Bernardo Pacquing goes back to learning and re-learning the basics in Within the Margin of Error, his latest one-man exhibit at West Gallery, SM Megamall. On view from February 21 to March 4 are five large-scale paintings, each depicting Pacquing’s frame of mind and willingness to make mistakes along the way.
Within the Margin of Error recalls our student days, with big canvases standing in for blackboards as jottings and other geometric forms fill the dominantly dark space. Pacquing says that “errors” are part of the whole piece. They lead Pacquing to come up with something more visually effective, and thus, Pacquing doesn’t dismiss them right away as insignificant time-wasters. “Like when you were younger, you kept trying to replicate what you see,” says Pacquing, citing an example of how we learned to write. Each stroke is vital. If we perceive them as right, then they stay there. When we commit a mistake, we erase it and we try again to come as close to perfect as we could. Pacquing says it’s similar to the process of painting. It begins with an idea, and then the artist tries to execute it as close as possible to how he envisions that idea.
Pacquing says that this repetitive yet spontaneous process of executing and correcting his inputs is evident in each of the works. He chose to do them in 4′x 5′ canvases to replicate the idea of scribbling on a blackboard, seeing the work right away and creating a bigger visual impact. The mistakes or imperfections are still there, hidden somehow, and what one sees is the improved or corrected version. Pacquing notes that the approach can also be applied in real life, when we try to correct our lapses for better results. That is why Pacquing sees each piece as a work in progress, working on each piece almost simultaneously. They will be finished and signed just before they are mounted at the gallery, says Pacquing.
The works, adds Pacquing, are more reminiscent of his earlier styles, devoid of painterly and massive strokes. This time, however, he is using darker bases, and uses only patches of color as necessary. “You always learn,” he says, recognizing that it is all about striving for perfection, though the concept itself isn’t achievable in the strictest sense. “It is a very repetitive regimen, but also a learning process.” Pacquing adds that what is “perfect” for the composition is not necessarily the “clean” or structured version. “It is what is in your heart, what you feel is right at the time. You may spend six to eight hours painting until you see what you like. It’s that feeling the moment you see the last stroke. You cannot repeat it again.”
Bernardo Pacquing is a recipient of the CCP Thirteen Artists Award in 2004.
Documentation
