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Tuesday, July 23, 2002
TSINELAS new look at the slipper
By Ritchie Landis Doner Quijano
It is no longer a surprise that when artists become tired of everything that is mundane around them, they simply find ways to convert a seemingly ordinary thing or situation into something quite extraordinary.
Such is the slippers exhibit ongoing at the Luna Artspace along Gorordo ave. where the lowly and humble tsinelas becomes a creative medium used to transcend its normal function to protect and metaphorically a means to transport its wearer. The tsinelas thereby becomes an unlikely canvas transformed in the hands of artists from being a common personal and household fixture into an artified artifact.
The exhibit was originally conceptualized and is led by Luna Artspace’s eight resident-artists namely Raymund and Estela Fernandez, Roy Lu, Jon Unson, Mitzi Sabanal, Christine Manguerra, Hana Nellas, and Palmy Pe Tudtud. The magic eight are further joined by some of the most innovative players in the local art scene, thus augmenting the exhibit’s diverse nature and ideas. All participating artists have come to the realization that the unpretentious tsinelas may be used as an object to stage social commentaries and further its design potentials. As a revisionary exhibit, it attempts to overhaul the very basic function of slippers. The fact that we Filipinos are notoriously known to “kombinar” is a ground that binds to produce such a show that looks into the slipper’s other possibilities in design or as a message carrier.
Because in a third world country such as ours, the inexpensive tsinelas is everyone’s property and it is most hard to imagine someone no matter how rich or poor without his having one. Such is the symbolic commonality the slippers provide to all social classes. Metaphorically as a vehicle of mobility or of “mass transport” for that matter, it raises some less-asked questions like “Are we as a people going anywhere?” Or, “Have we arrived at the point where we should be?” The tsinelas tried to address such inquiries with creativity. Most were quite literally direct in their approach. An example would be Palmy Pe-Tudtud’s “Kanaog” which definitely suggests the act of leaving, perhaps the home enroute to where the slipper goes.
Her work shows bare footprints on a simulated marble surface walking towards a pair of slippers. It is normal practice in most houses today that slippers remains only at the doorway. Another is Mitzi Sabanal’s “Ayaw-Pagtini-il” which warns those with wanderlust on the hazards of going barefooted. Bambi Beltran’s piece takes the traveler to the beach and seas as evidenced by her fine white sand clad slippers.
Hana Nellas takes us to the seas as well with her pair of boat slippers.
Others thought of putting wheels, wings and feathers on them so that these strongly imply mobility and travelling. Others merely jazzed-up their slippers as a take-off point of the object into the realms of fine art. In any way, the tsinelas exhibition is a fresh concept. Quite unorthodox that it may be difficult to sell. Adding to the fact that most of the creations on exhibit are unsigned by their makers. But that’s not a flaw because it simply does not strive on commerce. It however triumphs as a statement against commercial art while at the same time setting a precedent that art isn’t only confined to framed canvas and displayed as mere adornment.
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