More Monti

The life and works of Italian sculptor Francesco Monti interested a lot of readers last week. A good number wrote to point out other Montis that have survived the last half century. This is a letter from Dr. T.M. Topacio Jr., Professor Emeritus and former dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of the Philippines:

"Dear Mr. Alcazaren:

 "I always read your feature articles in City Sense in the Philippine STAR. Although I am a veterinarian by profession, I appreciate beautiful buildings and you always feature them in your articles.

 "In the November 5 issue of the STAR where you featured ‘Monumental Monti,’ I saw his creation called ‘Homage to Agriculture,’ which shows the Philippine carabao with a beautiful lady astride the animal. I would like to think that Monti interpreted the carabao as the symbol of Philippine agriculture and the lady represented the Philippines. It is indeed a fitting homage to our country. It was mentioned that this work of Monti was erected in Bacolod. Can you please tell me where it is located there? I would like to see this original work.

 "I would like to inform you that there is an exact replica of Monti’s work installed in the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) offices on Visayas Ave., Diliman, Quezon City. The replica was formerly  installed at the original building of the BAI in Nagtahan, Pandacan, Manila, before World War II. The BAI was transferred to its present site. The replica of the Monti homage was likewise transferred. On the 75th anniversary of the BAI, the Monti homage was permanently installed with appropriate ceremonies as its symbol.  Visitors were asking who designed the homage. Nobody knew the answer. I found the answer when I read your article. I will relay this to the director of the BAI so that Monti will be given due recognition even if it’s only a replica. But I hope you can inform me where the original is located.

 "Thank you and I wish you continuing success in your work."

 Thank you, Dr. Topacio. The Monti sculpture is located in the plaza in front of the old provincial capitol building in Bacolod City. Thank you, too, for the information on the homage. I will relay it to Prof. Boots Herrera. By the way, the Monti exhibit is in Bacolod and it will move on to Iloilo after that.

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Another letter I received from Architect E. Garrido is more general but also refers to the homage paid:         

"Greetings from Honolulu:

"Your article ‘Monumental Monti’ appropriately pays homage to a man that has contributed a lot to Manila’s public arts and urban spaces.

"I just came back from a 12-day trip to Washington, D.C. (Oct. 21 to Nov. 1) as part of the program I am currently attending here at the East-West Center in Honolulu, and this trip has given me another opportunity to view the city from a visitor/non-Washingtonian perspective.

"A guided tour by one of our program officers (who is also a certified Washington, D.C. tour conductor) reinforced my previous view of the city as the best-planned city in the world built mostly during the modern era. My claim would lead to endless discussion if I would try to expound on it. But let me just give a few examples: the DuPont Circle, where my hotel is located, is one of the seven circles that appear in the original L’Enfant’s plan for Washington, D.C. Today the neighborhood maintains its historic character, the same most likely with others in D.C., with row houses, mansions, and office buildings from around the 1870s onwards still neatly maintained.

"The DuPont Circle is landmarked by a fountain created by the architect Henry Bacon and the sculptor Daniel Chester French, who also made the beautiful sculpture now prominently located at The Mall near Capitol Hill. These indicate, among many others, that in the planning and development of the city, they paid a lot of attention and consideration to the concepts of its creators, planners, designers, sculptors, architects and other artists. A road crossing the Mall between Washington and Lincoln Memorials, I found out, is named after Henry Bacon, who was the architect of the Lincoln Memorial and was a sculptor also. It is depressing to know where Manila is at now, considering that Daniel H. Burnham is common to both these cities. Also equally depressing is that we tend to forget individuals like Monti, who contributed a lot to our public spaces.

"Thanks for writing about Monti and continuously reminding us of the state of our urban spaces in the Philippines."

Thank you, E.G. Washington is truly magnificent but Manila should have been as majestic if not for the war and the lack of will. Public art and sculpture is making a great comeback in the United States and Europe. Here, although we have had a number of new statues installed, they generally need better settings and larger open spaces (blessed with trees and landscaping) than is usually provided. Many installations have to make do with street islands and leftover space.

Our public sculpture should be conserved. Work by old masters like Tolentino, Monti, Caedo, Mendoza and pre-war artists abound in our cities and towns. Many have been damaged and neglected, or worse, torn down to be replaced by billboards or useless structures.

Our cities could use an Art Commission like those in Washington, D.C. and New York, that review all proposals for public sculpture and make sure that public spaces and civic buildings are blessed, not blighted. Embellishment is part of Pinoy culture. Filipino architects, urban designers and landscape architects should try to rediscover embellishment and articulation in motifs applied even to modern architecture. Enough of this minimalist nonsense! Let our emotions show and share it with everyone. Monti was Italian but we share the Italians’ lust for life and art. To deny this would be to deny our own culture.

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Feedback is welcome. Please e-mail the writer at paulo.alcazaren@gmail.com.