Discussing the pillars of the Brazilian Tropicália Movement: The graphic design of Rogério Duarte

Abstract

This article addresses the Tropicalist movement, the iconic Brazilian countercultural phenomenon from the late 1960s. The discussion focuses on its main visual manifestation: graphic design. We aim to demonstrate that the work of graphic designer Rogério Duarte is one of the structural pillars of this anti-establishment movement. Tropicália is often associated with music, while other contributions such as graphic design are less known or taken as a later visual response. We propose and present an analysis of the role of Duarte at the creation of the movement and its development during the late 1960s and early 1970s. His critical vision and knowledge of the Brazilian cultural mosaic led to the construction of one of widest countercultural movements of the 20th century, with a range of manifestations that included not only graphic design and music, but also theatre, cinema, and the visual arts. Tropicália was indeed more political than the American and British psychedelic manifestations, in which it was visually inspired. It was also more than a cultural movement or an anti-academic manifestation: it was a means to criticize and work around the Brazilian government and its oppression.