Rollerball 1975

This is a poster for ‘Rollerball’ by Robert Peak and it's all about the drama of anticipation. Look at the restrained palette, mostly dark tones punctuated by bright lights which seem almost violent. The player’s face is partly obscured, but we can still see the intensity in his eyes. The hand, though, that hand! It dominates the image, its spikes glinting menacingly. It's a simple enough shape but the texture creates a palpable sense of danger. I want to know how it was made, was it painted wet on wet to blend those tones so seamlessly? It strikes me as a bold move, the limited colour, the focus on texture, the emphasis on raw emotion over detail. I’m reminded of some of Peter Saville’s record sleeves, but with a harder edge, perhaps even hinting at something of Francis Bacon's dark visions. I love the way it embraces ambiguity, leaving so much to our imagination.