Friday, September 4, 2009

Stairways of hope…

In Rio de Janeiro…in an area called Santa Teresa…in a hidden alley

is a masterpiece of sorts

stairs5

stairs7 stairs3

Artist Jorge Selaron worked tirelessly

hands bleeding, penniless.

…In the beginning, everyone laughed at me I covered the steps in green, blue and yellow tiles – the colors of the Brazilian flag. As I worked, my profession changed from painter to sculptor, my hands covered in blood, calluses, irritating and in pain. Even though the work was difficult, I was passionate about it.

The rent was late, the phone was cut but every time I succeeded in finding some money, I bought materials and continued, obsessed and possessed. I worked without rest and I stopped when I had no more material left. When that happened, I painted paintings to earn some money so that I would be able to continue my work. I have put much of my life into my masterpiece. I have invented a fantastic unique technique which consists of constantly changing the tiles. This gives a unique energy, and makes it a living, mutating work of art with over 2000 different tiles, collected in over 60 different countries.”

stairs6

stairs4

Meanwhile…On the other side of the world in Wuppertal, Germany

artist , Horst Glasker. Painted a work on public stairs called Scala.

The german words on the stairs

are describing the emotional connections

between human beings.

Love. Passion. To pine...

stairs8

stairs9

stairs

I dunno...Ya gotta love the tenacity...the where-with-all...the passion...the pain.

Embrace public art.

Climb the stairs.

MaybeThink as you do.

I know I will.

find more sources of inspiration...and perspiration at Julia's

33 comments:

Sarah Lulu said...

*applause* ....LOVED them so much especially the mosiac!!!!!!

vicki archer said...

This is brilliant LInda - how I admire the tireless energy and creativeness of these artists, xv.

Vicki ~ FL said...

Those mosaic stairs are very colorful and beautiful.....great shots!

Melissa said...

I love these. It's amazing how a little color can go such a long way in a public space. The mosaic tile stairs are fantastic!

Tara Dillard said...

OMG, those tile walls & steps. Thank you for posting them.

When I design landscapes I stay away from 'words'. Knowing they are too static for the dynamic of vanishing threshold.

Perhaps why I delight in the mosaic vs. the steps with painted words.
.
Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

erin's art and gardens said...

wow...stairways to heaven!! i admire jorge's passion and the amount of hard work!! have a good weekend! erin

Maya @ Completely Coastal said...

Only in Rio! Now there is a lesson in commitment. Love the stair. And it was fun the read a bit of German too...

Have a great weekend!

Farmgirl Paints said...

LOVED IT! Have a great long weekend:)

Anonymous said...

amazing. Love the Scala stairs.

Sylvia said...

The passion for art is beautiful.

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

Lovely.
Colour.
Yes!

melifaif said...

Oh how I love the colors! I wish more cities and communities could embrace more color and more unique art! I find colorful graffiti walls gorgeous and a masterpiece (of sorts) representing a part of a community's culture. Thanks for sharing!

alison giese Interiors said...

Fantastic!!

Karen Deborah said...

INCREDIBLE! So was the tile layer ever paid for his masterpiece? What amazing photos and what an amazing story!

Erin {House of Turquoise} said...

This is unbelievable!!! The colors are just incredible! I hope you have a lovely holiday weekend! :)

Chris 'Frog Queen' Davis said...

How absolutely amazing. Thanks so much for sharing that. Made me all warm and fuzzy inside.

Big smile!

Cheers!

Deborah said...

I am SO doing the tile thing behind the Cantina! Can't you just see it!?! Oops, hubby will be calling you, Linda, to THANK you for the idea... **happy smiles** Deb

anita said...

i love seeing this kind of free spirited art..i think isahiah zagar of philly should make your list too..ck old post here
http://blueskiesae.blogspot.com/2009/06/creative-solice.html
same passion for colors in the public areas!

Terry said...

Good grief. We have a couple of huge, public owner done mosaics in our neighborhood. Those folks deserve a medal.

Linda@ Lime in the Coconut said...

Anita,,,Indeed Isahiah should be on the list. WOW!

Tara...while I was climbing the steps.....I saw many tiles that the artist wrote a whole story on...My portuguese is not up to par, beyond hello, goodbye and water sim Gas please.

Karen....no, he was never paid...it was his passion and gift to the community. When he ran out of money he would paint and sell to buy more mortar. Hopefully...he will be paid...in spades.

Deb...I'll be sendingbandaids and gloves for your hubby!

I am glad you all loved them...they both move me. I haven't seen the German one in person...but love it all the same!

Yansy said...

These are fantastic. I love them both!

Hibiscus Moon said...

What gorgeous stairways. Really very pretty.

Deviant Deziner, aka Michelle said...

I'm having an emotional response to Jorge Selaron mosaic work as well as his words.
Currently I'm working on several different projects that all use mosaics in the sculpture process.

My wrists are sore from nipping stone tesserae, tiny bits of fiberglass backing itches my index fingers and forearms. My back aches from bending over the studio table for hours on end. But I love it and am extremely happy and grateful that I am doing what I love.

For me, environmental art is the essence of life.

Thanks for the inspiration !

gertru said...

love the stairs!
A little info when you´ll visit BA :
http://www.bue.gov.ar/home/index.php?lang=en

(is the city's official site of tourism)

Joyce said...

Beautiful stairs! Makes me want to run up and down them all. Nice!! Have a golden weekend my friend! xoxo

Maria Killam said...

Wow, to do all that work just because you love it with no hope of anyone ever buying it because of the kind of art that it is. That is real passion!! Love the coloured stairs as well, amazing!

Julia @ Hooked on Houses said...

These are really stunning. And I found it very moving to read the artist's words about how he created his mosaic masterpiece.

Ry @ Sotto Il Monte Vineyards said...

It would take me all day to climb those stairs! Bad knees. The great thing is that I could climb a few at a time and stop - inspect the artwork - climb a few more and so on.

Unknown said...

ooooohhhh...mmmmyyyyy

2 Stews said...

How inspiring...thanks for climbing for us :-)

Diane

ImagineCozy said...

So unique. What a wonderful addition to the steps.
-Angela

Unknown said...

If those aren't the most incredible, colorful stairs I've ever seen in my little life, then I don't know what! How fabulous.

Cheers.

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