the revolutionaries holding their weapons aloft against the Cuban flag, and a Soviet star.

Solidarity with Puerto Rico - Cordoba 1976

This great OSPAAAL poster by Rolando Cordoba is an example of the more funky Cuban pop art, borrowing its style from Western sports and pop music graphics. Puerto Rico's independence from the US was dealt a blow in the early 1970s as America took possession of more land and asserted its authority. Meanwhile the political struggle for independence continued with little success. This simple image of freedom for the common man illustrates Cuba's solidarity with the anti-imperialist movement.

Festival Internacional del Cine Joven - Reboiro 1970

Here's a nice simple poster from Reboiro making good use of his trademark geometric patterns and iconic blooming plant for a poster to promote the ICAIC's festival of children's cinema.

El Corte Verano - Azcuy 1968

El Corte Verano (Short is the Summer) is a Swedish love story set in the wilderness of Lapland. Various characters participate in love, jealously, tragedy and betrayal. I don't know the significance of Azcuy's psychedelic framing of the central character but it adds a very sixties twist to this unusual Cuban poster.

Cine Movil - Bachs 1969

A classic of classics of Cuban posters, this 1969 poster for the ICAIC's Cine Movil (Mobile Cinema) project is simplicity itself. Charlie Chaplin on wheels represents the mobile cinema - a lorry that travelled into the Cuban interior to show films to the campesinos. Bachs' poster for the ICAIC is great. Confident, fun and nicely childish. As a designer Bachs' preferred to produce posters for childrens' films and this is typical of his cheeky design ideas.

El Viento Distante - Bachs 1970

A Mexican experimental film with three directors and three parts sounds like a wacky idea but Bachs' poster for the ICAIC is restrained and formal with a proper typeface and simple three column layout. Once again his trademark use of simple colours and shapes define characters and make great use of silkscreen printing.

Nosotros - Reboiro 1977

Nosotros is a 1977 Cuban documentary by Luis Felipe Bernaza about the Cuban poet Regino Pedroso who I believe wrote a poem entitled The Freedom Train. Reboiro used a lot of technical drawings in his posters and this is typical of his mixture of the traditional and modern, mixing geometric shapes, bold colour and fine line drawing.

La Primera Carga al Machete - Oliva 1969

La Primera Carga al Machete (The First Charge of the Machete) is a Cuban documentary by Manuel Octavio Gómez that tells the story of the 1868 uprising against Spanish colonials. Although the message of the film is serious it uses cinematic experimentation and playful techniques to bring contemporary film making to the 19th century battle. It also uses wild hand held camera shots and an abstract style that can be hard work to watch.

Oliva's poster steals heavily from the San Francisco scene of the late 60s. Although American poster art was not officially available in Cuba the Cuban artists got hold of various publications that were passed round and appropriated. In this case Oliva's poster may have been a little bit too American in style as another version of this Cuban poster exists to promote the film in France. This is great though and its wild style really waves two fingers at the authorities.

Los Vengadores Incapturables - Bachs 1968

Edmond Keosaian's 1966 Soviet western Elusive Avengers (Неуловимые мстители) is a colour cult classic featuring a gang of four protecting a village from bandits. Working with silkscreen printing creates major limitations for artists, who find that having to stick to flat colours and simple shapes can be restrictive. As the Cuban poster artists grew into the medium they started to create work that made the most of the limitations. In this poster Bachs has used very simple shapes to create a vibrant image to represent the simple peasant dress of the film's characters. The artistic style and shape of the text is Bachs' trademark.

 

Here's the opening five minutes, courtesy of YouTube:

Christ Guerrilla - Rostgaard 1969

This OSPAAAL poster by Alfredo Rostgaard is unusual for a number of reasons. It is originally a painting that mimics religious iconography through its use of classical and renaissance artistic techniques. This is Christ, framed with a gold leaf halo, carrying a rifle - the ultimate revolutionary, a true believer. What is a surprise is the use of Christ as an icon for the Cuban revolution. Castro and the Cuban Government were very anti-religion, even banning the celebration of Christmas day from 1969. Once again though this is a very confident graphical statement and a great poster.

Brigade Venceremos - Reboiro 1969

This is a very rare poster designed by Antonio Reboiro in 1969 to promote the Brigade Venceremos in the US. The Brigade Venceremos - "young Americans sharing the life and work of revolutionary Cuba" - was part of the Cuban effort to find sources of labour. Reboiro designed this poster to look like an American hippie poster. He succeeded in capturing the psychedelic style but again this is typically Cuban. This poster was produced in very small numbers to be distributed in the USA. Venceremos means "we will be victorious".