Black and White Conversation speaks volumes, as artist Julio Austria and Lindslee express themselves through abstracted images. The exhibit, on view from May 15 to June 15 at West Gallery, West Avenue, Quezon City, gives viewers a peek into the artists’ thoughts, as well as the leeway to interpret the works on their own.
Austria says the exhibit reveals more of their individuality as artists. His works depict his current concerns and images that he picks up in his environment. “It’s my first time to do something in black and white,” notes Austria, accepting the challenge and staying flexible enough to execute the transition. His subjects continue to delve on the urban environment, including installations within mixed media works, such as he does in “Silent Worker,” using oil, acrylic, and aluminum.
Austria describes it as one of his most personal works: “It represents me in black and white, my personality.” He adds that the title fits him perfectly, usually letting his works speak for his ideas. “I’m a keen observer, and you can see that in my works.” True enough, as one examines the visual elements further, certain images become visible. Austria says he also incorporates his thoughts on society subtly, letting viewers to come up with their own interpretations. “I realize that they have other ideas too.”
“I just keep working, and share ideas, images, and objects that symbolize me.”
Lindslee, for his part, chose to go with black and white to explore how pure this approach is. “All the colors are there,” says Lindslee, adding that light makes all the difference. At the same time, Lindslee also shows that his works are not perfectly in black and white, letting some color slip though the cracks and room for improvement. It is why he prefers working with large canvases; it provides him a bigger space to commit mistakes.
Like Austria, he also allows facets of his personality into his works. In “Cute Colors,” he even uses text to show clues into what he is thinking, particularly into how the world perceives material wealth. “ I express my feelings through painting.” Lindslee, who has mounted eight-one-man shows so far, hopes he can continue working on making people appreciate art more and more, to create artworks that are not just aesthetically pleasing, but also capable of moving people as they read further into the inner workings of an artist’s mind.
Both painting graduates from the University of Santo Tomas, Austria and Lindslee have distinguished themselves from their peers by choosing abstraction. They agree that they learn from each other as well from the experiences of other artists. Says Austria, a member of the Anting-anting Art Group in Cavite and a finalist at the Philippine Drawing Society’s 2nd Annual Competition in 2006, “Every time you paint, you discover something about yourself, about what you think and what you do. Each is a learning experience.”
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