ABSTRACT
Street art decorates every conceivable surface and space within the sprawling urban zones of modern Brazil, providing something of a visual feast for urban residents and visitors. As Manco, Lost Art and Neelon claim in the Preface to their 2005 photo-book *UD৽WL%UDVLO, the country ‘boasts a unique and particularly rich JUD൶WLVFHQHZKLFKLQUHFHQW\HDUVKDVHDUQHGLWDQLQWHUQDWLRQDOUHSXWDWLRQDVWKH SODFHWRJRIRUDUWLVWLFLQVSLUDWLRQ¶,QWKH+X൶QJWRQ3RVWUHOHDVHGLWV %HVW&LWLHV,Q7KH:RUOG7R6HH6WUHHW$UW, with São Paulo, Brazil ranking in at no. 2. The international popularity and appeal of Brazilian street art has led to a surge in the publication of books, art-zines and even street art tours, many of ZKLFKR൵HUDFXUVRU\H[DPLQDWLRQRIVWUHHWDUW¶VKLVWRU\DQGHYROXWLRQLQ%UD]LO Many of these sources inaccurately link the birth of Brazilian street art to the import and adoption of hip-hop subculture and associated practices during the 1980s. While it is true that the production of street art, and particularly the distinctive JUDSKLWHstyle,1 accelerated at an unprecedented pace from the mid1980s, this story neglects much of the history and politics surrounding the evolution of Brazilian street art.
