Verdant anecdotes

MANILA, Philippines - The environment where one lives is significant in every artist’s life and creative process. Be it one’s physical surroundings, the transcendent milieu or the inner sanctum of one’s well-being; somewhere, somehow its importance is manifested in the course of one’s work. Interestingly, Irma Lacorte, makes use of her setting as subject, circumstance and inspiration for her collection in her latest exhibition titled “My Greens.” The show is on view until July 7 by Now Gallery.

According to Lacorte, there is no definite orientation for her works. “Some of the sections are of different orientations making it possible to hang the painting with two or three of its sides becoming the top or bottom,” she shares. Moreover, her use of metallic paint affords a unique panorama, depending where the light source is located and with reference to where the viewer stands, the subtle nuances are beguiling.

Lacorte’s current pieces are offshoots from an earlier series which she made in 2010. Continuing in this direction, her canvases are a mix of linear elements with an assortment of forms. Amid varying shades of green, with touches of blue here and there, the compositions express a fertile perspective.

“The background colors are reflective of the view I have from my studio,” shares Lacorte. Indeed, the wide expanse of the sky, space and greenery from her windows enthrall as it captivates one’s imagination. It is not surprising why emerald, jade, lime and other derivative hues play a prominent backdrop to her creations. Coupled with splashes of indigo, navy and cobalt, her domiciliary vista is transplanted onto the canvas. These in turn set the plot for her narratives.

In order for the story to be told and the hidden meanings deciphered, bisecting and intersecting lines are employed to carry out the progression of Lacorte’s chronicles. These streaks of colors offer a fragmented view and yet connect the whole plane of experience. “Coming out from the center and going outside the confines of space, these convey tracks of movement. The textures also suggest a particular tension,” she states. Used as a formal element in unifying the whole composition, the artist also directs the eye to various routes and paths. The traversing lines are spontaneously drafted and crisscross in dynamic courses. Metaphorically, it symbolizes both flow and transition.

From one diptych to the next, we are diverted to altering fields of a puzzle waiting to be solved. “My works in ‘My Greens’ also represent the way we are engulfed by the predictability of our daily lives,” intimates Lacorte. How often do we let our established ways and conventions overrule our lives? And to what ends? Monotony and ennui can suck the energy from within us as evidenced by the headless forms and swords; neither violent nor dark but ostensibly putting up a resistance to the humdrum existence. Severed heads notwithstanding, for this vibrant artist, “These headless running figures symbolize repetition, continuity, picking up where you left off, getting lost. We are moving to and fro within the same plane but never meeting. But then again, is it the thrill of the chase that we are after?” These paintings suggest another domain beyond our secure comfort zones, seemingly posing another conundrum. Do routinary patterns of living enhance the depths of our soul or does it extinguish our internal fire? Renowned novelist George Eliot posits that, “Habit is the beneficient harness of routine which enables silly men to live respectfully and unhappy men to live calmly.” 

Using her brush as her pen, Lacorte transcribes momentary notes derived from our circadian realities. Her tales implore us to answer this question: Should we run away from or run to the safety of banality? Her lush visual recounts contain relatable episodes that help us resolve this query for ourselves.

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Now Gallery is at the mezzanine floor, Ecoplaza Bldg., 2305 Pasong Tamo Ext., Makati City.