Ramon Orlina's translucent life

When I started learning to appreciate art a few years ago, one of the last things I learned was how to appreciate sculpture – particularly works that are not explicitly figurative like many of Ramon Orlina’s pieces. For me, it was easy to appreciate the beauty of or the skill involved in creating a sculpture that clearly depicted a person or an object, like Michelangelo’s David or the stretched figures of Giacometti. But once the piece tended towards the abstract, I could no longer understand it.

At home, my mom has an Orlina titled "Mother and Child." Every time I used to see it I would think to myself: "Mother and Child? Where? It does look nice, but I can’t see it." Until one day when I just happened to glance at it and then I saw it – a figure of a mother embracing her baby. It was an epiphany!

I’ve known Ramon for a couple of years now, but we have never taken the time to discuss his art. A brief glimpse into Orlina’s mind will show you his theories, motivations, techniques and inspirations. It will allow you to revisit his art with a better understanding of what actually goes behind each sculptural piece. I urge you to visit his upcoming exhibit if only to appreciate his skill, and the nuances and subtle beauty of his work.

Ramon Orlina is an artist deeply passionate about his art and truly proud of what he has accomplished. Rightfully so. After all, it is not every day that one is able to successfully create a new art form.

Miguel Ramos: When did you know you had a talent for art?

Ramon Orlina: I’ve always liked art. I always thought I was good at drawing. Even when I was young, I already liked to draw, especially from comics. In my generation everybody read comics…maybe not people your age anymore…

Why? How old are you?

Oh, I’m sorry…you’re right…in my "mother’s generation" everybody read comics. Actually there were really many artists who were influenced by comics, especially among those of my parents’ age. That’s what we used to draw, so every week I would buy Tagalog Klasiks, Liwayway, Pilipino and Especial Komiks.

Were there any family influences?

My uncle Jim M. Fernandez was actually the creator of "Zuma." Siguro naman kilala mo iyon (I suppose you know who that is)! And then my great-grandfather was known as Antonio Pintor. His real name was Antonio Medina and he lived in Taal, Batangas where my family comes from. He would paint scenes and landscapes on room panel dividers. The other thing he used to do – and I did not know this until after I became an artist – was to cut glass! Imagine, this was at the turn of the century and he was already cutting glass using diamonds. That’s why his old house, instead of the usual capiz windows you would normally find in provinces, had glass windows.

So he was ahead of his time.

Yes he was, in more ways than one because he lived until 90 years old and also got married three times!

So all his influences run in the blood… not just the art…

No, no, no! Baka may makarinig sa iyo! (Somebody might hear you)! Just art! But actually maybe his influence runs in other things as well because I became an artist…and I work on glass without knowing that he used to do it, too. And actually one of his children also married three times…so malakas talaga dugo niya (he must have strong influences on us)!

So what made you go from architecture to art full time?

I should thank Marcos. When he declared martial law, I lost all my clients! We started with five people…then four …then three…then two…until I had to close down the firm because we had no business. So when I was deciding what to do next, I decided to pursue my love of art. It was a good thing that I was single, because if I had been married back then, I would have needed a regular salary. I don’t think I could have become an artist.

Well, do what you love and the money will follow, right?

I agree with the do-what-you-love part. I don’t know about the money! Everyone actually found it funny that I became an artist. We were in a reunion about two years ago and our old professors were there. My old classmates asked me, "Mon, why did you become an artist? We’re all architects and now you’re an artist! How come?" I said, "Well, I think you all know who was exempted from the freehand drawing pre-lims finals!"

You see, one of our subjects was freehand drawing. Normally, architecture is very mechanical; you have a triangle or a t-square. You can actually be an architect and not know how to draw. This class was freehand drawing and during the pre-lims finals the professor said, "Orlina…you can go home." So I looked up and said, "Sir? Me?" He said, "Yes. Orlina, go home." So at the reunion, my classmates asked our Prof. Jose Villanueva why I was exempted. And he said, "What was the point in his taking the exam? I knew he could draw already, it was no use for him to do the exam."

