Schiele In Prison Poster Design
Role: Graphic Designer
Project Deliverables: Logo Design | Poster Design
Client: Jared Schwartz
Programs Used: Photoshop | Illustrator
Project Description
Composer Jared Schwartz approached me after discovering my previous Egon Schiele project online. He commissioned me to design a logo and poster for his opera, Schiele in Prison. The production explores the life of the renowned—though to some, infamous—artist, focusing on his teenage years and his harrowing prison experience. The promotional materials I created were displayed throughout New York to advertise the opera, featuring images of Schiele’s paintings provided by the Albertina Museum in Vienna, Austria.
The Process
Every detail was carefully crafted to reflect the opera’s themes—from selecting a typeface reminiscent of Schiele’s handwriting to designing the poster layout to evoke prison bars. The imagery of Schiele behind bars reinforces the opera’s focus on his tumultuous imprisonment.
The Result
The result of this project was three design options for the opera, giving Jared the choice to select or use them throughout the production. Ultimately, he chose the third option, featuring Egon Schiele in his iconic orange wrap.
This project is also archived in the Albertina Museum in Vienna, Austria. To view click here
First Iteration for Poster Design
For the initial poster design, I explored the idea of using rusted metal textures to evoke the feeling of looking out from inside a prison. The concept aimed to immerse viewers in Schiele’s confined world, with the details of the opera gradually revealing themselves as people approached the poster. This approach was meant to create intrigue and a sense of discovery, aligning with the intensity of Schiele’s experiences depicted in the opera.
However, while the concept was visually compelling, some passersby found it difficult to read the essential information. To ensure clarity and accessibility, we decided to take a different design approach that maintained the thematic connection to Schiele’s prison experience while making the poster more legible and effective as promotional material.
