The Triumph of 'Pinoy'
The Triumph of 'Pinoy'
By Cesare A.X. Syjuco
Published in: The Manila Times, May 07, 1988
I WAS almost prepared to dislike Rod Paras-Perez's ongoing exhibition of re-styled palayok and banig at the new Madrigal Center in Ayala Alabang, for even the staunchest of his small circle of admirers were skimpy with their usual praise when queried about it. Billed "Interfaces II" by the eminent artist/scholar himself, this second of Dr. Perez's three simultaneous exhibitions - his first major outing in over a decade - was said to be the weakest link in the over-publicized trilogy.
But the world is full of pleasant surprises, and Perez's small woven mats and red-clay cookware literally had me giddy with the possibilities they presented. Critical work, especially when done with professional regularity, can deaden one's enthusiasm for the novel. And still I was thrilled by the collection in a way I had long forgotten possible.
Perez has often been referred to as the foremost ideologue for our growing preoccupation with indigenous materials and traditional local motifs. To be sure, his advocating a return to our cultural roots - even when the vogue leaned heavily in favor of contemporary western influences - did little to make him a popular art world figure, and he was often ridiculed by his trendier counterparts in the academe as "neo-native" and hyper-reactionary. I can imagine how this must have deeply wounded his intense cosmopolitan pride (for strangely enough, Perez was educated in the ambiance of genteel Old World classicism), and the vindication he must have sought outright was slow in coming.
The vindication is now taking definite shape in our increasingly generous view of ourselves and our long-neglected heritage - and concurrently, in the enthusiasm displayed by renowned authorities on world art for our more "introspective" produce of late. So even while some misguided sectors of our local artworld prepare to meet head-on with German Expressionism and its bizarre American mutations, the obvious need of these artists to assert their once-negligible ties with homegrown sources betrays their own acceptance of the inevitability of "pinoy." The triumph is in no way Dr. Perez's alone; but the influence he has exerted in the changing of the tide cannot possibly be ignored.
In "Interfaces II," Perez dramatically turns his back on whatever lingering western fixations he may still have harbored, concerning himself with the artistic possibilities of our lowliest (and most basic) rural crafts. Perhaps only the toothbrush is of greater urgency for the Pinoy than the vessels he cooks in and the buri mats he still sleeps on. And Dr. Perez's daring departure from their usual configurations could make even the doyens of high art salivate.
And "daring" may be too mild a term for the artist's brazen disregard for popular taste. Much of the work borders on the grotesque and the excessive, with garish colorations heightened by glitter and gold leaf. Perez takes greater risks here than perhaps at any other time in his illustrious career, and his masterful courtship of danger borders on the sublime.
I was deeply impressed by "Interfaces II," despite its queer presentation in what can only be described as a family crypt. And then again, while I can think of more wholesome settings for this substantial triumph of "pinoy," all venues for art at this point in time are welcome, however morose.
* * *
Cesare A.X. Syjuco, “The Triumph of 'Pinoy'” (page 1 of 1), The Manila Times, May 07, 1988
