Mariano Ching will showcase a series of his work using acrylic paintings on paper, canvas and metal signages on July 15, 2009 at Silverlens Gallery. In his show Dead Ends and False Starts, he depicts a dreamer and his desire for utopia in a post-apocalyptic world and presents a silver lining despite decay and obsolescence.
Ching transports us to a manmade wasteland, set in a dystopic world. He creates meticulously detailed tableau-like Mounds of discarded things—from rubble, brick and bones to old tires, TV sets and video games. These Mounds are piled in neat layers, monuments that pay homage to the detritus' previous meaning and purpose. He also introduces Moles, a series of drawings of decaying people spewing rainbows, some projecting visions of greener pastures and some bleeding the objects they hold on to. They are living zombies, empty and without purpose only left with a vision of utopia.
He builds a commentary on consumption and wastage, how we in effect create or destroy our own world. Ching leaves us open-ended without a solution or an ending to the narrative. He evokes polar sentiments, of cynicism and optimism about what the future holds.
Dead Ends and False Starts by Mariano Ching will run until August 8, 2009 and will be shown alongside Sundance by Kawayan de Guia, Neal Oshima, Allan Razo and Julius Clar at Silverlens Gallery and Land of Promise by Gail Vicente and Marija Vicente at 20Square Gallery.
As a related gallery activity, the film In The Realms of the Unreal: The Mystery of Henry Darger will be shown on July 25, Silverlens Gallery, from 3-5PM. Silverlens Gallery is located at 2/F YMC Bldg. II, 2320 Pasong Tamo Ext., Makati. For inquiries email manage@silverlensphoto.com or log on to www.silverlensphoto.com.