In this poster for the German Jazz Festival in Frankfurt, Günther Kieser presents a three-dimensional cubist rendering of an electric guitar—an acknowledgment of the evolving nature of jazz. It is possible that he was inspired by Pablo Picasso’s sculpture Guitars (1914) and related works in which the artist plays with similar ideas. Carefully broken and then reassembled at unnatural angles, the Gibson-like guitar reflects the deconstruction and reinvention jazz musicians explore in their performances, particularly when musically responding to each other in the moment. Such spontaneity is mentioned at the lower left of the poster where a “day of improvised music” is announced.
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