Angiolo Giuseppe Fronzoni (1923–2002), more commonly known as AG Fronzoni, was an Italian graphic designer, publisher, industrial designer, architect, and educator.
In 1945, AG Fronzoni opened his own studio in Brescia, Italy that specialized in publishing, graphic design, architecture, exhibition design and industrial design. He edited architectural magazines including Punta and Casabella. In 1956, Fronzoni founded a second studio in Milan. In 1963 he designed the minimalist, Quadra Lamp and a sleek briefcase in collaboration with Italian luxury brand Valextra. From 1965 to 1967 Fronzoni was the designer for the architectural magazine Casabella. Fronzoni taught at the Società Umanitaria in Milan, Istituto d’ Arte of Monza and the Istituto Delle Industrie Artistiche in Urbino. He founded his own school in Milan in 1987. During this period, Fronzoni founded a workshop school which he ran from 1982-2001. Fronzoni died in 2002.
With the Bottega, Fronzoni developed a new type of teaching different from the models used by vocational schools, known for the relationships established with its students. For Fronzoni, projects came to life from reality: every event is subject to design analysis, and the practice of provocation is always pushing for the comparison, reflection, and formation of a critical sense. Education, like all other forms of social communication, was essential for Fronzoni. He felt it necessary to pass on the knowledge he had accumulated through years of practice. Fronzoni's workshop "trained and directed students towards the art of continual research and turning that research into the essence of life, nature and the form around them".
"My ambition is not to design a poster, it's designing men."
Fronzoni believed in the ability to transform the world through design and design through culture. He did not hesitate to fight for the sense of form, even to defending a tiny typeface. The small historic influence in Italy of the Bauhaus made him maintain an attitude of critical and uncompromising standing of what is conventional, formal and conformist, which is reflected in its particular way of life transgression, a transgression absolutely "governed rather than disobedient". Fronzoni claimed that he was not aiming to satisfy the needs of the clients, but rather to do away with them. Fronzoni believed that the art of design should not be kept to the professionals but be as "widespread as writing". He believed his only client was the community and in turn became a designer for the people.
Fronzoni considers black and white as the colors representative of the design of man, an expression of opposition and reflection, while the color belongs to the natural world and is so alien, but not as an alternative to the work of man. Fronzoni's many projects reflect his ideals towards black and white: the rigor of the contrast of white and black, provides a sense of conceptual purity as well as the tones of minimalism. The poster is the space of freedom of thought, without limits or rules, essentially a sandbox. The typefaces are for Fronzoni the "grammar" of graphic design: small if you have to emphasize the space of reading if you are thinking are large, cut, scored, manipulated.
Casabella: During the mid-sixties, Fronzoni and Alessandro Mendini were responsible for the visual language and layout of one of the most important magazines on architecture: Casabella. Fronzoni's approach as art director shaped its style and content. The issues published between 1965 and 1967, under his direction can be considered a radical reinterpretation of the already established Swiss style. Each cover featured a tiny masthead accompanied by one picture printed in a single colour. The arrangement of the image gave a preview of the grid Fronzoni used for the pages inside. The upper quarter of the page was reserved for headlines. The rest of the page was based on an asymmetric layout with text starting on the left column and pictures spreading alongside over two columns. The whole magazine was typeset in Helvetica. After two years of successful collaboration, when the editor Gian Antonio Bernasconi asked Fronzoni to redesign the magazine he resigned.
Many of Fronzoni's works are part of permanent collections: the Bibliothèque Nationale and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, in Kunstgewerbe Museum in Zurich, in the Musée Cantonal des beaux-arts de Lausanne, in Deutsches Bucherei Leipzig, Deutsches Plakat Museum in Essen, in the Muzeum Narodowe Warsaw, in Morovska Galerie in Brno, in the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto.
© 2018. All images are copyrighted © by AG Fronzoni or assignee. The use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained.
In 1945, AG Fronzoni opened his own studio in Brescia, Italy that specialized in publishing, graphic design, architecture, exhibition design and industrial design. He edited architectural magazines including Punta and Casabella. In 1956, Fronzoni founded a second studio in Milan. In 1963 he designed the minimalist, Quadra Lamp and a sleek briefcase in collaboration with Italian luxury brand Valextra. From 1965 to 1967 Fronzoni was the designer for the architectural magazine Casabella. Fronzoni taught at the Società Umanitaria in Milan, Istituto d’ Arte of Monza and the Istituto Delle Industrie Artistiche in Urbino. He founded his own school in Milan in 1987. During this period, Fronzoni founded a workshop school which he ran from 1982-2001. Fronzoni died in 2002.
With the Bottega, Fronzoni developed a new type of teaching different from the models used by vocational schools, known for the relationships established with its students. For Fronzoni, projects came to life from reality: every event is subject to design analysis, and the practice of provocation is always pushing for the comparison, reflection, and formation of a critical sense. Education, like all other forms of social communication, was essential for Fronzoni. He felt it necessary to pass on the knowledge he had accumulated through years of practice. Fronzoni's workshop "trained and directed students towards the art of continual research and turning that research into the essence of life, nature and the form around them".
"My ambition is not to design a poster, it's designing men."
Fronzoni believed in the ability to transform the world through design and design through culture. He did not hesitate to fight for the sense of form, even to defending a tiny typeface. The small historic influence in Italy of the Bauhaus made him maintain an attitude of critical and uncompromising standing of what is conventional, formal and conformist, which is reflected in its particular way of life transgression, a transgression absolutely "governed rather than disobedient". Fronzoni claimed that he was not aiming to satisfy the needs of the clients, but rather to do away with them. Fronzoni believed that the art of design should not be kept to the professionals but be as "widespread as writing". He believed his only client was the community and in turn became a designer for the people.
