Again Around the Block
06 18 2009
For the past few nights I have been going around to see some exhibits and to talk with some friends. It started two days ago when I went to see what was brewing with Project Space Pilipinas in Mandaluyong. True enough we have a new resident there. Michael Adrao has set up residence and will be staying there for a few months. He was working with large charcoal drawings when last I saw him. Am happy that he finally has a chance to start anew. I just put some pictures of him at work in the residency space and not the actual works. Ha ha ha ha! Not that I don't want to show a preview but far from it. Am excited actually about them. More so that I just want them kept until due time for his show. Kudos Mike!
I went with Erik to Finale for Annie Cabigting's and Carlo Gabuco's solo shows. It was pouring outside but the exhibits were great. Again the space is viewable and considerate. I hope that they would have enough exposure for the shows to come. Did I mention they have awesome spread and drinks? They did. It kind of remind me of the celebration of Albert Avellana and the group show there that happend a week back. I finally saw the Joey Cobcobo's prints. They were great too! Creating monoprints with curved surfaces is inspiring. Hope he could work with them some more before moving forward with other materials. The presentation too was awesome.
Enough digress, I really liked Annie's works and am impressed with the pieces at Finale Art File. Her concept is sound and quite intimidating. The simplicity of the images compliments well the format. I have been watching some early works of this artist from the time she started her thesis at the University of the Philippines. I know she would be improving with maturity. I wasn't disappointed. I really liked the competition nowadays for young artists with semi established ones. It is quite dynamic to watch and see. There are a few noteworthy female artists out there that I really love to watch outdo and outconceptualize each other. Not that it would be easy for us mere mortals males but that it would be much more challenging for a long time for all concerned.
I had a talk with a guest there about gallery vision. Sharing quite a bit of history and anecdotes made me rethink my priorities. Running a gallery or an art space is challenging. With your life savings at stake who would really want to gamble it away? I would still like a vision on the onset. Compromising the space with saleable genre works is not the only option to recoup. Who knows much about running one though? Ideally, I hope we could be much more focused. When I opted to work with Kulay Diwa Art Galleries now Kulay-Diwa Gallery of Contemporary Art, I had no intention of having to compromise the space with genre works. I wanted it open for young artists to show alongside some established ones. We did some exhibitions to that extent but my hand was never forced to compromise. I admire that with my gallery. There are always expenses to consider, profit and recouping losses. We all know that. But am lucky that I have no instance yet of working with them. On pain of death, I would never touch a flowery painting ever. Ha ha ha ha. Unless it would work with my concepts.
I guess that is why I would be toeing the line at this point. I am reviewing my spaces and options. I am quite happy that they are all open for me if ever I wanted a major show for this year. Some of these galleries have been open for years and am happy that they are overcoming the recessions. The newer spaces would be unlucky if they don't have the tenacity to weather the times. I would give them a year at the most. What a waste if they do not last even for a year!
I went to Drawingroom for my old pieces and will be back with new ones soon. I have been with Drawingroom for several years now along with Hiraya Gallery. I have an invitation with another one that I hope to exhibit in and that would be a future project for me. I will take my time. I will make every opportunity available that I might work with to the hilt. I would want my works to have the advantage during this recession. I would be consigning some newer works and hopefully upping my artists prices for old pieces. I would have to consider years and 10% upgrade. I know they would be very pricey now. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. I don't want to do it with my drawings and prints but duty calls. My paintings too would have to be worked on... Sigh. Well that is life!
Going back to the exhibits, I visited Magnet Gallery Column and found some new works by Katrina Bello. I posted some images and also took some on an ongoing show at Drawingroom. I then visited Hiraya Gallery to see Dina Gadia's works which I found to be quite splendid. They were already removed from the main space but viewing them still on the walls I could imagine the impact they have during the show. I am amazed about the concept and the drive. Definitely I would eagerly watch for more from this girl. I would like to see her works in the future on a much more extensive scale.
Hiraya has the history and the exhibitions to back good shows for a number of years to come. I would definitely see more of the space. Young artists should definitely support their own. Good spaces are hard to come by and Hiraya Gallery has that.
