Camille Ver’s ‘URBN’ at Galerie Stephanie

MANILA, Philippines - Urban spaces are rife with potential for the resolute abstractionist. Camille Ver, in her sixth one-woman show, explores these possibilities through acrylic works interspersed with illustrated details. Taking her cue from the urban environment, her latest exhibition titled “URBN” opens on Feb. 8 at Galerie Stephanie in Libis.

“URBN” takes Ver’s audience through a distortion of the city, similar to how a dedicated practitioner bobs and weaves into, under and around metropolitan crags and edifices. Though the reference point is a large metropolis, Ver intends it not to reflect a single specific place –– rather, her works represent an archetype of cityscapes so that we are treated to a collage of familiar sites that are neither here nor there. The broader composition of acrylic is layered with technical lines, endowing the artwork with an architectural perspective, bringing detail and order to an otherwise blurred form. In Ver’s oeuvre, these lines are framing elements that contextualize the compositions as works exploring the urban perspective while remaining true to the sensibilities of abstraction within the realm of visual art.

In works such as “Underground Passage,” Ver articulates the transition from one geographic site to another, mirroring, perhaps, the excitement of a journey and the euphoria of its conclusion. For “Reflections,” Ver opens up the mirror-image of a city vista, similar to how urbanscapes are reflected against bodies of water. The paradox of the quiet mountain landscape against the noise and verve of the city is evident Ver’s bold, almost reckless strokes.

The show is on view until Feb. 21.

Galerie Stephanie is at Unit 1B Parc Plaza Building, 183 E. Rodriguez Avenue (C-5), Libis, Quezon City. Call 709-1488, e-mail galeriestephanie@yahoo.com, or visit www.galeriestephanie.com.