Fronzoni considers black and white as the colors representative of the design of man, an expression of opposition and reflection, while the color belongs to the natural world and is so alien, but not as an alternative to the work of man. Fronzoni's many projects reflect his ideals towards black and white: the rigor of the contrast of white and black, provides a sense of conceptual purity as well as the tones of minimalism. The poster is the space of freedom of thought, without limits or rules, essentially a sandbox. The typefaces are for Fronzoni the "grammar" of graphic design: small if you have to emphasize the space of reading if you are thinking are large, cut, scored, manipulated.
Casabella: During the mid-sixties, Fronzoni and Alessandro Mendini were responsible for the visual language and layout of one of the most important magazines on architecture: Casabella. Fronzoni's approach as art director shaped its style and content. The issues published between 1965 and 1967, under his direction can be considered a radical reinterpretation of the already established Swiss style. Each cover featured a tiny masthead accompanied by one picture printed in a single colour. The arrangement of the image gave a preview of the grid Fronzoni used for the pages inside. The upper quarter of the page was reserved for headlines. The rest of the page was based on an asymmetric layout with text starting on the left column and pictures spreading alongside over two columns. The whole magazine was typeset in Helvetica. After two years of successful collaboration, when the editor Gian Antonio Bernasconi asked Fronzoni to redesign the magazine he resigned.
Many of Fronzoni's works are part of permanent collections: the Bibliothèque Nationale and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, in Kunstgewerbe Museum in Zurich, in the Musée Cantonal des beaux-arts de Lausanne, in Deutsches Bucherei Leipzig, Deutsches Plakat Museum in Essen, in the Muzeum Narodowe Warsaw, in Morovska Galerie in Brno, in the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto.
© 2018. All images are copyrighted © by AG Fronzoni or assignee. The use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission is obtained.
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| AG Fronzoni |
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| 1979, Posters on the streets of Genoa |
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| 1957, Orma Mark |
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| 1960, Ritorna la pelota allo sferisterio milano. Poster |
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| 1963, Moreschi Mark |
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| 1964, Linea camminata Moreschi Advertisement |
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| 1964, Rapporto Sulla Provincia di Milano Poster |
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| 1964, Furniture series |
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| 1965, Nizzoli Associati Mark |
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| 1966, Fontana Poster |
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| 1967, Museo Sperimentale d’Arte Contemporanea Poster |
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| 1967, Situation Mailand Poster |
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| 1968, Ommagio a Luc Peire Mauro Reggiani Gianfranco Zappettini Poster |
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| 1968, Sonia Delaunay Poster |
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| 1969, 0a mostra internazionale d’arte cinematografica, la Biennale di Venezia Poster |
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| 1969, Istituto Statale d’Arte Poster |
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| 1969, La Biennale di Venezia Poster |
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| 1969, Tino Stafanoni Poster |
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| 1970, Fiora Pirri- La città indefinita. centro Apollinaire, Milano. Poster |
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| 1970, Mirco Ravanne Poster |
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| 1970, Rotonda della Besana Poster |
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| 1970, Series 70 Armchair |
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| 1971, Tool ricerche interlinguistiche. Pavia Poster |
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| 1972, Arteper Logo for an art reproduction company |
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| 1972, Aurora Logo for furniture company |
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| 1972, Le Canne Logo for hotel company |
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| 1976, Angelo Giuseppe Bertolio Poster |
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| 1979, A. Gramsci Poster |
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| 1979, Arte e scienza Poster |
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| 1979, Il Segno Urbano Mark |
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| 1979, Liberi vettori di cultura Genova |
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| 1979, Mobilitazione della cultura Poster |
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| 1979, Musei d’arte contemporanea in Europa Poster |
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| 1979, Tempo 3. Omaggio a Rocco Borella Poster |
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| 1979, Tendenze dell'Arte Jugoslava d'Oggi Poster |
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| 1979, “AG Fronzoni, I Manifesti di Michele Spera Poster |
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| 1980, Department of Culture, Genova City Council poster |
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| 1980, Fotographia Poster |
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| 1980, Il Gergo Inquieto Poster |
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| 1980, Il Giuoco é Fatto Poster |
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| 1980, Scrittura visuale a Genova Poster |
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| 1981, Aspetti dell'informale in Liguria Poster |
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| 1981, Lavori in Corso, Galleria d'Arte Moderna, Bologna Poster |
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| 1981, Studio di architettura School of design, Genova, Italy |
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| 1981, Wols fotografo Exhibit design |
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| 1982, La biblioteca nella scuola Poster |
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| 1983, Accordo Cluster of advertising agencies |
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| 1983, Banca populare dell'Emilia Logo for the popular bank of Emilia |
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| 1987, Filmalpha & associati Letterhead and business card |
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| 1989, Marchio progetti Proposte per il Credito industriale Sardo Triennale di Milano Poster |
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| 1990, Studio Lobo Logo for an advertising & communication agency |
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| 1991, Il Moderno d'Autore Poster |
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| 1994, Ocio Aiap Poster |
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| 1995, La culture comme liberté (Observatory of the prisons) |
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| 1995, Ora! Structure of services of Democratia in Milano Logo |
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| 1995, Superficie anomala Cultural association in Milano Logo |
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| 1997, Un luogo Roberta Orio fotografia Poster |
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| 2001, Poster for personal exhibition |
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| Magazzini alla posta Advertising |
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| Studio Lobo Business card |
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