An Anthropophagic Legacy: Oswald de Andrade's Manifesto Antropofago in Brazilian Anti-Art and the Works of Cildo Meireles

In his 1928 Manifesto Antropófago, the Brazilian poet and playwright Oswald de Andrade encouraged Brazilians to appropriate, consume, digest, and assimilate European theories and styles to enhance the Brazilian avant-garde. Oswald's theory of "cultural cannibalism," or Anthropophagy, has since been reinterpreted to serve various purposes in Brazilian art. In the early 1960s Anthropophagy was important to Neo-Concretists, who shifted the focus of the artwork to the viewer's body. The theory was then revived by the Tropicalists for its subversive nature and tactics of appropriation. Anthropophagy was immensely important to the generation of artists who worked during the Brazilian military regime in the 1960s and 1970s, who would use Anthropophagy as a model for appropriating elements of military rule to criticize the government. The themes of the Manifesto Antropófago are often evident in the works of Cildo Meireles, whose art seems to employ Anthropophagy as a conceptual model. In his investigation of the effects of consumerism, sensory perception, and imperialism and colonialism, Meireles employs the elements of appropriation and subversion that are part of an Anthropophagic legacy. Meireles' interest in Anthropophagy culminates in a utopian interpretation of the theory, and a redefinition of its significance in terms of Brazilian identity.

Grantor dc:publisher

Temple University. Libraries

Year dc:date.issued

2011

Author dc:creator

• Wujcik, Stacey A.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Silk, Gerald

Committee member dc:contributor.committeemember

• Gold, Susanna

• Art History
• Anthropophagy
• Cildo Meireles

Statement dc:rights

• IN COPYRIGHT- This Rights Statement can be used for an Item that is in copyright. Using this statement implies that the organization making this Item available has determined that the Item is in copyright and either is the rights-holder, has obtained permission from the rights-holder(s) to make their Work(s) available, or makes the Item available under an exception or limitation to copyright (including Fair Use) that entitles it to make the Item available.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Dc Identifier Other

864884941

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarshare.temple.edu:20.500.12613/3852