“I want my work to feel human”: In conversation with designer Juan Miguel Marin

Image courtesy of Juan Miguel Marin

Juan Miguel Marin’s extended remit of graphic design, better known as La Moutique, includes film posters, film titles and opening sequences, album art, book covers and cultural organization branding. Simplicity is what usually lies at the heart of his work and is key to the power of image used for his film poster designs. But it is a simplicity, and sincerity, that denotes the work of someone with a refined understanding of what the film is about and what the filmmaker is trying to say. It is a simplicity that also has a certain ambiguity that challenges the viewer. It makes you think. It’s feelings, just as much as skill, that push Juan Miguel Marin’s perceptions of a film to a visible form always appropriate to both the visual and emotional loads the film carries, always true to the film’s content and to its intent: His poster design for 52”, directed by Javier Andrade, presents us the story of a natural disaster through the prism of childhood, connecting the outer world to the inner world of the story in the most emotional and expressive way. In my interview with the artist for Beneficial Shock! magazine, we talk about his formative years in Ecuador, about navigating the very thin line between art and design, and about how everything started with… music.

Poster design by La Moutique for “El otro Tom”, directed by Rodrigo Plá and Laura Santullo”

I would like to start by asking you: What is your first drawing memory, Juan Miguel?

Memory must be the most powerful faculty of us humans. It is certainly the one that I gravitate to the most when I need to express myself. But my first memory of drawing is a bit fuzzy. I do appreciate this question though, as I have spent too many days, trying to access that particular memory without much luck. Is it possible that someone told me that I wasn’t good at drawing at some point growing up, and that’s why I’ve blocked some of those early memories connected to art making? Very possible… So my final answer is: No actual memories of drawing (formally), but I do remember family vacations on the coast of Ecuador, and finding a strong connection with making marks in the sand, whether it was with an object like a stick, a coconut, or with my body.

”I find my best and most honest work happening
at the intersection of hand-made, materiality, and playful
experimentation. Embracing accidents, and discovering
unorthodox techniques is where I find a lot of joy.”

That certainly counts as a first drawing memory. What did you prefer as a child, visual or written stories?

I’ve always been more drawn to stories that included some kind of visual component. And to be totally transparent, I still have a hard time sustaining focus with reading, unless it is a subject I am emotionally invested in. I’ve missed my stop on the train many times for that reason.

Process shot and film poster for Javier Andrade’s documentary 52”

Could you define the philosophy or approach of your work?

The short answer would be that I want my work to feel human.

And if I have to elaborate on that, I would say that over the years – and because I have a very personal art practice being nurtured in tandem with the work that I produce and publish under the moniker La Moutique – I’ve learned that my most honest, and perhaps my most celebrated works, have been those projects made by working away from the computer as much as possible. In my world, that means experimenting with elements and materiality that is intrinsically connected to the stories I’m designing for, both in fiction or in documentary.

It is important for me to create long-term relationships with the directors I choose to work with, and, for that, I want to create a level of trust that goes beyond connecting once the film is finished and ready for a “poster or titles”. My ideal project starts with directors sharing versions of their scripts with me –before the film is shot– as this opens a wealth of avenues to explore. Not to mention the possibility for me to make sure that they take their time to properly photograph and capture very specific objects, textures, characters, etc… while they are on set. A lot of directors/productions miss this opportunity.

And, of course, watching the actual films is critical. I am crafting a method in which I do a first pass of the film as if I were an audience member trying to absorb the film and not thinking that I have to work on it. Then, I do a second pass where I take meticulous notes about both obvious and completely obscure aspects of the film. Perhaps my discerning sensibility is what makes my work appealing to some people.

You can read the full interview here.

”It is important for me to create long-term relationships
with the directors I choose to work with, and, for that,
I want to create a level of trust that goes beyond connecting
once the film is finished and ready for a “poster or titles”.

Tribeca Film Festival Identity

”I wasn’t an art kid at all. Growing up in Ecuador,
I was very much into sports. Knowing what I know now about
myself, it was the performative aspect of sports that kept me engaged.”

”My dad ran a small movie rental store. The ‘be kind and rewind’ type. So movies, movie posters and covers were very much part of my environment as a kid.” Image: Juan Miguel and his brother in their father’s movie rental shop.
Photo published with permission.