On graphic memory as a strategy for design history

Abstract

The expression 'memria grfica' (literally, 'graphic memory') has been used in Portuguese and Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, more and more frequently, in the last years, in order to refer to a line of studies that intends to review the significance and value of visual artifacts, and in particular of printed ephemera, in the establishment of a sense of local identity through design. This paper intends to review the contexts in which this expression has been used within the field of research on visual artifacts in Latin America, and to discuss the relationships between the concept of 'graphic memory' and those of 'print culture,' 'visual culture,' and 'material culture,' setting up a proposal of how it can be applied as an approach to the history of graphic design in non-hegemonic countries. visual design, design history methods,