Well, now, as we said, we will have a little more of that tasty salad that is Art and Revolution ... Another quantum leap and we land in Brazil ...

The Pixaçao

The Pixaçao was born in Brazil. It arises in the context of São Paulo, monstrous megalopolis, indiscriminately crowded with buildings and mostly industrial, therefore with high levels of social inequality. The Pixadores feel the need to get attention and connect individually in a cold city marked by the alienation and dehumanization of its inhabitants.

This social-revolutionary movement rises in the 80s, but 20 before, in 1964, there were already some painted walls expressing the discontent of the Brazilian society. A society repressed by the military dictatorship established by the coup against President João Goulart and it would last until the election of Tancredo Neves in 1985.

Well, The Pixação is considered as a form of Graffitti and is distinguished from it by several special features; It is performed generally clandestinely by the most marginalized and poor in society, aesthetics takes second place. The illegality, method, and risk prevail over the artistic dimension. The vast majority of the drawings are done climbing the highest and most inaccessible places, without using any external element, sometimes forming a human ladder. These images have become a familiar feature of the São Paulo´s skyline.

His typography uses straight and angular characters and mostly vertical, reminiscent of the ancient Germanic and Scandinavian Runes. Although its structure is based on the Brazilian-Portuguese alphabet, they have developed and stylized them to such an extent that for a common person whom is not familiar with the Pixos (writing on the walls) are impossible to read. Paradoxically some children from the streets don´t read Portuguese, but they know very well how to decrypt them.

The Pixaçao, is highly polarized. Even within the art world, has its defenders and detractors and has inspired urban Brazilian artists such as Os Gêmeos and “Nunca” (Never) Francisco Rodrigues da Silva. The pixadores have even intervened murals painted on the city of São Paulo, in protest against the official art. This can be understood as an attack on the aesthetic standards of the upper classes. It appears in the city as a symptom of serious social problems, this way the Pixadores searching to be noticed, demand the attention of a world that systematically have excluded them.

Now let's take a look at the famous and semi- devoured urban mural art called ...

It is a term borrowed from the Italian. Graffiti, more or less comes from the Italian verb "Graffiare" meaning to scratch and it is applied as "Scripture scratched on a wall." All this is archaeologist Raffaele Garrucci´s guilt. He divulge the term in the mid 1800s, referring to the markings on the walls made by the Romans.

Well this art born in New York is our next snack, I will not talk too much about it because it is an artistic and social manifestation widely known in all cultural sectors.

Origins and brief history

At the late sixties teenagers in the city of New York began to write their names on the walls of their neighborhoods using pseudonyms, it was a way to create an identity in the street and so communicate with their friends or their enemies.

The first one perhaps, was Demetrius “Taki” a teen of Greek origin, he lived on street 183 in the Bronx, hence its signature "Taki 183". He worked as a messenger and traveled constantly on the subway from one side to another of the city, on the way he signed his "tag" everywhere in the subway cars, He never considered he was doing something bad, in fact in an interview he said: " It's just something I have to do, I work, pay my taxes and I don´t hurt anyone. " These statements made him a hero and role model to hundreds of teenagers that began to follow him.

This form of expression was taken fiery by young people that besides been alienated from society, came from an oppressive family and social system, from post-world war II, Vietnam, Etc. which generate almost all counterculture, reactionary and revolutionary movements of the 60 ' s and 70's. Social discontent was manifested on the walls. They claim and demand in a different way. This expression is transformed, little by little into this Revolutionary Art form with its own identity.

Well, in the late 70's this movement becomes stronger by incorporating images, which were at first, characters of popular iconography, like comics or cartoons. From there emerge the "Masterpieces" that greatly increase their size and complexity highlighting the "Great Masters" from the beginners.

Among the entire constellation of Graffitti artists, without any downgrading, I want to mention Banksy, a British artist that remains anonymous. Banksy, with an exceptional and out of standard creativity condemns the flaws and shortcomings of the established order. His art touches the fibers of contemporary society, corrupt abusive and vain. An image speaks a thousand words, I leave you with this link, judge for yourselves;

http://www.banksy.co.uk/outdoors/index1.html

Graffitti in San Miguel

A few months ago at the colonia Guadalupe took place an event called Blank Walls. There were summoned many "Graffiti" from various places, even abroad. Many walls were painted with the permission of the owners. It was supported from a large segment of the San Miguel artistic community and the municipality.

In the cafeteria of “El Sindicato”, soon, will the "Graffiti" artist have a space to express their art, in a temporary way, there will always be room for new murals and new artists. The murals will be changed periodically, so this alternative cultural space will be a forum of expression for the San Miguel youth.

All of these are clear signs that this Revolutionary Art form is, (As has always happened and will happen), being digested by the established order. Not that I am for or against, but that is part of the "normal" development of the revolutionary process. The culture appropriates and deactivates them as a counterculture movement, becoming part of its cultural heritage. But this shocking and fascinating subject will be treated in the following article.

To know more on this subjects:
François Chastanet : Pixação São Paulo Signature. Ediciones XG Press, 2007
Graffiti World: Street Art from Five Continents. Nicholas Ganz, 2004
Graffitti: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X44TtMayotM
Pixação: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-lDyq6pw0E

I'm open to criticism. Feedback, suggestions and / or comments are welcome at: José Luis Mendoza Aubert alephamour@hotmail.com.
Until next time.