Aldemir Martins is one of the artists that gave most visibility to cultural expressions and characters from the imagery of the Brazilian Northeastern region, such as the “cangaceiro” (the outlaw), the “jagunço” (the hired thug), and the “rendeira” (the embroideress). The popular culture was the matrix to his expansive production with drawing, painting, and engraving. The artist migrated to São Paulo in 1941, where he made his first exhibitions. Years later, he immersed himself in studies of engraving, with the artist Poty Lazzarotto (1924-1998), and art history, with Pietro Maria Bardi (1900-1999), in the practical and theoretical courses offered at MASP, where he also worked in the mediation department. Promptly, Martins reached a prominent position with his series of “rendeiras” and “cangaceiros,” in addition to receiving prizes of the 1st São Paulo Biennial (1951) and the 28th Venice Biennial (1956). Such distinction reveals how there was a concern back then with forging a notion of identity to Brazilian art based on regional and so-called popular cultures. In O jagunço, a circular line defines the contours of a male body. Such circular aspect, combined to an almost abstract face and to the right angle composed by his body and raised arm, add movement and a graphic aspect to the figure. Despite the elegance of the character’s gesture, the machete and the rifle in his hands recall the violence to which he is attached, as if he was about to attack.
— MASP Curatorial Team, 2017
