CEBU, Philippines — There’s a paradoxical sense of balance inherent in the works of Danao-born abstractionist Leopoldo Aguilar, a quality which simultaneously defies and complies with the spontaneity of the expressionist style.
This dualistic approach to abstract expressionism serves as the center of the artist’s currently ongoing solo show in Cebu which presents a different side to expressionism’s overtly spontaneous process-oriented wellsprings.
Titled “Linear Diversity” and on display at Qube Gallery at The Crossroads, Banilad, until September 3, the exhibit features artworks that ambidextrously work with the indelible markers of abstract expressionism – all bearing creatively unhinged yet meticulously controlled tone.
As abstract expressionist works are characterized by spontaneous brush strokes and dabs, Aguilar’s take on the style treads on a not-so-often encountered path, as he renders a sense of spontaneity to his works by having a firm hold on the lines and curves that he makes on each work. In this show, Aguilar renders portraits of disorder by giving it a sense of order.
Outside of the show’s paradoxical treatment to abstract expressionism, “Linear Diversity’s” featured works also feature a spatial element which, when viewed after a time, expands a work’s canvas-bound borders.
Utilizing linear curves and swirls in molding parallel line-rendered forms, the artist imbues a “three dimensional effect” into the show’s featured pieces by blending warm and cool colors over linear curves and swirls – effectively giving each work a hologram effect that entices viewers to ‘walk inside’ and see a world where control shares a drink with chaos; where disorder is made by order.