Quality over quantity. That seems to be the paradigm followed by the curators of Contrapuntos, a well-thought of production during the Venice Biennale. Sadly, it wasn't the same kind of thinking that went into the preparations for Art Fair Philippines 2018 (in my opinion). Instead, organiser went for quantity over quality... there were too many art pieces, causing me to reach my art viewing threshold.
I'm not saying that the quality was that bad; it's just that it felt like art pieces were thrown into a mix. There was no theme; no logical presentation. I wasn't able to make sense out of all I saw. And yes, many of the works I didn't think were art (sorry).
Having said that, here were some of what I thought were the best exhibits (photos are from @artfairph's Instagram posts or were photos I took at the fair). I am intentionally skipping over everything else because I saw them as clutter... again, I am neither an expert nor an admirer of Filipino contemporary art currently. In no particular order...
Neal Oshima
I first encountered Neil Oshima's name when Chele was talking to me and a few others about cookbook photography. I even have two of those books: Memories of Philippine Kitchens (by Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan) and Kulinarya: A Guidebook to Philippine Cuisine (by Glenda Barretto et al.). I didn't know that aside from these delicious pictures, he also took a lot of photos of people. In Art Fair 2018, his exhibit featured photos of people from indigenous tribes and Subli ritual dancers. These are some of the best pieces that I have seen in Art Fair.
Eduardo Masferré
Juxtaposed with the Oshima photographs were the Masferré photos that captured the living conditions of people, and their culture, in the Cordilleras. I first saw his work in 2000, when I was in the Cordilleras on vacation. I became fascinated because he was able to document a culture that may vanish if the younger generations continue migrating to the lowlands. While looking at the photos on display at Art Fair 2018, I noticed that he was able to photograph the rice terraces during the different seasons. I am betting that he won't recognise the places he has captured in pictures, if he ever had the chance to visit them or to see them on social media (but he's passed on so that's impossible).
Ramon Orlina
Orlina, I learned, is the Philippines' premier glass sculptor. His work are some of the most eye-catching pieces for me. I can even go on to gush and say that these sculptures are so pretty that I wanted to buy for myself! But the theme of my first half of 2018 is decluttering so I stopped myself. Anyway, he mastered how to maximise light and shade and to allow light to play in and on glass. Through these, he also showed fluidity of lines, as if the artwork represented motion. I'm already looking forward to procuring one of his works, if these are for sale. Where to put it, that is the question.
Olivia d'Aboville
I was fascinated by the pleated pieces that she chose to exhibit at Art Fair. Again, I wanted to buy a few of her textile sculptures because they evoked fluidity, harmony, simplicity. I'm sure that when I have my own house, I'll put a few pieces from her collection there.
Arturo Luz
I've always known him as the artist who could draw out the artist in anyone who could pencil in lines and curves on a piece of paper. I say this because he has been able to reduce and abstract the world into several strokes of his pen, paintbrush, or pencil. For someone not as talented as he was (me!), this simplicity of his technique is an inspiration; there is still hope in the world! I have to say, however, that his minimal abstract technique also evokes complexity, particularly the sculptures.
Fernando Zóbel
I've written another post about Contrapuntos, an exhibit at the Venice Biennale. I think he was a contemporary of Luz in the abstract movement. What fascinates me about his work is that there were different periods and different technique explorations; making Contrapuntos look like two different exhibitions placed side-by-side.
Rey Aurelio
His black-and-white portraits reminded me of Michaelangelo's attention to detail of the male body. Aurelio's works expressed strength and overcoming obstacles through perseverance and force. I noticed that the paintings were all huge. They'd easily cover a wall in my house!
I'm not saying that the quality was that bad; it's just that it felt like art pieces were thrown into a mix. There was no theme; no logical presentation. I wasn't able to make sense out of all I saw. And yes, many of the works I didn't think were art (
Having said that, here were some of what I thought were the best exhibits (photos are from @artfairph's Instagram posts or were photos I took at the fair). I am intentionally skipping over everything else because I saw them as clutter... again, I am neither an expert nor an admirer of Filipino contemporary art currently. In no particular order...
Neal Oshima
I first encountered Neil Oshima's name when Chele was talking to me and a few others about cookbook photography. I even have two of those books: Memories of Philippine Kitchens (by Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan) and Kulinarya: A Guidebook to Philippine Cuisine (by Glenda Barretto et al.). I didn't know that aside from these delicious pictures, he also took a lot of photos of people. In Art Fair 2018, his exhibit featured photos of people from indigenous tribes and Subli ritual dancers. These are some of the best pieces that I have seen in Art Fair.
Eduardo Masferré
Juxtaposed with the Oshima photographs were the Masferré photos that captured the living conditions of people, and their culture, in the Cordilleras. I first saw his work in 2000, when I was in the Cordilleras on vacation. I became fascinated because he was able to document a culture that may vanish if the younger generations continue migrating to the lowlands. While looking at the photos on display at Art Fair 2018, I noticed that he was able to photograph the rice terraces during the different seasons. I am betting that he won't recognise the places he has captured in pictures, if he ever had the chance to visit them or to see them on social media (but he's passed on so that's impossible).
Ramon Orlina
Orlina, I learned, is the Philippines' premier glass sculptor. His work are some of the most eye-catching pieces for me. I can even go on to gush and say that these sculptures are so pretty that I wanted to buy for myself! But the theme of my first half of 2018 is decluttering so I stopped myself. Anyway, he mastered how to maximise light and shade and to allow light to play in and on glass. Through these, he also showed fluidity of lines, as if the artwork represented motion. I'm already looking forward to procuring one of his works, if these are for sale. Where to put it, that is the question.
Olivia d'Aboville
I was fascinated by the pleated pieces that she chose to exhibit at Art Fair. Again, I wanted to buy a few of her textile sculptures because they evoked fluidity, harmony, simplicity. I'm sure that when I have my own house, I'll put a few pieces from her collection there.
Arturo Luz
I've always known him as the artist who could draw out the artist in anyone who could pencil in lines and curves on a piece of paper. I say this because he has been able to reduce and abstract the world into several strokes of his pen, paintbrush, or pencil. For someone not as talented as he was (me!), this simplicity of his technique is an inspiration; there is still hope in the world! I have to say, however, that his minimal abstract technique also evokes complexity, particularly the sculptures.
Fernando Zóbel
I've written another post about Contrapuntos, an exhibit at the Venice Biennale. I think he was a contemporary of Luz in the abstract movement. What fascinates me about his work is that there were different periods and different technique explorations; making Contrapuntos look like two different exhibitions placed side-by-side.
Rey Aurelio
His black-and-white portraits reminded me of Michaelangelo's attention to detail of the male body. Aurelio's works expressed strength and overcoming obstacles through perseverance and force. I noticed that the paintings were all huge. They'd easily cover a wall in my house!
These were the gems among the artworks featured, for me at least. The thing is, with so many things to see with so little time, one could only just walk past artworks and not really mull over them anymore. After all, there were several floors to visit. I wish that the curators took on the Contrapuntos mantra: less is more.
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