You probably made a great impression on him.

I think I made a good first impression, because on the first day of class he put a block, a pyramid and a sphere on his desk. He told us all to take out a pencil and paper and said "draw what you see from where you are sitting…as you see it." So, I started drawing, no big deal. At that time I was sitting beside the window and I really liked the (Volkswagen) Beetle. So I would look out the window and I was looking at this Beetle and I was drawing it on the side. And Professor Villanueva went to me and said, "You…what are you doing" because I was staring out the window. And I said, "Me, sir? Finished, sir." So he said, "Finished?" and he got my drawing and looked at it. I was getting nervous. Then he went to the front of the class and said, "Class, this is how I want you to do it!" Nagulat ako (I was amazed)! I didn’t even really try that hard but I guess he thought it was good. That was the time I realized that maybe I was really pretty good. Before that, I just enjoyed drawing and knew I was okay.

So you were better at freehand than mechanical drawing?

Yes, I was. I am not very "mechanical," but my science and architecture background is very important. It’s a big help to me now because when I create big works, I can design them in such a way that they will stand up or we can put lights and so on. If you don’t have the science and architectural background, you don’t know the practical limitations of your artwork. You might have a good design but if it cannot be built then you will have a problem. In architecture, function is as important as the design; it’s no good if it doesn’t work.

So after you decided to be an artist, how did you find your medium? Why glass?

I wanted to do something different. I started painting on glass using enamel-based paints. I chose glass because architecture is basically a lot of steel and glass, so I’ve always had a fascination of and love for these materials. Even when I was making houses I was fascinated with glass. I liked mirrors because they widen the space. So I started experimenting. Believe it or not, my first works on glass were portraits. I would paint on the back of the glass but I would have to do the process backwards. Normally, in portraiture, you would draw the outline first, then the eyes, then hair and shadows. I had to do it backwards. I would start with the pupils, the shadows and then work my way out because I was painting on the back of the glass.

Were you an instant success?

Absolutely not. In 1975, I thought I was ready to sell my works. I went to two galleries and applied for a one-man show. At that time, there weren’t many galleries yet. When they asked me what I did, I didn’t want to tell them because I knew my work was unique. So I just said it was something unique, but the galleries wanted to see it before they did a show. But I didn’t want them to see them so I said I was still working on it. Their answer was "just come back because we are fully booked for two years."

Finally, there was a gallery at the Hyatt. The assistant of the curator there was the girlfriend of my cousin. Her name was Didi Gener. My cousin talked to her and asked if they could get me to do a show. She called me up and agreed to do a show with me without my having to reveal my product. I was very happy!

And that was the beginning?

Not yet. I needed money for the materials and framing. So I asked Didi if I could bring two works to the gallery to sell because I needed the money. She agreed and I brought two pieces: One was 3 feet x 4 feet and the other was 30 x 30 inches. One of these works was called "Major Arcana Two of Wands."

Tarot cards?

Yes, the title is from Tarot cards. Actually I have a strong ESP. I can see things. Like the time I was driving very early in the morning to Batangas and I had a very strong feeling that something bad was going to happen. We were held up and they took my Dad’s car. Or when I was still very young, we were in my mother’s old house in Taal, Batangas. When I looked up I saw this person looking at my cousin. So I looked away and then looked again. Wala na siya (He was not there anymore)! That’s why I don’t sleep there in my mother’s house. I’m too scared! And that room we sleep in, the toilet is very far from the bed. So my cousins and I were all afraid to go to the bathroom at night. What we would do was just open the window and do it there!

Why the reference to Tarot cards?

I use the Tarot cards to tell fortune. Sometimes I have friends who, 20 or 25 years later, tell me, "Mon, remember that time you read my fortune? Everything came true!" Of course, I don’t remember what I said 20 or 25 years ago because I tell them simply whatever I see in the cards. I was really interested in hula (fortune telling) even before because all girls are interested in hula!!!

And that’s the influence of Antonio Pintor!

