PÓCS, Péter
graphic designer
(14 Sept. 1950, Pécs - )
1968-1971: Arts High School of Pécs; 1982, 1986: the Grand Award for the Best Poster of the Year; 1983, 1984, 1985, and 1986: Standard Award; 1983: Studio Award at the Exhibition of the Studio of Young Artists; Golden Award of the International Film Poster Exhibition of Chicago; 1984: Studio Award at the Studio of Young Applied Artists; 1986: Bronze Award of the International Applied Graphical Biennial of Brno; 1986, 1987: the Separate Award of The Hollywood Reporter International Film Poster Exhibition; 1988: Silver Cube at 2nd The Art Director’s Club international exhibition in New York; the Separate Award of the International Film Poster Biennial of Warsaw; the Separate Award of the 6th National Applied and Design Graphical Biennial of Békéscsaba; 1989: Jules Cheret Award of the International Film Poster Exhibition of Annecy; 1992, 1997: EPICA Award at the Best European Advertisement Competition in Paris; 1994: Master’s Eye Award at the International Poster Triennial of Nagyszombat; 1996: Separate Award at the International Invitational Poster Exhibition of Fort Collins; 1997: Munkácsy Award; four Bronze Awards at the 9th Annual Dimensional Art Directors and Illustrators Award Show in New York; 2000: Sliver Award at the International Poster Biennial in Mexico City; 1977-1985: a member of the Studio of Young Artists. He was in close cooperation with the Petőfi Publishing House of Kecskemét and the Katona József Theatre in Budapest up until 1990. His main fields of work are the design of posters, publications, emblems, and aspects. Pócs was a defining figure of the poster art movement of Hungary in the 1980’s and 1990’. In 1987, together with Krzysztof Ducki, István Orosz and Sándor Pinczehelyi he founded a group named DOPP, with which they entered a number of exhibitions. He was a participant of a number group and commission exhibitions in both Hungary and abroad. Pócs did not develop a unified style, his works however are recognizable: their constant characteristic is the strong suggestiveness of their presentation, in an often grotesque, even shocking manner. The calling eye-catching motif however is always a picture, which leads the viewer forward, formulated in a complex metaphorical image. Pócs constantly searched for the possibilities of self-expression in his posters, this is why his chosen field was politics and culture, where he found topics with which he could identify with and gave him the possibility of artistic freedom. His compositions (e.g.: Keressük Petőfit /Let us search for Petőfi/, 1979) and objects (e.g.: Kitüntetéseim /My decoration/, 1980) prepared for the exhibitions of the Studio of Young Artists, were the first steps towards the suggestive and provocative formulation of his direct social message. Pócs, according to his own confession, learned much from Polish poster art of the 1970’s, his early works were surrealist, grotesque ideas modeled in a plastic manner, forming his message into visions of the given advertised films (Kóma /Coma/, 1980; A biro és a hóhér /The judge and the slayer/, 1981; Bozsogi Ágnes kiállítása/The exhibition of Ágnes Bozsogi/, 1985). Another pre-figuration of his work was the plane depiction mode and intensive coloring of Japanese graphics (Gyermekkari fesztivál Kecskemét /Gyermekkari Festival of Kecskemét/, 1983; Elekes Károly kiállítása /the Exhibition of Károly Elekes/, 1986; Szép Heléna /Beautiful Helena/, 1991; A Chioggiai csetepaté /The battle Chioggia/, 1998). His found or self-prepared monochrome photo manipulations (experiment with the problem of self-determination and are of a poetic denominational character (Pócs plakátkiállítása /Poster exhibition of Pócs/, 1983 and 1984; Faustus doctor boldogságos pokoljárása /the Delightful Descent to hell of Doctor Faust/, 1984). He was capable of simpler composing and greater picture concentration, if the commission required these from him (Stúdió '83, 1983; IV. Országos Szilikátipari Formatervezési Biennálé /4th National Silicate Design Biennial/, 1988). His successfulness was provided by the colored salt-wheat dough plastic, and then the painted pyro-granite, and the object photos prepared with these techniques (e.g. Csalóka Péter /Deceptive Peter/, 1987; Pinokkió /Pinocchio/, 1987; Háy Gyula: A ló /Gyula Háy: The Horse/, 1988; Othello, 1988). The political posters prepared as preparations to and closings of the political system change of Hungary in 1990 are outstanding pieces of his career. This was when he integrated the colored photograph in greater numbers into his works (Erdély /Transylvania/, 1988; MDF, 1989; Hommage à Romania, 1989; 301, 1989; 56. 10. 23., 1989), however he kept the genre of expressive drawings (Pócs P[art] Fórum /Pócs P[arty] Forum/, 1989; Munkásőrség /Worker’s Militia/, 1989; 1989?, 1989; Erdman: Mandat, 1989). During the 1990’s he often produced his cultural poster series with graphical character, and remained true to his provocative, vivid imagist style even in his commercial posters (Nagy Tamás sajtkereskedése, anno 1994 /The cheese coorporation of Tamás Nagy, since 1994), 1994).
