ART has always been the embodiment of what is going on in society. Artists are products of their time, their environment, education, and upbringing.
Thus what they express in their work belongs not only to them but also to their time and place. Art is a concrete representation of life in a given period.
In this premise, therefore, Puwersa Pintura, a newly born organization of student-artists from La Consolacion College School of Fine Arts, presents an art exhibition entitled Amats.
Purely a students’ initiative, Puwersa Pintura aims to help each other as students of the arts to seek purpose and direction for their talents as well as to focus their energies to a more productive and worthwhile activity.
The first of the group’s planned series of exhibitions, Amats is a sort of a contribution to the on going national celebration of Linggo ng Lahi. Amats is consists of feature paintings, drawings and mixed media works of students currently enrolled at LCC’s School of Fine Arts.
Amats is a slang word that means effect, consequence, and or, result. The artworks, therefore, speak of things that hit upon the very core of the individual artists’ psyche, the issues that they have to deal with- both the positive and negative that they also absorb from life in contemporary times.
Mark Anthony Tacsagon’s oil on canvas presents a portrait of himself facing the demand of society to most of Tuesday’s young to go abroad for a greener pasture.
Bopip Montinola showcases a series in oil of farm workers who despite of the hard works they exert, still they live in poverty.
Michael John Pama’s surreal rendition of Filipino immigrants abroad who embraced the foreign culture.
Dominic James Tanudra creates a political statement with an oil on canvas “way luwas”- a tableau of social situation where people of power lives in comfort at the expense of the majority.
Another purely political work is being presented through Juan Rosalia’s masterpiece with “Circle in a Palace”.
Sadly satirical, he portrays our Philippine government under the mercy of foreign countries for economic sustenance thus making the Filipino people serving foreigners.
Tristram Miravalles portrays a diminishing sense of dignity with an oil on canvas ‘Paugat sa Apo” that depicts an old man holding a girl’s picture in his hand with all senses of depravity.
The work speaks not only to an individual but collectively to a whole society’s diminishing sense of dignity, a kind of hunger, and a triumph of the flesh over the spirit.
“Silence”, an oil on canvas by Ruel Talanquines portrays the ambiguity of silence. Set against a dark background, the painting gives an impression of a moment where a working class woman painted at the center put a finger on her lips as a command to the two children in front of her thus giving an aura of surprise and frozen expression.
Mostly socially relevant in contents, the exhibit offers a remarkable visual experience because of the variation in rendition, choice of colors, technique and handling of materials as well as each artist’s choice of subject matter.
Each manifests the different perceptions of these young artists trying to make a statement and to be heard in our present times.
Moreover, whether these young artists will succeed or not, only time and their commitment to continue could tell.
Meanwhile, other artists featured on the exhibit are Norman Posecion, Gwen Decena, Charlotte Rodriguez, Nicole Rios, Arian Iligan, Rommel Aguilar, Ronald Jimenez, Harris Destalamento, Ramses Rufin, Keeney Joe Tanes, J Ty, Frankie Tumpag, Vic Macapagal, Juno Tamase, Melkanie Abarte, Robynne Rae Mangubat, Remus Pedienco, Khem Flores, Marjohn Montaya, AJ Baladia, Jared Balintaculo, Oscar Matson Jr., Nelson Tayo Jr., Francis Fajardo, Lenie Makilan, Christine Benidicto, Jerome Marcial, Alfred Macapas, and Catrina Eunice Villanueva.
Amats exhibit is now going on at Event Center of SM City in Bacolod.
