The future is open wide

We recently sat down with the Future, and the Future was in an optimistic mood.

Well, at least to Melvin Anglaser of University of the East (UE) Caloocan who sculpted the goddess of wind and rain in polymer clay slendering toward a stack of houses in vinyl tile, calls it “Bandilang ‘Di Tumutumba.” A windblown scenario of creation and destruction.

“Ginawa ko‘yan nung panahon ng habagat,” he explained. “Kahit na nasasalanta na ang mga Pilipino, di tayo sumusuko.” Even as the fickle-minded deity Anitun Tabu strolls into town in her evening gown of monsoon and misery, just like fear itself. Melvin pointed out, “Ka-batch siya ni Bathala (laughs).”

Painting major Leomar Conejos from the same university did an oil painting with a much bleaker subject: child trafficking. Two children are draped with packing tape, while a stop sign juts out behind them. A tale of lost freedoms and uncertain tomorrows. Ominous.

“Ang mensahe ko dito ay pigilan ang pang-aabuso sa mga bata,” he said of his social realistic approach. Conejos was inspired by artist-friends at UE as well as past masters such as Johannes Vermeer. In fact, a professor pointed out how Conejos’ lighting reminds him of the work of the Dutch master.

Ferd Angelo Failano of the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman meditated on value systems in his watercolor artwork “Juan’s Struggle sa Mundong Nobody’s Perfect” — a medley of a self-portrait and illustrations of the “Spear-Bearer,” Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, and time. “Lahat ng bagay gusto natin maging perfect, pero pag malapit na tayo doon, tinataasan natin (’yung standard) — so constant struggle siya.” It’s a ruthless cycle, he insisted. Gigantically futile. “And I chose watercolor because of the challenge.”

Working on the theme “Buhay Makulay,” Emil Aldrine Alarcon of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) created a calendar artwork that shows his kaleidoscopic and whimsical take on living in our times.

“Kahit mahirap ang buhay sa Pilipinas, masaya at makulay pa din,” he observed. Alarcon, who counts abstractionist and printmaker Raul Isidro as one of his idols, describes his work as pop surrealism, and rightfully so. The clouds in his artwork are curiously shaped, so are the houses, TV antennas and winging birds. The artist went to town in terms of color —  generous yellows and stuns of orange.

That’s how optimistic the winners are at the 45th Shell National Student Art Competition (NSAC). Leomar Conejos won first place in the Oil/Acrylic category; Melvin Anglaser, for Sculpture; Ferd Angelo Failano, for Watercolor; Rene Sibulangcal of the Adventist University of the Philippines, for Digital Fine Arts; and Emil Aldrine Alarcon, one of the winners in the Calendar category.

Yes, we did sit down with the winners in this year’s Shell art competition along with judges such as Ramon Orlina, Raul Isidro, Nemiranda, Michael Cacnio, Ato Habulan, Ral Arrogante and Edgar Doctor, officials from Shell as well as a couple of journalists from other newspapers at M Café. Across the restaurant was the exhibition of Shell NSAC artworks at The Ayala Museum. 

A digression: One journo asked, “So, the Shell National Student Art Competition is only for students?” No shit, Sherlock. But to most people in the industry — whether of art or the academe — the annual Shell art tilt is one of the most popular, most prestigious ones in the country.

“During our time,” recalled Raul Isdiro, “we eagerly waited for the competition, so that we could use the prize money to buy art materials.”

Ato Habulan agreed. His son Guerrero used his Shell winnings to help pay for his tuition in art school.

The entries for this year are brilliant, remarked Shell communications executive Jacqueline Ampil.

“This is a milestone year for us,” Ampil said. “We’ve seen the improvement of the artworks being submitted by students each year. There are so many things to support when it comes to the youth — sports, education… We support art and at the same time we support the talent and the skills of young Filipinos, which is part of nation-building. You support one integral part of a nation, and it helps immensely.”

The Shell NSAC is now the country’s longest-running art contest for students. It started as a search for a suitable corporate-calendar subject in 1952, and over the years, in a small but indelible way, it has helped jumpstart the careers of many acclaimed figures in the field.

To think, Ampil added, that the art college kids of the past would become the art greats of the future. “Ronald Ventura was a Shell winner,” she enthused, mentioning one of most acclaimed Filipino artists in the international art scene. “A lot of the youth can relate to Ventura’s art.” Ronald Ventura’s “Dama” won first prize in the Oil/Acrylic category at the 1990 Shell NSAC. Now he mounts successful shows in Singapore, Italy and the US.

“These (prizewinning) students,” seconded Habulan, “would one day follow in the footsteps of Ventura and Alfred Esquillo.” And also National Artists such as Jose Joya, Ang Kiukok, Federico Alcuaz and BenCab as well as highly-regarded ones such as Juvenal Sanso, Angel Cacnio, Nestor Vinluan, and even some of the artist-judges in this year’s panel.

In selecting the finalists for this year’s Shell tilt, Isidro said they zoned in on visual impact. He suggested to the Shell officials to include Printmaking as a category in the NSAC. “It is, one, after all, one of the pre-requisite subjects for Fine Arts Advertising majors.”

For the Watercolor category, said Habulan, their emphasis was on “back-to-basics, with elements such as transparency…”

Ramon Orlina said one of the considerations in judging the Sculpture category was how well the students handled the traditional technique of direct carving.  Orlina and company went through 1,250 entries across five categories submitted from all over the archipelago.

“And it must be original,” shared Michael Cacnio. “The approach has to be unique, hindi ‘yung nakukuha lang sa Internet ‘yung ideas. May impact talaga dapat ’yung sculpture.”

Sherlock No. 2 asked in a senatorial tone if the artist-judges received any honoraria for selecting the winners in this year’s Shell art tilt.

It’s not about the honorarium, dismissed Habulan, it’s about the legacy of the entire enterprise. “It’s about us directly making an impact on the artistry of the youth. — ‘yun ang pinakamahalaga.”

Rightly so. Mark it on canvas, Sherlock, or set that on stone.