That’s right! That’s right! That’s Antonio Pintor! And you know if you are just talking to a girl, kailangan ka pang mambola (you have to make up stories). But if you know how to tell fortune and you could say, "I want to see your future…let me see your palm…" then you can touch her hand! If you talk to her you’re just using one sense, but if you can touch her – that’s better, it’s two senses! "You know I think you will fall in love. You will fall in love with someone who tells fortune."

Definitely Antonio Pintor.

And that’s why I didn’t get married early! Just to show you that I have a strong ESP, the painting I brought to Didi – "Major Arcana Two of Wands" – that Tarot card refers to someone scientific like a doctor or a scientist. After I delivered the painting, five minutes after I left a certain Dr. George Hodel walked into the gallery and bought my painting. That was the first painting I ever sold. So my painting which referred to a scientific person was immediately bought by a doctor who was involved in research. I don’t know, maybe it was just coincidence or maybe I really have some kind of ESP.

How did your relationship with Republic Glass start?

Republic Glass noticed my work because I was experimenting with glass. They got in touch with me and invited me to talk about what I had learned from my research. They also asked me to bring in some of my works. I think they were impressed and they said, "Mr. Orlina, we want to give you a scholarship. Anywhere you want to study for two to three years. If you do not have money, all you have to do is call us and we will send you the money." Nagulat ako (I was amazed)! After one week I went back to them and said, "Thank you very much but I am not accepting the offer." I thought it was too good to be true and I didn’t want to owe Republic Glass so much. Walang walang kapalit (nothing comes free).

So they said: "What do you want?" Well, I don’t want to punch in and punch out. That’s precisely why I became an artist so that I wouldn’t have a boss. Like when I was in Arguelles I saw many people who were very good designers but they couldn’t leave because they had an apartment or a car to pay for or children to support. And they needed a regular salary, unable to go on their own. Part of the reason I was single was because I did not want to depend on a monthly salary. And because medyo mahilig pa tayo sa chicks noon (I was still interested in girls then).

What did you say to Republic Glass?

I said I wanted to see their factory and know what glass is all about. I didn’t know how to make glass. I can only work on the material if I know how to make it and if I know as much as I can about it. Drawing and concepts are easy. But how you will bring life to those concepts is difficult. You need to know your medium. And I also asked for P1,500 allowance per month so that I didn’t have to worry about my architectural practice anymore. Also, one of the things I asked for was that whatever I developed was is mine but I would always give credit to Republic Glass - which by the way is now Asahi Glass Philippines.

But you know it was good that I did not study abroad because I was not influenced by anybody. If I studied abroad, second-rate glass blower siguro ako ngayon (I would be a second-rate glass blower). Or I would be casting glass because that was what I would learn have learned abroad. I did not have a master, I did not have any standards to follow. Nobody taught me. I had to develop my own standards.

So how did you end up doing glass sculptures from painting on glass?

When I was in the factory, I noticed the cullets – those things there (pointing to his workshop) that look like big glass rocks. Cullets are the broken and waste glass that they have when they drain the glass refineries. Glass is made in furnaces which run continuously for seven years at 2,800 degrees. After that they need to be shut down and everything needs to be replaced – the bricks, the flooring, everything. When they drain the refinery, there is leftover glass. Those are the cullets. That’s where the idea of glass sculpture came from.

Silahis was your first project. How did it happen?

You know, I could never have done that work without my architectural background because the heat from the lights needs ventilation and the lights have to be serviceable. Anyway, it was 1976 and Lor (Calma) called me and told me that he liked my glass paintings and asked if I wanted to make a mural for the lobby of the Silahis Hotel. I told him that I had a sculpture that I was developing. You know I have a funny story about that Silahis sculpture. I met a girl in the hotel who I think was Ukranian. Anyway, I said: "I’m an artist. Do you want to see my work?" And she said: "Yes, I would love to." So I brought her to the sculpture. She looked at it for a very long time and said, "Oh my God. Your sculpture is very orgasmic!"

