Iwas not a " creative " writing or " literature major in college  although those two subjects were immensely integrated into my course work. I majored in Visual and Communication Arts. While I merely dabbled in studio art in exchange for honing my proficiency to develop into the writer I am today, my first love will always and forever be art. Some people invest in the stock market. I invest in local couture and pieces for my art collection. I used to favor Art Nouveau, but after a global pilgrimage to both illustrious and offbeat galleries and two very fulfilling and enlightening experiences internships at the Ateneo Art Gallery and the Ayala Museum, I’ve come to realize that modern and contemporary art possess the power to strike a chord in my soul, one that’s only been previously tickled by notions of true love.
It sounds awfully romanticized, but what the artistically unapprised don’t understand about art is that while a certain aesthetic is usually involved, it is about so much more than representation. To the trained eye, art does more than imitate life; it creates it by extracting specific feelings from the observer. Whether the pieces evoke humor, suffering, desire or disgust, it is this exact power to unlock the spectator’s emotions and challenge his imagination that makes art so damn irresistible to me.
This summer, I would like to implore my fellow artsy fartsies (and even art newbies) to explore the work that Manila artists have to offer. Whether your search takes you to high-end, online or cul-de-sac galleries, be prepared for the sensory expedition that these local artists have constructed for you to indulge in. When you go and have a look, make sure you open more than just your eyes. I assure you that once the journey is over, you’ll understand that for these (and every other) artists, art is more than something to look at. It is something that helps you see.
| Yes, it’s F-ing political! |
27+20’s design duo, Nico Puertollano and Katwo Librando (yup, she’s the one who used to slam-dance with a megaphone onstage for Narda) have collaborated to open their first show, called "Vote for Sale." The exhibit in Saguijo’s Theo Gallery is a paradoxical portrayal of politics versus pop culture. Nico’s skateboard art features "a dirty ménage-a-trois of politics, skateboarding and our pre-Hispanic language." Boards are painted and stenciled with words in
alibata, patterns composed of the peso symbol and colors of the Philippine flag, all destined to grind against the asphalt streets of a city on the decline. Paired with Nico’s boards are Katwo’s hilarious caricature illustrations of celebrities portrayed on pseudo-political campaign posters. Katwo’s work pokes fun at society’s irrepressible fascination with famous persons and blatant aloofness when it comes to pressing socioeconomic issues that actually do have very grave consequences. Both adorable and absurd, these improbable juxtapositions "speak of a world where The Cute is placed side by side with The Propaganda, a celebrity culture which seduces our sensibilities and exploits or suspension of disbelief while we slowly submit our will to political apathy and think that we can’t deny ourselves this form of shallow entertainment." "Vote for Sale" is a perfectly executed satire that brings current political issues to light in a remarkably whimsical and poignant collection.
Check out 27+20’s "Vote for Sale" exhibit at the Theo Gallery of Café Saguijo, Guijo St., San Antonio Village, Makati City.
Celebrated scenester, contemporary artist and CCP 13 Artists Awards 2003 winner Kiko Escora is no stranger to the art world. His artwork has certainly left an unwavering imprint on both the local and international market, and has been shown at galleries and museums in Malaysia, Singapore, Korea, Thailand and all over Manila. Kiko’s distinctive ability to silently observe the driving forces behind everyday human interaction and reproduce them in visually seductive and arresting pieces have undoubtedly placed him among top-ranking luminaries in contemporary art. Kiko’s pieces coerce observers to scrutinize the countless facades that naturally come into play when we interact with one another, and confront viewers with hidden truths revealed only by the subtleties of body language and facial reactions. His work is an uncompromising exposé of the darker nature behind human emotions, revealing to observers the uncanny beauty of our vulnerability to instincts we cannot control.
"My work deals mostly with the interaction, or lack of it, among individuals," Kiko says. "All of us, in varying degrees, experience these situations. My own experience as a participant observer of these ‘rituals’ often becomes the germ for most of my work."
The artist’s latest exhibit, titled "Map of the Problematique," features mystifying charcoal portraits of the dark and lovely denizens of Manila’s underground nightlife. While each piece features an exceptionally unconventional personality, all together they make the collection as a whole radiate with a beauty so strangely compelling and powerful that it shines through the protective veneer of curtain-like bangs, oversized dark glasses, Kohl-lined eyes, bandana-covered faces and shroud-like hoodies.
Catch "Map of the Problematique" at the Drawing Room Gallery, Metrostar Bldg., 1007 Metropolitan Ave., Makati City.
It’s no secret that the Philippines is teeming with a multitude of talented artists just waiting to be discovered. However, during attempts to produce an amazing, inimitable artistic tour de force that could garner them superstar status, a lot of them are rendered stagnant by Quixotic ideals and oftentimes forget that good art is as much about creating new perspectives on existing realities as it is about constructing entirely new ones. This is the driving philosophy behind many of today’s promising artists studying Multimedia Arts at La Salle’s College of Saint Benilde. The common thread between recent exhibits held by several of these students lies in their uncanny gift to re-examine existing elements of everyday life that are often overlooked by most people. Among those to watch are multifaceted artists Franco Ocampo, Alex Pelayo and Ryan Tan. These urban adventurers don’t fit your conventional definition of "the next big thing" because their work doesn’t aim to do that. They are renegade artists who, despite their contrasting styles, share a predilection for capturing the beauty that glimmers through the seemingly harsh and gritty realties of today.
"We believe that we can all relate these to our everyday lives," says Franco. "We can always choose to see the negative in things, but if we want to make life brighter and easier, we should choose to see the colors of life… it’s really what you choose to see."
Franco’s meticulous eye for the unconventional is made evident in his graphically enhanced photographs that reveal the colors, patterns and rhythm produced by the city dwellers and industrial structures that make up the urban landscape. Alex’s vivid and inventive use of color manipulation brings out a beautifully supernatural element to ordinary photographs of nature, giving onlookers a haunting perspective on familiar images. Ryan’s paintings, though abstract, display very deliberate emotions in his brush strokes, giving a double aesthetic to his work  which is as much about the movements used in creating the painting as the overall visual of the piece.
>I would recommend e-mailing Franco (ocnarf_83@yahoo.com), Alex (reefersativa@yahoo.com) and Ryan (ryisrye@yahoo.com) and investing in these boys’ work before the rest of market catches on. If you have any upcoming exhibits you’d like me to feature or work you think I’d be interested in investing in, please don’t hesitate to e-mail me at whippersnappergirl@hotmail.com. Wisdom and wisecracks are always welcome.