Cool Hunting

Stamp collecting just got a little less nerdy, with Portland-based graphic designer Gavin Potenza's new poster, "A Field Guide To: The Stamps Of The World," which features 20 original stamp designs symbolizing 10 countries. Created specifically for the Tiny Showcase Learning Press, the goal is to have fun with education by creating a series of mildly factual, mostly fictitious posters.

Gavin's colorful approach was inspired by the various elements that surround the culture and history of each country. For instance the Switzerland stamp is smartly named Helvetia, and features the center image of Swiss Bauhaus artist Johannes Itten's "Farbkreis" color wheel.

Accordingly, France is represented with two stamps, one with an image from an old French tarot card, the other with a pictorial from renowned French-Hungarian father of Op-Art, Victor Vasarely.

Potenza pays further homage to artists with an Otl Aicher graphic for Germany, but turns to cultural icons and landscape illustrations for the remaining countries which include Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Russia, Mexico, Noway and the Netherlands.

Each 22x29 inch poster is printed on acid and chlorine-free sustainable paper, produced from trees grown on land managed by The Nature Conservancy, and is available for purchase for $12.