A Certain Cotta: Book-Cover Design from Buenos Aires

with Francisco Roca

Learn about the young graphic artist who designed book covers that would become a sensation in ’60s era Argentina, Latin America, and Spain.

In 1962, young graphic artist Juan Ángel Cotta died in a car crash. His ongoing work project at the time, 103 covers for Los Libros del Mirasol —one of South America’s most unique and appealingly-illustrated book collections— went into oblivion until designers Francisco Roca and Leandro Castelao envisaged assembling his piecemeal job into a single volume. During this talk, you will have the chance to delve into the research that turned a heartfelt casual endeavour into a full editorial journey, culminating in the first-ever book to compile Cotta’s visual legacy.

In the words of design critic Steven Heller:

Cotta’s work, especially a collection of hardback books he illustrated in 1960 under the series title The Sunflower Books is one of the missing links between South American publishing and the European modernist traditions.

Please join us Live at the Archive for refreshments between 5:30 and 6:30. Francisco’s presentation will begin promptly at 6:30 with a Q&A following that.