The Finest Art

Paulo Rama is presented a double challenge.
Not only does he belong to a lower middle class family,
but he is also black. He represents a culture that is
stigmatized and denigrated in mainstream art.

Jean Pinner

Last summer I had the opportunity of traveling throughout the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. The last two weeks of my trip were spent in the capital city of Recife. Having already been to Recife several times, I strived this time to discover interesting places that I had never seen previously. Some of the fascinating places that I visited for the first time include the Casa de Gilberto Freyre, the Museu do Homen do Nordeste, and the Museu da Abolição. There are two other places which impressed me the most while I was in Recife. Although these places are quite different, they both have in common the expression of art. The first belongs to one of Brazil's most renowned artists, and the second is home to some of Recife's most talented, yet undiscovered artists.

This article examines both these places, the Oficina Cerâmica de Francisco Brennand and the Mercado Pop, and juxtaposes elitist and popular art in Brazil. To make an insightful comparison I enlisted the help of a gifted Afro-Brazilian artist by the name of Paulo Rama, whom I interviewed for this report. On the 26th of July I visited the Oficina de Brennand.

Francisco Brennand is one of Brazil's most accomplished ceramic artists. However, the Brennand’s have not always been a prestigious family. Brennand’s forth grandfather immigrated from Manchester, England to Brazil in 1823, to work as an associate in English companies. Intermarriage between generations of Brennands and Brazilian women, resulted in the transference of accumulated patrimonies. In fact, Brennand’s father inherited an estate and an immense wealth from a “spinster aunt.” Later Brennand Senior used this wealth to invest in the founding of a brickworks in 1917. The business remained operational until 1945.

In the same year that the brickworks closed, Francisco Brennand traveled abroad to study art in Europe. Francisco spent approximately three years traveling and studying throughout France, Italy, and Switzerland. Upon returning to Recife in 1953, he set about restoring his father's property, which had been abandoned. He also began a colossal project of creating a permanent exhibition of his own ceramic sculptures. Some 25 years of compulsive labor bore fruit to what stands today, a tile factory and a gallery containing a collection of approximately 2,000 Brennand sculptures.

Francisco Brennand has been called the "Dream Master." Indeed, a trip from downtown Recife to the gallery of Francisco Brennand is a surreal journey into another world. The gallery is divided into outdoor and indoor sections. The former contains a long pathway bordered by a Romanesque arcade, which leads into a courtyard of sculptures. Towards the end of this area there is a temple like structure with a domed ceiling.

Along the perimeter of the courtyard there are walls adorned with quotations from personages such as Ariano Suassuna and Ludwig Wittgenstein. The indoor gallery is just as impressive and illusive in description. It is aligned neatly with rows of sculptures placed upon white pedestals. Each piece in the gallery of Brennand shows a remarkable uniqueness. From reptiles in mid-birth crashing out of egg shells, to sensual poses of round buttocks, to busts of heroic figures; each sculpture captures the imagination.

Three days after visiting the Oficina de Brennand, I encountered the incredible work of another artist in Recife, Paulo Rama. I met Paulo on a Sunday evening at a place called the Mercado Pop. It is located directly adjacent to Marco Zero in Recife Antigo. According to history, Marco Zero marks the exact location where Recife was founded around 1548. Coincidentally, an enormous sculpture by Francisco Brennand illuminates the night sky on a reef across from the Marco Zero. On the evening that I went to the Mercado Pop there was a commotion of people selling a wide variety of clothing, jewelry, and other goods.

Initially, nothing in the marketplace perked my attention. Then later I went onto the second floor and saw a young man with several T-shirts for sale. Each shirt was painted with life-sized portraits of Afro-Brazilian figures. I was immediately astonished by the work of the artist. I have never seen similar art displayed on a shirt. Instantly, I had a desire to buy one. But which one? They were all so beautiful. I spent a long time studying the details of each painting before purchasing one. When I paid for my shirt, the artist gave me his business card. Before leaving I asked if I could take a picture of him together with his art. Afterwards, I thanked him and continued on my way.

