Franco Grignani 1908-1999

I feel that it's about time to feature more of the exceptional designs that were so much part of our lives in the mid-20th century. Foremost among the great designers of that period was Franco Grignani of Milan, with whom I had not only the great good fortune to meet but also the challenge of working in his studio for in the autumn of 1959. If I had to describe him in one word, I would say formidable. It's even stronger in Italian, formidabile! We always addressed him in the third person, architetto, as in, "Buon giorno, architetto," or, "Has the architect seen this?

Franco? Never, ever, not on your life! Just the thought ot it! 

Franco Grignani studied architecture in Turin and was involved in Futurism. The movement was a kin to Abstract and Geometric Constructivism which he related to by conducting analytical research through pictorial means and photography, experimenting with photograms, photomontages and overlays.

The AGI (Alliance Graphique Internationale), which honored him with membership in 1952, says of him:

"Grignani studied architecture but became more interested in graphic design. He devoted himself to experiments in optical and visual design, painting and photographs. The Milan printers Alfieri & Lacroix allowed him a free hand with his typographic experiments. In later years he devised outstanding and novel photo compositions, based on optical systems he invented. He influenced many of his contemporaries. . . ."

(I suppose I should include myself as well, but I didn't realize that at the time.)

"He worked as [an] art director . . . and exhibition designer [with] more than forty-nine solo exhibitions from 1958 in Italy, the UK, Switzerland, Germany, the US and Venezuela. He was the winner of the Palma d'Oro della Publicità (1959) and the gold medal at the Milan Triennale. Grignani also won an award at the Warsaw Poster Biennale (1966) and the Venice Biennale (1972). Many museums in Italy, as well as Hamburg and Caracas, have acquired his work. His works are preserved in . . . the MOMA in New York, the Stedelijk Museum of Amsterdam, the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington in London and the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw. The international fame came in large part [from his] design graphics. Surely one of the best known . . . is the project for the brand of Pure Wool (International Wool Society) [see below] and advertisements for pharmaceutical Dompè and for the publisher Alfieri & Lacroix."

NEW. Click on this  link for a YouTube presentation of a recent show of his work in Milano. 

Franco Grignani, cover for Graphis magazine, Zürich, 1966

 

Franco Grignani, ad for Dompé pharmaceuticals, circa 1959

 

Franco Grignani, ad for Alfieri & Lacroix, 1960

Franco Grignani, Pure Wool logo, 1964.

There will be more, later, but for now I'll offer a link to a photo and description of the happy young couple we were when we embarked on our adventure in Milan and my attempts to make myself useful in the studio of this great man on the via Bianca di Savoia, numero 17.

 

Franco Grignani, cover for Graphis Annual 67/68, Zürich, 1967

 

Franco Grignani, ad for Alfieri & Lacroix

 

Franco Grignani, ad for Alfieri & Lacroix

 

Franco Grignani, symbol for Alfieri & Lacroix

 

Franco Grignani, ad for Alfieri & Lacroix

 

Franco Grignani, website splash page

 

Franco Grignani, portrait, Giulio Malfer/Artestrukura, Milano

Additional links to more examples of the work of Franco Grignani:

Taddeo Zacchini

Alliance Graphique Internationale

Sandi Vincent/Aqua Velvet

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