All that Jazz – Poster Art by Niklaus Troxler – Blackbox #1

There’s no one form of jazz, but many different kinds: from New Orleans jazz, Dixieland, swing, bebop, cool jazz, free jazz, or fusion to a mix of techno and jazz. Jazz is diverse and vital, just like the works by Niklaus Troxler, who for over 40 years has been making the posters for the summer jazz festival and winter concert series he founded in the Swiss town of Willisau. Diversity became a signature of his style, for the posters respond to various styles of jazz and explore the abilities of great jazz performers. In his unusual designs, Troxler, one of Europe’s most renowned graphic designers, interprets jazz history and the development of poster design.

With “All that Jazz,” Bröhan-Musuem pursues its mission of following the strategies and structures of artistic design that began in art nouveau around 1900 and continue into the present. At the same time, the show marks the beginning of the new exhibition series Blackbox in the newly designed spaces on the museum’s third floor, dedicated to poster design, graphic design, and photography.

Design advertising motif: Gerwin Schmidt, 2016