Fauna and Friends

CEBU, Philippines - There is nothing shocking or garish about the collection. No brash colors or profane messages.  The one man show of Hilario Romeo 'Doods' Campos, III, entitled 'Fauna and Friends, the Merged', features almost thirty works that could be described as subdued and restrained, but nevertheless, these pieces are vivid, individually powerful statements.

This might be a reflection of the man himself.  Architect by day and artist by night, Doods is soft spoken and unassuming, not given to loud protestations or bombastic speeches.  His presence is, instead, soothing and laid-back, but possessing a quiet force that gives the hint as to how his personality has translated into his restful artworks.

Yet these works are not boring.  Far from it. Each piece in this show is interesting, with the artist capturing the attention with his surprising subjects, the engaging details he embellishes upon the work, and the overall concept he chooses.  For these subjects are monsters, big hairy beasts that hulk over forests and cityscapes, but drawn in such an endearing manner that they verge into the realm of cuteness.  Doods merges ordinary reality with fantastical beings, the commonplace with the magical, and we are taken on an amazing ride that is never frenetic or exhausting.

For example, there is 'Lacson Street', where the main backdrop is the Jollibee franchise in Bacolod City's main street.  But weaving their way through the traffic are giant three-eyed fish, some fuchsia pink, and one orange-dappled carp variety, mingling among the cars on the road.  The ordinariness of the scene has been infused with the most unexpected elements, jolting us into amazement and amusement.

'Bar and Wifi' depicts what could be an ordinary bar, or an internet cafe.  But as we glance inside the window, we realize that among the ordinary customers is a sinister presence that dominates the bar patrons.  This particular canvass is a testament to the architectural background of Doods, as it almost seems like a perspective submitted to a potential client, except for that casual insertion into the frame of a monster.

'Road Bike' is an emerald and lemon yellow porcupiney creature huffing over a bicycle.  Right above it, seemingly egging the beast on, is a hummingbird, whose long proboscis could be stinging it, or sucking nectar from it.  Then there is 'Multi-cab Experience', where a humongous yellow orange chick has taken command of a multi-cab.  Unlike the usual destination of these farm-to-market vehicles, it's this fowl that clearly has control of his fate.

The simply titled "Hi" is an interesting tableau, where three scary mythical creatures face a damsel astride what could be a water lily blossom. There is a piranha, a weasel like roach, and a swine person, all fearsome beings, saying hello to a wisp of a girl, and we are unsure what the reaction will be.  Fight, or flight?  Maybe even friendship?

Mostly, the works are acrylic but the paint is applied so cunningly that they seem to be watercolors.  Doods Campos also includes pen and ink works that are priced almost the same as the colored canvasses.  'Lake Piranhearts' is a favorite, the river that runs through hills dominated not by cliffs, but by gigantic piranhas of such size that they could easily straddle both river banks.

According to the write-up provided by the premier Orange Gallery, this show "is a series of questions clothed in illustrations that somehow explores the possibility of the merging of all probable worlds, both existing and mythical...  Campos gives in to the manifestations of earlier imaginations developed close to the earth in shades of basic colors, crayon colors representative of the more innocent times of his youth.  A fascination that feeds the need to create and recreate fantastical creatures of his own invention, away from existing pegs and free from the limitations of size and shape and even from notions of mistakes.  The message is quite straightforward; in this world it is better to expect the unexpected."

Indeed, the unexpected is what we should expect from this artist, who is a partner in Frasso Inc., an architectural firm based in Bacolod City.  Doods Campos is making full use of his license, as he actively designs residences and commercial centers in the city.  He proudly points to Quince, the modern Asian complex where the newest Calea cafe is located and which has become a new landmark for foodies, as a product of his firm.  Doods is also a present director of the United Architects of the Philippines, Bacolod chapter.

An alumnus of La Consolacion College-School of Architecture, Doods has kept his artistic career active by participating in various shows, both in Bacolod and Manila.  He has also tried his hand out at tee-shirt designing and hand painting on sneakers.

Prior to this, his fifth show, he had two solo exhibitions in the Negros Museum in 2010, Nobody Told Me and Invasion, and two in Orange Gallery (The Way I See Things and  Namit-Namit).  Of course, this here is his latest triumph, and viewers at opening night plead to bring home their purchases despite the fact that the show still has a month to run.

Before the gallerina in charge turns into the monster-in-residence, Doods relents, and soon, beaming patrons from Manila have their purchases all wrapped up.  With this much adoration, it won't be long before Doods will be inspired to spontaneously spawn another show.  Maybe next time, he'll give birth to a different set of fauna from the creatures in this collection.  Then, we look forward to meeting his new imaginary friends.

(Fauna and Friend will be featured at Gallery Orange, Bacolod City for a month from January 11, 2014.) (FREEMAN)