It is not too often that you come across an artist who puts far more thought into her paintings than just what is visually apparent.
Annie Cabigting is one of these rare painters who not only possesses technical talents, but also the humor and intelligence that are required to create a work that is not only visually impressive but also has a deeper wit, whimsy or, for lack of a better word, a story behind it that is not readily apparent. And it takes the knowledge of these hidden stories for one to fully appreciate a painting by Cabigting, whose works are always reinterpretations of previous works of art.
For example in her past works, such as “Navel (after Poklong Anading),” she found a photo of a painting by Poklong Anading on exhibit with a woman in the foreground looking at the artwork. She therefore painted this image — complete with the viewing woman — and, adding a touch of witticism, installs the painting in the exact same spot where it was originally exhibited!
In another work, entitled “A Shady Resemblance To Life As We Ordinarily Know It (after Jason),” she hangs a diptych of sorts based on the work of Jason Oliveria. Once again hanging the piece in the same exact place that Oliveria’s work was originally exhibited, she switches the images of the original painting and the identifying nameplate of the painting. So what you end up with is a huge image of the painting’s name plate — complete with the “dot” signifying the painting was sold — and a miniscule version of Oliveria’s actual work.
With only a total of four pieces, her latest show entitled “Something to do with Art” features more of the same creativity, humor and wit that are very distinct of Cabigting’s style.
“Pencil Story (after Baldessari and Doherty),” four canvases 29 in. x 36 in., oil on canvas, 2007.
This artwork, which is composed of four separate canvases, is based on the works of American artist John Baldessari’s “Pencil Story” and Scottish artist Maurice Doherty’s subsequent “The Pencil Story.”
Baldessari’s original 1972-73 work consisted of two images of pencils — one blunt and one sharpened — with text that read: “I had this old pencil on the dashboard of my car for a long time. Every time I saw it, I felt uncomfortable since its point was so dull and dirty. I always intended to sharpen it and finally couldn’t bear it any longer and did sharpen it. I’m not sure, but I think that this has something to do with art.”
In 2003, Doherty reinterpreted that work by creating a piece with two images of pencils — one sharp and one smashed to bits — and a text that read: “I had this new pencil on the desk in my room for a long time. Every time I saw it, I felt uncomfortable since its point was so sharp and clean. I always intended to smash it and finally couldn’t bear it any longer and did smash it to bits. I’m not sure, but I think that this has something to do with art.”
Cabigting in the present painting reinterprets the two previous works in her “Pencil Story (after Baldessari and Doherty)” by painting the combined — albeit rearranged — images that the two previous artists had created.
“Splitting (after Matta-Clark),” 60 in. x 84 in., oil on canvas, 2007.
An architect by training, Gordon Matta-Clark was an American artist who was famous for “building cuts” wherein he would take abandoned buildings and remove certain sections of the walls, floors, ceiling and structure to create a building that was essentially split into two.
“Splitting (after Matta-Clark)” is a recreation of one of Matta-Clark’s works wherein Cabigting not only reproduces the image of the cut-up building, but also paints the image on two separate canvases and installs them at an angle to each other equivalent to the split in the building. As Cabigting puts it, she is sort of “splitting the split.”
“Canvas Used as Palette to Paint, Canvas Used as Palette (after Bacon),” 12x14in., oil on canvas, 2007.
Whether intentionally or not, Cabigting bases two of her paintings on the works of British artist Francis Bacon on Bacon’s 15th death anniversary.
Cabigting for one canvas paints an actual image of Bacon’s palette. In a twist of ingenious irony or whimsy, she completes the diptych by using another canvas as her actual palette to paint the image of Bacon’s palette.
“Destroyed Painting (after Bacon),” 60x51.75 in., oil on canvas, 2007.
Francis Bacon was known for actually tearing or cutting out portions of his work that he did not like. Those mutilations included cutting out his own image or that of others out of the portraits he made.
In “Destroyed Painting (after Bacon),” Cabigting recreates one of Bacon’s self-mutilated self-portraits. She points out that it is quite ironic that in spite of Bacon — perhaps in an effort to keep himself obscure — tearing out his own image, she has put him front and center once again with a canvas that is even bigger than the original one that Bacon had used.
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Annie Cabigting’s “Something To Do With Art” is ongoing at the Finale Art File, Lao Center until July 26.
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