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“MY SONATA”, 2004
This self-portrait is the song of the artist, his trials and tribulations. To be an artist you have to commit your life to your art. One is locked in the struggle of transcending the mediocre and aiming for what is natural or destined, like grains of sand on a beach and achieving something sophisticated and exemplary within oneself. Balancing the struggles are the satisfactions and enjoyment derived from pursuing one's passion. |
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“PICKING UP THE BOW”, 2004
This features “Gabe” picking up the bow of a violin as If getting ready to start a great piece but his beaming innocence tells the viewer that in fact, it is mere musing of this child if not of the artist to play. A playground indeed is the backdrop of this picture. |
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“THREE IMAGES OF WOMAN”, 2004
This painting depicts the talents of Aileen Chanco and traces her development from a child prodigy to a concert pianist at present. In the future, her talent may further evolve as she could probably become a composer or s the artist envisions. |
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“AILEEN II”, 2004
As the artist takes much inspiration from Aileen Chanco, he continues a series of works with her as subject. AILEEN I was sold at SinagTala's art auction called Sining Pamana. The buyer? None other than Aileen Chanco herself. |
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“MAG-INA ON THE PIANO”, 2005
This Social Romanticist piece is based on Renoir's painting. It is also an adaptation from Galicano's Mag-Ina with Kit Zobel and her daughter as models, that now forms part of the Tan Family collection. It is deeply moving to see this Mag-Ina engage in music as if it were the lynchpin of their mother-daughter relationship, made stronger through a simple song. To the artist, such an image brings back uplifting memories of family bonding sessions around the piano. |
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“ANNEES DE PELERINAGE”, 2004
Andres Bonifacio as el Supremo of the Revolutionary Katipunan won the fight for Philippine Independence from Spain. To celebrate, people from all walks of life dress their best and make a pilgrimage, first to the church across the river before proceeding to give their tribute of simple food on native cauldrons and fruits on rattan baskets to the Katipuneros. |
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“MALIKMATA”, 2004
This painting is a literal interpretation of Jesus' Transfiguration as the artist imagines himself witnessing this miraculous event. |
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“GIRL WITH BUTTERCUP”, 2000
This painting was done when the artist was visiting South Africa while working as a sailor on a merchant vessel. His visit happened just at the end of apartheid. Yet, he still witnessed the racial discrimination between whites and blacks. The subject caught the attention of the artist. He saw in her the innocence of youth and with the flowers in her hands, the hope for the whites to seek for reconciliation and make amends with the black brethren. |
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“GNOMUS ON A CAROMATAKEL”, 2005
The Caromatakel is a conjoined oxcart (caromata in Cebuano and Spanish) and unicycle. On top of this unlikely marriage sits an anti-hero, the gnome, leading the viewer into deep thought. The idea of interpreting Gnomes so excited and challenged the artist that he needed to delay work on it to let his creative juices flow freely. Like the subject, the painting was finally done with wild abandon, arriving at delicately applied brush strokes to give life and beauty to one so grotesque especially for a society that is so repelled by ugliness. Why does society look at the grotesque and the freakish with much disdain and outright condescension? We see the ugliness in other but not in ourselves. This disdain continues until we start to understand humanity, engage in introspection and finally realize the beauty within. |
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“CHILDREN'S DISPUTE AFTER A GAME”, 2004
In any game or contest, there is always a winner and an loser. Sometimes, the loser cannot accept their loss and engage in a dispute. With children, such disputes are easily forgotten. However, it is not as easy for adult, who tend to dwell on disputes for a long time. Adults should emulate the innocence and sense of forgiveness that children possess. It was in this vein that even Jesus said that if one is to enter the Kingdom of God, one should be like a child. |
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“KA APING'S ELEGY”, 2001
Ka Aping was a World War II Veteran and lamented on his guitar over the way by which all his efforts to fight for freedom have been belittled by a foreign government that reneged on its promises. All he wanted was to see a world in peace, for which he risked his life. After years of service he sought to live simply with a secure retirement as a respected citizen of the country for which he fought. Ka Aping died without ever seeing the fulfillment of his dreams. |
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“THE OLD CASTLE”, 2004
This is a Shinto shrine that the Japanese people carry during festivities in October to celebrate good harvests. They near the weight of the shrine on their shoulders as a form of sacrifice to the gods in thanksgiving for their blessings of food. The root of the shrine in this painting takes inspiration from the Castle of Emperor Himiji in Osaka, a symbol for unity. Himiji believed their nation could only prosper if it was unified and if there was freedom from war, ignorance and hunger. True enough, Japan has emerged as one of the richest nations in the world but they are also generous in sharing their abundance with other nations, particularly in times of critical need. |
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“MULONG'S SONG”, 2004
