Of all the exhibits in the yearlong survey of Roberto Chabet’s art, I enjoyed this one the most. It has been the only one—so far—that has allowed us a glimpse into Mr. Chabet’s personal relationships, a hint of the persona behind the formidable reputation. While his role as a mentor has been frequently emphasized, this show has given us a chance to appreciate his interactions with his peers, an earlier phase in his artistic practice.
Windows To Conversations Roberto Chabet Lee Aguinaldo Fernando Zobel, curated by Maria Victoria (Boots) Herrera, assisted by Ringo Bunoan and Nilo Ilarde, and currently running at the Ateneo Art Gallery, focuses on the work of Mr. Chabet in relation to two other singular Filipino artists. They enjoyed a friendship that led to a frequent exchange of ideas, the outcome of which we witness in the art they produced during this period, the mid- to late 1960s. The exhibit brings out pieces by the three where they have used the form of the window, wall bound pieces that express their affinity for abstraction. Mr. Chabet completed several works in his Window series. While the next decade saw him moving on from this type of work, the exhibit notes remind us that both Fernando Zobel and Lee Aguinaldo continued to pursue abstract paintings.
For me, the unveiling of pieces from Mr. Chabet’s personal collection, his own work from this span of time, as well as his pieces by Aguinaldo and Zobel, serve as the exhibit’s high points. One of his Zobel paintings, Conversation on Morandi from 1965, even bears an inscription certifying that the painting had been completed in Aguinaldo’s studio, in the presence of Mr. Chabet. They hang along with other works from this era, paintings from the Ateneo Art Gallery’s collection and those culled from noted art collectors, in the first section of the gallery space.
At the rear of the exhibit space, we see three of Mr. Chabet’s more familiar plywood constructions. They have been remounted primarily in black, combined with text in red neon lights. Originally, 10,0000 Paintings and Boxed Paintings had been exhibited separately, with the plywood pieces painted in his signature shades of red, yellow, and blue. Here, we see them put together as one piece, the text, 100000 Paintings I Must See Before I Die, set on the floor, underneath the boxes painted in black.
The exhibit culminates in work from Dutch and Other Paintings, first shown by Mr. Chabet in 1989. These pieces have been juxtaposed against a small photocollage by Aguinaldo, Homage To Vermeer.
It is fitting that the viewer ends the tour of the exhibit in this walled-off section that recalls Vermeer. In a sense, the exhibit itself echoes the spirit of a Vermeer, of a scene frozen in time. Lika a snapshot, it captures a friendship at a particular point in the lives of three notable figures in Philippine art.
Windows To Conversations Roberto Chabet Lee Aguinaldo Fernando Zobel runs from 7 October to 10 December 2011 at the Ateneo Art Gallery, Ateneo de Manila University, Loyola Heights, Quezon City. Phone (632) 426-6488 or visit http://www.ateneoartgallery.org
Hi Trickie… thanks for this write-up. Nilo Ilarde and Ringo Bunoan are co-curators too in this show. Ringo and I developed the concept and shortlisted works. Nilo was most helped in refining the elements and layout of the exhibit, especially the installation works. It was interesting to see how the site-specific works evolved in the process.