Critic's Choice: A MYTHICAL SELECTION
Critic's Choice: A MYTHICAL SELECTION
By Cesare A.X. Syjuco
Published in: The Manila Times, July 15, 1987
LAST week, we promised to act on the request of CCP's Judy Sibayan for our own nominees to their 1988 "13 Artists" Program, which carries with it a generous purse of P5,000 per beneficiary, and no small measure of distinction. We mentioned that while the criteria drawn up by the CCP had left much to be ironed out, we would try our best to consolidate our own unofficial selection based on our own understanding of those guidelines.
To recap, Ms. Sibayan had written to say that all nominees should be "young in their careers", but not "complete unknown(s)", and that they should all possess significant bodies of work that speak of their outstanding potential. That did seem rather self-contradictory, since young upstarts are seldom, if ever, in possession of a substantial number of documented artworks — a "fault" they almost invariably share with indigent (though hardly less-deserving) talents.
We could only assume, therefore, that Sibayan had actually meant to stress CCP's preference for relative newcomers to the local art scene; in other words, those who have just emerged in the public eye, or whose professional careers, for the most part, have been conducted outside the artistic mainstream.
Following is our list of nominees:
GABRIEL BARREDO — This young sculptor's exceedingly-ornate reliefs and freestanding constructions are major accomplishments by any standard, heavily laden with the quasi-religious overtones of our post-Hispanic artistic heritage. Not widely known despite his credible triumphs in the AAP and Metrobank annual competitions, Barredo works in a manner that should ultimately serve to free us from the monolithic heroism that has ensnared local sculpture for as long as anyone can remember.
ORVILLE D. R. TIAMSON — This maverick descendant of Botong's beloved Angono has been rescued from obscurity by his recent inclusion in the 1987 ASEAN Youth delegation bound for Singapore. Young Tiamson is one of the genuine finds of the season, a mixed-media painter of singular inventiveness and broad technical capabilities.
NUNELUCIO ALVARADO — Probably the most engaging Social Realist painter today, this Bacolod-based artist's powerful renderings of exploited Negrenses transcend the genre's affectation and patent sloganeering with both compassion and compelling insight. Alvarado may have the pessimism of someone twice his age, but he is certainly "young" enough in his career to qualify for this selection, and probably still hungry enough to really appreciate the cash bonus.
ALWIN REAMILLO — This young artist's first solo exhibit of brown exotica at Pinaglabanan Galleries was almost certainly the best we have seen this year. Makiling-trained, this Metrobank awardee's talent is dark and menacing, but it shines through nonetheless in works flavored with fanciful historical deviations and restyled indigenous materials.
RONNIE ZABALA LAZARO — While nominating him for this grant may raise its share of eyebrows, it would be recognition long overdue for a selfless talent that is richly deserving. In the last two years, former filmstar Lazaros has paved new ground for Performance Art in this country, deliberately by-passing esoteria and mindless theatricality in favor of a homespun vocabulary firmly rooted in Philippine myths and rituals.
AMI MICIANO — The remarkable young woman behind the Penguin Gallery in Malate, Miciano is likewise an accomplished photographer given to unorthodox methods and persistent exploration. Her cash prize should be awarded on the understanding that it will be spent to further develop the Penguin's ragtag exhibitional facilities.
CHRISTINA GARZON — Originally a product of the UP College of Fine Arts, Garzon received extensive training in Spain where she was based for some time. One of our finest exhibiting illustrators today, her work is primarily concerned with Eastern mythological and adorational themes, a field she totally dominates.
JONATHAN OLAZO — Because this new printmaking sensation has done so well, so soon, with so little effort, young Olazo should be a virtual shoo-in for this selection. Winner of the 1987 PAP Grand Prize while still a college freshman, he is probably the only exhibiting undergraduate today who truly deserves this distinction.
SID HILDAWA, JR. — Like Tiamson, this intuitive painter and sculptor was virtually unknown before he was selected to represent our country in the 4th ASEAN Youth meet in Singapore this June. Among the only true-blue exponents of the "new abstraction" to emerge from a generation of look-alike figurative revivalists, much of Hildawa's work so far is raw but exciting.
LANELLE ABUEVA — Trained in Japan and the US, this dedicated studio-potter and ceramicist exemplifies the transition between the fine and applied arts in delicate, understated works of functional beauty. Lanelle is one deeply-committed young artist who could use a little more exposure and encouragement.
YUAN MOR'O — Once a rising scion of the old avant-garde, Mor'o now brings with him a wealth of regional experience derived from years of artistic study in Indonesia. Only recently returned from overseas, his future produce should be of enormous interest to local audiences.
JOEY MACALINO — Visual artist, photographer, video and performance wiz kid, Macalino is a creative dynamo whose iconoclasm and sheer energy are difficult to overestimate. This artworld renegade could probably raise our staid artistic sensibilities from the grave if given half the chance.
MARIO ERIC GAMALINDA — Known primarily as a multi-awarded poet and graphic designer, Gamalinda has diligently investigated the mutational links between the visual and the literary arts in a diverse range of media from xerography and painting, to album jackets and the printed page.
Of course, we do not pretend to believe that our nominees are the only deserving candidates, nor even the most obvious ones. But to Ms. Sibayan and the CCP, we offer up our fair share towards the realization of this commendable effort. Surprise us if you must, but gently.
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Cesare A.X. Syjuco, “Critic's Choice: A MYTHICAL SELECTION” (page 1 of 1), The Manila Times, July 15, 1987