After leaving the Mercado Pop, I accompanied a friend to the Alto da Serra in Olinda. The tapioca made there is famous, and rightfully so. It's delicious! When I arrived home later that night, I took out the T-shirt I had bought earlier and began to look at it curiously. For a long time I sat on the edge of my bed and studied the figure. The colors were so brilliant that the face appeared alive. The man looked like he wanted to whisper a deep secret into my ear. I was mesmerized by the figure and wanted to learn more about the painting. It was already 11:30 at night, but I decided to give the artist a call. Paulo Rama seemed excited about my interest. Later I learned that I had been the first to call and inquire about his work.

I was mainly curious about the technical aspects of his artwork. Paulo explained to me how he makes his T-shirts. According to Paulo, the process is quite simple. After sketching an outline of the figure he wants to produce, he applies a type of acrylic base. Once this is done he begins to paint on the T-shirt, as if he were working with a canvas. Paulo could not really state how long he spends on the average shirt, because each work he does involves a unique idea and demands a different amount of time. However, he estimated that he spent about forty minutes on the last shirt he painted. His estimate of time amazed me, because it looks like hours of work are involved in producing all of his pieces. Paulo and I talked for about twenty minutes. During our conversation I remarked about how impressed I was with all the handicrafts I had seen in Recife.

Having recently visited the Oficina de Brennand, I mentioned the experience to him. Paulo had been to the Oficina and agreed with me that it is spectacular. By the tone of his voice though, I felt as if maybe I had broached a sensitive topic. In his opinion Brennand is a great artist. However, he felt it necessary to remind me that Brennand was a descendant of a wealthy family, and had studied art throughout Europe. Suddenly I was intrigued. I thought that maybe Paulo was downplaying the success of Brennand because of his affluence.

Examining Paulo's shirt, and listening to him on the phone, I could hear his envy. I could hear him thinking that if he had only been born into a wealthy family, his art could have been discovered as well. My conversation with Paulo ended with a stale sense of injustice looming heavily in the air. I began to feel it was unfair that Paulo's artistic talents had not been exposed to the world. Art is very much a personal experience, and each person has their own taste. However, I felt that anyone having seen Paulo's artwork would agree that he is extremely gifted.

Then what is preventing Paulo from making a name for himself? If he had the financial resources of a Francisco Brennand, this process would be easier. However, there are other barriers, more complicated than socio-economics, preventing his success. To investigate these barriers in depth I contacted Paulo the following evening with a set of prepared questions. What follows is a result of that interview, integrated with my own thoughts.

Paulo Rama (Paulo César Rodrigues da Silva), a native of Recife, is 35 and is married. Although he has been producing art almost all of his life, he only began painting T-shirts about ten years ago. Paulo considers himself a student of art, and spends a lot of time invested in research. In the world of art he admires the work of Van Gogh and Jean-Michel Basquiat, among others. Paulo's own work is inspired by Afro-Brazilian culture. Paulo considers himself Afro-Brazilian, and in almost all of his work he tries to represent some aspect of that culture. Although Paulo is not affiliated with any African based religion, he believes his artwork is very spiritual.

Paulo works mainly with Afro-Brazilian figures because he feels a necessity to propagate more knowledge about his people, and to open a path against the "veiled racism" that permeates Brazil. Paulo has been painting T-shirts for many years, but in financial terms, he has not been rewarded. He admits that he has made many mistakes along the way, and is still trying to perfect the business aspect of his trade. In reality, Paulo would like to concentrate on producing more profound and enduring works of art, but trying to survive and put food on the table has forced him to commercialize his paintings into T-shirts. Paulo does see a positive aspect of this commercialization. In his opinion, art in Recife has become very exclusive and elitist. He believes, however, that art should be for everyone's enjoyment. As a professional, Paulo is constantly attempting to liberate art from the confines of social boundaries, and increase its accessibility.