The opening for Ronald Caringal's exhibit went through without rain. The space reminded me of the first solo I had there at Hiraya Gallery with my prints "Memoirs of Pipay and Ang Huling Hari" in 2000. My pieces and concept were in earnest. I found the artist's concern similar to my own with addressing simple personal discovery and awakening. I won't be prude about it because I worked too with another artist Kristoffer Ardeña's aggressive images and which was more visually direct. I also worked with used condom installations that are also confrontational on my own works years back under Prof. Chabet. That was really in your cheek! As with covering his car with bedsheets and taking pictures. Those were my naive times. Sigh. I don't know why but it reinforced me more to support young artists and spaces that would be open for them then. Discovery is a good thing. Discipline could only be learned through practice. Mistakes are lessons too along with your successes. It made me stronger not to back down despite the world seemingly being against you. I meant a lot were against me. Ha ha ha ha. It made me aware, determined, focused and to be simple about my goals. I guess my choice was to stand on my own and I did. I may have hurt people but they were the strongest then. I am sure they got over it. Changes happen much like the changes with Celestine Prophecy and Karmic ones but I would always remember the consequences. I stay away from people whose only motives is to get even. Greed, envy, anger, vanity and revenge eats up people, even the sanest ones. Sigh. I would see then friends try to ignore it and fail. They would blubber and contradict themselves whenever it comes up. That's their problem not mine. Going back to another of the seven deadly sins "Lust."
Ronald Caringal was very friendly and quite eager to exhibit his works. I enjoyed exchanging ideas with the artist. I find his eagerness a novelty. He has been through similar experiences in running an artist run space with the Cubicle Gallery. Exhibiting your own works and running an art space are two conflicting directions at some point in the future. He is at that crossroads and he seems earnest about his goals. Kudos! Ronald's work was to that extent visually stimulating. The shaped canvas improved on the images he worked on. I would still want connectivity and ingenius use of combining several images together physically in one single piece rather than through installations but despite that the show was done well.
For the past few nights I have been going around to see some exhibits and to talk with some friends. It started two days ago when I went to see what was brewing with Project Space Pilipinas in Mandaluyong. True enough we have a new resident there. Michael Adrao has set up residence and will be staying there for a few months. He was working with large charcoal drawings when last I saw him. Am happy that he finally has a chance to start anew. I just put some pictures of him at work in the residency space and not the actual works. Ha ha ha ha! Not that I don't want to show a preview but far from it. Am excited actually about them. More so that I just want them kept until due time for his show. Kudos Mike!
I went with Erik to Finale for Annie Cabigting's and Carlo Gabuco's solo shows. It was pouring outside but the exhibits were great. Again the space is viewable and considerate. I hope that they would have enough exposure for the shows to come. Did I mention they have awesome spread and drinks? They did. It kind of remind me of the celebration of Albert Avellana and the group show there that happend a week back. I finally saw the Joey Cobcobo's prints. They were great too! Creating monoprints with curved surfaces is inspiring. Hope he could work with them some more before moving forward with other materials. The presentation too was awesome.
Enough digress, I really liked Annie's works and am impressed with the pieces at Finale Art File. Her concept is sound and quite intimidating. The simplicity of the images compliments well the format. I have been watching some early works of this artist from the time she started her thesis at the University of the Philippines. I know she would be improving with maturity. I wasn't disappointed. I really liked the competition nowadays for young artists with semi established ones. It is quite dynamic to watch and see. There are a few noteworthy female artists out there that I really love to watch outdo and outconceptualize each other. Not that it would be easy for us mere mortals males but that it would be much more challenging for a long time for all concerned.
