Film posters in history. Sixties poster designs.

Poster Designer / Jan Brychta

Book Illustration / Caricature / Film Animation / Painting

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• 11th of May 1928, Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic
• 14th of November 2013, London (?), United Kingdom
• lived in London exile since 1968

Education:

• State Graphic School, Prague (Zdeněk Balaš, Josef Vodrážka)
• 1945 – 19.., Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague (Josef Kaplický, Antonín Pelc)

Exhibitions:

• from late 1950s until 1968 mostly Prague exhibitions
• Surrealism Unlimited 1968 – 1978, Camden Arts Centre, London 1978

Awards for Film Animation:

• The main prize in the category of animated films, Oberhausen 1966
• The prize of the union of cinema owners, Oberhausen 1966
• Grand Prix “Bronze Caesar”, Tours 1966

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In 1968 Jan Brychta vanished off the face of the earth and that is the fact. Russian occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1968 brought in many immediate changes within the state. Political trials were about to return back to fashion and not everyone was waiting for the resume. Or at least Jan Brychta did not.

It would be hard to say what made such a successful artist leave his homeland, as Jan Brychta’s art was everywhere and available to everyone in all possible forms. From beautifully illustrated books, film animations to caricatures in daily newspaper and television graphics / adverts. Simply put 1960s daily life was somehow incomplete without Jan Brychta.

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It is fascinating to watch how with short step in time and history someone so publicly pleasing can become persona non grata. Researching many years later it really looks that party members did a great job. There was no Jan Brychta after 1968 in Czechoslovakia and same for his wife Lída Brychtová (artist and book illustrator) as they managed to escape the country together with their children Edita and Aleš.

Through out his Czechoslovak career as a daily caricaturist, film animator and pioneer of television graphics Jan Brychta was never far away from the movie poster. His rapid illustration and excellent story telling could be easily applied to the discipline. As a surreal artist and two dimensional painter use of a collage and illustration was a natural choice. His portfolio ends with his disappearance in late 1960s. Jan Brychta’s posters are absolute pleasure to look at and it is real pity it does not contain more than ten movie posters. The master of many techniques with only one common goal which was to keep everyone amused.

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British audience could recognise Jan Brychta’s illustration thanks to BBC children’s television series Jackanory.

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Note: this showcase is part of our ongoing article Film posters / Made in Czechoslovakia. The story of film posters.

Available film posters by Jan Brychta.

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Resources:

Literature:

• plenty with zero results

Online:

• abArt / Jan Brychta
• Krátky Film, Praha / Short Film, Prague. Archive of Jan Brychta’s 1960s animated films.

Images used:

• Collective authors: Záznamník – Naše Domácnost 3 / Family Guide Jotter – Our Household Vol.3. Obchodní Tiskárny, Praha, 1963. Cover and inner pages of the book.
• Film a Doba 1 / Film and Times 1 / Bratislava City Gallery, 1965. Magazine spread out.

Additional research:

• Interview with Alex Brychta (Oxford Reading Tree) by Shoo Rayner / YouTube, Interview with Jan Brychta’s son Aleš Brychta
• How To Obtain a Good Child, 1965 / YouTube, Adult animation by Jan Brychta in Czech language

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