But why did you start with abstract especially because you started with figurative paintings and the influence of Antonio Pintor had you interested in different figures with different nationalities?

My early works were very prismatic and abstract partly because I did not have the tools or the knowledge that I do today. At that time, the only thing I could do with glass was cut, grind, smooth and polish. I didn’t know how to carve glass. I was still new to the material and needed to develop the techniques and the tools. But as you work on it every day you learn more and you develop your own techniques. I even developed my own diamond tools to cut the glass.

So you could basically cut only in straight lines?

Yes. Then after that I learned how to use sandblasting, before anyone used it for etching, etc. I actually had plenty of orders before for sandblasting but I didn’t want to do it because it’s really dangerous. When you do sandblasting, the glass particles float in the air. If that gets into your lungs you will get silicosis. That’s why now, whenever I do anything with the glass, there is always water so that the glass doesn’t go into my lungs. When I used to do sandblasting I even had a suit. I looked like an astronaut. Both me and my assistant. Mine even had an "aircon." Pero siya wala (But my assistant didn’t have one). And then the suit only goes up to your waist. So the problem was this part (pointing to his upper torso) was airconditioned but the bottom (pointing to his legs) was not!

When did you finally achieve critical acclaim?

The first critic to notice my work was Leo Benesa. As a matter of fact, he told me in 1980 to join a show called "Trends in Sculpture." That was at the MOPA (Museum of Philippine Arts). I told him, "but I am not included on the list of invited participants." He told me to go see Petty Benitez who I think was then director of the MOPA. "Go see Petty and I will back you up. You should be included because you have your own trend," he said. So I went to see Petty and by some miracle I was included. But when I was included I was put upstairs together with the experimental artists! You know, everyone had a room. (Napoleon) Abueva had a room and all the artists had their own rooms. Me…my glass sculptures were in a room with leaves, sand and rocks!

So you were with all the installation art?

Yeah. I was thinking, what am I doing here? But it was okay because during the show, Sharon Simon passed by. Sharon Simon owns a gallery in Paris and another one in Texas. When she went to see the show, she said: "I want to buy the two works of Orlina."

She wanted to buy the Orlinas and not the leaves and the rocks?

No, no, no…she only wanted to buy my two sculptures. So Petty calls me and says somebody wants to buy my sculptures. I said I could only sell one as the other was part of my personal collection – it was a Mother and Child – because I entered it in a competition in Monte Carlo and it made the finals. So I told Sharon Simon that if I had another show I would inform her, but she did buy my other work. Later that year I had a one-man show and sold only four pieces out of 24 or 25. But Sharon bought 10 or 12 pieces from that show. Of those pieces she bought, those are the ones that came out in Playboy.

You said that it was a good thing you didn’t have a master so that you could develop your own techniques. Does anyone else do what you do around the world?

Actually there are other artists who use the cold technique. You see there are two ways to work with glass. There’s the hot technique and the cold technique. In the hot technique, you are making the glass by glass blowing or casting it while it is still hot. In my case, I use the cold technique which means the glass has already solidified. It is no different from rock, granite or wood. In a sense, I am actually doing sculpture and not blowing or casting.

There are other artists who also use this technique. The only difference is that they cannot do things as big as I do. Their sculptures are much smaller. The reason is because nobody else has the cullets in the size I have them. This is because Republic Glass actually needs to shut down a refinery for at least two months after they drain it so that they can anneal the glass. That means they have to slow cool the glass. You cannot let the glass cool quickly because if it is cold outside and hot inside, the cullet will shatter. Also, when you anneal it, the glass is a lot harder. For example, if you hit this (pointing to the table), it will shatter. My glass will not. It might chip, but it won’t shatter. It’s solid because of the annealing process.

But you still have to know how to cut it.

Yes, of course. Because glass also has grains inside. When you shine a light into the glass, you will see the lines. So you need to know where to cut it, otherwise hihiwalay iyan (it will separate). Sometimes I make a mistake and I start seeing the crack. When that happens I already raise my feet off the floor because I know the glass will crack and that’s very heavy and has very sharp edges. That happens only about once a year! Honestly, sometimes you really don’t know where to cut it and you just have to guess, you sometimes guess wrong and so the round hole I wanted to make will just have to be U-shaped instead!

