The greatest good that characterizes us is that we toil for the ephemeral. Fame and elation last only for the brief time each work of ours is on display. This is the reason why we shall never erect a monument to our own achievement.
George Vakirtzis.

The Starlets Collection contains of the traces of an art form that has come full circle: the art of the poster, a form of visual communication drawing upon the graphic arts, as handed down to urban societies from the 1890’s onwards, and more specifically from Toulouse Lautrec onwards. The collection comprises small dimension posters (50x70cm.), widely called single sheets/flyers by those involved in the movie business since the 1950’s, designed to promote the screenings of both Greek and international films. At the time, local European film markets used to commission cinema posters depicting the local version of imported films to be shown to their audiences. In the former Soviet Union all Greek films shown in theaters were advertised with cinema posters,
which were designed by Soviet artists. A large number of these posters, a rare find in our days, belong to private collections, mainly in the United States.

In Greece, the cinema posters designed by painters like Stefanos Almaliotis and George Vakirtzis, along with the few theater posters of the time, can be seen as the precursors to visual communication, at least as far as the realm of culture is concerned. Each of these two artists bases his poster-painting techniques on his individual painting style, and that is evident in the rendering of both facial portraits and background. Their choice of material never strays away from the basic rule dictated by the “box office”, namely that the star actor/actors of the film should be the focal point. Overall, Greek cinema-poster production follows the established western practices.

Poster production is addressed to the leading actors’fans (naturally, since they make up the target audience) and aims at the design of posters that are distinctively cinematic. The pictorial action on the poster consists in a synthesis of film scenes, usually portrayed in the background, and of close-up portraits of the leading actors and actresses. It is often the case that one or more oversized facial portraits cover up the entire surface of the cinema posters. The film title and the names of the leading cast “pierce through” the overall composition in an artful manner, since the white outline is standard practice, thus directing the attention of the passers-by to the cinema walls or advertising display boxes.
Greek cinema posters function as signals derived from the basic composition of the Giant cinema poster placed on the cinema eaves the “heavy artillery” of promotion. They are the small size banners, spread across the city, functioning as the initial bait for large-scale “fishing” of cinema goers. Their format appears to derive from a powerful DNA that feeds the aesthetics and overall artistic expression and is extracted from the handmade one-off character of the Giant cinema poster. It follows the same creative spirit and is drawn with the same clean, vibrant colors, strictly basic shapes and clear-cut meanings.

(VGM. 119)

We are not in a position to know why certain posters of the time overlook the “dogma” of putting the spotlight on the leading stars, opting instead for a thematic narrative of the film genre for which they were drawn. Posters for the films VL.33, VL.34, VL.35, VL.12,VL.18 and VL.9 are examples of a different kind of design approach and are natural winners thanks to their originality, ingenuity and uniquely personal expression. In the course of their development, Greek cinema posters have been influenced variously by foreign design standards, insofar as the pictorial style is concerned, but they have rarely mimicked or copied that style. This is why they have managed to form a tool of expression that speaks its own language. Only retrospectively were film critics and theorists able to discern the desired “Greekness” on these posters – which itself started to fade at the end of this first creative period – widely known to this day as the “old Greek cinema”. In the new period that followed, Greek cinema broke away from its roots and gazed towards the cultural center of Europe with optimism and high hopes. By that time, however, the poster had become a second-rate commodity, refusing to be stuck on walls and play its role, a fact reflecting its shrinking role as a means of communication internationally. Television was on the rise, a knife-bearing chariot of modernity.

The most valuable contribution of this Collection are, to my opinion, the exemplary presketches by George Vakirtzis for the final model drawings for his Giant cinema posters.They offer an analytical lesson on experimenting with ideas, choosing the theme and practicing on different versions that lead to the rationale behind the final synthesis.

(VGM. 41)

(VL. 18)

We are not in a position to know why certain posters of the time overlook the “dogma” of putting the spotlight on the leading stars, opting instead for a thematic narrative of the film genre for which they were drawn. Posters for the films VL.33, VL.34, VL.35, VL.12,VL.18 and VL.9 are examples of a different kind of design approach and are natural winners thanks to their originality, ingenuity and uniquely personal expression. In the course of their development, Greek cinema posters have been influenced variously by foreign design standards, insofar as the pictorial style is concerned, but they have rarely mimicked or copied that style. This is why they have managed to form a tool of expression that speaks its own language. Only retrospectively were film critics and theorists able to discern the desired “Greekness” on these posters – which itself started to fade at the end of this first creative period – widely known to this day as the “old Greek cinema”. In the new period that followed, Greek cinema broke away from its roots and gazed towards the cultural center of Europe with optimism and high hopes. By that time, however, the poster had become a second-rate commodity, refusing to be stuck on walls and play its role, a fact reflecting its shrinking role as a means of communication internationally. Television was on the rise, a knife-bearing chariot of modernity.

The most valuable contribution of this Collection are, to my opinion, the exemplary presketches by George Vakirtzis for the final model drawings for his Giant cinema posters.They offer an analytical lesson on experimenting with ideas, choosing the theme and practicing on different versions that lead to the rationale behind the final synthesis.

We can discern the choice of subject, the idea first formulated in his mind, and its visual implementation on paper. We also see the choice of the basic coloring palette, the composition of volumes and the search for the letter fonts to be used for the film’s title and names. From the very first sketching attempts, the artist appears to know the theme he will use and he will make no mistake in expressing himself.

Time, film genre and background environment are clearly defined from the outset. There are no nuances in meaning. The notion of “concept”, in his time, signifies nothing more than a good idea. He draws with absolute respect for the final proportions, which he may or may not follow in the final stages. His uniquely masterful brushstrokes will, in any case, have the final word, deciding before him when and where the work ends. He is well versed in the art of typography. He is aware that words are bridges to vision, which in turn reaches the understanding directly. He uses, when necessary, the appropriate writing styles, which have the power to show a film for what it is to him.
Expressive calligraphy is not a trend exclusive to his day. The power of handwritten phrases often derives from its juxtaposition with the main titles. Many years later, art directors for notable foreign newspapers and magazines will use such antithesis in style in their typographical compositions.

Vakirtzis never found it hard to define and compose “Greekness” in his work. Like all original artists he was oriented towards dialogic images. All of his ephemeral creations bore the honest marks of the flux of ideas of his time and, by inviting people to take part in this dialogue, appeared, in the urban landscape, as a heartfelt shaking of hands.
On a final note, I believe the Starlets Collection makes a major contribution to the documentation of the Greek tradition in design and is an important addition to the limited modern Greek bibliography on the areas of design and the graphic arts.

Dimitris Th. Arvanitis
Designer, Member of Alliance Graphique International