'Sculpture In The Round'
'Sculpture In The Round'
By Cesare A.X. Syjuco
Published in: The Manila Times, February 22, 1989
(First in a series)
TRADITIONALLY, the Filipino has always been more objectmaker than graphic visualizer. And so it is perplexing that sculpture should inspire so little interest in us despite its privileged proximity to our creative roots.
Fortunately, the last half of February is "sculpture consciousness time" in Metro Manila — more by chance than by design — with at least four bull-blown exhibits focusing on contemporary sculptural concerns.
The first (and hopefully not the best) of these is the nine-man group show "Sculpture in the Round" at the CCP's Small Gallery until March 26, featuring a sprinkling of modest-sized works by veterans Edgar Doctor, Virginia Ty-Navarro and Renato Rocha, and some even smaller works by relative-newcomers Dudley Diaz, Edson Armenta, Dan Ralario, Jerry Araos, Agnes Arellano and Rey Paz Contreras.
It must be said from the onset, lest the show be mistaken for anything more, that this is by no means a good sampling of recent Philippine sculpture, fraught with minor works and major flaws, and lacking in thematic significance. There is no apparent reason for the selection of these particular artists, and one wonders if others were not in fact invited but were compelled to decline.
It is no secret that the Cultural Center has been experiencing difficulty in generating both participation and attendance for its periodic thematical shows, and a spontaneous mainstream boycott of its exhibitional facilities is obviously gaining ground. Then, too, there are such few sculptors in this country that everyone is eventually called upon to take a bow — with this, quite conceivably, being one of those times.
Perhaps the most obvious failing here is that those who show a semblance of mastery show nothing new or important; those who attempt minor deviations from the ordinary lack the virtuosity to pull it off ... and even the credibility to get away with it. The gallery resembles a trophy room with someone's shrunken-head collection on languid display — so wanting it is in verve and heft! In the plainest terms, it is dull, it is insignificant, and its total lack of substance takes its toll on the poor viewer.
Undoubtedly, the metal-workers Virginia Ty-Navarro and Edgar Doctor lord it over their showmates with their technical precision and impeccable finish — considerations that would have meant little or nothing in a more substantial exhibit. And while some works by Paz Contreras, Armenta and Arellano likewise arouse interest, they inevitably fall short of their mark.
One heartless observer says that our sculpture has made few significant strides in the past decade. She therefore presumes that it has died in its sleep. I thoroughly disagree. But I will grant her that the continued lack of revolutionary new talent — and the proliferation of third-rate exhibitions like this one — could put it permanently in the ground.
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Cesare A.X. Syjuco, “'Sculpture In The Round'” (page 1 of 1), The Manila Times, February 22, 1989
