Tuesday, April 17, 2007 Sweaty way By Ritchie Landis Doner Quijano
THEIR invitation came in a brown sealable wrapper that appeared like a pay slip envelope. Inside, a black-and-white print of an industrial installation, devoid of human presence, that read : The Factory, a group painting exhibit at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel. Quite fitting as hard work is evident in the paintings, the exhibition filled with large works by fine arts students of the University of the Philippines.
The group of fifteen college juniors come from the Studio Fine Arts 191 class where students are trained to pour their hearts into the nitty-gritty grind of painting. They are Ronald Bate, Jelly Cellona, Allen Centina, Cordero, Intoy Corpin, Phylgea Donayre, Michelle Escamillan, Jenno Gacasan, Donald Guia, Ariel Ignacio, Thessalonia Java, Nardo, Nabua, Leah Sia and Kenichi Wani.
They show the early struggles, but more importantly they have the drive to be prolific despite time pressure, personal constraints and resource limitations. The “Factory” maybe interpreted as a sweatshop where the artists have to labor to produce these paintings. It’s true that when they spend working time in the studio, the students are subjected to long hours of labor. The show is worth viewing for they’re the new works to watch. Let’s have a look at tomorrow’s art today.
