Javier Mariscal

Visual artist and designer, the Spanish Javier Mariscal (1950-) recalls in all his works a light-hearted and cartoonish style, without fear of flowing into the camp, characteristic of the sparkling cultural climate of post-Franco Spain in which one could finally indulge in the subversion of every rule. It was the Spain of Almodovar's films and the nascent movida, where Mariscal took his first steps as an author of underground comics. His first piece of furniture, the Duplex stool (later reproposed by BD Barcelona Design), was born in 1980 and will be followed first by participation in exhibitions of the Memphis group and then by collaborations with Italian companies – such as Moroso, Magis and Nemo – or Spanish, such as Vondom and Andreu World. However, most of his activity is concentrated in the field of graphics and visual arts: for example, Mariscal was the author of Cobi, the mascot of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.