“New Direction”– The Ethereal and the Eternal

CEBU, Philippines - If a background musical track were to match the art exhibit “New Direction,” U2’s “Where the Streets Have No Name” would be fit.

Currently the featured show of Cebu Artists Inc., the exhibit at the 3rd level of the Ayala Center Cebu for the duration of the month, centers on pathways and their relationship with direction – indicating that the relationship of the two is not just about getting from point A to B, but is the glue that binds what could be with what is.

Mainlined by oil and watermedia pieces made by hobbyists-turned-visual artists Georgina Castillo, Ethel Espinoza, Tina Marie Gandionco, Mayleen Laico and Mila Yuson, the show is suggestive of the new direction its exhibiting artists are heading towards while enjoining its audience to find their own life directions anew.

Like the opening track of U2’s 1987 “Joshua Tree” album, “New Direction” compels viewers to recall what was, reflect on what is and to map out what the days ahead will be – intimating this call for introspection through scenic views and landscapes of places “where the streets have no name.”

Equal parts eye candy and thought-provoking, the show plays up an underappreciated value in visual art – that is, its propensity to convey life’s essential truths that are just waiting to be unveiled by the promise of coming days. (FREEMAN)