by: Scott Goodson
Rio de Janeiro is the most spectacular city in the world against any criteria. Mine include "views" (Rio scores 100%), "Music" (again Rio gets the highest marks), “Beaches” (Impenema and Copacabana!). And “Beautiful women” (ok, ok it's a little chauvinistic but true none-the-less!), again Rio gets full marks. But something else is incredible about Rio, and it’s something you may least expect – graffiti.
Brazil is bursting with creativity. The streets of it's citires are the galleries. Old busted brick walls, crumbling masonry eaten away by sea air, and mightily rusted steel structures along the roads of Rio are all deliciously handcrafted by the art maestros of the street.
Incredible. Brilliant. Wow. Unlike anything I've ever seen before. East Berlin and Istanbul may come close, but nothing compares to this level of creative artistic quality.
Breath-taking color. Graffiti of the future, new graffiti that makes the city look young. Graffiti that makes the city look MORE beautiful instead of ugly, and makes a statement at the same time in that Latin American street movement kind of way.
This is the kind of stuff that makes Keith Haring's work look more like old Steamboat Willie in comparison.
Check out but a few photo-grabs below that I took this week on my walk about. The city legally allows artists to paint decrepit walls, such as the city's huge Jockey Club compound that takes up an incredible amount of space near the Lagoon and the Botanical Gardens. Well done Rio's City council, I salute your bold move to support culture and Brazilian youth culture. Your city is that much more amazing for it.
Original Post: http://scottgoodson.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/01/street-grafitti.html
nice. but too much rio hyped nice stuff. its nice place but not that nice. nothing is that nice. earth calling. just keep the stories on the ground and perhaps it reflects the reality.. which is not nice in rio.
Very nice article and really cool artwork!
Just one remark: the famous beach is named ''Ipanema''...
All the best!