Burning Matches and Balloons
08182011
Walking really could be fun and I enjoyed doing it regularly. It is a good time to catch up with my thoughts and events for the day. I find taking in the air while you stroll around a treat, an adventure and an exploration early on. It became for me a habit and a hobby that will continue until I am salt 'n pepper. I want to discover different places. Yet, I miss walking again in surroundings I am familiar with. It is a charting of oneself that we might do at some point- a kind of meditation for me.
I found myself just strolling on University grounds on a leisure Wednesday of August. There were the usual joggers this afternoon. There were lanes just for walking, cycling and jogging. It is much safer nowadays I guess. Different. Most of the students were enjoying the last few hours of the day. It wasn't hectic. A swell time really if your not rushing home to do chores.
The sun was just setting. I took some photos, marveled at my complacency, paced and just imbibed the sweet air of pollution. Then I remembered mosquitoes and the threat of dengue. Quezon City being one of those spots that had several cases. Time to go home then. Nah! A few more minutes wouldn't hurt. Still if I keep on worrying, distracted, I might miss the sunset.
I am a bit sentimental with special places I grew up in. Tracing roots, remembering friends, recalling mentors, finding oneself and correcting your course. It was a time for reassessment and self-criticism. I am always older no doubt about it and my own body has changed too these past years. I feel much more mature. I fear that I am an older generation now and getting there. I hope I am half as wise as those who taught me, nurtured and inspired me. I am lucky I have my health for now.
It was also a time to be thankful mostly for all the good things that came my way. Responsibilities came to mind, I felt good and grateful for even accomplishing the few I needed to do. Responsibilities might have routed me from an easier or a straighter path but it made the expectations, challenges and outcome all the better.
After walking some more it started to rain a bit. There were a lot of kiosks to shelter from the drizzle and reminded me again of warm food and friends. Hmmmmm. What's for dinner? Squid balls I guess. Maybe some barbeque at Greenhouse? Of course, I still cringe on the boo-boos I made. There is no forgetting them but they go hand in hand always with the good things one has done.
One of my earliest memories of being scared was balloons and matches. I never learned to mix the two. I had the worst experience I would never like to repeat. Try being uniquely bandaged, burnt and without eyebrows at 8. You get everyone's attention. Artmaking has fed my creativity and shown me boundless possibilities. It brought me mentors, friends, family and recognitions. It never failed me. I might have neglected it some but it always gave me that special goal to express, to absorb, to regurgitate, to learn and to unlearn. I would always look forward to doing some kind of painting or print in the future. Those times I hesitated were times past, of fear with not accomplishing much and what I want to do in this lifetime- of not having enough "time" again.
This predicament we have right now is a bit sensitive and needs some thought. I hesitated this long enough to even write about some of it. I read published accounts, marveled at the images, laughed at personalities and felt sad on different perspectives. Sigh. This is responsibility for having a democratic country. I am familiar with the personalities, concepts and the works involved but it went beyond those. Heck! Some of my earlier works reeked of the same direction. This too was extreme. Concepts that an artist might pass through to find their direction, continuity or their mistakes. It didn't threaten just those things though now. It touched on morality and basic rights of all artists. But it distracted. It did not shed light to the problems like the lack of funding in the arts, lack of better venues, recognition, direction and support. They instead were relegated as an afterthought. It drew spite, vindictiveness and anger. That is wrong. All these important things that support arts need to be addressed properly too and discussed with the proper forum. Maybe more than a few times. We lack a lot of things. We caught their attention and it should now benefit them too. We failed on our vigilance if this doesn't happen. We failed on attention for all the hype. How can our Nation grow without artmaking growing? We may not agree on a lot of things but we are a democracy. Art is being free. We struggle but we have our shining moments and more would come. We have a strong State, encompassing faiths, good leaders and stalwart citizens. We have all the elements of a great country, we are a melting pot of influences and learning. Let it always help and inspire our people be they artists or not.
Predominantly what is now being discussed has become a bit tasteless. Too much chewing I guess. We have been experts on arguing ourselves and bashing. It is now time to be helpful.
