Graphic designer
América Sánchez

Barcelona Gráfica (Ggili '02) shows the iconography of the city through 1,825 pictures taken on the avenues, streets, spots and business locals somewhat lost by the time. Its author, América Sánchez comes from Buenos Aires, but arrived at Barcelona almost four decades ago. He's a graphic designer by profession. He doesn't regard Barcelona as a design capital, but is of the opinion that the citizens are open to new proposals in artistic terms. Among his long career, he can boast with logos for Barcelona '92, for FC Barcelona Centennary ('99), of the Viçon shop('72), Picasso Museum, Auditori, works for for Teatre Nacional de Catalunya (TNC), Ajuntament de Barcelona (City Hall), Laie bookshop, theatre company Tricicle, and has also a series of books published by him. He was awarded the Laus for six different occasions and Spanish Nacional Award of Design in '92.
Recently he published "Gaudí", a book in honour of the person whom he considers "the best that ever Barcelona has had".

He is a much travelled and experienced guy, and owing to his general culture and interest for things, is a little bewildering in his answers


Design as a profession and photography as a passion. You have joined both and did Barcelona Gráfica
Exactly. I was justly aiming at the fusion of the best between photography and design. The graphic concept of the book was done with a photographic criteria. The most relevant is the thematic selection that was popping up as I was taking photos. I hadn't stablished a list of priorities to begin. There were 15 great themes y 150 items. That has turned into the most important, the double page of the book, in each of them there's a matter, a way of dealing with so that it can be understood. And it is laid out in a very arbitrary way, it doesn't obbey to a thematic correlation. It's like when you go along the street: you come upon a carpenter's, and then you find a perfumery (drugstore), and then a restaurant, and the ministery of something… a little like the wandering of a pedestrian.

A little time, I suppose. What have you learned?
It took me two years, '98 and '99 in full. One of the most important things I understood, is that enjoyed it. I had not a particular liking for certain things and this work helped me to broaden the graphics in a different way and that was rather interesting; On the other hand, I discovered the city's patrimony in those moments when it is sunny, during that quarter or half an hour, that yoy manage to get that particular label. The Sun played the part of the guide of my work. It shone and led me, since I had no previous plans. Whatever was not lit by the Sun, was left for another occasion. I never used the flash, only 400 ASA films.

And why only graphism, and not architecture, the monuments and the sculptures?
Because of my profession. I know this genre well, and for me typography, calligraphy, drawing, painting and engraving are all similar themes of the visual arts, that appeal to me. And because they are vanishing, it is an homage to the artisans who had created these things and who were true masters who nowadays have disappearedy, and the bradnames are different from those that used to be.

Is that disappearance due to the homogenization process, to that tendency towards uniformization of the styles, result of the globalization and invasion of multinational shops?
It is a total decadence… Indeed. It happens everywhere. And there is little professionalism in the way of creating a language, of inserting the typography… The good taste that existed for the facades that existed before, so to say, was an element that no longer is appreciated. Notwithstanding very special cases, I see everything as decadent. Labelling nowadays is very poor.

And in global terms, since we are referring to the present… How do you see the introduction of the digital into design?
I see it as rather homogeneous, with little variety. Programmes overcome the creators, they are more important. I prefer the handwork, I work with the traditional mail, I do manual calligraphy and I teach with manual themes. Machines are a marvel, and I consider them interesting, but I'm not convinced by digital in what concerns creativity. I'm fond of the creation by outsiders, by the people who "don't know", of the "ignorants". Not to mention the professional, that annoys me much at the moment.

Is that the reason why in the book there are many amateur labels…
Yes… As a matter a fact my next book is all about graphism created by non professionals.

Also about Barcelona?
No, no, from all over the world: Portugal, Recife (in Brazil), Buenos Aires, New York, San Francisco, Istanbul…, result of my travels and exactly of the same type of Barcelona Gráfica. I do not mingle in architecture, neither objets, nor interiors. Everything from the groud up to 3 or 4 metrs from the eyesight angle. The graphics of the street.

When is it going to appear?
I don't know, but it is well underway.

Back to Barcelona Gráfica… Has it got any didactic intent? What sort of message did you try to convey?
In the first place to compile soething that can never be seen in a book. It deals with a unique documentation that you can see in hours, but impossible to be seen alive; And then there's the thematic teaming that helps you understand not only this city, but any other. I think it can aid to learn this graphic genre in a very clear and didactic way, in so far that there are so many diverse themes within graphism. Under tht point of view I think that there is a didactic purpose, and I mean the visual aspect. It's just like a visual phd thesis, which no one asked me to do, but nevertheless I enthralled me.

Is there any reference upon which you based yourself?
There was a book, which was like a catalogue, twenty years ago, in black and white and very boring as it was laid out. I believe it was called "London in Details". And after all these years I essayed to redo on Barcelona, as a marathon.

Do you wish that this experience of yours to be appealing to others?
Yes! There's nothing similar. At least in terms of size an amount of information. I know people who are doing this in Colombia and Argentina. This genre is all over the world, In each village and town.

You're in this city for a long time. Tell us about your experience as a designer in Barcelona.
I got here in a very different time, everything was very primitive. I arrived at a moment when in Argentina many good things were already done, I came with very up to date material, I was always welcomed here; I learned a lot teaching at the Eina School, that in '67; I did an exhibition in Palau de la Virreina ('91) about all my graphic work; and then I was the National Design Award. Everything went well with me in this city.

Barcelona and design?
I don't see as big as it is said. As far as design is concerned I view it as average, unlike London, Germany or USA. There are many good drawers here, there are people who create, who invent, in the theatre, scenography, architecture, interiors, but in graphic design I don't regard it as innovating, neither by the schools, nor by the people in the trade. And the aliens have brought much more than the locals, and the latter have been very open to accept foreigners so that they can perform things.

And what's your opinion about 2004 Forum?
Let's see. Before I used to be very pessimistic, but then it can turn out to be useful because it's always enriching to think about the people who come, about the world, the new technologies, the Earth. I believe it can be rewarding. There isn't anything similar in the world that deals with this and certainly it is missing nowadays as the world is.

Gaudí, I can't help asking you about him, in his 150th anniversary. as a designer, who is this personage for you?
I have just written a book about him, "Gaudí" (Triangle Postals '02). I redicovered through this book. Gaudí is a character who is absolutely singular, incredible, marvellous and a unique reference. He came out and the cast was broken. He is the most precious that the city can boast about. I was pleased to know how he was honoured this year how he was dealt with in such a powerful and radical form. People will be exhausted, but it was missing, because when I came here, Gaudí existed but seemed as a strange thing, a rare personage. All this interest is due to Alexandre Cirici-Pellicer, who rediscovered him in modern times while studying modernism.



Ricardo Nuno :.
Thursday, Sep 05th '02