Going back to school takes on a new meaning as Erwin Leaño lifts landscapes from where he spent his college days. Simply titled Landscapes, the new works in oil feature new horizons that Leaño is still in the process of exploring, just as he is seeing UP in a different light. Landscapes will be on view at the West Gallery, Glorietta 4, from July 18 to 30.
Leaño took up fine arts in UP but he never really noticed how it offered so much more than his basic education until he went back there again simply as a visitor. Unlike in his previous works where he would lift ideas out of magazines or from memory of his immediate Antipolo surroundings, this time he doubled as chronicler of possibilities he has never seen before. He freely took pictures of the vast space that was before him and used it as jump-off point to his landscapes. The composition was nearly set from the time he chose to click on the shutter. He got to pick his own images and angles on the spot.
There is an image of stillness but it is nevertheless alive with its lush greens. It almost presents an invitation to take a step further, to see what lies ahead. Leaño says he is more open now to use brighter tones and just let his instincts do much of the work. He enjoys shooting pictures and is glad that he could compose his subjects early on. He brings a camera when he’s traveling to see more of the world around him. That’s why it’s seldom that you see him on it. He’s always the guy behind the scenes, capturing the elements that intrigue him the most. He’s not there as a subject but as a witness to how things change and stay the same.
Painting then is almost a breeze, a formality. Wanting to preserve the natural look of his landscapes, Leaño focused on the trees and the grass throughout. There are no roads telling you that it is just a part of a bigger urban institution. It could be anywhere. It could be a metaphor. The vastness tells readers that much of what is beyond there is unknown, but perhaps just waiting to be discovered. Leaño’s fascination with space is evident, as the trees are a little farther away this time. It is with this space that he explores taking different routes.
Leaño has gone back to school, though not in the strictest sense. Seeing the institutions that helped shape most of his present artistic choices was exciting. He felt like he never left and there are quite a few spots worth retelling through his canvas. Leaño is sure that he will be coming back for more.
Documentation
