The ‘Gráfico Amador’(‘Amateur Graphic’) was founded in May 1954 by a group of creative intellectuals formed by Aloísio Magalhães, Gastão de Holanda, José Laurênio de Melo and Orlando da Costa Ferreira, with the purpose of publishing short literary texts, mainly poetry, in limited homemade runs.
It was an experimental graphic arts workshop that began with an ancient manual press and an old typeface, bought by its founders for the sum of ten thousand ‘cruzeiros’.
It operated from 415 Amélia St, in the Espinheiro neighbourhood in Recife, and to keep it running counted on the collaboration of members (reaching a total of 57), including artists and Pernambuco intellectuals, who contributed a monthly sum and received some books each year.
It was also sponsored by Le Corbusier Graphique, from Paris, and London’s Curwen Press.
Its editions showed a heightened artistic concern regarding the choice of typeface, use of white spaces, its composition and presentation.
In 1959, its publications were presented in an exhibition held at the National Library in Rio de Janeiro.
It closed its activities in 1961, when its four founders moved from Recife to Rio de Janeiro.
Gráfico Amador Editions
As conversações noturnas: poemas (The Nocturnal Conversations: Poems), José Laurênio de Melo, 1954 (100 numbered copies).
Ode, Ariano Suassuna, 1955 (25 copies).
Macaco Branco: fortuna e penadeste personagem no reino do futebol (White Monkey: The Fortune and Shame of This Character in the Realm of Football), Gastão de Holanda (100 copies).
O Gráfico Amador. Noticiário n.1.(The Amateur Graphic, Bulletin no. 1) Linoleum cutting by Aloísio Magalhães, 1955
Memórias do BoiSerapião (Memories of the Bull Serapião), Carlos Pena Filho, 1955 (140 numbered and signed copies).
Pregão turístico do Recife (Touristic Auction of Recife), João Cabral de MeloNeto, 1955 (20 copies).
Mãe da Lua (Mother of the Moon), José de Moraes Pinho. Puppet show. Music by Capiba, 1956 (150 numbered and signed copies).
A tecelã (The Weaver), Mauro Mota, 1956 (120 numbered and signed copies).
Ciclo (Cycle), Carlos Drummond de Andrade, 1957 (96 numbered and signed copies)
Rumeur& Vision 1 (Rumour and Vision 1). 12 poems by Baudelaire, Mallarmé, Verlaine, Rimbaud, 1957 (200 numbered copies).
Vários poemas vários (Various Varied Poems), João Cabral de Melo Neto. One original copy, unedited, 1957.
Cadernos de Arte doNordeste: Capela de Nossa Senhora da Conceição da Jaqueira (North-eastern Art Notebooks: Our Lady of the Conception of Jaqueira Chapel).For the friends of D.P.A.N., 1957.
Improvisação gráfica (experiências tipográficas) (Graphical Improvisation [Typographical Experiences]), Aloísio Magalhães, 1958 (70 numbered and signed copies).
Mundo guardado (Guarded World), Luiz Delgado, 1958 (200 numbered and signed copies).
História de um Tatuetê (The Story of a Tatuetê), Hermilo Borba Filho, 1958.
AnikiBobó, João Cabral de MeloNeto, 1958 (30 numbered and signed copies).
Cadernos de Arte doNordeste: Azulejos holandeses no Convento de Santo Antônio do Recife (North-eastern Art Notebooks: Dutch Tiles in Recife’s St Anthony Convent).For the friends of I.P.H.A.N., 1959.
Dez sonetos sem matéria (Ten Sonnets without Substance), SebastiãoUchoaLeite, 1960 (250 numbered and signed copies).
Gesta e outros poemas (Saga and Other Poems), Jorge Wanderley, 1960 (200 numbered and signed copies).
A rosajacente (The Recumbent Rose), Geraldo Valença, 1960. Printed at Recife’s Gráfica Editora(Graphic Press) for the Gráfico Amador. (300 numbered and signed copies).
Recife-Olinda, Eugênia Miller Brajnikov. Album with ten lithographies, 1960 (120 numbered and signed copies).
Romance de Dom Beltrão (The Romance of Dom Betrão), LéliaCoêlhoFrota. Composed, printed and illustrated by hand, 1960 (30 numbered and signed copies).
O burro de ouro (The Golden Ass), Gastão de Holanda, 1960 (Editora Igarassu [Igarassu Press], 2.400 copies).
Dois poemas incidentes(Two Incidental Poems) , Orlando da Costa Ferreira, 1961 (140 copies numbered and signed with vignettes by the
Heredianos: sonetos traduzidos (‘Heredianos’: Translated Sonnets), Severino Montenegro, 1961 (printed by Recife’s Gráfica Editora for the Gráfico Amador).
O Gráfico Amador n. 2 (The Amateur Graphic no. 2), 1961.
Arte pernambucana 1: Francisco Brennand (Pernambuco Art 1: Francisco Brennand). Text by Flávio Motaand 10 screen prints and ceramic panels), 1961 (800 copies printed for DECA).
Elegias (Elegies), Ovid. Translation, project and illustrations by Gastão de Holanda, 1961 (70 copies).
Recife, 29 november 2005.
(Updated on 14 september 2009).
Translated by Peter Leamy, February 2012.
sources consulted
O GRÁFICO Amador. Suplemento Cultural D.O. PE, Recife, Ed. especial, p. 9, jun. 1997.
HOUAISS, Antônio. O Gráfico Amador. Disponível em: .Acesso em: 27 ago. 2003
how to quote this text
Fonte: GASPAR, Lúcia. The Gráfico Amador (Amateur Graphic). Pesquisa Escolar Online, Fundação Joaquim Nabuco, Recife. Disponível em: <http://basilio.fundaj.gov.br/pesquisaescolar/>. Acesso em: dia mês ano. Ex: 6 ago. 2009.