Azcuy, René

René Azcuy (b. 1939 — Havana, Cuba) is one of the most influential designers of the cartel design in Cuba- Mexico. He started making posters, logos, designs for CD covers, brochures and press headlines; achieved the conceptual communication in his own initial language and today he is one of the role models in the school of Cuban Graphics.

From the decade of 1970's René obtained a proper style — black and white images, it featured photographs in high contrast, the first closed and first framings. All this perhaps influenced by his previous studies in art (the National School of Fine arts “San Alejandro“ and Higher institute of learning of Arts and crafts, Havana, Cuba) and his closeness in the cinematographic area since his foundation (ICIAC "The Cuban Film Institute").

As a designer he presented two personal exhibitions, which are "The Hands of Azcuy" Are Salted by Rubén Martínez Villena, Gallery UNEAC, Havana, Cuba, 1977 and "Affiches de René Azcuy" Maison de L'Amérique Latine, Paris, France, 1988. From 1964 he also took part in multiple collective exhibitions in Cuba, Mexico, Columbia and Italy.

He is currently one of the most important professors in the BUAP (Civil Guard Autonomous University of Puebla) and also in the Institute of Top Studies in Architecture and Design in the same city.

In 2009 the number of contemporary cuban designers (Osvaldo Gaona,Elmer Sosa, Hugo Rojas) organized an exhibition "CONCEP70" to celebrate 70 years of life full of knowledge, concept and love to the design of René Azcuy.

Image: Stolen Kisses. The red stamp of the flat area of color on the extended photographic detail represents an extraordinary concept.; something similar happens with the red little flags that cubans shows to the world to celebrate the day of the workpeople.

Links: http://osvaldogaona.blogspot.com/2008/10/serie-la-calle.html (Osvaldo Gaona blog)
http://gaonadiseno.blogspot.com/ (70's exhibition blog)

by Alena Zaynullina