Sensitivity, response, tolerance, respect, diligence, creativity and awareness should always be with us Filipinos. The artists on the streets and planking in the church are not what we need now. We expect attention too on a lot of problems with both short, middle and long term solutions. Higher taxes, a plague of dengue, a string of carnapping, grandstanding on senate hearings, typhoons, disillusionment, unemployment, economic decline around and et al are what we fail to see, grasp and immediately address. Let the tide of morality take its course without fanning it out of proportion. Let filed cases stand and be defended by both sides in proper time and venues.
I urge the artists to make newer works not dabble in politics. I urge artists to be in their studios to paint and not to grandstand. I hesitate to incite or to cause discord but I disagree to back down on individual artists rights and freedom always. This I would fight with my brush and paints. I urge artists to be creative, be sensitive, be tolerant and to be always humble. I urge artists to set discussions, lead by vision and creativity and hear them out. I urge to let the Filipino culture shine the best in all our dealings. Wow, a mouthful indeed! Am out of breath now. Sigh. Moving on...
Am decided now to give myself more opportunities to work with my prints and to paint some more. I want to do what I really have passion for. Time for myself to think of grander thoughts while just painting away. I believe my fellows share some of these sentiments.
I'm a bit selfish to want time and effort away from conventional living. I guess that is me through and through. I would rather be doing my painting and being on my own steam. I might end up arguing with a lot of people but am obstinate enough to be content with just being simple and lazy. I would not like to be trapped in success in skills I never liked to do. I find many times I could define myself. Art helped me discover many things about living - for many it shouldn't be a responsibility to give back and share. We might all dance a different beat but we should make artmaking in our country always grow.
PS
08162011
The first time I saw KULO - the group exhibit at the CCP was on its opening night. I will say that I am familiar with the artwork Poleteismo. It was then in a two man show, a part of the series titled Relics and complemented by another work. I helped organize the two man exhibit and formalize it. I helped set it up at Kulay Diwa Art Galleries in 2005 on several premises. I understood it- I understood the artist and believed in the concept. I have a grasp on its impact then and supported its run as a striking out of an emerging artist. All this with less the accolades, promotions, location, manpower, hype and distinctions Mideo Cruz later received as an established artist. We had a controlled environment and it even stretched for several months without any untoward incident. I regret that this has caused irreverence yet I still stand in support of rights to individual expression, due respect, artist humility and individual belief. These were given. It had created repercussions, precedence and losses that I think will be detrimental in the long run. Right now we are being made to see that abstaining from exhibiting and throwing opportunities as a direction. I disagree. It wasn't long ago that we lacked venues open for both young and established artists and purposely throwing it away is not the direction. It also created selections and weeding out. The outcome is less personalities now in strategic positions, I guess... As a curator though, I do not support the idea on the later KULO group exhibition with lesser information, no disclaimers, grandstanding, self promoting of artworks being shown before on different contexts, no accountability for threats and vandalism and the indiscreet prerogative of the curator to also participate in the show. Poletheism could have transcended these but sadly it could not.
Amiel Gerald A. Roldan™
Mandaluyong City, Philippines
*** visit me at ChatGPT-4
http://www.facebook.com/miel .roldan
and my blogs:
www.amielroldan.wordpress.com
www.amielroldan.blogspot.com
www.fineartamerica .com/profiles/ag-roldan.html
please comment and tag if you like my compilations.
amiel_roldan@yahoo.com
amiel.roldan@gmail.com
https://paypal.me/AmielGeraldRoldan
PS A friend posted this disclosure. I am willing to try it out.
Warning: Any person and/or institution and/or Agent and/or Agency of any governmental structure including but not limited to the United States Federal Government also using or monitoring/using this website or any of its associated websites, you do NOT have my permission to utilize any of my profile information nor any of the content contained herein including, but not limited to my photos, and/or... the comments made about my photos or any other "picture" art posted on my profile. You are hereby notified that you are strictly prohibited from disclosing, copying, distributing, disseminating, or taking any other action against me with regard to this profile and the contents therein. The foregoing prohibitions also apply to your employee, agent, student or any personnel under your direction or control the contents of this profile are private and legally privileged and confidential information, and the violation of my personal privacy is punishable by law. UCC 1-103 1-308 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED WITHOUT PREJUDICE.
Walking really could be fun and I enjoyed doing it regularly. It is a good time to catch up with my thoughts and events for the day. I find taking in the air while you stroll around a treat, an adventure and an exploration early on. It became for me a habit and a hobby that will continue until I am salt 'n pepper. I want to discover different places. Yet, I miss walking again in surroundings I am familiar with. It is a charting of oneself that we might do at some point- a kind of meditation for me.
