This original 1986 French poster was designed by Jiri Kolar for the Roland Garros tennis tournament in Paris. Created as part of the event’s celebrated series of artist-designed posters, it transforms the familiar tennis ball into a striking work of contemporary art.
The composition centres on an oversized yellow tennis ball placed against a dense collage of fragmented newspaper text. A band of maps and pale blue paper fills the lower section, introducing references to geography and travel beneath the boldly enlarged sporting motif.
Kolar contrasts the intense yellow of the ball with the monochrome printed background, producing an image that is both immediate and richly textured. The irregular arrangement of words, maps and torn paper reflects his distinctive approach to collage, while the restrained lettering keeps the focus on the artwork.
Jiri Kolar was a Czech poet and visual artist renowned for his experimental collages and innovative manipulation of printed material. By cutting, rearranging and combining texts and images, he transformed familiar documents into complex compositions exploring language, perception and visual rhythm.
A distinctive example of modern sporting and cultural design, this original poster would make an excellent addition to a collection devoted to Roland Garros, tennis, Jiri Kolar, collage or twentieth-century art.
Original Poster
Sport - Tennis - Paris - France
Good condition
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