La Association of Art Directors and Graphic Designers (ADG-FAD), organizer of the ADG Laus Awards for Graphic Design and Visual Communication since 1964, grants the Laus de Honor 2023 award to Cruz Novillo in recognition of his great contributions to the world of design and visual communication and the cultural impact they have had on the collective imagination.
El Laus of Honor award It is the recognition of a professional career of great contributions to the profession and to the culture of graphic design in general, which have served as a source of inspiration for the following generations. In previous editions, renowned professionals such as Pati Nuñez (2022), Toni Miserachs (2021), America Sanchez (2020), Ana Zelich (2019), Oscar Mariné (2018), Enric Aguilera (2017), Yves Zimmermann (2016) or Raquel Pelta (2015).
This year, when the ADG Laus awards celebrate 53 editions, the entity pays tribute to the career and legacy of Cruz Novillo to recognize his prolific career, especially in the visual creation of brands and corporate identities that have formed part of the visual landscape of a Spain yearning for modernity and democracy. In addition to its social and cultural impact, Cruz Novillo represents one of the national pillars for the promotion and dignity of the graphic design profession.
José María Cruz Novillo: creator of many of the emblematic logos of the last decades
Born in Cuenca in 1936, José María Cruz Novillo –usually referred to as Cruz Novillo– is a painter, sculptor, engraver and designer.
Pepe Cruz Novillo is the creator of countless logos and iconic images of post-Franco Spain, of the banknotes of the Bank of Spain and is co-author of the flag and the shield of the Community of Madrid. His are, for example, four visual identities that have been maintained over the decades: Correos (1977), the fist and the rose of the PSOE (1977), the National Police (1986) or Repsol (1996).
Countless creations by Cruz Novillo have contributed to this new urban and daily imaginary of any citizen: Fundación ONCE, Renfe, the Public Treasury, TVE, Antena 3, Endesa, Grupo Prisa, El Mundo, Banco Pastor, Cope, Diario 16, El Economista or Visionlab.
In addition, it is also film poster manager such as "Los lunes al sol", "El espíritu de la colmena", "Deprisa deprisa", "Barrio", "El sur" or "La escopeta nacional", among others.
Su style It is characterized by simplicity and the game with geometric shapes and symmetry. Cruz Novillo's design is made up of simple and thick strokes, easily identifiable, often monochrome, and a combination of negative and positive shapes. Simplicity and graphic synthesis is what makes his works timeless and powerful designs. Images that do not go out of style.
He has been the protagonist of the film "The man who designed Spain", released in 2019, which reviews his career and places him as the most important graphic designer of the second half of the XNUMXth century in our country.
Cruz Novillo is a National Design Award (1997), Gold Medal of Fine Arts (2012), Honorary Postman of the Post Office (2019) and Academician of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando.
In 2007, Cruz Novillo founded the Cruz más Cruz studio with his son Pepe, a designer and architect.
Presentation of the award at the Nit ADG Laus 2023
The ADG Laus 2023 Awards for Graphic Design and Visual Communication will be announced at the Nit ADG Laus, the traditional awards ceremony, which will be held on June 8 at 18:00 p.m. in Palo Alto, Barcelona.
