Romeo Lee and Pow Martinez Wreak Mischief and Mayhem

Romeo Lee and his mural

The exhibit may have taken its name from Manuel Ocampo’s favorite wine, but Mischief and Mayhem perfectly suits the works of Romeo Lee and Pow Martinez. Those who follow these two know that their art hews closely to the messy, racy, and raunchy aesthetic, favored by the likes of Jonathan Meese and indeed, by Ocampo himself.

Another view of Romeo Lee's mural

The Department of Avant-Garde Clichés or DAGC Gallery supplies something fresh to Metro Manila’s art landscape. As the only gallery entirely devoted to prints and multiples, the folks behind it have brought our attention to the possibilities of extending printmaking to works of artists who lean to the lowbrow. These have

Examining Pow's prints

included artists from Spain and Germany. Like all who exhibit in the gallery, they showed pieces produced within the premises. One gets the impression that artists enjoy working in-house. Perhaps, this provides a break from their routines. The last exhibit, Misprint Messiahs, featured pieces by Louie Cordero and Carlo Ricafort. Prints and multiples also allow for more affordable pieces, perfect for the young urbanites who flock to the gallery.

Lee and Pow developed prints in black and white, pieces that complement Lee’s mural on the gallery’s long wall. Pow bound some of his images together, like a comic book one can flip through— a nice alternative to the works on paper installed on the walls.

Image inside Pow Martinez book

Mischief and Mayhem runs from 3 August to 17 September 2011 at The Department of Avant-Garde Cliches (DAGC Gallery), 2289 Pasong Tamo Extension, UPRC III Bldg, Makati. Phone (632) 8172042 or visit http://www.dagcgallery.com