Social he-art

When I think about paintings, one thing comes to mind: the more stupefying, incomprehensible and mind-boggling it is, the better. After all, great paintings are not meant to be understood by mere mortals alone. The fervent expression of an artist’s primal instincts is nothing short of god-like, and must thus be regarded in the proper manner. Personally, I go for the open-mouthed look of amazement with just a hint of incredulity in the eyes. That way, I can feign understanding when I come across paintings that, for instance, look like they’ve been peed upon by a three-year-old. But hey, it’s art for art’s sake.

And while I respectfully acknowledge those super-subjective kinds of paintings, I can’t really say that I “enjoy” enjoy them (although there are those rare occasions when I do). Sure, art for art’s sake may be viewed as liberal, modern (sometimes even post-modern) and an assault on conservative bourgeois sensibility; yet, the overall experience remains too esoteric for my taste. It certainly can’t be understood by just anyone (notice how it’s usually upper-class patrons who’re part of the enlightened few), and I’m equally sure it can’t be appreciated by everyone. But, of course, to each his own. It’s art, for Pete’s sake.

Which brings me to the other end of the spectrum. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from my surprisingly traumatizing art studies class, it’s that all art is a direct reflection of its society — be it of the overly subjective kind or otherwise. But it’s the “otherwise” that I’m more concerned about discussing here. And to do that, I’d like to introduce you to one Archie Oclos.

He’s one of the many anonymous, struggling young artists of today, and one of the few (in my humble opinion) genuinely brilliant ones at that. I have no doubt in my mind that Archie will soon become a household name among his peers, if he isn’t one already. Hailing from the UP School of Fine Arts, his prowess as an artist has been affirmed by his being a winner and finalist of various competitions such as Press Play and LRT-ART ’09.

As a social realist painter, his style is anchored on the harsher realities of everyday life — which means no abstract representations of ponies or daisies for him. He prefers to paint about what’s out there (in the world, not in space) without having to hide his subjects behind fantastical symbols and illustrations. Blind street musicians, toothless street vendors, world-weary commuters… in short, what you see is what you get.

Archie shares that he is sympathetic to this style of painting, not only because of his modest background, but also because it‘s the easiest style that people can understand. “Kahit sino talaga,” he stresses. You don’t have to be part of any enlightened few to comprehend that what you‘re viewing is a scene of starving, Happy-Meal-deprived beggars. Meanwhile, the balance of the subjective and objective in social realism was another factor that appealed to Archie, as it gives him leeway to experiment with personal style and stay true to the subjects he renders in oil.

And while Archie doesn’t see himself as any of those eccentric, perpetually tortured artistic souls, he thinks he’s doing his part well enough. Not only are his paintings an extension of his personality, they also exemplify his commitment to a higher purpose — the spreading of social awareness. “Hindi ako nagpipintura para lang sa sarili ko,” he says.

In today’s pretentious, get-rich-quick world, our concept of art is sometimes dictated by how “exotic” it is, the price it fetches on the market or the opinion of the wealthy few. Thus, the socially-relevant young artist is actually a rare and noble breed — which is why people like Archie are a breath of fresh air.

Again, to each is own. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with paintings (or any form of art, for that matter) existing solely as an end in itself, with no ulterior purpose, meaning or relation to society. That’s the artist’s form of self-expression and his or her own prerogative. Art for art’s sake exists to transport us out of reality — which, given the world we live in today, may not be such a bad thing after all. However, given the world we do live in today, I feel it would be pretty self-defeating to just “escape” from the bleakness of it all.

So to those young artists who can actually look the world in the eye and render it in all its beauty and ugliness — kudos to you. We need more of these kids in the world.