Preserving Authenticity: Original Retro Artwork Since 2018
In a world where images can be generated, reproduced and distributed almost instantly, what does it mean for an artwork to be truly original?
It is a question that matters increasingly to artists, collectors and anyone who appreciates the creative process behind an image. As artificial intelligence becomes more visible in the world of illustration and design, the distinction between an image that simply exists and an artwork that has been consciously created deserves renewed attention.
At MyRetroPoster, this question is closely connected to our identity.
Since 2018, we have built our collections around original artwork created by contemporary artists. Our posters may draw inspiration from vintage aesthetics, historical design movements and the visual language of travel advertising, but they are not reproductions of forgotten advertisements or automatically generated variations of existing images.
They are new creations, shaped by the perspectives, choices and artistic sensibilities of the people who make them.
Originality Begins with an Artistic Vision
Every artwork begins somewhere. Sometimes it starts with a photograph taken during a journey. Sometimes with a particular building, a landscape, a memory or an unexpected combination of colours.
What transforms that initial inspiration into an original composition is the series of decisions made by the artist.
Which perspective best expresses the character of a place? What deserves to remain in the image, and what can be simplified? Should the composition feel peaceful or energetic, nostalgic or playful? How should the colours interact, and where should the viewer's attention naturally settle?
These decisions are not incidental details. They are the substance of the creative process.
Two artists looking at the same destination may produce entirely different interpretations. One might focus on its architecture, another on the atmosphere of a quiet street, and a third on the colours of its surrounding landscape.
The subject may be shared, but the artwork belongs to the artist's individual vision.
Vintage Inspiration Does Not Mean Vintage Reproduction
The word retro can describe many different things.
It may refer to an authentic object from the past, a reproduction of a historical design or a contemporary creation inspired by an earlier artistic period.
These distinctions matter.
At MyRetroPoster, our approach belongs to the third category. We create contemporary artwork that draws inspiration from the history of illustration, typography, graphic design and travel posters.
A composition may evoke the elegance of Art Deco, the bold geometry of mid-century design or the expressive colours of vintage advertising. Yet its subject, arrangement and artistic interpretation are original.
This allows us to celebrate the visual culture of the past without simply repeating it.
It also gives our artists the freedom to develop their own styles rather than conforming to a single definition of what a retro poster should look like.
Two Artists, Two Distinctive Approaches
The collections created by Alecse and Cha illustrate how varied contemporary retro artwork can be.
For Alecse, travel and photography play an important role in the creative process. Places are observed, studied and interpreted through a combination of photographic references, drawing and digital painting techniques.
His travel posters seek to capture the atmosphere of a destination rather than reproduce every visible detail. A particular perspective, an architectural feature or a distinctive relationship between colours can become the foundation of an entire composition.
Cha approaches illustration through a different visual language.
Her Vintage Exotics collection explores a world of graphic references, decorative compositions and playful interpretations of familiar subjects. Japanese-inspired imagery, everyday objects and expressive colour combinations become the starting points for original designs.
The result is not an attempt to reproduce historical Japanese advertising. It is a contemporary artistic interpretation that draws on selected elements of its visual culture.
These differences are essential to MyRetroPoster's identity. Rather than imposing one uniform house style, we celebrate the individuality of the artists and the distinct character of their collections.
What Artificial Intelligence Changes
The rapid development of generative artificial intelligence is transforming the way visual content is produced.
Images that once required considerable time and technical expertise can now be generated in seconds from written instructions. For certain applications, these technologies offer new possibilities for experimentation and visual communication.
But their growing presence also raises important questions about authorship, originality and the value of artistic work.
For independent artists, the challenge is not simply technological. It is also cultural and economic.
When online marketplaces become saturated with inexpensive, rapidly produced imagery, it can become more difficult for customers to distinguish original artwork from mass-generated content.
Two images may look superficially similar on a screen while representing very different creative processes.
One may be the result of an artist's research, sketches, revisions and considered choices. Another may have been produced through an automated process with little individual artistic development.
That difference is not always visible at first glance, but it matters to those who care about the people and ideas behind the work.
Our position is straightforward: MyRetroPoster's artworks are created by artists, not generated by artificial intelligence.
Digital tools are part of contemporary artistic practice, and using them does not make an artwork less authentic. What matters to us is that the creative direction, composition and artistic decisions remain in the hands of the artist.
Digital Techniques, Human Creativity
Authenticity should not be confused with a rejection of modern technology.
Artists have always adopted new tools, from advances in printing and photography to digital drawing and image editing.
What defines an original artwork is not necessarily whether every stage is performed with traditional materials. It is the presence of an individual artistic vision.
A digital painting can be as original as a work created on paper. A composition developed through photography, drawing and digital illustration can express a distinctive artistic perspective.
At MyRetroPoster, contemporary techniques allow us to explore the visual language of vintage poster art while maintaining the flexibility and precision required by our creative process.
These tools support the artists' work. They do not replace their imagination or make their decisions for them.
Why Authorship Matters
When someone chooses an artwork, they may initially be attracted by its colours, subject or atmosphere.
But knowing who created it can add another dimension to the experience.
The artist's background, interests and approach help explain why the image looks the way it does. A destination becomes more than a geographical subject; it becomes a place interpreted through someone else's eyes.
Authorship also creates a connection between the person who makes the artwork and the person who chooses to live with it.
For independent artists, recognition is not merely symbolic. It supports the possibility of continuing to create, experiment and develop new collections.
This is one reason we believe that artists should be visible within the brands and platforms that present their work.
Originality is not simply a label attached to a product. It is a relationship between an artist, an artwork and the people who appreciate it.
Art That Belongs in Everyday Life
Our belief in original artwork does not mean that art should be reserved for museums, galleries or specialist collectors.
Quite the opposite.
One of the great qualities of poster art is its accessibility. Throughout its history, the poster has brought illustration and graphic design into public spaces and everyday surroundings.
Today, contemporary art prints continue that tradition by allowing people to introduce distinctive artwork into their homes.
A travel poster might celebrate a city someone loves. A playful illustration can bring colour to a kitchen. A graphic composition may become the focal point of a living room.
In each case, the artwork becomes part of everyday life.
Preserving Authenticity Means Continuing to Create
There is a temptation to think of authenticity as something that belongs exclusively to the past.
We admire historical artworks, traditional techniques and objects that have survived for generations. Yet originality is not limited to what already exists.
It is also found in the new work being created today.
For MyRetroPoster, preserving authenticity means giving contemporary artists the space to develop their own interpretations, explore new subjects and create images that reflect their individual perspectives.
It means recognising the difference between drawing inspiration from an artistic tradition and simply reproducing its appearance.
And it means believing that, even in a world increasingly filled with automatically generated images, there remains a place for artwork shaped by human curiosity, imagination and intention.
Since 2018, that belief has guided MyRetroPoster.
It continues to guide the way we create, select and present our collections.
Discover the work of Alecse and Cha, and explore the different artistic worlds behind MyRetroPoster.
Editor's note — 20 October 2026: Originally published on 27 March 2024, this article has been expanded to clarify MyRetroPoster's approach to original artwork, contemporary artistic techniques and authorship. The original illustrations have been retained.