But happy accidents are part of art.

Yes, that’s true. Sometimes the best designs come from accidental discoveries or experiments. Sometimes you learn from other people and sometimes it is just experience. Like the grains and lines of the glass, I learned that in Czechoslovakia when I traveled there. You know, travel is really important when you are an artist because you get exposed to other cultures and you can also learn from other artists.

Why is the glass green?

Glass is green because of the iron content in the silica. The thicker the glass, the more green it becomes because there is more iron. The glass I use now is lighter in color because the silica is from Australia. The silica that comes from Palawan has a higher iron content and is darker green. They can actually decolorize glass to take out the color by removing the silica. They do this for bottles.

Crystal is a kind of glass also. It "tings" because of what they do…you know, like a crystal would have "25% lead"? That means instead of silica they used lead. That’s metallic. That’s why it "tings." And also the crystal is clearer because the lead doesn’t contain iron. But the manufacturing process is the same, it’s just the ingredients that they change.

Can’t we do that here?

It’s hard to advance in technology here because the equipment is so expensive. Actually they have techniques also where they can change the color of the glass by using bronze or gold instead of the silica. The other advantage of the hot technique is that you can actually choose the color of your glass because you are making the glass yourself, like Bohemian glass in Czechoslovakia or Murano in Italy. For us here, we just have to content ourselves with cut, grind, smooth and polish for now. In Italy and Czechoslovakia they already have the technology to do the glass without the iron content. That makes the glass clearer, you don’t have to decolorize it and it is easier to apply your own color. Even companies like Lalique and Baccarat they have their own formulas. You know those ceramics are also just a form of glass.

You first achieved critical success in Singapore?

Yes. As I said, the critics were really not minding my work probably because they didn’t understand what I was doing. And then Leo Benesa, who was the only person who really believed in me, passed away! So there was nobody left! Not many people understand glass. Glass makers are known as "arcanist" from the word "arcane" which means they have a secret – a secret method to make glass. So how will people understand it if it is a secret? The people who really appreciate my work are the people who understand what I do. They are more appreciative.

It has been said that you elevated glass sculpture from craft to art. What’s the difference?

Well, I think if you look at Lalique or Baccarat, that is a craft because they are designed by people and then the craftsmen cast it and then serialize it. All my designs are one of a kind. Actually I cannot repeat my work, even my photography. There is a moment that, when captured, cannot be repeated.

You know, glass is transparent so it is much harder to work with than something opaque or something you cannot see through. Not only do you have to design it so that it looks good all around, but you have to think about what one side will look like from the other side because you can see through the glass.

The Ningning series…where did you get the inspiration? That’s your daughter’s name, isn’t it?

Yes, it is. Actually, Ningning was a 1988 show. And the inspiration really was because my daughter at that time was breastfeeding. That’s where the inspiration came from. Some people at that time were even asking me if Lay Ann’s (Orlina’s wife) nickname was Ningning. And one of the first people I showed Ningning to was (Napoleon) Abueva. So I asked him: "What do you think of this?" And he said: "Maganda pero nawalan ka ng time kaya gumawa ka na lang ng para sa iyo (It’s nice but you ran out of time so you have to make your own)!"

Ningning’s real name is…

Monina, which comes from Ramon.

And your other children?

The eldest is Naesa, which comes from ASEAN read backwards. And Anna we named after my grandmother; she is actually the one with artistic talents among my children. And our son is Michael.

Where did you get his name?

When Lay Ann was pregnant, Anna said, "Oh the new baby is a boy we have to call him Michael." So after Lay Ann gave birth we were thinking of a name and Anna really wanted Michael.

How about Lay Ann, she’s Malaysian right?

Yes, she is. She’s a lawyer like you. She studied in England and when she took the bar examination there, she had the highest ever score for a Malaysian in the English bar.

