Gaze into the dark void of these minimalist Black Mirror posters

By Joe Blevins  |  November 22, 2016 | 3:00pm
Aux Features TV

Regrettably, it is not yet industry standard to create posters for individual episodes of television series. That honor is generally reserved for whole seasons, maybe, or very special “event” episodes. But Brazilian artist Rafael Barletta has challenged the norm by making striking, minimalist posters for every single episode from the third season of Black Mirror, Charlie Brooker’s hyper-pessimistic Twilight Zone for a world beset by technology and media. It helps, certainly, that there were only six episodes that season, which still makes it the longest Black Mirror season yet. In any event, Barletta’s approach proves perfect for capturing the tone of the show. He generally renders the human characters in a geometric, semi-abstract style. By denying them specific facial features, he also robs them of their individuality. And the figures are always depicted against a seemingly infinite chasm of unfathomable darkness. That’s Black Mirror in a nutshell.

Here, for instance, is Bryce Dallas Howard in the season-opening “Nosedive,” a parable about the dangers of people rating one another online. In a world where a human being’s value can literally be summarized in a social metric, it seems too appropriate that the character lacks a face in this poster. Note, too, that her rating follows her even at the edge of a cliff.

And here is Barletta’s take on the “Playtest” episode, in which poor Wyatt Russell learns the downside of being a human lab rat for the video game industry. No amount of money is worth this.

Although he doesn’t appear at this time to be selling prints or creating any merchandise based on his Black Mirror designs, Barletta has made all six posters available at his online gallery. He’s also created a similar minimalist series based around iconic singers and some of their most memorable lyrics.

[via Fubiz]

 
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