A fish swallowed up by water bottles. Two silhouettes stuck together, melding into one. These images may sound unsettling and weird, but in the hands of of award-winning poster designers, they become somehow beautiful.
First up is a poster by João Machado, an award-winning designer and proud Graphis Master. Known for his use of unique color palletes, textures, and shapes, the Portuguese designer often uses his work to advocate for wildlife conservation and biodiversity. “Save Me” (above, left) is his latest enviromental work, and portrays a fish swimming in water whose form has been completely overtaken by plastic water bottles. The illustration is a stirring visual depiction of how plastic pollution affects life in our oceans, rivers, and lakes; not only does it destroy their habitats, but it also increases the threat of suffocation, starvation, and drowning for aquatic animals. The black mist surrounding the bottom half of the fish adds a sense of unease and makes the “Save Me” at the top right corner even more poignent; if we don’t want animals to end up like this, it’s in our hands to fix these issues that continue to endanger wildlife and, in turn, ourselves.
“King Oedipus” (above, right) was created by designer and fellow Graphis Master Stephan Bundi for the play “Koenig Oedipus”, which was directed by Rolf Gilomen and premiered at the Theater Orchester Biel Solothurn in Switzerland. The grotesque style performance was based on the Greek tragedy “King Oedipus” by Sophocles, which tells the tale of Laius and Oedipus, a king and his son who both attempt to outwit an oracle’s prophecy after it warns that Oedipus would kill Laius and marry his mother Jocasta in the future. Bundi illustrates Laius’ and Oedipus’ intertwined fates through two human profiles melded together, though the placement of the heads and the angle of the shadows make it appear as if it’s one person caught in motion blur when turning around. Despite facing away from each other, the two figures remain stuck to one another, alluding to the play’s ending where Oedipus unknowingly fulfills the prophecy and eventually recognizes himself as his father’s killer, conceding that despite their efforts, their connection and fate is inevitable.
