Selaron's Staircase
Artist - sculptor Jorge Selaron was born in 1947 in Chile. He loved to travel and get to know the world. Having managed to visit 50 countries, Jorge in 1980 decided to settle in Rio de Janeiro. The artist lived on the completely prestigious Manuel Carneiro street connecting the urban areas of Santa Teresa and Lapa. The house in which he lived stood on a long staircase, stretching for 125 m and consisting of 215 steps. The artist decided to turn an unremarkable staircase, if not into a masterpiece, then at least into a beautiful object. The master began his work in 1990 and continued his whole life.
The artist was not rich. To realize the plan, he first looked for tiles in landfills and construction sites. He still earned on materials for decoration, painting. Simple paintings, the plot of which was performed only by an African pregnant woman or even by Jorge himself, but also for some reason pregnant. The artist did not comment on such a strange choice of the topic of drawings. Only once said that this is due to his personal problem from the past. Selaron sold his creations for a low fee from 10 to 20 reais ( 5-10 dollars ). He spent the proceeds on the purchase of ceramic tiles and mirrors.
The artist laid out the tiles, and then painted and painted in accordance with his plan. He used mainly the colors of the flag of Brazil – yellow, blue and green. The neighbors laughed at him first. But Selaron, not paying attention to ridicule, continued the work, which became the meaning of his life. As soon as the sun rose, Jorge was already starting to work, and ended when he was getting completely dark. Selaron's staircase was transformed, tourists already came to admire it. She was talked about in television shows and on travel pages. Photographers and correspondents became frequent guests.
Tourists from all over the world, who were becoming more and more, brought tiles and plates, gave small sums of money. The master found application for everything. He practically did not spend money on himself. For 23 years in his red shorts, he worked from early morning until late evening on the embodiment of the plan. The artist willingly and friendlyly talked with tourists and claimed that the work for him would end only when he died. And so it happened. In January 2013, he was found dead on the steps of Escaderia Selaron. Police found suicide.
Selaron's staircase is completely covered with tiles and pieces of mirrors. There are 2 thousand of them. You can find tiles from 60 countries. 300 tiles are painted by Jorge himself. Selaron's staircase has gained worldwide fame. It can be seen in advertising and clips, even at the popular Snoop Dog. The staircase has become one of the main attractions of the city. On it in the afternoon it becomes crowded with tourists who come to see.
