franco grignani
4 Logos of Italian historical graphic designer
Born in the province of Pavia in 1908, he attended the faculty of Architecture in Turin coming into contact with exponents of the Second Futurism, with whom he made several exhibitions. Experimental photography experiments begin; the beginnings of his professional life saw him engaged in projects for exhibition stands and advertising. He marries Jeanne Michot in 1942 who will put him in his work for years.
After the interruption of the war, he returns to his interest in advertising which, in fact, finances his research on visual perception; he often uses part of his aesthetic research for his activity as a graphic designer, in a continuous exchange of experiences. Member of the AGI, Alliance Graphique Internationale, of the ICTA and of the STA, American Printing Company; he won numerous awards for his activity in the advertising field (the Palme d’Or for Advertising).
He is the art director for the pharmaceutical company Dompè as well as, for years and until the closure of the business, he is the author of the communication for the “Alfieri e Lacroix” printing house. He selects the material, takes care of the layout and covers of the “Advertising in Italy” yearbook. His clients were Montecatini, Pirelli, Necchi, Alessi.
In 1964 he designed the “Pure Virgin Wool” brand.
It is part of “Exhibition Design”, the historical group of Italian design; he is the author of Italian brands and designs covers for “Penguin Books” and “Art in America”. In 1965 he was invited, as a speaker, to the first World Congress on Communication, with other professionals such as Marshall McLuhan and Max Bill.
From the mid-1970s he devoted himself more and more to painting, which he had never abandoned. In the eighties he began teaching at NABA in Milan.