As part of the HSE Poster Lab, posters were created for the concert «New Jazz: Free Improvisation. Gaivoronsky, Razin, Ivshin» at KC Dom on September 30, 2026. The concept is rooted in the feeling of jazz improvisation—when music is created spontaneously during the performance.
In the first stage, I needed to select a photograph inspired by the previous improvisational sessions of the artists. I chose a photo taken during a trip to the city of Bor. It captures the window display of a local garden shop, in the center of which an unexpected piece of paper with the inscription «Пикми палка» is affixed, advertising that such an item is sold inside. For me, this is a true improvisation of life itself—a touch of absurdity colliding with reality.I processed the chosen photograph by inverting the colors, transforming the familiar scene into something almost unreal. The unnatural hues, reminiscent of rainbow oil slicks, amplify the sense of absurdity and lend a surreal character to the everyday subject.
In the second stage, the task was to add text to the poster. To accomplish this, sheets containing the necessary information were printed, and then I devised a method for cutting out the letters. For some letters, I carelessly cut out the center, while for others, I left fragments. Some letters remained untouched, while others were completely cut out.This technique harmoniously echoes the photograph: the letters organically fit into the image, reminiscent of sticker labels or flaking paint.
