CYRK POLISH CIRCUS POSTER WOMAN ON UNICYCLE

Polish circus posters proclaiming the word "CYRK" (the Polish word for "circus") were first created in 1962 when Poland’s state circus agency, ZPR, commissioned leading artists to develop a modern approach to the circus poster. ZPR wanted an updated look for the circus poster to parallel the circus' efforts to upgrade its image.

These CYRK posters were not intended as advertisements for specific circus acts or attractions; rather, they were created as artistic representations of circus acts, reminding the public that an exciting and modern circus was coming to town, with shows certain to entertain and thrill. They are characterized by  vibrant colors, sly humor, and an up-close-and-personal look at circus acts featuring the curious and bizarre as well as the cute and humorous.  

This visually compelling poster provides an excellent example of this.  The young woman riding the unicycle  is strikingly beautiful and sexy. She's wearing yellow leggings and sleeves which are made from a patchwork of bright colors and look like wings billowing in the air.  She doesn't appear to be wearing a top. Her face is turned a bit so that she's looking straight at the viewer and holding the CYRK sign up for the viewer to read. This is done, of course, while she's riding a unicycle which just happens to have a square wheel. The suggestion has been made that perhaps the depiction of the wheel as square rather than round is a comment on the dysfunctional Communist government ruling Poland at the time. 

Several prominent Polish graphic designers contributed to establishing the distinctive look that became associated with the CYRK posters.  Maciej Urbaniec (1925-2004) was among this group.  In one of his most famous CYRK posters he portrays Mona Lisa as a circus acrobat.