'Pillars of 20th Century Art' at the Art Center in SM Megamall
MANILA, Philippines - In "Pillars of 20th Century Art", an ongoing concept show at the SM Megamall Art Center, the question of what truly defines Filipino art of that era is not only asked yet again, but is attempted to be given an answert yet again—only this time, with a wider scope of appreciation.
If one were to imagine all the works from the masters of this period, a collage consisting of images of the countryside, our favorite maternal figures, and a busy marketplace would probably come to mind.
This show by Gallery Nine and Leon Gallery features works by masters as well as notable, critically-acclaimed artists of the last century whose subject and style are clearly distinct from each other, and yet form parts of a bigger picture that encompass the idea and ideals of a generation that is being carried on—consciously or not—by today's contemporary young artists.
The masters include Fernando Amorsolo, Fernando Zobel, Juan Arellano, Teodoro Buenaventura (the father), Botong Francisco, Macario Vitalis and Dominador Castaneda. While other notables are Miguel Galvez, Jose Pereira, Gabriel Custodio, E. Aguilar Cruz, Oskar Navarro, CV Lopez and Lee Aguinaldo.
Living artists such as Romulo Galicano, Romeo Tabuena, Sofronio Mendoza and earlier sculptures by Fred Baldemor and Gabby Barredo are included in this category on account of style (or their works from that period).
The idea behind the exhibit is to present it as a collection with a distinct "uncontemporary" flavor. Some, excluding the obvious masters, are artists who are not as well known today even though they should be for the way they germinated what has been that certain je ne sais quoi of Filipino art. Take Tabuena who, along with Manansala, tackled cubism in the early part of his career.
Consider the show as an invitation to embrace the early post-independence days of Philippine fine art, and enjoy it as it deserves to be.
"Pillars of 20th Century Art" runs until September 17, 2012.
