First Book for 2019: E. Aguilar Cruz the Writer as Painter

I am getting worried because it is already the month of May and I have yet to read and finish one book this year.  I have always considered that people who do not read books are of a lesser type of human beings.  For me, people’s justification that they are too busy and do not have the time to read a book are living a less meaningful life. 

The whole purpose of reading, for me, is not about having to learn more. It is to get in touch with that deep quiet part of myself.  My inner temple so to speak.  And for me, books don’t only inform or inspire, it is also my form of deep reflection and relaxation.

Thank goodness I received a book yesterday, as gifted to me by my boss.  And what is so awesome about it is that it was personally signed by the author himself.  And since I am “re-starting” what is further remarkable about it is that it is a one-seating kind of a hardcover.

got mine signed 🙂

thumbs up X 10

Let me then formally announce that the first book I have read this year is by a prolific writer, Ambeth Ocampo.  It is his latest and is entitled E. Aguilar Cruz: The Writer as Painter.  The book impressively examines how the artistic style of E. Aguilar Cruz has evolved.

The book has thankfully brought me to a different realm for it tackles creative virtuosity, visual exquisity and inherent passion towards one’s art.  Ocampo’s writing, contemplations and analyses can effectively aid the reader on understanding the realist, impressionist and expressionist works of Aguilar Cruz.  He convincingly conveyed that E. Aguilar Cruz is an artist that is a league of his own.  And because of the humongous amount of featured photos of E. Aguilar Cruz’s paintings and sketches, the book is actually like a compact and mobile mini-art gallery!

a great read…

Thanks to this super worthy book, my worry has finally ceased.  And I can finally reconsider myself again as a more worthy and well-meaning human being.  Next book please….

Kung ayaw mo pa ring mag-basa ng libro, itong blog ko na lang basahin mo. Hihihi!

Traveling In Strange Circles by William Allan

I am in San Francisco.  And in keeping with my personal tradition of visiting a museum every time I travel abroad, I went to SFMOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Arts).  Like what I personally do in the past inside a museum, I let those pieces of art feed the cultural facet of my soul.  And the one that most moved me will be featured in the Nengkoy blog.

one of the iconic works of andy warhol

I thought that it would be the works of Andy Warhol that will most fascinate me.  Though seeing his works is one of the highlights of my San Francisco adventure, it was actually this that nudged a silvery spur into my little brain:

traveling in strange circles by william allan

great shot by the equally entranced lady

I was easily entranced by the work of William Allan.  This big piece of acrylic painting on canvass is entitled Traveling in Strange Circles done in 1973.

An old lady who was with me inside the gallery, I guess saw some glow spilling out from my body, she involuntarily volunteered and asked if I would want a photo with the piece of beautiful art.  I of course obliged.  She too was so impressed by the works of William Allan it took quite a lot of time before both of us left that specific section in SFMOMA.

Before I left the William Allan gallery, I told the old lady, “I want that piece in my room!” while pointing to the great piece of art.  The lady then smiled and told me,”You then need quite a lot of fortune before you can own such an excellent piece of work”.  Both of us laughed and bid each other goodbye.

Traveling in Strange Circles though made in 1973 is very modern and is very on with the times.  It is a happy painting.  I never imagined liking a piece of painting that centers a pair of sneakers in it.  Or maybe the painting in a way represents me, a person who loves to travel.

Akong ako ang peynting na ‘to. Kalyehero!  

The Abe Wing of the National Museum

Last Tuesday night, the few pieces of artistic neurons present inside my cranial cavity were happy to have witnessed one historical event in the “Philippine art scene”.  I was present during the formal turnover ceremony of artworks of Emilio Aguilar Cruz to the Philippines’ National Museum for Fine Arts.  The event was coined as the biggest donation in the history for an art collection by an artist to the country’s national museum.

And from the poignant speeches I heard during the ceremony, this generous and selfless act was decided upon so that future generations of the Philippines would be able to see and appreciate contemporary yet refined works of Filipino visual art. This is aside from the fact that these valuable pieces would definitely be protected, preserved and maintained by the state.

EAC Gallery (Abe Wing)
photo grabbed from National Museum FB page

Aside from the formal turnover of donation of EAC art pieces, the program also includes the formal inauguration of the Emilio Aguilar Cruz Hall. Also known as the Abe Wing inside the National Museum, this hall exhibits the donated paintings, sketches and water colors done by EAC.

