Day 4 - Museo Casa do Pontal & Sitio Burle Marx Garden

Day 4 Thurs. May 29

8:30 Group convenes in hostel lobby and boards van
8:45 am van leaves for Museo Casa do Pontal, Estrada do Pontal 3295, Rio de Janeiro
1:30 pm Sitio Burle Marx Gardens and Studio, Estrada Robero Burle Marx
Drive Estrada de Guaratiba to Praia do Grumari & Praia do Prainha Drive coast road to (incredible beaches and vistas

Roberto Burle Marx Estate

We went to Roberto Burle Marx estate where we saw the fruits of his urban landscape and his life style. His estate was originally a banana plantation that he completely transformed. The only thing that he kept from this 16th century banana plantation was the church which still performs as such for special occasions like weddings. While we were there, their was a photo shoot that involved models because this week in Rio was Brazilian fashion week and this place was a beautiful place to shoot.

What was significant about Roberto Burle Marx is his designs are all over Brazil and the world. He's taken what is the natural tropical vegetation of the amazon and incorporated in to urban landscaping in cities to introduce the idea that one's nation of natural plants can be aesthetically designed for urban landscaping instead of using traditional European flowers and Euro-centric design.

Walking through the space allows me to get the feeling of being in a jungle. Unfortunately Roberto Burle Marx died of sickness in his home but he lived to be an old age, but if he lived to be 100 years old he could really see the fruits of his labor. Every tree planted and bush, everything that has grown so big and green. The whole time there were gardeners working through out the landscape which I could imagine could take lots of maitenence.


Casa do Pontal

Museo Casa do Pontal
This was a house by a French Art collector who acquired sculptures of small figurines of vernacular art. The subject matter was of the people of Brazil doing various professions and participating in everyday activities of Brazilian life.

This became so popular when people visited they turned it into the museum and he moved out. The range was from everything from maids, dentists, crime, sex, the life cycles, children playing, carnivals, biblical stories, to workers in factories. It was a great way to see the life and culture of Brazil. While we were there, an elementary school group came and for a tour. They bring school groups regularly to learn about the popular culture of Brazil.

The tour guide had a puppet to give the tour and she sung songs. I was thinking why not have our American museum programming do Educational tours like that? I was really inspired I can see many sculpture projects like this.

Journal Entry

Thurs. May 29, 2008

Today I took my first self-time. I got up at 7:00 am while everyone was still asleep and decided to eat breakfast go to the juice corner and get a strawberry smoothie.

The light dark issue has been coming up a lot just watching the interactions compared with me verses Nicole who is lighter than me. She blends in with the lighter Brazilians that are in this middle class area which is full of dogs, cafés, business shops and beaches and apartment complexes everywhere.

The hotel of course are on the beachfront, but our hostel is mixed in the neighborhood. Its true what my god-sister Michelle said, “Our people are struggling all over the world.” Its kind of depressing to know where ever you go in the world, all the people that look like you will either be a servant, a beggar, or involved in crime.

I miss home. As we all know, home is relative but the hoe I made for myself in Hyde Park I’ve grown to love. Last night I dreamt about it. I dreamt that I was back on the areo bed but sleeping on a street corner in Bedstuy Brooklyn, a block away from my place on Hancock. So I moved back into that old apartment and I told my dad that I moved in but I was talking about my apartment in Hyde park although I wasn’t sleeping there and sleeping in the Brooklyn apartment. I told him how much I liked the Chicago apartment.

I don’t know, its weird. Maybe it has to do with me being here although I just moved into a new home. Technically I will have spent more time living in Brazil than I will have in my own apartment. I think when I travel I don’t want to live in the middle I’m either slumming it doing activist work or I’m living in luxury with the rich. I’ll live in the the middle when I go home.

I was telling Nicole how I sure wished we stayed in a hotel. It would be nice to have my own room and own full or queen size bed. But another time.


Related readings
Book: Don’t Play in the Sun; One Woman’s Journey Through the Color Complex.
Author: Marita Golden