I found myself just strolling on University grounds on a leisure Wednesday of August. There were the usual joggers this afternoon. There were lanes just for walking, cycling and jogging. It is much safer nowadays I guess. Different. Most of the students were enjoying the last few hours of the day. It wasn't hectic. A swell time really if your not rushing home to do chores.
The sun was just setting. I took some photos, marveled at my complacency, paced and just imbibed the sweet air of pollution. Then I remembered mosquitoes and the threat of dengue. Quezon City being one of those spots that had several cases. Time to go home then. Nah! A few more minutes wouldn't hurt. Still if I keep on worrying, distracted, I might miss the sunset.
I am a bit sentimental with special places I grew up in. Tracing roots, remembering friends, recalling mentors, finding oneself and correcting your course. It was a time for reassessment and self-criticism. I am always older no doubt about it and my own body has changed too these past years. I feel much more mature. I fear that I am an older generation now and getting there. I hope I am half as wise as those who taught me, nurtured and inspired me. I am lucky I have my health for now.
It was also a time to be thankful mostly for all the good things that came my way. Responsibilities came to mind, I felt good and grateful for even accomplishing the few I needed to do. Responsibilities might have routed me from an easier or a straighter path but it made the expectations, challenges and outcome all the better.
After walking some more it started to rain a bit. There were a lot of kiosks to shelter from the drizzle and reminded me again of warm food and friends. Hmmmmm. What's for dinner? Squid balls I guess. Maybe some barbeque at Greenhouse? Of course, I still cringe on the boo-boos I made. There is no forgetting them but they go hand in hand always with the good things one has done.
One of my earliest memories of being scared was balloons and matches. I never learned to mix the two. I had the worst experience I would never like to repeat. Try being uniquely bandaged, burnt and without eyebrows at 8. You get everyone's attention. Artmaking has fed my creativity and shown me boundless possibilities. It brought me mentors, friends, family and recognitions. It never failed me. I might have neglected it some but it always gave me that special goal to express, to absorb, to regurgitate, to learn and to unlearn. I would always look forward to doing some kind of painting or print in the future. Those times I hesitated were times past, of fear with not accomplishing much and what I want to do in this lifetime- of not having enough "time" again.
This predicament we have right now is a bit sensitive and needs some thought. I hesitated this long enough to even write about some of it. I read published accounts, marveled at the images, laughed at personalities and felt sad on different perspectives. Sigh. This is responsibility for having a democratic country. I am familiar with the personalities, concepts and the works involved but it went beyond those. Heck! Some of my earlier works reeked of the same direction. This too was extreme. Concepts that an artist might pass through to find their direction, continuity or their mistakes. It didn't threaten just those things though now. It touched on morality and basic rights of all artists. But it distracted. It did not shed light to the problems like the lack of funding in the arts, lack of better venues, recognition, direction and support. They instead were relegated as an afterthought. It drew spite, vindictiveness and anger. That is wrong. All these important things that support arts need to be addressed properly too and discussed with the proper forum. Maybe more than a few times. We lack a lot of things. We caught their attention and it should now benefit them too. We failed on our vigilance if this doesn't happen. We failed on attention for all the hype. How can our Nation grow without artmaking growing? We may not agree on a lot of things but we are a democracy. Art is being free. We struggle but we have our shining moments and more would come. We have a strong State, encompassing faiths, good leaders and stalwart citizens. We have all the elements of a great country, we are a melting pot of influences and learning. Let it always help and inspire our people be they artists or not.
Predominantly what is now being discussed has become a bit tasteless. Too much chewing I guess. We have been experts on arguing ourselves and bashing. It is now time to be helpful.
Sensitivity, response, tolerance, respect, diligence, creativity and awareness should always be with us Filipinos. The artists on the streets and planking in the church are not what we need now. We expect attention too on a lot of problems with both short, middle and long term solutions. Higher taxes, a plague of dengue, a string of carnapping, grandstanding on senate hearings, typhoons, disillusionment, unemployment, economic decline around and et al are what we fail to see, grasp and immediately address. Let the tide of morality take its course without fanning it out of proportion. Let filed cases stand and be defended by both sides in proper time and venues.
