Terra Preta

Terra Preta

This is my first case from my new concept series, where I base a fictional brand on books that I’ve read and enjoyed. The point is not for me to explain, or write a review of the books, although I will make some smaller descriptons of the plot, to explain my artistic approach and considerations in regards to the developed concept and brand.

This brand is based on the book ‘America Before: The Key to Earth’s Lost Civilization’ – in wich the author Graham Hancock’s research, takes you on a journey from the Mississippi Valley to the Amazon rainforest and much more, in search for a lost civilization.

My favourite part in this book is without a doubt the discoveries and research done in the Amazon rainforest, which is now believed to has been home to a thriving, ancient civilization with an estimated population of 1 million people or so. Giant mounds and geometric geoglyphs keeps getting discovered as a consequence of the saddening wipe outs and devastating fires of ‘the lungs of the planet’. The biggest realization in my view though, is the manmade ‘TERRA PRETA’ – Black soil in portuguese – a mixture of charcoal, bone, broken pottery, compost and manure, that made agriculture possible for the ancient people, in the otherwise low fertility Amazonian soil.

How crazy is that? I just can’t wrap my head around, what a impossible and ungrateful process it has been to construct this phenomena – A task that todays scientist haven’t been able to replicate, even with todays technology in hand.

So to show my admiration, I have made these branding elements in honour of the forgotten civilization and their amazing efforts deep inside the giant amazonian jungle. My design direction is inspired by their appreciation for plants, praise of geometry and deep knowledge of astrology. I salute you, ancient and current tribes of amazonian.