Casazal Art
Filete porteño
Filete Porteño is a traditional painting technique used for ornamental design that combines brilliant colours with specific lettering styles. It originated at the beginning of the 20th Century in the city of Buenos Aires’ wagon factories when European immigrants started to paint the sides of carriages with simple lines and adorning elements. Over time the european and criollo art forms started to blend creating a true Argentienean technique. More complex components were added, such as light-and-shadow effects, flowers, plants, animals, ribbons and popular sayings in very detailed typography.
Today Filete porteño can be seen as a form of decoration on urban buses and trucks. It is also used for store signage and increasingly, home decoration. Images used relate back to the city’s heritage incorporating social and religious elements, acting as a form of collective memory. Popular designs include icons representing saints, admired politicians, music and sports idols. Sayings and proverbs are sometimes also incorporated in the designs.
Filete Porteño was inscribed in 2015 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO given that conveys the shared values, collective memory and visual tastes of the inhabitants of Buenos Aires; the community of its bearers and practitioners today comprises both men and women who acquire their knowledge and skills non-formally through apprenticeship; a recent revival of the element has brought new opportunities and creative responses to the changing fabric of contemporary urban life.
How it's done
Filete begins with a drawing, which is then transferred to a support. Synthetic paint, coloured varnish and special longhaired brushes are then used to complete the work. Filete craftsmen transmit this technique to anyone who wants to learn it. Formal education is not required to develop the skills needed, which represents an opportunity for some young people in the community who are at risk of social exclusion.
2014 Candidacy Video for UNESCO
Footnotes