Os Gêmeos

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Os Gêmeos in Berlin
Os Gêmeos in Berlin

Os Gêmeos (Portuguese for The Twins) are graffiti artist identical twin brothers (born 1974) from São Paulo, Brazil, whose real names are Otavio and Gustavo Pandolfo. They started painting graffiti in 1987 and gradually became a main influence in the local scene, helping to define Brazil's own style. Their work often features yellow-skinned characters, but is otherwise diverse and ranges from tags to complicated murals. Subjects range from family portraits to commentary on São Paulo's social and political circumstances, as well as Brazilian folklore. Their graffiti style was influenced by both traditional hip hop style and the Brazilian pichação movement.[1]

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[edit] Early influences & rise to fame

Hip hop culture reached Brazil in the late eighties and appealed to a lot of the country's teenagers at the time. The twins started out as breakdancers, and got involved with the graffiti aspect later on. Of course, their first steps into the graffiti world were attempts to emulate American hip hop pieces, in early New York style.[2] It wasn't until some years later that they started to consciously put Brazilian cultural elements and influences into their graffiti.[3]

Their first significant artistic influence outside their immediate environment, and their limited access to American hip hop (Style Wars, Subway Art, Beat Street), stemmed from a chance encounter with Barry McGee (also known as Twist), who happened to be in Brazil for several months on a study program through the San Francisco Art Institute in 1993. Technique and experience were shared, and McGee provided them with a lot of photographic examples from the American graffiti scene. Through Barry McGee, Os Gemeos met Allen Benedikt (founder of 12oz Prophet Magazine and also part Brazilian), who together with Caleb Neelon (also known as Sonik) became the first to interview them after a trip to Brazil in 1997 (12oz Prophet Magazine Issue 6; 1998), which became Os Gemeos' introduction to audiences outside of South America.[4]

[edit] Legal work

Because Subway systems and trains are often an object of pride in Brazilian cities, and therefor especially well guarded, they were never on top of the list of graffiti canvases (in sharp contrast with graffiti in other countries). But as of the early 2000's a couple of high profile graffiti artists, Os Gêmeos being one of them, were invited to paint the trains legally.[5] Other large scaled public commissioned work, such as huge murals (for example the Avenida Paulista mural) followed afterwards.[6]

Their first solo exhibition in the United States was at The Luggage Store in San Francisco, California in 2003.

As part of the Dreamland Artist Club 2005 project, they painted a 60 foot mural in Coney Island on Stillwell Ave.

Os Gêmeos in Coney Island
Os Gêmeos in Coney Island

[edit] Comments on Os Gêmeos' work

"With rage, bliss and the power of their simultaneity, Os Gemeos have come to signify Brazilian graffiti itself to many viewers."[7]

"Renowned for spray-painting with a kind of intuitive understanding, they have also gained recognition for their fantastic characters..."[8]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Tristan Manco, Caleb Neelon, Lost Art (October 2005). Graffiti Brasil. Thames & Hudson, 64. ISBN 0500285748. 
  2. ^ Manco, Neelon, p.16
  3. ^ Manco, Neelon, p.59
  4. ^ Manco, Neelon, p.17-18
  5. ^ Manco, Neelon, p.44
  6. ^ Manco, Neelon, p.46
  7. ^ Manco, Neelon, p.64
  8. ^ Nicholas Ganz, Tristan Manco (October 2004). Graffiti World: Street Art from Five Continents. Thames & Hudson, 85. ISBN 0500511705. 

[edit] Further reading

[edit] External links

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