Galerie Maeght 1978

This 1978 original exhibition poster by Raoul Ubac, created for Galerie Maeght, encapsulates the artist’s unique position at the crossroads of Surrealism and post-war abstraction. Printed by Arte Adrien Maeght in Paris, the piece serves as both a promotional tool and a standalone artwork, representative of the gallery’s long-standing commitment to avant-garde and modern art.

The design features a geometric, almost sculptural form composed of interlocking horizontal bands in muted reds, greys, and deep blacks. The sharply angular motif suggests a folded architectural structure or a shield-like emblem, playing with perspective and depth in a way that echoes Ubac's interest in form, matter, and metamorphosis. The deliberate asymmetry and layered effect evoke movement and compression, anchoring the work in Ubac’s broader practice of exploring tensions between the organic and the abstract.

A leading figure in the mid-century European art scene, Ubac (1910–1985) was not only a painter but also a poet, photographer, and sculptor. His collaborations with Surrealist circles and post-war galleries like Maeght marked him as a deeply intellectual artist, continuously pushing the boundaries of texture and visual language. His work often involved processes of transformation—eroded surfaces, reliefs, and burned images—which gave materiality to abstract thought.

This poster not only advertised an exhibition but captured the essence of Ubac’s practice. Galerie Maeght, known for championing artists like Miró, Giacometti, and Chagall, frequently collaborated with Ubac, recognizing in his work a poetic rigor that aligned with the gallery’s aesthetic mission.

Today, the poster stands as a collectible piece of graphic design and mid-century art history—an artifact of Ubac’s visual philosophy and the rich cultural fabric of Galerie Maeght’s programming in the 1970s.

Original Poster

Exhibition

Printed by Arte in Paris

Good condition, slight creases, soiling, small tears