One-Man Shows:
1977 • Ferenc Móra Community Centre, Kiskunfélegyháza (HU)
1978 • Cypriana Norwid Theatre, Jelenia Góra (PL)
1979 • József Katona Theatre, Kecskemét (HU) • Community Centre, Győr (HU) • Erdei F. County Community Centre, Kecskemét (HU) • Community Centre, Kiskunmajsa (HU) • Sándor Petőfi Community Centre, Lakitelek (HU)
1980 • Ferenc Erdei Community Centre, Kecskemét (HU)
1981 • Sándor Petőfi Community Centre, Kecskemét (HU)
1982 • Inverted Commas, Studio Gallery, Budapest • KFK Gallery, Kecskemét (HU)
1983 • Youth House, Pécs (HU) • Cellar Gallery of Ferencváros, Budapest • Region History Museum, Kiskunmajsa (HU)
1984 • Club of Attila József Univerity, Szeged (HU) • Novi Sad [with Ducki Krzysztof and István Orosz]
1985 • Duna Gallery, Budapest • FMK (Club of Young Artists), Budapest • Kulturcentrum, Zagreb • Belgrade • Youth House, Kaposvár (HU) • Youth House, Salgótarján (HU)
1987 • Dorottya Gallery, Budapest
1988 • Komárom Small Gallery, Komárom (HU) • Városház Gallery, Castelmoron D'Albret
1989 • Burg Galerie, Halle
1990 • Pécs Gallery, Pécs (HU) • Attila József Library, Miskolc (HU) • Vigadó Gallery, Budapest • A la Rampe, Echirolles (FR)
1992 • La Grange de Dorigny, Lausanne • Obenbare Bibliothek, Amsterdam
1994 • Frontenac Galerie Montreal • KG., Nagyszombat (SK)
1995 • Mezsik Gallery, Budapest [with Ferenc Baráth and Bata Knezević]
1997 • Ungarnhaus, Berlin • Gy. Konecsni Museum, Kiskunmajsa (HU)
1998 • Culture Palace, Marosvásárhely (RO)• Tilos Gallery, Sepsiszentgyörgy (RO)
2000 • Community Centre Győr (HU) (cat.).
Selected Group Exhibitions:
1978, 1980, 1986 • International Biennial of Applied Graphic Art, Brünn
1978-1990 • International Poster Biennial, Warsaw
1979-1985 • Annual exhibitions of the FMK (Club of Young Artists) Association
1981-1989 • International Poster Biennial, Lahti
1981, 1983 • 11th, 12th National Biennial of Graphic Art, Miskolc (HU)
1982, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1992 • National Biennial of Graphic Design, Békéscsaba (HU)
1982 • Socio-Graphic 2, Óbuda Gallery, Budapest • International Triennial of Graphic Art, Frechen
1983 • Contemporary Hungarian Drawing and Graphic Art, Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest • The Landscape, Pécs Gallery, Pécs (HU)
1984 • Intergrafik '84, Berlin • Hungarian Medal Art, Art Gallery, Wolverhampton (GB) • Rajz/Drawing '84, Budapest Gallery Lajos Street, Budapest
1985, 1987, 1989 • International Poster Exhibition, Colorado (USA) • International Poster Triennial, Toyama (JP) • The Nature, Pécs Gallery, Pécs (HU)
1986 • International Exhibition of Theater Poster, Osnabrück • 100+1 Years Old Hungarian Poster. History of the Hungarian Poster 1885-1986, Műcsarnok, Budapest
1987, 1990 • Art Directors Club, New York
1987 • Feast, Vigadó Gallery, Budapest • DOPP Group, Pécs Small Gallery, Pécs (HU) • Poster Museum, Lahti (FIN)
1990 • DOPP, House of The Hungarian Culture, Warsaw • DOPP and Friends, House of The Hungarian Culture, Prague • Grigliasco (OL) • Grenoble (FR)
1992 • 13+Lautrec, Centre Culturel, Albi (FR)
1993 • Europe Without Walls. Art, Posters and Revolution 1989-1993, Manchester City Art Gallery
1995 • Musen und Kanone. Ungarische Plakatkunst der Gegenwart, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg
1996 • DOPP, Ginza Graphic G., Tokio
1998 • DOPP, Vigadó Gallery, Budapest
1999 • Fine Art of Kecskemét in the 2nd Part of the 20th Century, Kecskemét Gallery, Kecskemét (HU)
2000 • International Poster Symposion, MűvészetMalom, Szentendre (HU).
