The Graphic Artist Group FAD published its professional intentions on 6 December 1961. “They were honestly and painstakingly dedicated to all professional undertakings and everything related, either directly or indirectly, to culture, aesthetics and graphic teaching”.
This paragraph, signed by Pla-Narbona, the first president of the Group (see previous blog entries), appears at the start of an edition published in 1964 which demonstrated a punctilious selection of works produced by 18 members of the group, comprised at the time by 24 “distinguished graphic artists”, the words printed on its cover.
Pla-Narbona also designed the first logo of the present-day ADG. The images compiled in this post show the work meeting for choosing the image that would represent this group of professionals for many years, and featured the participation of Baqués, Grañena, Graus, Huguet, Humá, Rey Padilla, and Pla-Narbona. A logo – a “symbol” according to records from this session – which contains three upward-pointing arrows if studied closely. A geometric image, set on a screen to transmit the idea of a group and also the scope for infinite variants through basic sketches. Using a classic font with finishes, Pla-Narbona produced a version of the logo that was finally decided upon.
“What is the aim of the graphic artist? Not solely beauty but efficiency in the efforts to bring out the conviction of something,” wrote Juan Perucho in the introduction to the publication, which also assembles works by these pioneers of the profession in order to create an associated movement in the field of design. The logo of the Graphic Artist Group FAD immediately held the conviction regarding the greatness of a profession they all helped to build, akin to the metaphor alluding to a framework which has upheld their monumental work for the fifty-plus years that ADG/FAD has been in existence.