The still lifes of Wayne Lacson forte

CEBU, Philippines - As a darling du jour in the constituency of the representational painting form, still lifes have long had an on-and-off love affair with art lovers and collectors - at times responsible for stoking the fires of one's affinity with the arts; at times identified as the reason why classic art lovers shift their attention to art's contemporary incarnations.

But as confusing as still life's relationship is with art lovers and patrons, this has not downplayed its standing as a favored attraction in the fairgrounds of the visual arts space - particularly those whose inner workings are molded by the thematic and technical creative dichotomies of the contemporary scene.

Wayne Lacson Forte's first solo art exhibit in Cebu fetes this particular tenor of the still life genre.

Held recently at the 856 G Gallery, until February 28, the gallery's second art exhibit for the year highlighted a series of botanical still lifes made by the Filipino-American artist - set next to a number of figurative and narrative paintings that all-in-all reflected the artist's response to the Philippines' rich culture, heritage and natural wonders.

With his fine control of the brush and keen eye for detail, one can't deny how novel Forte's interpretation of the "ordinary" is - framing them as creative installations that are kindled by the unabridged creative approach that's inherent in process-oriented drives.

Stoic yet moving and non-temporal but continuously engaging, the show's featured works are molded from things which the artist finds himself surrounded with, yet not completely aware of their presence. By rendering them as subjects, the artist metaphorically builds a relationship with them - as painting something, to an artist, is akin to naming something; thereby establishing his relationship with them. (FREEMAN)