1967 POSTER "BRING UTZON BACK" - by John Kinstler, part of the Powerhouse Museum collection
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The Powerhouse Museum holds in its collection many representations of the Sydney Opera House, including textiles by Jenny Kee, paintings by Ken Done and Olympic memorabilia. From the Powerhouse website: "these 'Bring Utzon Back' posters were designed and printed by a group of young architects then employed by the Public Works Department in the Government Architect's Office. The collection, kept by the donors since the late 1960s, includes the printing blocks and silk screens used to print the posters." The emotion stirred by the unfair treatment of Utzon is a subject of much debate in the literature on the Sydney Opera House. many different accounts have been written which try to put together the events which took place between the government and consultants and understand where things went wrong. These posters are, in my opinion, beautiful pieces of graphic design. The typography seems to try an capture some of the highly charged alliances created between members of the architectural community and in the public at large. Search the collection at the Powerhouse Museum to see the other posters in this series.
