Entre rasgos e costuras: materialidade, design e cultura nas capas de Moema Cavalcanti

Abstract

This research focuses on the work of Pernambuco-based designer Moema Cavalcanti (1942–), whose career stands out for her impressive production of book covers in the Brazilian publishing industry, totaling more than 1,800 copies. Although her creations reveal traces associated with the mechanization of graphic processes, there is a noticeable presence of elements that value the revival of manual skills. The objective of this thesis is to investigate the graphic strategies used by Moema Cavalcanti to incorporate a more artisanal approach into her compositions. The research begins with an analysis of her family background, highlighting references that influenced her professional practice, such as her relationship with sewing and theater, her contact with the Recife printing and publishing company O Gráfico Amador and her access to international magazines behind the scenes at Editora Abril. The methodology adopted consists of analyzing 10 covers produced by Moema Cavalcanti for different publishers – Companhia das Letras, SENAC, and UNESP – between 1987 and 2006. The selection of examples was carried out through procedures as cataloging the covers, based on the contributions of Mauad (2005) and Ardinghi (2018), in addition to the creation of a comparative moodboard. During the analytical process, a morphological matrix was applied in addition to profiling, inspired by Passos (2018) studies. Interviews were conducted with three key individuals who had direct contact with Moema Cavalcanti: Raquel Matsushita (designer and friend), Silvia Massaro (partner in her editorial design office), and Aventino Alves (her husband). The theoretical basis for the analysis of the covers was based mainly on the contributions of Andrew Haslam (2007) and Stephen Coles (2012). Based on the observations made, it was possible to identify that Moema Cavalcanti's authorial mark is manifested in the recurring incorporation of elements that reinforce the artisanal dimension of creative work, valuing the metalanguage and the material character of the book.