Hermes creates vintage-style posters that combine historical architecture with a lighthearted, often humorous touch. I think the way these works use bright colours and clean lines makes them feel like classic travel advertisements from another era. In the piece Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Talinn, Estonia, we see a white and red building featuring five black onion domes topped with crosses. The structure stands out against a green sky filled with white clouds, while the dark silhouettes of other spires appear in the distance to give the scene a sense of depth.
Austria Fox In The Snow shows a different side of the artist’s work by focusing on animals in a quiet landscape. A black and red fox sits in the foreground with its back turned to us, looking out over a snowy scene toward a church tower and a cluster of buildings. Blue and white mountains rise up under a clear blue sky, creating a peaceful atmosphere that contrasts with the more playful works in the collection. The word AUSTRIA is printed in black capital letters at the bottom of the image.
Brixam, South Devon Hermes
Another poster titled Brixam, South Devon features three upright fish standing on a yellow map of the area. A red and orange striped umbrella is positioned over the fish, which adds a funny, anthropomorphic element to the coastal scene. In the background, a small sailboat with red sails sits on the blue water of Tor Bay. This use of humour is a recurring theme for Hermes, who often places characters in unexpected situations to make the viewer smile.
Mittenwald, Germany Hermes
Mittenwald, Germany uses a large yellow sun with a human face as the central focus of the composition. Several skiers pass in front of the sun on a ski lift cable against a bright blue background. Below the sun, the snow-covered mountain landscape is filled with tiny figures of people skiing and sledding near a small village and pine trees. The word Mittenwald is written in a flowing script at the top of the poster, completing the vintage look of the work by Hermes.