Signature: Cowboy became a symbol of the first partially free elections.Source: photograph by Lukas Plewnia/https://createcommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/flickr.com
During the late completed presidential run there was traditionally no shortage of run banners candidates. However, if we were to look back at the evidence that echoed most, we would go back to 1989. Why did Gary Cooper become a symbol of Solidarity's victory? What were the consequences of the author – Tomasz Sarnecki? On the occasion of the 36th anniversary of the first partially free elections in post-war Poland, we mention the past of the poster “At noon”.
"Figure and graphics are my passion and love... I know how much more I can afford, I know that only in this area will I give the society maximum work and its effects" – he wrote to the Rector of the Academy of Fine Arts in 1986 Sarnecki. This was part of his appeal erstwhile he found out that he had not obtained a affirmative consequence in recruiting for the dream course of study. 3 years later – in the year of the first partially free elections in Poland, he was already a student of the 3rd year of the Faculty of Graphics of Warsaw ASP. He ran the Discuss movie Club and made posters for films, but he alternatively shunted politics. shortly there was a clear impulse to change on the horizon – Sarnecki watched the debate between Lech Walesa and Alfred Miodowicz. It inspired him to make a poster. It initially presented the inscription "Solidarity" with the image of a tiny Milicjant downstairs. Then, like the then popular German youth magazine “Bravo”, Lech Wałęsa's face was painted with the slogan “Bravo Lech”. He yet chose a cowboy.
Poster for 4
Signature: besides PZPR conducted active outside agitation.Source: Wikimedia Commons. Licence — Public domain
Gary Cooper was chosen due to his early recognition. Western “At noon” was a very common component of the tv frame. Everyone knew him, was not correlated with any party, aroused affirmative feelings and associations. After designing the final version, Sarnecki made 4 copies and went wherever he could. After first failures and refusals, his thought was accepted by writer Janina Jankowska and secretary of the Civic Committee – Henryk Wujec. Posters have appeared all over the country. In the following week, the examination session ended at the author's university. Almost all his exams were five. The exception was that he was credited with a poster by prof. Maciej Urbanec, who gave him a four.
27 1000 victories
Sarnecki did not take any money for his work. He thought it would be immoral and reprehensible, for then all penny was counted. He only signed a work agreement with the Citizens' Committee, which explicitly stressed that copyrights remained with the artist. Shortly after June 4, 1989, stickers, flyers and thousands of copies of the artwork he created began to be distributed. The author began investigating how much traders made money from it. It was about the amount of up to 4 1000 for 1 item with the illustration used. The climate of transformation did not then rise this issue. A decade later, the cover of “Politics” broke something in it. On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the first partially free election, a peculiar study was published, surrounded by an unsigned poster. The editors of the paper stripped the cowboy of the subtitles, leaving only an election card and an "S" label. After the intervention, the editorial board admitted that a fragment of the well-known work appeared on the cover and reported who created it. However, this did not satisfy Sarnecki – he expected a fee. The case went to court. Initially, it was claimed that the suit was dismissed – it was claimed that the cowboy was a “photograph of Gary Cooper’s artistic mask”. It was explained that this is the usage of the right to quote. The affair was settled on August 26, 2002, erstwhile the Warsaw territory Court ruled a copyright, individual and property-based graphic infringement. A transfer of PLN 27,830 with interest was ordered.
He's back.
"Politics" recovered comparatively rapidly after payment of compensation, as Gary Cooper returned to her cover as early as 2003. This time he had the word "Europe-yes" behind his back – it was, of course, about the EU referendum. A year later, a cowboy-like character supported the Orange Revolution in Ukraine. In 2013, she urged a vote on an appeal from the position of president of Warsaw Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz. 3 years later, during the local elections, after modification, the main component of Sarnecki's poster returned to the front page of "Politics" and "Popular Weekly". For the author who died in 2017, this was not the commemoration he wanted.
The sun set a year later
Each subsequent anniversary of the June elections was tantamount to recalling this poster and recalling the large impact it had on politics and culture. Very often, however, 1 more slogan was repeated on this occasion: “Come, red sunshine”. It was a slogan from the banner of Maciej Buszewicz, who wanted to activate citizens to vote in local elections held year after contract. The proximity of both events made the red sun frequently mistakenly associated as a 1989 propaganda element.
In addition to the fight for copyright, Sarnecki besides had his minute of glory. In 1999, the poster was presented at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Later it besides became an component of the exhibition at the Autry Museum of Western Heritage in Los Angeles. 2 years before entering the fresh millennium “At noon” was qualified for the exhibition of the 100 most crucial posters of the 20th century. Janusz Tazbir presented 5 iconic masterpieces in his article “Military Stones of Polish Historical Consciousness”, which could have been a breakthrough for Polish culture. Next to the Gniezno Door and the painting “Rejtan. The Fall of Poland” Jan Matejka indicated a poster of the most celebrated Polish graphic artist of the 20th century.
Julia ZYGMUNT
