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Category Archives: philippine contemporary art
Peering Into Lynyrd’s Blackhearted Soul
Lynyrd...
Lynyrd’s eyes lock with mine from every corner of the gallery. In my favorite, Ang Dilim…Hindi Na Muna Ako Pipikit (How Dark It Is…I Will Not Close My Eyes), they look at me through a mist, an otherwordly, ghostly gaze. In Manhid (Indifferent), they beg in
Ang Dilim...Hindi Na Muna Ako Pipikit
mute appeal, trapped in an unconscionable plight. In Lynyrd, surrounded by a sheen of black, one set of eyes look away, unable to meet mine, as harsh, painful words spurt from his lips, while the other set expresses regret, beseeching forgiveness. In Wala ng Plano Plano (Forget Making Plans), his eyes turn dead, determinedly closed, immune from feeling. In the last of his self-portraits, Apoy…Nakakasilaw (Blinded by Flame), sunglasses deliberately shield him, closing off his vulnerability.
Manhid
Wala Nang Plano Plano
Apoy... Nakasilaw
As in every piece he does, Lynyrd does not fear letting it all out, bringing his pain and rawness to the fore. We feel his jumbled thoughts, articulated as shadowed layers of texts and figures that hover beneath the surface of his images. We wonder what he has gone through to curse himself as blackhearted. More than his incredible skill as an artist, more than the excitement that his future will surely generate, we know that when we acquire a Lynyrd Paras work, we bring home a piece of the man himself.
Sirain Mo Ako
Against His Blackhearted World, 3rd Solo Show is on view from 14 to 31 December 2008 at Blanc Compound, 359 Shaw Blvd, Mandaluyong City. Phone (632)752-0032 www.blanc.ph and www.lynyrdboxes.com
Ngayon Sabihin Mo Paano Mo Pa Ako Masasaktan
Delightfully Weird Images by Tatong Recheta Torres
Suspension
Until he was 11 years old, Tatong Recheta Torres wished he could be a superhero and fly, take himself off into another realm, transform. Instead life happened, bringing with it all its attendant ordinariness
Blame It On The Mirror
and routine. Lucky for us, despite the physical impossibility of fulfilling this childhood desire, Tatong- the-now- grown-up- artist wistfully revisits these long-ago longings in his latest exhibit, The Most Genuine Regret, on view at Art Informal in Greenhills.
Tatong’s art has always been about his incursions into a fantastic, alternate world, at once fascinating and
Duo Eradicat
horrifying. He transfixes as much as he makes us recoil, until slowly, we come to accept this parrallel reality. What at first seems like pistules festering on rotting flesh acquire the patina of the commonplace. Decayed matter turn into objects of beauty, leaving us captivated. Tatong sucks us into his universe. And here, enthralled, we choose to stay.
The Great Reward
Red Card Galore
Figure 1 to 5
Fly Factotum
The Most Genuine Regret by Tatong Recheta Torres is at Art Informal from 11 December 2008 to 11 January 2009, 227 Connecticut St., East Greenhills, Mandaluyong City, phone (632)725-8518 or visit http://www.artinformal.com
Mark Justiniani and Joy Mallari at Sitio Remedios
Early this year, sometime in Febuary or March, the Museum Foundation of the Philippines went on a cultural tour of Ilocos. We visited the churches of Paoay and Sta. Monica, enjoyed the famed empanada of Batac, drove all the way up north to Pagudpud, and on our last day, spent time in the heritage town of Vigan. Throughout our stay, we had as our base Sitio Remedios, the lovely resort of art patron Dr. Joven Cuanang, beautifully situated by the sea in Currimao, Ilocos Norte. From here, after a hearty breakfast of longganisa and rice, we would start our day, driving off to see the sights. In the evenings, we returned to sunset cocktails and dinners by the beach, unwinding amidst the glow of hundreds of candles. Continue reading
Map Ruminations: Apartment Art Series by Art Cabinet Philippines
Plainview Goal, Mixed Media Installation by Don Salubayba
Maps have fascinated for ages. Picture crude etchings discovered in caves, a diagram of the heavens crafted by ancient man to guide his destiny. Or the rudimentary representations of land and sea that steered Balboa, Columbus, and Magellan to historic conquests. In those days, cartographers depicted a flat planet that ended in a precipice, beyond which lay the great
Patricia and Patring by Tina Fernandez
unknown. What would the legendary explorers make of the GPRS features in cars and phones of today, when one touch of a button steers us precisely two kilometers to the east or west, or pinpoints locations with precision? Proof that maps serve both as guide and historic document, getting more sophisticated as man marches on to progress.
