Influenced by the painter Josef Albers, Victor Moscoso is considered one of the most original and influential graphic designers of the 1960s thanks to his innovative use of collage and vibrant colors.
Description by Victor Moscoso
The Luis Seoane Foundation hosted on Tuesday the 13th the presentation of the Moscoso Cosmos exhibition. Or Victor Moscoso's visual universe, the largest retrospective to date on the work of one of the most original and influential graphic designers of the 20th century. Born in the Coruña town of Vilaboa in 1936, Victor Moscoso moved to the United States together with his parents at the age of five, where he will carry out his studies and develop his entire professional career, marked by the famous series of posters of psychedelic rock made by the author during the years 1966 and 1967 and his participation in the underground magazine Zap Comix along with artists such as Robert Crumb and Rick Griffin, among others. In addition to these works, the exhibition includes posters, record covers, comics, illustrations for books and magazines, animations, and biographical photographs that complete a journey marked by iconic images from the second half of the 20th century.
Silvia Longueira, director of the Luis Seoane Foundation, began her speech by recalling the documentation and research work carried out by the curator of the exhibition, David Carballal “a work carried out for more than five years, which from now on will be compiled in a publication that has the participation of Steven Heller, artistic director of the New York Times, which constitutes the largest compendium made on the work of the Galician creator”. The project, which had the unconditional support of the A Coruña City Council, owner of the largest collection of Victor Moscoso's work in Europe, is also “a tribute to those people who, like Moscoso himself or Luis Seoane, developed their artistic activity outside our borders."
The curator of the exhibition, David Carballal, explained that the exhibition "is the first global tour carried out so far in the career of the Galician designer", which in addition to the aforementioned series of psychedelic posters, includes other works "outside the scope of music, animations and even an advertisement "for a famous North American clothing brand"
Victor Moscoso chimed in to recall how he became interested in what countercultural movements were doing on the San Francisco scene during the 1960s. “I studied traditional technique and design principles with Josef Albers, and later I had to reverse everything I had learned, looking at what other artists were doing at the time. Later, suddenly, I discovered that people liked my posters, that they bought them. "The artist confessed that he was "very happy" for the celebration of the exhibition, and, regarding his work, that everything he had to say about him "is in this exhibition."
Inés Rey, mayor of the A Coruña City Council and president of the Luis Seoane Foundation Board of Trustees, closed the presentation ceremony by highlighting that the exhibition “once again highlights the interest of the A Coruña City Council and the Luis Seoane Foundation at the time of recovering and updating the legacy of Galician artists enrolled in the artistic avant-garde, such as Victor Moscoso and Luis Seoane, who are also a reflection of popular art, a characteristic that helps people who initially are not interested in art”. The City Council of A Coruña "is thus clearly and firmly committed to the dissemination of the cultural wealth of our city, which spread internationally through the traveling history of its protagonists."
Moscoso Cosmos. O Visual Universe by Victor Moscoso, which will be open to the public until next October, is produced by the Luis Seoane Foundation and the A Coruña City Council, and co-produced by the MUSAC of León and the Niemeyer Center of Avilés, to which will roam later. The exhibition has the collaboration of Acción Cultural Española (AC / E) and Gadis.
