While he is known in some circles for keeping people in good shape and looking young, Joel Mendez is foremost a visual artist. In Black and White II, which runs at the West Gallery in Glorietta 4 from March 20 to April 1, Mendez presents this “other side,” as shown through his latest mixed media works.
Even with the success of his Weigh Less clinics (which started dealing with weight management, and has expanded to many areas in cosmetology), Mendez has always nurtured his art. He admits struggling with using just blacks and whites years ago, but he has worked to gain the confidence that he needed in producing his most recent body of work. Now he is more at ease applying the yin and yang concept on the canvas.
It is not so much of a struggle when you are doing what you truly love, as in the case of Mendez. He may be busy attending to his patients, but he makes sure that he has also set aside some time to paint. One of his clinics even doubles as a studio, as Mendez surrounds himself with his works in progress and his growing collection of contemporary art. He has always recognized that his art and his medical practice work hand in hand, since both primarily concern aesthetics.
Mendez likes to work outdoors, often taking advantage of the natural light and the nuances he sees and feels from his surroundings. The works featured in Black and White II may have touches of his recent Luna series, but most of them are configurations of light and shadow, of day and night.
“You choose what you really want to do. You have to keep that focus. That fire has to be there all the time,” says Mendez, who brings his canvases and art materials to his clinic so he can work between seeing patients. What is interesting is that even in his larger works, he chooses to work spontaneously, subtly lifting from his day-to-day experience.
Though rendered in blacks, whites, and grays, the pieces do not paint a grim picture that is devoid of color. Mendez’s free exploration of lines, texture, and composition more than made up for the restraint in using more colors.
It is in this continuing exploration that Mendez has learned to appreciate his artistic gifts. He may be busy with his expanding medical practice and running his own gallery, but he has always understood why he should never forget his art. For one thing, he surrounds himself with well-meaning artist-friends. Also, what keeps him going is that he knows that he is still coming up with something that he fundamentally likes.
Mendez does not hide the fact that he feels good about his success. It shows in the playful execution of his strokes and in his youthful persona, but he is not about to let complacency set in. He is looking forward to the challenges of doing even larger works and tapping the Asian market in the near future.
Documentation