At one point I asked Paulo if he feels frustration as an artist. He responded that he is frustrated not only as an artist but as a human being, because of the disrespect that exists in Brazil. He described Brazilian society as a "boiling caldron," in which everyday life is a dirty struggle. Brazil has a very vulgar side that remains invisible to tourists and many affluent Brazilians, but it is all too real for millions of people like Paulo. For Paulo the worst thing that he has to face from day to day is being made felt less than human.

One day Paulo was walking in a part of Boa Viagem in Recife, and was verbally harassed by a policeman. As he passed by the officer, he heard the man shout, "Cut your hair, you black son-of-a-bitch." Paulo, who used dreadlocks at the time, was indignant at the remark. Thus he confronted the officer and began to cite his civil rights. Irritated by the testimony, the officer arrested Paulo and took him to a police station. Paulo remained in custody for more than an hour, until a friend of his who practices law arrived at the station, and was able to secure his release.

Paulo confronts racism in every aspect of his life, including his art. In Paulo's opinion, Afro-Brazilian art is inhibited in the marketplace because of prejudice. He accuses the Brazilian media of being mainly responsible for this prejudice. He believes that the lack of knowledge and misinformation about Afro-Brazilian art stems from the absence of fair media coverage. In his view the media restricts and defines the Afro-Brazilian culture that is appropriate for mainstream consumption. The culture that the media deems appropriate for the public is not authentic, but instead a censured, cheapened, and commercialized imitation. Paulo is offended by the media that pretends that Carnaval is the sole merit of Afro-Brazilian culture. Carnaval is a veneer, a minuscule facet of the rich culture of the Afro-Brazilian.

There are very few prestigious painters in Recife of African descent for Paulo to admire. According to him, in terms of recognition, there is not a black Francisco Brennand in his city. In Brazil in general, there is a lack of famous Afro-Brazilian artists. When I asked Paulo to name some of the greatest figures in the history of Afro-Brazilian art, he first mentioned Heitor dos Prazeres (1898-1966). The painting of this sambista from Rio de Janeiro focused primarily on aspects of Carnaval. He also mentioned the work of Carybé (1911-97), who was a native of Argentina, but lived in Salvador da Bahia.

The concept of the starving artist is universal. Most artists throughout the world struggle for years to become famous, with no avail. Yet there are exceptions to this pattern. Artists belonging to the elite class of society can advertise their natural abilities more effectively, because of the financial resources at their disposal. For these lucky few, like Francisco Brennand, the transformation into a great artist demands hard work, but is much easier. The masses of artists with potential, like Paulo Rama, are constrained by their socio-economic background. In Paulo's case, he is presented a double challenge.

Not only does he belong to a lower middle class family, but he is also black. Afro-Brazilian artists and black artists throughout the African Diaspora have the additional obstacle of representing a culture that is stigmatized and denigrated in mainstream art. When it is not denigrated, it is relegated to the realm of popular art, where it is consumed by the masses for virtually nothing.

Paulo Rama is a talented artist. He is an intelligent person who uses his art as a weapon. In search of liberty and equality, he "explodes with art" all of his frustration in an attempt to transcend the inhumane conditions that he confronts in his everyday life. Paulo has many goals in life. He is currently applying to study history at the Federal University in Recife. Recently he taught his artwork through a project sponsored by the São Paulo based Organização de Malcolm X. In the meantime Paulo is continuing to do what he does best. He is painting and expressing his creativeness, while maintaining his integrity as an Afro-Brazilian artist.

Jean Marinho da Silva Pinner, 22, is a native of Rio de Janeiro who grew up in the US. Jean holds a BA Degree in International Studies and Portuguese from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is currently pursuing a career as a Foreign Service Officer with the US Department of State. He may be contacted via email at ronaldocaesar@hotmail.com

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