Tuesday, September 09, 2008 Textual Appropriations By Ritchie Landis Doner Quijano
IT used to be that painting was purely made of pictures. But things have changed so much in art over the years.
Painting was primarily to depict, record, and immortalize scenes as an aid to educate or convey a message through pictures. Hence, the style falls under the field of visual or communications art.
That was the way it was long before cameras came to exist. Fast forward to today. The painting field is undergoing a radical change in its face.
Contemporary artists, especially those practicing the modern vein, have become bolder in their expression. They do this by appropriating and incorporating a lot of things that were considered alien in the past.
The use of textual appropriations (the license to use words in another medium) in art is gaining quite a number of following.
Painting now seemingly appears like posters filled with propaganda.
An excellent example of this is the work of artist Salvador Sierra. The artwork he calls “Mind Pollution” is a statement against information overload. “Alapaap” by Mark Justiniani plays around the concept of heaven and earth by using palindromes (a word, phrase, or number that can be read either forward or backward).
In some cases, the use of texts or words are applied on visual aesthetics like in the work of Herminigildo Pineda’s “Handle With Care.”
Rosscapili’s “A Family Portrait…Now” though most modern in appeal is a literal portrayal of the issues and needs of the regular Filipino family.
There is now a very thin line that separates painting and poster. And very soon the two genres will merge as one.
