Born and trained in Basel, Karl Gerstner became one of the most important promulgators of the Swiss Style, the leading school of Post-War graphic design. This early poster for the Swiss Liberal Party was shocking at the time for its use of photography and its directness. With its aggressive color and dramatic gesture, the poster was inescapable on the billboards of Switzerland.
Indeed, the poster won a Swiss Poster of the Year designation in 1959 and was included in the prestigious exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art titled “The Modern Poster” in 1988.
Gerstner studied at the Basel School of Design with Emil Ruder and his firm developed sophisticated programmes for landmark design projects such as CIBA and Capital Magazine.