Works in Public Collections:
Budapest Historical Museum, Budapest
Kecskemét Picture Gallery, Kecskemét (HU)
Kunstbibliothek, Berlin
National Széchényi Library, Budapest
Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg
Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest
Moravská g., Brünn
Mihály Munkácsy Museum, Békéscsaba (HU)
Poster Museum, Lahti (FIN)
Poster Museum, Wilanow (PL)
Victoria and Albert Museum, London
National Museum, Poznań
Museum of Modern Art, Toyama (JP)
Ogaki Poster Museum, Ogaki (JP)
Museum of Modern Art, New York
BMW Museum, Munich
KG, Nagyszombat (SK)
Jerusalem M., Jerusalem
Stedelijk M., Amsterdam
M. Jose Luis Cuevas, Mexico City
Staatliche Museum zu Berlin, Berlin
CKS Art G., Taipei
Museum der Stadt, Osnabrück (D)
Wille de l'affiche, Chaumont (FR)
Manchaster City Art Gallery, Manchester
Curfmann Gallery, Fort Collins (USA).
Publications:
Plakát(rendszer)váltás, Mozgó Világ, 1988/8.
Mit csomagolunk és hogyan? NOAH III., Japán, 1989
Jugoslavian Cultural Posters in Hungary, Forrás, 1990/3.
Bibliography:
Lóska, L.: Pócs Péter grafikái, Új Tükör, 1982/2.
Vadas, J.: Fotografi(k)ák, Élet és Irodalom, 1982/20.
Bánszky, P.: (cat. intro., Studio Gallery, Budapest, 1982)
P. Szabó, E.: Pócs Péter, Művészet, 1982/5.
Hlušička, J.: The Present Situation of Graphic Design in the East Europe, IDEA, Brünn-Varsó különszám, 1983/9.
P., Szabó E.: Vigyázz, kész, rajz! Művészet, 1983/6.
Illyés, M.: Stúdió '83, Kritika, 1993/12.
Husz, M.: Pócs Péter plakátjai, Művészet, 1983/6.
Volpert, A.: Keressük Petőfit! Junge Welt, 1984/302.
Gyárfás, G.: Betűváltás a plakátoknál, Propaganda-Reklám, 1984/4-5.
Hajdu, I.: Időtlenül és felhőtlenül. Válogatás negyven év érmeiből, Művészet, 1985/7.
Borzák, T.: A jó plakát: váratlan pofon, Új Tükör, 1986/47.
Vadas, J.: A mai magyar grafika - egy új nemzedék körvonalai, Társadalmi Szemle, 1986/11.
Kovács, O.: Napló. A DOPP csoport, Művészet, 1987/6.
Saloma, K.: Hungarian Poster Designers in Lahti, Etelä-Suomen Sanomat, 1987. október 2.
Vadas, J.: A rejtőzködő plakát, Élet és Irodalom, 1987/10.
Gyetvai, Á.: (cat. intro., Dorottya u. Galéria, Budapest, 1987)
Ligeti Nagy, T.: Én megcsinálom, ő betiltja, mi nem látjuk, Reform, 1988/8.
Kovács, O.: Plakátok '88, Művészet, 1988/10.
Hudra, K.: Kézjegy, Művészet, 1988/2.
Koloh, E.: Egérfogó fogta csillag, Dátum, 1989/165.
Pócs plakátok <[CAPS>Hegyi, L., Bakos, K., Ducki, K. írásaival, bibliográfiával], 1990
Vadas, Zs.: Pócs Péter plakátjai. Képes 7, 1990/5.
Bartelt, D.-Sylvestrová, M.: Art as Activist, Universe Publishing, New York, 1992
Ponant, P.-Salleg, H.: (cat. intro., Centre Culturel, Albi, 1992)
Aulich, J.-Wilcox, T.: (cat. intro., Manchester City Art Gallery, 1993)
Kozák, Cs.: Pócsul gondolkodni, Reklám és Grafika, 1994/2.
Rand, P.-Kamekura, Y.-Weill, A.: The 100 Best Posters from Europe and the USA 1945-1990, Tokio, 1995
Bakos, K.: (cat. intro., Hamburg, 1995)
Kozák, Cs.: Pócs Péter tervező grafikusművész. Munkácsy-díj, Magyar Iparművészet, 1997/2.
Kahn, E. M.: A Woman's Leg, A Kitchen Floo, A Cheese, PRINT, 1998/3-4.
Walton, R.: Four in Focus, in: The Power of the Poster,Victoria and Albert Museum, London (szerk.: Timmers, M.)
United Colors of Hung(a)ry (cat., 2000).