Reverence to Faustino

Text from Cipy Lopes, extracted from the virtual diary of Rafael Galvão

As an admirer of this emblematic character, one of the pioneers of graffito, and friend of Miguel Cordeiro, intellectual author of the character, I render him this homage, transcribing a text by Cipy Lopes.

End of 70's. Salvador, as other large Brazilian capitals, was invaded by graffiti. An expression of rebellion in a moment of great mobilization on the political scenery in the country, of voices shouting for "Diretas Já" (referring to the elections, pleading that they become direct), graffitist such as "Faustino", "Baldeação", "Mancha" and "Madame Min" cheered the urban scenery of the city of Salvador. When I left for work in the mornings (I used to live in Graça and worked in Caminho das Árvores, a relatively long distance), I always had the expectation of seeing the intelligent and funny phrases, full of social-political meaning, always written during dawn in walls strategically chosen. But my favorite graffitist was "Faustino".

Born in 1979, "Faustino" was pioneer, and, for me, the most expressive character that the art of spraying revealed on the white walls of the old town. He carried a subtle humor and joked with people with his funny satires. Very friendly, he was totally integrated with our urbanity and was never unnoticed, not even to the most careless, distracted and distant walker or passenger of the town's avenues.

Faustino smells the dental floss is one of the various sentences that I have heard and kept in a "drawer" as a testimony of a difficult time when anonymous - and forbidden - manifestations were of contentment. Everywhere, "Faustino" was always a reason for good conversation and great laughs. At a bar, work place, college, nothing escaped.

Some moaned a lot about the "dirt" on the walls. For others, this talk of "dirt" was far from being an issue. A TARDE - the most important newspaper - was a complaining voice. "Faustino subscribes to A TARDE" was a prompt reaction to the news about the "dirt" in town. And the newspaper liked the joke.

Son of the crisis, "Faustino" makes a picnic at a motel, sold the gold on his tooth and carries a calculator on his purse. And he paid off the carnival-group bill: so he could receive the kit that made the carnival revelers happy - customized fantasy, hat and (mamae-sacode). At that time, the carnival player groups and the promoters of shows stuck posters around the town, a lot of them covering the phrases that made him immortal, at least for me.

Tacky, nostalgic and melancholic, "Faustino" wears Topeka pants, washes his clothes with Rinso and uses pata-pata hairbrush (regional allusions to so-considered class-bound products). Studies at Madureza and has a very special musical taste: likes Yrakitan Trio and listens to Julio Iglesias. Oh, and he also sings at the company's choir.

Faustino has a piece of land at the island (Itaparica). And status! This was one of the dreams of the town's middle-class. Another dream come true was when he acquired a Chevette Jeans at a consortium. The model chosen proves his tackiness, and at the consortium the times' alternative. Tackiness was again present at the possession of a 007 briefcase, initially a symbol of rich executives and that, at the time, was used by office-boys during their daily walks through the bank branches at the area of Comércio, our town's financial center.

The interesting thing is that everybody commented about "Faustino" but nobody knew who was his creator, until the newspapers Correio da Bahia and A Tarde, in March and April 1984, respectively, dedicated a whole page each. And "Faustino" had, after four years, the fatherhood revealed: Miguel Cordeiro, economist, fan of rock played by Camisa de Venus, then aged 28. I confess that this revelation was a kind of an anti-climax. The fact of not knowing who made that graffiti had a different sensation.

Miguel Cordeiro also drew and presented his drawings at the open gallery of the avenue walls: Manoel Dias da Silva and Paulo VI, at Pituba; the end of Oito de Dezembro, at Graça; Marquês de Caravelas and Afonso Celso, at Barra, to remember a few. Yes, geographically the story of "Faustino" and the art of Miguel were exposed between the area of Barra and Caminho das Árvores.