History of Graphic Design Field Journal: Armando Testa

This week, the reading opened up with a mention of Armando Testa. Although there was only a small discussion of his work, I found myself intrigued to learn more about the artist "considered the father of modern Italian advertsing" (Aslanadis, 2014).

By the age of 14, Testa had already tried several apprenticeships, including as a locksmith, sheet metal worker, and a typesetter. He began taking night classes at the Vigliardi Paravia School of Graphic Arts, where he was mentored by Ezio d-Errico, "a teacher at the school and one of the best known abstract artists of the day" (Tungate, 2013). Although he won several competitions to design letterheads and leaflets, he was a difficult employee and was fired from most jobs after only a few weeks, "until by the age of 18 he had been let go by 28 different employers" (Tungate). But Testa had a breakthrough as a graphic designer in 1937 after winning a poster competition for ICI, an ink and paint manufacturer.

Source: zigposters.co.uk

In 1946, Testa opened up his own graphic design studio in his hometown of Turin, where "he began to create labels, logos, packaging, brochures, covers, and posters," initially attracting mainly small clients (AdAge, 2003). However, he soon drew larger clientele, including Martini & Rossi, Carpano, and Pirelli, for whom his tire ads received much acclaim. In his work for Carpano, Testa created a character of "King Carpano," an anthropomorphic liquor bottle who toasted famous historical figures in the advertisements.

Source: AllThingsRuffnerian.blogspot.com

Martini & Rossi ad, Source: TheAnimalarium.blogspot.com

Pirelli ad, Source: RebelsInTradition.com

In 1956, Testa, his wife, and associate Franco de Barberis founded Studio Testa, a full-service advertising agency "destined to become a leader in Italy and beyond" (Verzotti, 2001). The agency became highly active in television advertising, Testa created a stop motion video advertisement for client Lavazzo's Paulista coffee, featuring characters made of simple cones and spheres. The ads, run on Italy's late night Carosello advertising block became wildly popular, as many "Italians have fond memories of these early TV years and many of the early commercials and their characters" (AdAge, 2003).

Paulista commercial still, Source: YouTube

Perhaps as a result of his early influences, Testa maintained a strong desire to create abstract art in addition to his interest in commercial graphic design, but he was fortunate "to be able to work with clients who, like him, felt that art and commerce were not mutually exclusive" (Tungate, 2013). His love of simplicity in design may have assisted him in his success, where advertisements that quickly impart a message can be the most memorable. At a showing of his work in 1987, Testa described this inspiration and impact: "My love of synthesis - conveying a message by means of a single gesture, a simple image - and my use of white backgrounds, primary colors, and the most basic symbols of visual communication (circle, cross, diagonal, angle) have unfortunately endowed me over the years with a distinctive style, and many people recognize my work on sight.

Testa's work pulled inspiration from many areas, and his poster style definitely recalls the Plakatstil era, but he also continues to be an inspiration. A 2002 ad by his agency for Pirelli is an homage to two easily recognizable works of Testa, showing that his designs can still have a major impact even 50 years later.