There’s art that attracts, works that stimulate the mind, or as we’ve seen more recently, exhibitions that shock and generate a healthy discussion into what constitutes art itself.
The definitions may be diverse and so are the inclinations, but regardless of one’s view or taste, everyone wants a piece of art at home.
Charles Saatchi, the advertising maestro-slash-super collector who champions contemporary artists, has a strong opinion on what kind to purchase: “I buy art that I like. I buy it to show it off in exhibitions. Then, if I feel like it, I sell it and buy more art.”
What a joy it would be if we could just buy art that we like.
More often than not, we are drawn to myriad forms of art — blame it on the human’s unique ability to appreciate beauty, which apparently is what separates us from other animals — but are confused by the selection and constricted by a budget.
If Manilart 2011 showed us anything, it proved that there is no shortage of talent here, hence, the range of beautiful artwork is vast (and comes with various pricetags). However, in a world where a painting is seen by many as a potent piece of investment, the act of buying for buying’s sake is a rarity.
Lucky for us in the Philippines, the Department of Avant-Garde Clichés (DAGC) offers a novel way to get one’s hands on quality artwork without filing for bankruptcy or having to ponder extensively on its “future value.”
It’s a cool gallery that specializes in prints and print-making — from selling wall-bound prints and handmade books to holding silkscreening workshops — and a place that aims to make art accessible, a goal set by its founder Manuel Ocampo.
“Prints are a good way of starting one’s art collection. Since it’s affordable, buyers can easily go for what strikes them instead of looking at artwork only as an acquisition (in a financial sense).”
The gallery carries works from foreign print masters such as Bongoût as well as local artists trying their hand at this relatively unexplored medium.
Established artists such as Louie Cordero and of course, Manuel Ocampo experiment with the printmaking process and showcase the colorful results here.
The works of the iconic artist Romeo Lee and acclaimed painter Pow Martinez are currently on view until September 17th.
Entitled “Mischief and Mayhem,” the exhibit explores “Mischief” via Lee’s “melancholic madness” at work and “Mayhem” through Martinez’s desire to “impart a chaotic imprint of an alternate reality alive and well, hidden beneath the veil of social conventions.”
While prints can be duplicated and as such, viewed as something of a “lesser art form” compared to one-off paintings and sculptures, there’s a lot of work that escapes the naked eye.
“There was a lot of preparation involved in the process. It was very time consuming and I felt like a factory worker prone to error. It actually took about three weeks to perfect a single print — with Manuel’s help, of course. That’s a long time compared to when I paint,” shares Pow Martinez.
So print isn’t dead after all — in fact, it’s one of the most exciting ways to jumpstart that art collection or better yet, snatch experimental work from some of the best names in the Philippine art scene.
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Department of Avant-Garde Clichés
2289 Pasong Tamo Extension, UPRC III Building, Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines 1231.
Contact: +632-8172042 /+63916-2459221
Gallery Hours: Tues-Sat 11am to 7pm
Email: dagcgallery@gmail.com Website: www.dagcgallery.com
Facebook: dagcgallery manila
Twitter: @dagcgallery