in designing the poster for the world premiere of Charles Wilkinson’s new film at VIFF 2019, there was no lack of sublime Robert Davidson masterworks that could have been referenced. the trick was going to be placing Robert — with his personal history, far-reaching artistic influence, and cultural activism — in the context of the modern world.
initial rounds were composed in standard vertical theatrical format, most pairing a still image of Robert with one of his sculptures or paintings. made sense thematically, but visually, the combinations didn’t convey the full scope of the documentary.
changing the orientation and going wide format opened everything up, and really helped to capture the energy of Times Square swirling around Robert, serene and observational. meanwhile, a pair of ghostly totem poles rise in the mist, behind the glowing billboards and skyscrapers.
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