Romulo “Mulong” Galicano, international portraitist and knighted master by a British art body is a great mentor and source of inspiration to the artist, who pays tribute to him by dedicating this painting to him. |
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“CALL OF THE SAND”, 2004
When one is out in the oceans for months on end, nothing is more inviting than the call of the land. This picture was inspired by the melancholia for everything associated with home. The artist left home to work on a merchant vessel that took him around the world and helped him earn the funds with which to pursue his dreams of painting but at a very dear price. He struggled constantly against himself, pitting his longing for home against the desire to earn more. Eventually, he returned home to start a family and a career as an artist as he could no longer resist the call of the land. |
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“BURNING THE MIDNIGHT SOFTWARE”, 2004
This picture was inspired by the artist's stint as a call center agent in Ortigas. The undulating and diagonal pattern of dark tonal values contrast with the orange hues that denotes the busy and seemingly eternal churning of the computers and phone systems handling calls from abroad. |
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“BALLET OF THE UNHATCHED CHICKENS”, 2004
Hartman's sketch for the costumers of the said ballet exerted a tremendous influence on this peace and led the artist to think of the unhatched potential of a little boy just beginning to paint. Only god knows what the future may hold for this little boy and what he will achieve in his life. |
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“SAMUEL GINTO-BURGOS AT MANG SIMEON”, 2005
In Hartman's original images, he aimed to illustrate the paradox between rich and poor. Such distinctions in a n urban setting may not be easy to differentiate nowadays especially with the introduction of technology into people's lives. At first glance the artist shows that both Samuel Ginto-Burgos and Mang Simeon use cellular phones to conduct their affairs. It may seem that they are equal in stature. However, a closer look reveals that Samuel Ginto-Burgos speaks on the phone while Mang Simeon can only text since that is all that he can afford. Things are not always what they seem. |
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“CON TESSA”, 2004
Tessa's profound definition of dressing up leaps beyond what borders on the tangible and resides in the realm of profound fashion psyche. Her innovative fashion compares to Van Gogh's expressionist art and the rich palette of colors she employs on her accessories is equivalent to (pianist) Aileen (Chanco)'s depth and virtuosity, the melodies coming into one harmonious sweep to form riveting piano playing and ethereal music.
If Romulo Galicano, in one of his quick portraiture demonstrations once paved the way for the artist to strive more to become a better artist by making the most demanding part of visual artistry (portraiture) simply, backed up by a keen and sharp “feel” on tonalities, simultaneous contrast and rigorous observance of shape and form. Tessa, just like Aileen did the same by making him look at the playful side of life and making its harsh and often mind harrowing realities seem bearable. |
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“THE MARKET PLACE”, 2005
This painting depicts an old-school mother who goes to market with her child in the traditional Baro't saya for women carrying her native basket or bayong. Sadly, these things are no loner commonplace. Creating this work brought back fond memories of the artist's being sent on marketing errands as a child and then bargaining with vendors to stretch a tight budget. |
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“CATACOMBAE”, 2005
The woman in the picture symbolizes humanity. The artist employs a Michelangelo practice of painting naked people to represent innocence as God created us without cloths. She holds a skull, which to the artist symbolizes reverence for the dead. In the wake of a massive earthquake, which triggered a series of tsunamis that destroyed villages, owns and entire cities causing the deaths of thousands of innocent people around the world. Given these conditions, we see the entire of humanity coming together to revere the dead, prevent further deaths and help the survivors. |
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“THE LIFE YOU SAVE…”, 2004
This painting deals with the issue of AIDS and its root cause, sexual promiscuity. The message is clear that abstinence or being faithful to your partner are the best ways to save your life from this disease. By having sage sex, the life you save may be your own. The vibrant design that the artist employed in this picture symbolizes the constant chaos in the self-transmogrified by the conflict of the senses wrought about the AIDS. |
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“BABA YAGA”, 2005
People called her a witch because she was different. Society does not look all too favorably on non-conformists. Yet, we are all meant to be unique individuals. Unfortunately, to stand out, one has to be prepared for the perils that go with it. The hut in the painting was inspired by the artist's own studio. |
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“LE GRAND PORTE DE KIEV”, 2005
The sturdy and imposing façade of Le Grand Porte de Kiev is comparable to the gate of Intramuros. While the Gates of Kiev were meant to celebrate victory, freedom and progress, Intramuros became a symbol of Spanish colonization and Japanese torture chambers. For hundreds of years, the beauty of the gate was frequently betrayed by the horrors that took place within the walls of Intramuros. The atrocities of the past have been absolved but not forgotten, for as long as the gate stands tall and grand, these should serve as a constant reminder of how lucky we are to live as an independent nation in times of peace. |
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