This original 1972 French film poster was created by Martial Raysse for Le Grand Départ, an experimental film that he also directed. The production featured Sterling Hayden, Anne Wiazemsky and Lucienne Hamon, with music by the progressive rock band Gong.
The composition centres upon a young woman wearing a checked dress and holding her hands together in a prayer-like gesture. Printed in deep purple against an intense fluorescent-green background, the photographic figure is accompanied by a solitary white star and shadowy narrative fragments.
The film’s title appears inside an irregular white shape in Raysse’s informal handwritten lettering. The limited palette, photographic contrasts and almost psychedelic colour create a mysterious image that reflects both the counterculture of the early 1970s and Raysse’s distinctive visual language.
Martial Raysse emerged as a leading figure of the French Nouveau Réalisme movement and became renowned for transforming popular imagery through artificial colours, assemblage and photography. His experiments with cinema extended these ideas into moving images, making this poster an important link between his artistic and filmmaking careers.
A rare and visually arresting example of French experimental cinema advertising, this original poster would make a significant addition to a collection devoted to Martial Raysse, Nouveau Réalisme, psychedelic design or avant-garde film.
Original poster
Cinema - Pop Art
The People's Republic of Pi
Good condition, light folds, a tear
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