Makina Anatomika by Brendale Tadeo
Detail, Leeroy New Hanging Installation
In this show, Art Cabinet Philippines challenges 12 artists to come up with their take on maps, each one alloted a space of their own choosing in a recently-vacated penthouse. The non-traditional venue, with its commanding views of the city skyline, help unleash the powers of their imagination, fueling creativity in what promises to be a truly unique show. Hopefully, this heralds the beginning of a series of great concepts, a different way of viewing and appreciating the visual arts.
Allegorical Partition by Anton del Castillo
Alice by Lea Lim
2805B Map Ruminations by Anton del Castillo, Marc Cosico, Tina Fernandez, Mark Gaba, Mark Andy Garcia, Lea Lim, Leeroy New, Sandra Palomar, Alwin Reamillo, Don Salubayba, Brendale Tadeo, and Ian Victoriano is on view from 4 to 14 December 2008 at Apt. 2805B, Three Salcedo Place, Tordesillas St., Salcedo Village. Viewing times are from 5 to 8 pm. Contact (+63928) 5504816 or www.artcabinetphilippines.com
By Sandra Palomar
Detail, Who are the People in Your Neighborhood by Don Salubayba
Crab Ilokandia by Alwin Reamillo
The Kumot Adventure by Marc Cosico
CATCH THEM WHILE YOU CAN! Patty Eustaquio at SLab and 8 Faces at Avellana Art Gallery
Double Bill: Geraldine Javier in KL, Leslie de Chavez in Switzerland
Hearing that Geraldine Javier opens a show in KL this week and Leslie de Chavez exhibits in Switzerland as we speak may not be as groundbreaking as electing the first African-American President of the United States. But surely, we Pinoy art lovers can also walk a little taller. After all, those who follow their careers know that when these two perfectionists strut their stuff, we all have something to crow home about. Continue reading
Reclaiming Esqui
Siyam-Siyam
I have Alfredo Esquillo Jr. to blame for my art addiction. In 2003, I stumbled upon his work while viewing The American Effect, an exhibit at the Whitney Museum in New York. That piece, Mamakinley, depicting a bonneted and beribboned William Mckinley cradling a little brown Filipino baby in his claws, stayed rooted in my mind, so
Prodigal Son
arresting and powerful it was. Up til then, my exposure to Philippine art had been that of the so-called masters, the artists of my parents generation. I did not realize that the art of my own time could be just as compelling. Continue reading
Mr. and Mrs. Borlongan at the CCP
Variations on the Blue Hour: Vivace
When Elmer Borlongan mounts a show, people come and see. When Elmer Borlongan mounts a two-man show with his wife, Plet Bolipata, people come in droves to see. Continue reading
Art Beijing, 798, and Two Great Restaurants
Possessed of airline miles that had to be redeemed before the month was out, I conceived the idea of flying to Beijing after all the Olympic hoopla had settled. My friend, Dindin Araneta of Art Cabinet Philippines, signed up to participate in Art Beijing, from September 5 to 9, and I thought it would be interesting to tag along. Art, history, good friends, the perfect mix for a much-needed respite. I definitely got more than I bargained for, but Beijing did not disappoint. Continue reading