BO CRISTO REDENTOR (CHRIST THE REDEEMER) RIO BY TORRES
When I was living in Sao Paulo Brazil in 2007 I wore the Crying Charra Shirt and some people saw it from across the street it was so huge on the shirt licensed by Changes of NY. But when they got closer they said. 'Wait that girl on the shirt,isn't Brazilian.' I said right she's Mexican or Latina. That's when I realized I was in a different world from any I'd ever been before. I was in Brazil where actually the people seem to be a very interesting mix of blood lines and they were right and I was still representing Bajito Onda.
I told Torres about what had happened and asked him what he could dream up. He asked me only to send him a picture of a Brazilian girl that no one would say she was anything but.
I found this image here at the bottom from a performer from the world famous Carnaval tradition.
If you examine closely the drawing and the many symbolisms you will see the beautiful Christ who I used to think he was on a mountaintop in Argentina of all places and I thought we had to ride a donkey up the mountain but as usual I was very mistaken.
HE is a trolley car ride up the mountain called CORCOVADO and HE is in Rio de Janeiro, not Argentina.
Torres depiction of El Cristo was so perfect because the figures on the left side all have their eyes closed, the man with the smoking gun and his beloved country's flag on fire as he is shown coming from the worst poverty on earth, called the 'favelas' for the shacks stacked ten deep on top of each other some known as the CITY OF GOD in Rio for the sadness and violence and poverty and the heavy African and Indigenous influence mystical spiritual religions of Candomble and Umbanda.The religious figure with her eyes closed. Christ three crosses with his eyes closed and the crown of thorns atop his head. All the skulls smoldering at the bottom left side.
Between the huge carving of the Christ out of one solid massive stone, is a girl with her rear facing the viewer as she represents many of the sensual women who flaunt their sexuality since Brasil is definitely a matriarchal country where women rule and make the guidances for the way they demand to be treated.
Brasil is such a complicated country with all the blended blood lines and cultural beliefs the many peoples brought with them such as the Africans, Japanese, German, Italians, Portuguese, Spaniards and even Arabs, along with even American settlers there for many years.
The right side of the Image brings out the happy celebratory side of Brazil, futebol, or soccer, Carnaval, new birth, new life and the light side of Brasil heavy Catholic influence.
This piece is so complex I see something new in it every time I gaze into it over and over again.
He dedicated this piece to my time being spent there as a sacred journey which I had no known understanding of until I went and came back to the USA a year later.
Since Torres specialty isn't lettering I had one of my tattoo homies from Dallas design me the lettering from his style that could be inter mingled graphically that would compliment the masterpiece of a drawing. I was leaving out of Dallas for my move to Tucson and not an idea of what would await me there. I just knew my time in Dallas had run its course. While there I had my homie Smiley tattoo my inner wrists so I could see Bajito Onda whenever I needed some strength and love.
WHITE SHIRT - 100% COTTON,
BEAUTIFUL WATER BASE INK PRINT VIA
DIGITAL PERMANENT FUSION PROCESS.
STATE OF THE ART - LASTS A LIFETIME IF YOU WASH TO LAST.
