Bacolod A Sweet Spot for Art

CEBU, Philippines - I am sitting in front of two very serious artists. No, I don’t mean they are glum, or that they have no funny bones.  I mean they are really, really good, and they actually have careers. As artists.

We are at the open air patio that straddles Orange Gallery and Chicken House.  The proprietors of the gallery co-habit this space with the purveyors of chicken, using it as a common place to hang out and smoke.  Conveniently for the gallery guys, they can order their grilled chicken (and sometimes pork) and have it served right by this shared space, without having to bear the hassle of entering the restaurant.

The two serious artists are digging into their grilled chicken (and pork) with gusto.  Their muses are right beside them, likewise daintily nibbling their food.  Meanwhile, I think about serious questions to ask, stuff that a serious writer should be asking.  Having nothing prepared, I ask the first question that pops into me head. “So. What do you think the future of Bacolod art holds?”

I am fortunate that Charlie Co and Dennis Ascalon, acknowledged leaders of the pack in the Bacolod art scene, are in the middle of chewing, and don’t have to react to the banality of the question.  I cringe inside, and I think, ‘this is why I will never impress Anderson Cooper and inherit the Vanderbilt fortune.’

But, in any case, I should know the answer to that myself. The future of Bacolod as an art scene?  Nothing short of exciting!

Exhibit No 1: Orange Gallery.  This two level (and then some) space is located at Lopue’s commercial center and, since the owner is an art patron, the gallery doesn’t have to be run as a business.  (Well, not as of now.)  Instead, it’s been allowed to flourish rent and restriction-free, with artists given almost complete license to splash the walls with scads of paint, install eerie robotic sculptures here and there, and in general advertise that here, in this venue, is a temple for art.  In fact, it is 9:00 pm, and this late, there are young students setting up an exhibit on the third floor. Obviously, there’s no curfew to dampen those enthusiastic juices.

Quite enough impetus for creativity to be nurtured.  Students can come and see their mentors’ works, and perhaps, be influenced to go this way or that.  And Charlie Co acknowledges this.  (Charlie should be able to speak with authority. A couple of his works have been auctioned by Christie’s, netting his works astronomical prices rarely seen in the Philippine art scene.)

Charlie agrees that at certain points in their careers, younger artists get influenced by the successful (older) ones, and he views this as necessary stepping stones for their personal growth.   They get inspired by what they’re exposed to, and even if they sometimes copy styles or trademarks, that’s just part of the cycle.  In any case, Charlie says, they all influence each other anyway.

Needless to say, Bacolod for some reason has been nurturing artists of national renown. (And that’s Exhibit No. 2.) And not just visual arts – the award winning director Peque Gallaga, for example, has made this quiet city his base.  There’re also other filmmakers who regularly mine the talents from this pool, like filmmaker Erik Matti.  Actors (including Dennis Ascalon, who straddles both stage and cinema) are given the opportunity to display their thespic talents even outside Manila, the film capital.

Dennis, like Charlie, is leader of the pack.  He’s just finished a show in Manila called “Musical Chairs”, where seats and stools form the creative linchpin.  Statements on the state of Philippine politics, Ascalon’s pieces seem playful at first glance, but convey veiled messages on buck-passing, largess-mining, and power-grabbing.  For example, his “Tower of Power” shows a trio of characters all bent on ascending the apex of power, while “They said, He said, Who Said” is an apt narrative on the blame game.

Ascalon has his funny side too, as we see in “Comfort Chair”, a mixed media piece which shows two couples on a bench.  If you look closely though, one woman has linked her hand with the other half of the other couple.  This interlinkage seems emblematic of Bacolod, as its denizens seem so connected to each other.  Charlie Co is married to the sister of Raymond Legaspi.  Manny Montelibano is the brother of Junjun, who was the student of Peque Gallaga.  Dennis is the youngest brother of this girl I knew in college. And on and on the linkages flow and form.  It’s a tight-knit yet vibrant community, and it’s just as well, because as Dennis says, he takes his inspiration from just this very community.

But there’s a dark side to this city as well.  I pop them the question:  why is it that Bacolod contemporary artists have so much angst?  Why are their paintings so grim?  I cite, for example, Joe Geraldo, who is now on exhibit in the gallery.  Geraldo graduated with a degree in Fine Arts – Advertising from La Consolacion College in Bacolod, and he has been a consistent finalist in national competitions like the Philip Morris art tilt.  Just this year, he won first place in the GSIS Art Awards (Sculpture category.)

Joe creates powerful paintings of hovels and emaciated men, with suffering Jesus Christs and bloody frames.  Charlie responds that, for a lot of them, this is their reality. They are surrounded by poverty. And they reflect that reality in their painting. (Should the angst-filled environment be Exhibit No. 3?)

But of course, not to be fit in this mold are a couple of artists that have been featured in the Freeman before: Raymond Legaspi and Junjun Montelibano.  Raymond’s gorgeous depictions of groovy Bacolod farmers and quirky religious processions have already won him fans, and gotten him named as one of the Ten Exciting New Artists of 2009 by the Phlippine Daily Inquirer.  In turn, Junjun Montelibano has started to create a buzz with his surreal confections of limpid-eyed damsels with over sized heads, whetting appetites for his forthcoming show opening on September 15.  Both Raymond and Junjun belong to Orange’s stable, together with other names to watch out for.

Charlie identifies Manny Montelibano, Junjun’s brother, as definitely a bet.  Manny is a video installation artist who also does stage sets.  Charlie also makes special mention of Gwen Decena, a sculptor, who he’s sure will make waves in the years to come.

The list could go on and on.  Meanwhile, the wise investor should already start stocking up on the rich output from sugarlandia talent.

(Portions of this piece appeared originally in the Freeman’s August 22, 2010 issue, entitled “Sugar Coating.”) ?