Wow…we are in the same profession, but I wasn’t nearly the highest…so we’re still different! How did you meet?

When I was working in Singapore for two years, my visa to Singapore was only good for 14 days. So every two weeks I had to go to Kuala Lumpur or back here. So when I was talking to my friend in KL, I asked if there was anyone I could go out with just for the weekend. He said, "No problem! You can go out with my house mate." Then he said, "You know, she’s the one who cleans your sculpture." So I was thinking…house maid? He must really think I am desperate! It turns out, it was "house mate"! I really thought he said "house maid." So that’s how we met. And my two days in KL became one week! Tapos araw-araw flowers! Alam mo naman Pilipino parang machine gun (And I sent her flowers everyday. You know Filipinos, they are like machine guns)!

If you didn’t become an artist, what would you have done?

I think maybe a composer or a musician. I took piano lessons for five to six years when I was young. But then I stopped. I only started playing again – but only by ear – when I was in first-year college. Music is good. In some ways, it is better than art because it has no boundaries. It can be easily appreciated and enjoyed by everybody.

But art can be enjoyed by everyone as well, you don’t have to buy art to enjoy it.

Yes, but you have to go to a museum or if a private collector buys the piece then nobody will see it anymore. Actually the best kind of sculpture is public sculpture because you don’t have to go to a museum. For example, if you want to see "Parisian Life," you simply have to go to the GSIS. But in other countries, they really have public sculptures and the best part in this case is that your sculpture becomes part of the environment. Here, most of our public sculptures are commemorative – Ninoy, Rizal, Bonifacio. Not like abroad where art is displayed for art’s sake. Here you have a sculpture like the one that (Arturo) Luz made…the cube…one Christmas I saw it with a ribbon around it! We still have a long way to go.

Have you done all that you set out to do?

No. I think I am still a beginner. There is still so much more to do. My art will still develop and change. It will still evolve. I am now experimenting with fiber optics. That’s also glass you know. But the costs are still too expensive. You can still change the colors of the glass…there is blowing…casting… you don’t even have to use cullets. You need new media and directions in art, otherwise it becomes repetitive. That’s why now they do installation art. And when I was in Europe you really see stones that do not look like anything but after looking at them for a long time, you will see the pattern. Or you see a table and when you put your ear to it, you will hear a sound, you don’t know where it is coming from. But it will make you think.

How do Filipino artists compare to artists abroad?

Filipino artists are very creative. We are better than, say, the Singaporeans who today don’t have very many good artists. But Singapore has the money. I was lucky to find people who supported me and I had the opportunity to travel a lot. You need exposure abroad, in Europe and Asia. If all you see is local, then you will not improve. You need to expand. We are very parochial. Singapore brings in Guggenheim exhibits and works by the masters. Their museum is climate-controlled. We cannot afford that so the museums abroad will not bring their exhibits here because they are afraid the art might get damaged. Singaporeans don’t even need to go to Manila to see a Manansala or a Kiukok; they have it there. And you have to experience the art in person. Books and pictures are not enough.

I agree. When you see a Monet in a book you say "nice." But when you see a real Monet like the ones in Musee d’Orsay you will appreciate why Monet is, well, Monet!

But we really have the talent. Unfortunately, we don’t have the money. But look at the history of Indonesian art – it is almost parallel in development to ours. And actually now because of Sotheby’s and Christie’s, a lot of the Indonesian art is being returned from Europe back to Indonesia. Same thing for the Philippines. Some of the Amorsolos and Manansalas that were out of the country can find their way back here.

Speaking of Sotheby’s and Christie’s, do you have any comments on the recent Juan Luna controversy?

I do…but that’s a long story…ibang interview na yon (that’s another interview)!

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Ramon Orlina’s Transluscent Life runs from November 19-30, 2002 at Gallery Nine, Artwalk, Level 4, SM Megamall Building A. Call 687-7302. For more on Ramon Orlina, check out www.orlinaonline.com. For comments, email me at omniumg@yahoo.com.