Cirici, Puig, Lavanda
«My main interest is to become aware of reality. And I care about the study of art because it is a privileged way for doing so. ” This quote by Alexandre Cirici Pellicer (1914-1984) situates very well the interests of one of the most polyvalent pioneers of Spanish graphic design. Cirici developed his work in fields as...
Josep Queralt, master classes
In December 2004, a show opened at the Museum of Valls, birthplace of Josep Queralt (1910–1993), curated by Santi Barjau and Jordi Paris. It presented works produced by this pioneer for local businesses and industry, including Farmacia Muret, Porcelanas Isard, and the iron and steel manufacturer, agricultural cooperative and printing house Moncunill. In the introductory...
Prieto and the Theatrical Poster
This is the third post published in “Graphic Pioneers” about different creative aspects of Manolo Prieto’s work. We previously referred to the series of covers that he designed for “Novels and Stories” (see previous post) or the illustrations collected in the book “Toros en El Puerto” (see previous post); this time we are going to...
Spanish “Graphis”
Graphis, the International Journal of Graphic Art and Applied Arts, is probably the best Graphic Design magazine ever in the history of our profession. Perhaps only the current “Eye Magazine” measures up to that mythical publication. Under the editorial guidance of Walter Herdeg it published every two months, in three languages -English, German and French-,...
Nueva Forma (New Form), architecture and modernity
Nueva Forma (New Form) was an architecture and art magazine that sought to modernise our culture and open out towards major international phenomena. Spanning across the 1960s and 1970s (1966–1975), it had the patronage of the Huarte family, promotors of a significant number of cultural initiatives that included the Pamplona Encounters in 1972 (see previous...
‘Arte Comercial’ magazine, advertising and organization?
“Arte Comercial” (Commercial Art) was one of the few examples in the Spanish publishing world of a journal specializing in the field of advertising. Founded in 1946 by Emeterio Melendreras, a professional that straddled the fields of advertising and design management, it included works by most of the graphic designers of the time: Manolo Prieto...
The El Corte Inglés pennant
I remember the morning I began working as Art Director in the Publicity Department of El Corte Inglés as if it were yesterday. I was sneaking between drawing tables to introduce myself to my new Creative Director when an older man – white hair, smoking a cigar – asked me if I knew how to...
Ramón Calderón from London to Santander
One of the attractive elements of running a blog on the characteristics of “Graphic Pioneers” is coming across a significant graphic work of which I was completly unaware. Thanks to the great help of Mario Crespo López to whom I’m sincerely grateful for the graphic images that are presented in this post, I´ve had the...
The Morillas prescriptions
Anna Calvera explains it very well in the text “From graphic artist to graphic designer” included in the tribute book to Antoni Morillas, admirably prepared by his son Lluis, a thorough documentation of his father’s professional path: “in the case of graphic designers the process followed is clear. When they start out as apprentices, they...
Grupo 13 exhibits in “Control”
In Spain in 1962 the monthly magazine Control de Publicidad y Ventas (Control of Advertising and Sales) began, a pioneering publication with specialised information on advertising and marketing. In its 20th edition, from May 1964, an exhibition by Grupo 13 featured on the cover, with a 40-page special report inside. It opened with an article by...
Artists for Alter
During the 1939-1975 period there occurred in Spain a spectacular development of the chemical industry in general and in the pharmaceutical sector in particular. Along with the presence of the large multinational laboratories –Ciba Geigy, Sandoz or Roche– native companies like Uriach, Ibys or Alter were also active. This growth was reflected not only in...
Juan Toribio’s Trains
In 1971 Renfe who monopolised rail transport in Spain, launched the foundations for a plan of action to position the train as an essential and unifying element in the country’s transport development. Renfe and its GID (cabinet of information and diffusion) hired the advertising agency Arce & Potti and together they created the appropriate communication strategies and undertook the...