Artwork
National Business Calendar Awards 1981
National Business Calendar Awards 1981 is a poster by Tom Eckersley. It dates from 1981 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
The background is plain white, and the text at the top reads "National Business Calendar Awards 1981.
This poster shows three curved shapes that look like giant pens or brushes. They overlap in the center, with one dark gray, one light gray, and one white. The background is plain white, and the text at the top reads "National Business Calendar Awards 1981."
The design is simple but bold, focusing on clean lines and contrast. The overlapping shapes create a sense of movement, almost like they’re stacked or floating.
If you like this style, check out the Victoria and Albert Museum for more posters like this.
Overview
The 1981 National Business Calendar Awards poster, designed by Tom Eckersley, presents a stark composition of three overlapping, curved forms rendered in taupe, light gray and dark gray against a plain white field. The title of the award appears at the top in a clean typographic treatment, anchoring the visual elements.
Subject & Meaning
The abstract shapes evoke the silhouette of oversized pens or brushes, suggesting tools of design and communication. Their interlocking arrangement generates a sense of motion and layered depth, reinforcing the idea of collaboration and the dynamic nature of business communication celebrated by the awards.
Technique & Style
Eckersley employs a geometric graphic language typical of mid‑century modern poster art, using flat colour blocks, sharp contrasts and minimal ornamentation. The precise diagonal and curved lines create visual tension while the limited palette emphasizes clarity and legibility.
History & Provenance
Commissioned for the 1981 edition of the National Business Calendar Awards, the poster was produced as part of a series of promotional materials for the event. It remains in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, where it is cited as an example of Eckersley’s commercial design work.
Artist & collection
Artist
Tom Eckersley spent his life turning plain words into bold, no-nonsense posters—think of him as the guy who made train schedules look cool.
100 years of printing education
EXPOSE: LCP Design Staff Exhibition
London Chapel of Private Press Printers Exhibition at London College of Printing
urgent please return that overdue library book now
Annual Dinner and Social Evening LCP poster
Paper Making in Britain
Tom Eckersley: 5 Decades 1935-1975
Fox Talbot to Fred Ives photography lecture
