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Monday, March 27, 2006
Bohemian Rhapsody
By Lady Ochel C. Espinosa
An Eagle's Eye View
A WEEK or two after I arrived from my beloved Manila, I noticed that the different shopping malls of Iloilo have been flooded with young girls, and even middle-aged women dressed colorfully in flowing skirts, sheer peasant tops, and jewelry beads of all sorts. This earthy, "back-to-basics" fashion explosion is known as the Bohemian or Boho trend.
Looking Through the Keyhole
Only a few truly understand the concept and culture of Bohemianism. Beneath the head wraps and wavy skirts, a handful of Ilonggos present their lifestyles as a step closer to a better understanding of the ambiguous world of Bohemians.
In particular, a "Bohemian" is a native of a province of the Czech Republic where lifestyles come inexpensive and where one can behave in a manner some would distinguish to be bizarre, eccentric, not to mention out of this world.
So what then is a 'Bohemian'?
See in your mind's eye a gypsy with eyes lined with smoky liner living in an old and rusty trailer, leading a nomadic existence from fortune telling, reading palms and tarot cards, while listening to outlandish melodies around the campfire with a dancing bear as the core attraction or perhaps the fashion sense coined by the animated cartoon character Esmeralda, in Hunchback of Notredame.
Bohemians are not limited to the cult of gypsies prancing and flouncing down the roads of Czech Republic. Today, the word 'Bohemian' also refers to those who engage in the Bohemian way of life. They encompass artists, writers, musicians, mountaineers, thespians, and even up to the extent of people of all kinds who lead unconventional or perhaps, idiosyncratic ways of living.
Doing it with Art
Art is a way of life to the Bohemian. They share an intense inspirational relationship with their genre, where formal teaching, training, and practice are of utmost necessity. Art to a Bohemian can range from sculptures of junk found in the trash to disturbing paintings or any other work of art. "Art saturates my essence and being", says Kristine Ruiz, who is taking up her masters degree in management at the University of the Philippines in the Visayas.
As a young mother, Kristine expresses the Bohemian in her by bringing a sketchpad along everywhere she goes, drawing everything and anything that caters to her mood at that fleeting moment in time. "It oftentimes starts from doodling," Kristine says, but her doodles are definitely astounding collections of art reflecting much more than boredom especially during her pregnancy with son, Ryan Kristian. Her various images and illustrations are refreshing since they are contrary to the artwork seen most commonly in the Philippines. Her influences are her favorite artists Picasso and Dali. " I have a high regard for them for pushing the boundaries for ubiquitous styles during their time," she says. Kristine explores art beyond the oil paintings of still life, landscapes, and portraits and draws inspiration from everyday life, especially the moments she shares with her newly-born son. She enjoys abstract and surreal art, because it "tickles and taunts the imagination." They can be almost anything you perceive it as, there isn't any structure of definiteness," Kristine says.
Her free and unconventional taste in art almost reflects her Bohemian personality. "My inclination to the arts is something very personal," she says. "If some people write on journals or blogs as an account of their lives, moments both significant and not, I do it through drawing, scribbling on sketchpads, and sooner or later squiggling with my son."
Music of the Heart
Music is the unswerving source to the poignant state of Bohemians. It's a catalyst for either soothing their troubled hearts, or exciting their free spirits. Bohemians can coax a tune at any given time using the most unlikely objects, like the rim of a posh wine glass or tap wooden objects for acoustic beats. But despite their expansive taste in music, they wrestle lucidly from mainstream genres. "They sound really formulated, original, not to mention generic," says Trish Bolivar, a registered medical technologist.
Her maternal family is a group of artists starting from her grandfather, a pianist, followed by her antique-collecting mother, and of course Trish herself, who plays the guitar and sings as well. Trish classifies her self as Bohemian by nature, clearly leaning toward the arts, despite her chosen medical profession. Like Kristine, she too draws and sketches and previously experimented with 'gouache'. "I believe that gouache is a type of paint which works like acrylic but more matte. I find it very astounding ", she says.
Although she listens to a variety of music from acoustic to grunge to electronica, her taste in music is inclined to the small and unknown independent or indie record labels. "They're more candid and sincere because they don't compromise their work for money or millions of record sales," she says. According to Trish, the genre of indie music is close to the choice of many because the artists depict a deficiency in concern with the mainstream image and what is rendered normal or accepted, and is only concerned with self expression, making Bohemians and indie music go together so effortlessly.
Boho Fashionistas
The Boho fad of Indian paisleys, Chinese slippers, Native American beads, and embroidered shawls that have infected Iloilo City and the country, emerged from the societal disparity between the Bourgeoisies, or the French middle class during the 18th century, and the French lower class. The worn out and ragged clothing manifested the contemptuous voice of the lower class against the extravagant lifestyles of the Bourgeoisie.
Honest to the Bohemian culture and in context with the Boho fashion roots, Trish asserts that Boho fashion today especially in the Philippines have a propensity to look busy. "It defeats the purpose of it being second skin and comfy, modifying the look to be even ethnic and oriental," she says. Kristine agrees. "Women nowadays prep up the look by wearing flowing skirts with heels, accessories and other cutesy stuff, "she says.
There is something more than this fashion outburst of gypsies and fairies. Bohemianism is more than a trend; it is a reckless lifestyle of the nonconformists whose artistic visions are brought to life in their personalities, obsessions and passions. It is an eternal movement free from the pungent and choking systems of the uptight authorities. "Bohemianism has to meet you halfway, more like it compliments you and helps you define your inner self, "says Kristine.
Fashion trends change like clockwork. Eras are revived and brought back from their life-long coma. It is here that the inherent quirk of the Bohemian way of life lies.
(March 27, 2006 issue)
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