Roberto Chabet gathers six of today’s young, innovative figurative artists, namely, Lawrence Borsoto, Alfred Esquillo, Patty Eustaquio, Nona Garcia, Geraldine Javier, and Wire Tuazon, to let their works weave distinctive narratives in Parallel Stories, which is on view at the SM Megamall Art Center from July 20 to August 2, 2005.
Figurative art involves telling a story, or at the very least, takes us to a certain place and time, says Chabet, who handpicked the six participating artists. Having followed their young art careers, Chabet believes that they are among the present crop of young artists who have developed a certain mastery of the craft and adept handling of the subject matter, even inviting viewers to add their own scenarios. Chabet may have retired from teaching, but is nevertheless happy to see many young artists taking their initiatives to make their voices heard, as they do with the narratives that they are exploring in their chosen mediums.
Wire Tuazon, for example, uses titles, texts, and images to set the tone of his works. Chabet sees such elements as three parallel stories themselves. In “Resurrecting Resurrection,” he culls images from old photographs taken in the 1960s, and then writes, “Christian virgins exposed to the public.” In his other large work, “Storm Rest,” he depicts demolished houses after a storm, and gives us something to think about by labeling it as the “Last Grand Gesture of Beauty.” Chabet adds that the texts are like subtitles that drive meaning further, and give the composition a cinematic component.
Lawrence Bersoto’s “TODA’s Salvation Story” takes us closer to the seemingly ordinary lives of tricycle drivers. Bersoto always manages to give his works local color and even hints at subtexts of spirituality. Nona Garcia, for her part, continues to let us in on her private world in “Scene of the Crime.” Garcia has always used images that are connected to her life, her home, and her family. In this instance, “Scene of the Crime” takes us to how a bedroom looked like after it was burglarized.
Patty Eustaquio’s “Goodbye Cruel World” consists of two paintings and an installation work, composing them in a manner that recalls 17th century Dutch still life paintings. Eustaquio tackles the sensitive subject of death through a dead bird, an iris, probably as a reference to the Greek goddess of the rainbow, Iris, and an installation of a variety of objects, including stoneware and fresh flowers, to portray the cycle of life and death.
Geraldine Javier’s “Chasing Ghosts” series features images that somehow remind us about the elusiveness of certain things in life, including the painting medium itself for some. While Javier’s works are done in such great detail, Chabet notes that they look so low-key, one would mistake them as done in black and white, when, in fact, Javier uses more tones than what one would see at first glance.
Alfred Esquillo’s “I created gods in 7 days” series features satirical takes on the Filipino mass culture. A larger work, done on a 6’ x 6’ canvas, is titled “Survivor, P.I.” Esquillo shows that the stories never end with him or his fellow figurative artists as the main author, but continue with every viewer discovering personal connections.
Documentation