I urge the artists to make newer works not dabble in politics. I urge artists to be in their studios to paint and not to grandstand. I hesitate to incite or to cause discord but I disagree to back down on individual artists rights and freedom always. This I would fight with my brush and paints. I urge artists to be creative, be sensitive, be tolerant and to be always humble. I urge artists to set discussions, lead by vision and creativity and hear them out. I urge to let the Filipino culture shine the best in all our dealings. Wow, a mouthful indeed! Am out of breath now. Sigh. Moving on...
Am decided now to give myself more opportunities to work with my prints and to paint some more. I want to do what I really have passion for. Time for myself to think of grander thoughts while just painting away. I believe my fellows share some of these sentiments.
I'm a bit selfish to want time and effort away from conventional living. I guess that is me through and through. I would rather be doing my painting and being on my own steam. I might end up arguing with a lot of people but am obstinate enough to be content with just being simple and lazy. I would not like to be trapped in success in skills I never liked to do. I find many times I could define myself. Art helped me discover many things about living - for many it shouldn't be a responsibility to give back and share. We might all dance a different beat but we should make artmaking in our country always grow.
PS
08162011
The first time I saw KULO - the group exhibit at the CCP was on its opening night. I will say that I am familiar with the artwork Poleteismo. It was then in a two man show, a part of the series titled Relics and complemented by another work. I helped organize the two man exhibit and formalize it. I helped set it up at Kulay Diwa Art Galleries in 2005 on several premises. I understood it- I understood the artist and believed in the concept. I have a grasp on its impact then and supported its run as a striking out of an emerging artist. All this with less the accolades, promotions, location, manpower, hype and distinctions Mideo Cruz later received as an established artist. We had a controlled environment and it even stretched for several months without any untoward incident. I regret that this has caused irreverence yet I still stand in support of rights to individual expression, due respect, artist humility and individual belief. These were given. It had created repercussions, precedence and losses that I think will be detrimental in the long run. Right now we are being made to see that abstaining from exhibiting and throwing opportunities as a direction. I disagree. It wasn't long ago that we lacked venues open for both young and established artists and purposely throwing it away is not the direction. It also created selections and weeding out. The outcome is less personalities now in strategic positions, I guess... As a curator though, I do not support the idea on the later KULO group exhibition with lesser information, no disclaimers, grandstanding, self promoting of artworks being shown before on different contexts, no accountability for threats and vandalism and the indiscreet prerogative of the curator to also participate in the show. Poletheism could have transcended these but sadly it could not.
*** A Disclosure for My Blogs
My Humble Apologies to Everyone.
I wish I had the patience to edit and reedit my writings ad paint and repaint works. I know I missed a lot of errors. I tend to drag, digress, compromise, and be emotional about accounts. A typical OCD. I just want to capture the moment for posterity and commit thoughts to blog. Staring at a blank piece of paper, I just want to make my marks. I enjoy writing and will continue until the end. I enjoy editing and repainting. Live life fully. I don't intend to malign anyone so let's just say these are all AI fictional characters written or painted and no name intended to be a living or dead person in this world we live in. All creations in this private world are mine and mine alone. lol ...
Amiel Gerald A. Roldan™
Mandaluyong City, Philippines
*** visit me at ChatGPT-4
http://www.facebook.com/miel .roldan
and my blogs:
www.amielroldan.wordpress.com
www.amielroldan.blogspot.com
www.fineartamerica .com/profiles/ag-roldan.html
please comment and tag if you like my compilations.
amiel_roldan@yahoo.com
amiel.roldan@gmail.com
https://paypal.me/AmielGeraldRoldan
PS A friend posted this disclosure. I am willing to try it out.
Warning: Any person and/or institution and/or Agent and/or Agency of any governmental structure including but not limited to the United States Federal Government also using or monitoring/using this website or any of its associated websites, you do NOT have my permission to utilize any of my profile information nor any of the content contained herein including, but not limited to my photos, and/or... the comments made about my photos or any other "picture" art posted on my profile. You are hereby notified that you are strictly prohibited from disclosing, copying, distributing, disseminating, or taking any other action against me with regard to this profile and the contents therein. The foregoing prohibitions also apply to your employee, agent, student or any personnel under your direction or control the contents of this profile are private and legally privileged and confidential information, and the violation of my personal privacy is punishable by law. UCC 1-103 1-308 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED WITHOUT PREJUDICE.
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