
2001: A Space Odyssey
Wiktor Gorka, 1973

- Medium
- Offset/paper
- Dimensions/
- 89 H x 59 W
- Country
- Poland
- Condition
- A | Excellent - Minimal to no signs of wear

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"2001: A Space Odyssey" (1973) by Wiktor Górka was created for the Polish release of Kubrick's film. The poster emerged during a period when Polish graphic designers enjoyed unusual creative freedom within the Communist state. Górka transforms the film's complex themes into stark geometric forms, exemplifying how Polish artists developed a visual language far removed from conventional Western film advertising.
The composition centers on two identical circular forms against a deep blue background, each evoking HAL 9000's interface. These eyes or portals dominate the upper portion, while below, two small half-circles and a vertical line form a simplified face. Bold geometric typography anchors the bottom of the design. Górka's restricted palette of cobalt blue, black, grey and white creates a sense of cosmic depth, while the symmetrical arrangement generates an unsettling balance of machine precision.

While Kubrick's film explores humanity's evolution and its relationship with technology through complex imagery, Górka distills these ideas into a single haunting face. The geometric precision of the circles contrasts with their eye-like quality, creating tension between human and machine elements. By reducing HAL 9000's interface to its essential form and merging it with facial features, Górka fuses human and artificial intelligence into one unsettling image. The deep blue void surrounding this face suggests both the endless expanse of space and the cold isolation of computer screens. This marriage of cosmic and technological imagery poses the film's central question: as we advance into space, do we become more machine-like, or do our machines become more human?
Wiktor Górka (1922-2004) studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków under Tadeusz Kantor. During the 1960s and 1970s, he emerged as a leading figure in the Polish School of Posters, transforming commercial assignments into works of fine art. His posters earned numerous awards at the Warsaw International Poster Biennale and featured in major exhibitions worldwide. Where Western designers focused on commercial promotion, Górka and his colleagues treated film posters as opportunities for artistic interpretation, establishing Poland's reputation for innovative graphic design.

2001: A Space Odyssey
Wiktor Gorka, 1973
- Medium
- Offset/paper
- Dimensions/
- 89 H x 59 W
- Country
- Poland
- Condition
- A | Excellent - Minimal to no signs of wear