José Luis Lanzagorta, creator of the poster for the 61st edition of Jazzaldia

Graphic designer and musician, founder and creative director of Estudio Lanzagorta, a graphic design company that works mainly in the domain of art and culture.

Among its clients: Artium, Donostia Kultura, Koldo Mitxelena Kulturunea, Tabakalera, San Telmo Museoa, Musée Basque de Bayonne, Kutxa Fundazioa, San Sebastian International Film Festival (SSIFF), Donostiako Jazzaldia, Fundación Kursaal, Quincena Musical de San Sebastián, Euskadiko Orkestra, Orfeón Donostiarra, Warner Music, Sony Music and Get In Producciones.

Lanzagorta is the person who has most often created the poster for Donostiako Jazzaldia. In all, he has done so on thirteen occasions.

As a musician, he has been involved for decades in many different projects within the world of pop in San Sebastian. He was one of the founders of Orquesta Mondragón, of Puskarra and Amateur. He was also a member of Amor a Traición and La Buena Vida, both of them groups from San Sebastian.

JAZZALDIA 61st edition POSTER: Instrumental Suite

Entitled Instrumental Suite, the poster sets out to address the challenge of conveying the concept of ‘Jazz’ using as few graphic resources as possible.

To rise to that challenge, José Luis Lanzagorta created a visual synthesis of six instruments: the saxophone, the tuba, the trombone, the trumpet, the piano and the vibraphone. Each underwent a process of formal refinement, reduced to their essential features and, within the contours of an exercise in abstraction and radical geometry, minimal expression was achieved. Based on these basic forms, the concept of rhythm is conveyed through the repetition of elements.

The instruments, Jazz music itself, are transformed into a system of symbols, close to the language of pictograms: forms that are suggestive, universal and recognisable.

In contrast to this geometric rigour, Lanzagorta incorporates a harmonious and dynamic colour palette, to add rhythm and movement.