Redesigning George Orwell: a conversation with Máquina Estúdio

BARBARA MASTROBUONO: Recently, Máquina Estúdio created the graphic design for two seminal works of the 20th century, 1984 (1949) and Animal Farm (1945), both by George Orwell, published in Brazil by Companhia das Letras. Orwell presents us with scenarios of omniscient and oppressive structures of power in different scales, and with uprisings — successful or not — led against them. Although they were written around the Second World War, we can draw several parallels with the crises of power and information that we are experiencing in the 21st century. What was it like to think of a graphic design for both titles taking into account our current situation?

ME: Many publishers were preparing to launch editions — with varied approaches — of the author’s works. Retainer of the rights to Orwell’s titles for the last decades, Companhia das Letras publishing house called on Máquina Estúdio to think about a project that would think of these two main publications in light of our current reality. In addition to being a new edition of the works, the two publications have a commemorative character: in 2019, 1984 celebrated seventy years of launch and, in 2020, Animal Farm celebrated 75 years.

In the initial briefing they were proposing an edition with several supporting texts that encompassed the reception of the titles through each decade. This led us to ask ourselves what would be a possible commentary to me made on the current Brazilian situation. We ended up opting for a visual commentary: each edition is opened with a visual essay signed by two Brazilian artists — Regina Silveira and Vânia Mignone.

BM: Although the denunciation of totalitarianism presented in both titles is adopted around the world as a hymn against oppression, each country and continent has particularities of the oppressive regimes they have had to face. What was it like to think of a project that brings the themes worked by Orwell closer to the Latin American context, situated within the memories of our own military dictatorship?

ME: During the design of the project, we realized that 1984 was the main project for establishing this connection. The choice of this series of works by Regina Silveira is based on this decision. In them, the oppression of state and corporate power is explicit. We also understand that the works narrate, above all, oppression as a force of human nature, regardless of regional political contexts. In this sense, it was very important to emphasize a universal virtue of the narrative. We are interested in talking about us as a whole. That is why the cover timeline — and the critical fortune itself — establish connections to the outside, to the production of other countries, thus building a multifaceted vision of the works.

BM: Finally, did you already like the books before starting their graphic design projects?

FELIPE: My first contact with Orwell was at school. I read the classic Companhia das Letras editions of 1984 and Animal Farm. I have an affective memory with the publications, they were a gateway to a whole new literary segment. It was revealing to reread the author after so long, I was even more impressed by the power of these stories.

KIKO: I had already read both books and enjoyed reading them at that time. I didn’t reread 1984 because I remembered the essentials. I reread Animal Farm to be able to talk to Vânia, but it was not fundamental because she understood straight what was at stake.