I had a talk with a guest there about gallery vision. Sharing quite a bit of history and anecdotes made me rethink my priorities. Running a gallery or an art space is challenging. With your life savings at stake who would really want to gamble it away? I would still like a vision on the onset. Compromising the space with saleable genre works is not the only option to recoup. Who knows much about running one though? Ideally, I hope we could be much more focused. When I opted to work with Kulay Diwa Art Galleries now Kulay-Diwa Gallery of Contemporary Art, I had no intention of having to compromise the space with genre works. I wanted it open for young artists to show alongside some established ones. We did some exhibitions to that extent but my hand was never forced to compromise. I admire that with my gallery. There are always expenses to consider, profit and recouping losses. We all know that. But am lucky that I have no instance yet of working with them. On pain of death, I would never touch a flowery painting ever. Ha ha ha ha. Unless it would work with my concepts.
I guess that is why I would be toeing the line at this point. I am reviewing my spaces and options. I am quite happy that they are all open for me if ever I wanted a major show for this year. Some of these galleries have been open for years and am happy that they are overcoming the recessions. The newer spaces would be unlucky if they don't have the tenacity to weather the times. I would give them a year at the most. What a waste if they do not last even for a year!
I went to Drawingroom for my old pieces and will be back with new ones soon. I have been with Drawingroom for several years now along with Hiraya Gallery. I have an invitation with another one that I hope to exhibit in and that would be a future project for me. I will take my time. I will make every opportunity available that I might work with to the hilt. I would want my works to have the advantage during this recession. I would be consigning some newer works and hopefully upping my artists prices for old pieces. I would have to consider years and 10% upgrade. I know they would be very pricey now. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. I don't want to do it with my drawings and prints but duty calls. My paintings too would have to be worked on... Sigh. Well that is life!
Going back to the exhibits, I visited Magnet Gallery Column and found some new works by Katrina Bello. I posted some images and also took some on an ongoing show at Drawingroom. I then visited Hiraya Gallery to see Dina Gadia's works which I found to be quite splendid. They were already removed from the main space but viewing them still on the walls I could imagine the impact they have during the show. I am amazed about the concept and the drive. Definitely I would eagerly watch for more from this girl. I would like to see her works in the future on a much more extensive scale.
Hiraya has the history and the exhibitions to back good shows for a number of years to come. I would definitely see more of the space. Young artists should definitely support their own. Good spaces are hard to come by and Hiraya Gallery has that.
The opening for Ronald Caringal's exhibit went through without rain. The space reminded me of the first solo I had there at Hiraya Gallery with my prints "Memoirs of Pipay and Ang Huling Hari" in 2000. My pieces and concept were in earnest. I found the artist's concern similar to my own with addressing simple personal discovery and awakening. I won't be prude about it because I worked too with another artist Kristoffer Ardeña's aggressive images and which was more visually direct. I also worked with used condom installations that are also confrontational on my own works years back under Prof. Chabet. That was really in your cheek! As with covering his car with bedsheets and taking pictures. Those were my naive times. Sigh. I don't know why but it reinforced me more to support young artists and spaces that would be open for them then. Discovery is a good thing. Discipline could only be learned through practice. Mistakes are lessons too along with your successes. It made me stronger not to back down despite the world seemingly being against you. I meant a lot were against me. Ha ha ha ha. It made me aware, determined, focused and to be simple about my goals. I guess my choice was to stand on my own and I did. I may have hurt people but they were the strongest then. I am sure they got over it. Changes happen much like the changes with Celestine Prophecy and Karmic ones but I would always remember the consequences. I stay away from people whose only motives is to get even. Greed, envy, anger, vanity and revenge eats up people, even the sanest ones. Sigh. I would see then friends try to ignore it and fail. They would blubber and contradict themselves whenever it comes up. That's their problem not mine. Going back to another of the seven deadly sins "Lust."
Ronald Caringal was very friendly and quite eager to exhibit his works. I enjoyed exchanging ideas with the artist. I find his eagerness a novelty. He has been through similar experiences in running an artist run space with the Cubicle Gallery. Exhibiting your own works and running an art space are two conflicting directions at some point in the future. He is at that crossroads and he seems earnest about his goals. Kudos! Ronald's work was to that extent visually stimulating. The shaped canvas improved on the images he worked on. I would still want connectivity and ingenius use of combining several images together physically in one single piece rather than through installations but despite that the show was done well.
Amiel Gerald A. Roldan™
Mandaluyong City, Philippines
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