Swiss Post released a set of four “Animals around the world” stamps. This beautiful issue was designed by an internationally acclaimed poster artist Claude Kuhn who is a master of reduction – and surprising use of colour. He has worked as a graphic artist, art director and exhibition designer at the Natural History Museum in Berne for 40 years. He has also worked as a free- lance designer, causing a stir with his sports posters (boxing and fencing) in particular.
The designer gave the following comments on this issue:
“The colour scheme is also typical of my work. For example, I don’t necessarily feel I have to use shades of brown to depict the zebra moving across the veldt. Grey as a neutral colour between black and white works just as well. Then there’s the use of ellipsis as a running joke.”
The motifs of the special stamps depict exotic animals from all over the world in the bold and surprising style that is typical of Kuhn. The common thread running through the set is the ellipsis. In the “Meerkat” design, it symbolizes burrows and clouds; on the “Flamingo” stamp, a puddle; in the “Giraffe” motif, a treetop; and on the “Zebra” variant, it represents the veldt and the animal’s droppings – in gold, of course, as this is a “golden zebra”.
See also other interesting stamps featuring animals.
