Osgemeos is Portuguese for “the twins” and represents an artist duo of street artists; Otavio and Gustavo Pandolfo. The Pandolfo twins were born in 1974 in São Paulo, Brazil. They were born and raised in Cambuci, one of the oldest neighborhoods of São Paulo which was the home to many working class people. At a young age they were introduced to street art scene of São Paulo which was a reaction to the political climate of the time. In the 1980s, Brazil was undergoing economic and political change as the government shifted from military rule to a seemingly more democratic era. During this time, graffiti or more specifically, pixação, was used as a democratic medium to give the people a voice of protest against the political turmoil. Even though, the Pandolfo twins were young at the time they were introduced to graffiti, this had a lasting influence on Osgemeos’ art as they developed their own style. By 1995, Osgemeos established their subject matter and their style. Their subject matter ranges from family portraits, Brazilian folklore, social and political issues in Brazil, and their fantasy world — “Tritrez.” Osgemeos work in a wide variety of mediums including street art, murals, paintings, sculptures and environmental art. In the scope of this essay I will be analyzing five pieces of street art with political undertones — four of which are located in Brazil, and one in the United States. In all five pieces, the influence of pixação, New York graffiti, and their fantasy world of Tritrez come through resulting in a hybrid style that nods to their cultural influences with political undertones.
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