Activist Graphic Memory: the role of typography in feminist posters of resistance to the Dictatorship in Brazil (1970-1985)

• Grant number: 24/09207-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: December 01, 2024
• End date: August 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Industrial Design - Visual Programming
• Principal Investigator: Fernanda Henriques
• Grantee: Julia Navarro Lopes
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Arquitetura, Artes, Comunicação e Design (FAAC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Bauru. Bauru , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The second half of the 20th century was marked by strong conflicts around the world, giving rise to a set of popular demands for the end of dictatorial regimes and wars, and for the defense of freedoms and democracy. One of the social groups that took the lead in the struggle was women, challenging the authoritarianism and sexism of both the organizations to which they belonged and the state. Amidst these demonstrations, the production of graphic materials such as posters was used to share denunciations of rights violations and as a form of political propaganda. During the initial stages of this research, well-established studies on graphic design and its historical importance were found; however, a more specific approach focused on typographic issues and how they are organized in this context was lacking. Thus, the research proposes a typographic analysis of feminist posters from the period of Military Dictatorship in Brazil. The aim is to observe the lettering styles used in the posters, their differences and similarities, and from this, analyze whether there was a typographic identity specific to the women's resistance movement in the country. To achieve this, a bibliographic and exploratory study, as well as a typographic analysis based on Peircean semiotics, are proposed. The research seeks to contribute to increasing studies on the expressive potential of typography and to maintain the graphic memory of a time that left many marks and scars in history.