Alain Le Quernek Analysis

Alain Le Quernec’s Persian Cry
Majid Abbasi*
* IGDS and AGI Member and Neshan Magazine’s editor-in-chief
‘Un Cri Persan,’ which has a double meaning in French, was the name of the exhibition held for the first time in 2002 by Alain Le Quernec in the University of Grenoble, Échirolles displaying the works of 15 Iranian graphic designers belonging to three generations, although the number of works and participant designers increased each time. Le Quernec has undoubtedly played the most prominent role in introducing Iranian graphic design to the modern-day world. Having travelled several times to Iran, he is au courant with the country, its designers, graphic designers, and Iranian culture more than many others. As he notes in the introduction
Hence, it is hardly surprising that Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI) has accepted four Iranian members in two years and that this year (2003) the names of three Iranian graphic designers appears in the book that will soon be published about the world’s promising graphic designers. Yes, Iranian graphic design is transforming. Yes, it is an original graphic design and I am proud to be the first person to introduce it in France.’ He also writes in the introduction of Geneva exhibition’s catalogue: ‘Iranian graphic design’s originality is due to the fact that it utilizes contemporary research principles in addition to maintaining profound Iranian culture. In other Islamic countries, there is no such artistic initiative that could be compared with Iranian graphic design. Iranian graphic design is an exception. This exhibition aims to help you discover this
His posters get straight to the point in a clear and simple manner, they reveal the unseen, and share their message with the audience without any intermediation and, of course, with some kind of delicacy in writing. Le Quernec has received important awards from the most credible international competitions for designing posters during the past two decades. His method and attitude in designing posters is completely personal and stems from his view towards his surroundings. He has nothing to do with the stereotypical concepts and assesses all the existing facilities for communicating with his audience through examining different meanings of ‘words.’ However, it can be concluded that his method is a combination of the instructions of the legendary Polish designer, Henryk Tomaszewski, with a critical tone protesting against the disorders to which a delicate, humorous French flavor is added. The primary idea of the poster of “Un Cri Persan” exhibition was drawn from the combination of a wild flower and the calligraphic form of the word ‘design.’ The poster of the last exhibition in Geneva was also inspired by the same idea, although with a totally different approach. He had photographed the wild flower in the foot of a hill beside a graveyard near Tehran –where Morteza Momayez is now entombed. With a delicate and intelligent allusion, these posters reveal his idea on discovering Iranian graphic design; this wild