Specific Gravities, a five man painting exhibit arrays a virtual phalanx of works by Ronald Achacoso, Nilo Ilarde, RM de Leon, Jonathan Olazo and Soler at the Art Center in SM Megamall from July 22 to August 4.
Appropriated from the Archimedean law of relative densities, the title assumes a more diverse range references and alludes to the distinct signature and sensibility of the artists featured in the show. It is also suggestive of weight and substance that is literally and figuratively relevant to the composition of the group.
Equipped with a latent awareness of the inherent dilemmas in contemporary painting, this selection of seasoned artists straddle the fine line between conforming to the strong pictorial tradition of painting and probing its parameters and pressure points.
While similar concerns overlap, these artists maintain the integrity of their individualist artistic pursuits. The sheer physicality of Olazo`s wax paintings wrestle with presence and scale. Achacoso`s geometric surfaces recall composite extraterrestrial landscapes or Persian miniature paintings. R.M. de Leon`s whimsical landscapes suggest familiar parables yet hint of foreboding. Soler`s naturalistic studies of falling water provide contemplative solitude. Ilarde`s collages reflect the tactical precision of military maps with the landscape of art history as its terrain.
This group of artist friends is bound by a common faith in the persistence and relevance of the medium. Shared among them is a passion for looking at pictures and reacting to them. This same passion sustains their own creative processes from which may be traced a reverence for paintings done in the past and an optimistic anticipation of its future.
Documentation
