Jose Tence Ruiz, "Paraisado Abo't Dingas"

Jose Tence Ruiz revisits favorite themes in his second solo exhibit of the year, Sagala de Ligalig, at Art Informal. 

In his words:

“Of recent, I’ve filtered this thread through several recurrent tropes and have decided to not just yet abandon them, instead mining their variant extrapolations; the kotillions, the sagalas, the bunjeefixions, and the kariton katedrals, all of which enable me to attempt, through 2D and 3D means, to make sense of this long unfolding, oft repeating, lingering narrative which we are fated to be born in and live through.”

I never tire of the different permutations that Bogie has taken with his Kariton Katedral series.  Almost every year, a new version of this cathedral in a push cart—gothic spires put together from patched up pieces of wood— appears in his exhibits. It seems just as relevant as when it first made its appearance in 2004.

Filipinos who exist hand to mouth carry all their worldly possessions in a kariton.  To me, Bogie’s karitons speak of a church indifferent to circumstances that force its flock to live in pushcarts, so long as they keep to the tenets of the Catholic faith.  This ongoing debate on the RH Bill especially calls this to mind.

In this show, Bogie’s kariton, Paraisado Abo’t Dingas, resembles a conflagration, the flame atop a pyre.  Does it speak of burning faith or of a faith that must be chucked into the fire for its irrelevance?

Jose Tence Ruiz Sagala de Ligalig runs from 11 October to 4 November 2012 at Art Informal, 211 Connecticut St., Greenhills East, Mandaluyong City.  Phone (632) 725-8518 or visit www.artinformal.com

At left, "Emperadora Maria Cristina Susana del Mayon" and the "Dama Y Kabalyeros Triptych"

Jose Tence Ruiz, "Kondessa ng Malawak na Kaibuturan"

Installation view with bunjeefixion and "En Pasant Au Pays de Victor, V.2"

Jose Tence Ruiz, "Sagala de Ligalig"

Jose Tence Ruiz, "Paraisado Abo't Dingas"

Jose Tence Ruiz, "Dona Siyempre Bien Sur Vda. de Areglado"

At the entrance