Theater der Freien Volksbühne Berlin poster
A captivating Op Art poster for the Theater der Freien Volksbühne from 1969. Since 1963, this West Berlin branch of the Volksbühne Berlin used a venue on Schaperstraße, which today is known as Haus der Berliner Festspiele. Striped on the outside, the depicted house has open doors and windows, allowing a glimpse into the turbulent inner life.
The poster is by Jürgen Spohn (1934–1992). Born in Leipzig and also known as Hans Jürgen Spohn, he studied graphic design in Kassel, under Hans Leistikow and Hans Hillmann, among others. In 1961 Spohn moved to West Berlin and began his freelance work as a graphic designer and children’s book author. In 1972 Spohn was appointed professor at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste Berlin (today UdK Berlin).
The typeface is Herold, which started life in Berlin at the Berthold foundry in 1901. The pattern of concentric circles reminds me of Stripes (see this ad for Tonibral), but that multiline face didn’t exist before 1973. Spohn used this pattern already in 1967 for another poster design.
