Jungle of heavily grafitted concrete buildings, São Paulo, Brazil.
São Paulo, in Brazil, is a jungle of heavily grafitted concrete buildings. From all styles of urban art sprayed on the walls, one in particular impress by the variety and constant presence: a style called pixo. In it most basic form, it can be described as an ubiquitous calligraphy composed of straight black lines and sharp edges. But just because pixos are monochromatic and less stylised does not mean they lack history or socio-cultural significance.
Aside from fame, visibility and adrenaline, the most important motivation for a pixo is anger – primarily directed against the city. Unlike graffiti (which many pixadores reject as being “too commercial” and a “beautification scheme”), pixo seeks to positively degrade the urban environment. This anger towards the city is rooted in a sense of social injustice that is intrinsically connected with the pattern of uneven urbanisation.
It is no coincidence that the vast majority of pixadores hail from São Paulo’s peripheral neighbourhoods and, just as important, that their preferred targets tend to be the centrally located modernist buildings – especially those designed by famous architects.
