Hirokatsu Hijukata | Poster for a fashion show presenting paper dresses
Graphis Annual 68/69
Hiroshi Tanaka | 1966 Poster for a psychiatry exhibition
Graphis Annual 67/68
Hisami Kunitake | Tourist poster for an exhibition of graphic design
Graphis Annual 68/69
Tadanori Yokoo | Poster for a Dixieland concert by the Kobe Labourer’s Musical Union
Graphis Annual 63/64
Isao Nishijima | Tourist poster for Hakata, Fukuoka City
Graphis Annual 69/70
Tadanori Yokoo (visit official site↑) | Poster for a theatrical performance
Graphis Annual 69/70
Tadashito Nadamoto | Poster for a play
Graphis Annual 69/70.
Yoshio Hayakawa | Cover for the monthly magazine All Kwansai
Graphis Annual 67/68
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Many of my favorite vintage illustrations have been by Japanese artists. The images I have been most drawn to are the more surreal and psychedelic images from the 60s. Colorful and fluid, these designs offer a striking graphic snapshot of a groovy time.
>> See more in my MCM Japan Illustrations flickr set
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Sandi Vincent grew up in the bay area of California surrounded by mid-century modern architecture and other influences responsible for her affinity for the period and its pop style, including her early exposure to The Monkees, The Avengers and Gerald McBoing-Boing. Sandi now resides in Portland and is a board member of a local nonprofit preservation group, the Mid-Century Modern League. In her day job at a community foundation, she sports the web/social media/print materials coordinator title.
Follow Sandi on Twitter > @SandiV
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More Mid-Century Japanese Posters on AQ-V:
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Brilliant collection Sandi. I remember seeing the Graphis magazine while I was training in art at the end of the sixties, thanks
These are amazing illustrations. Thanks for posting these!
These are gorgeous! Do you know of any place that does reprints of these?
Hi Rachel,
That’s a very good question and unfortunately one I do not know the answer to. I have not yet come across a legitimate site that is offering them. There are probably some unscrupulous folks out there selling reprints that do not have a license to do so. The images are copyrighted so I would definitely avoid anybody selling scans that are not authorized. Your best bet and the ‘purest’ one would be to track down a copy of the Graphis magazine that the illustration came from such as on eBay. (Sandi has cited her sources under each image.) And create a scan and print for personal use to display in your own home or space and not for resale.
Otherwise, you could always try to find an original poster. There are some real beauties out there. I am saving my pennies to acquire one myself at some point.
Thanks!
–Amy
This poster of Tadashito Nadamoto is definetly a huge piece of art! Very innovative, a shock between two universes. The typography, the big strokes throwed in the canvas, the whole concept is visually powerful, and is just genius. Amazing.
Some wonderful images here to behold. A very grateful artist from London. Perhaps I might draw your viewers attention to another blog (or they might know of it already) at: http://50watts.com/
I think it is very important that the artists are more widely known or at least appreciated so I support efforts to do that.
Thanks