Activating the art connoisseur in me, from among all the art pieces hanged inside the Abe Wing, the two works of art that charmed and bewitched me were:

portrait of a lady, 1989 (oil on canvass)

This painting is a true representation of a Filipina beauty.  Though the only color used was the varying colors of brown, the monochromatic shades – from lighting, to the clothing and to the color of the woman’s skin – were all so fascinatingly beautiful and captivating.

Paris, 1980 (watercolor on paper)

This watercolor is small but very engaging.  The colors are so alive you would wonder whether such piece was recently been done when in fact it is already 35 years old. Onlooker would be able to appreciate it more if seen from a considerable distance (which for me is a typical EAC style).

Like any other great works of art found in the museums around the globe, EAC’s art pieces would someday, in some foreseeable future, shall become valuable tools for the next generation to better understand its past.  Kudos to the family of Emilio Aguilar Cruz for such a generous donation!

Koloring buk ko kaya tanggapin kung i-doneyt ko sa nashonal myusiyum? 

Morning In Binondo by Sym Mendoza

After having been at awe by the magnificence of the paintings featured in The Dimasalang Artists Collection Exhibit at the National Museum of the Philippines, it would obscenely be unfair if I would only have one post about it.  Here’s my initial post about this event: Fixated with Café Scene

first time to see a lettuce-green-colored gallery. i love it!

catch it while its there…

It has exactly been a week already, yet I could not expunge in my thought the need to write about a 1970 oil painting done by Sofronio “Sym” Mendoza entitled Morning in Binondo.  I don’t know why but this painting seem to have quietly caught my attention during the night of the exhibit’s formal launch.

beautiful!

I would like to believe that it is the alluring streaks of color as well as the glowing pigments that has attracted me most about this 44 year-old painting.  Also, I guess it is the easy-going yet serene approach in the depiction of a specific space in Manila that has caught my interest.  This vibrant yet soothing tableau truly exemplifies an excellent portrayal of Philippine life and scene.

 

The Dimasalang Artists Collection Exhibition will run until July 27, 2015 at the Museum of Fine Arts of the National Museum of the Philippines.

Super nays!

Fixated with the Café Scene

cafe scene: my fave eac painting

Without clicking a single brain cell, my automatic response was the “Café Scene”.  This was when I was asked which among the Emilio Aguilar Cruz (EAC) paintings featured in the newly launched Dimasalang Artists Collection was my favorite.  The Dimasalang exhibit is a newly launched exhibition of gorgeous paintings by 6 artists at the National Museum of the Philippines.

photo grabbed from national museum of the phiilippines fb page

In fact, before this painting made it inside the museum of all museums of the Philippines, a lot of people actually owns a mini-copy of it tucked inside their wallet.  This is because a couple of years ago this painting was chosen by Mastercard to be one of their credit cards’ cool designs.  Here’s a link when I wrote about this: A Painting In My Wallet.

pautang!

To even prove my point that I indeed is a fan of this painting, the cover of my 2011 journal which I brought on my second trip to Australia was the photo of this magnificent painting.

my 2011 journal.  this notebook kept me sane during a long train ride from sydney to gold coast.

Maybe the reason why I love this painting is because it captured the feeling of people who loves to celebrate food with friends and family.  I guess, it can basically represent my being a social person.

Sosyal kasi ako. Kaya layk ko ‘yan. (saying this in pa-sosyal tone)

My National Museum

Silly as it may seem, this blog can be a testimony that I truly adore going to museums.  This is especially true during my out-of-the-country journeys and adventures.  My trips abroad would usually have at least a day spent at a museum.  Me and my friends would usually call it “the cultural day” segment of the adventure.  This is the time when I would further immerse myself to the abundant culture, beautiful art and rich history of those far away cities.

What is so strange and striking is that I actually have not gone to the very national museum whom I consider my own.  The very museum that features my nation’s culture, my nation’s art and my nation’s history.  The very museum that does not need an airline ticket to visit but just a 10-minute taxi ride from my place of stay.

super like!

the old session hall of the senate of the philippines is now the national museum…

proud of my museum!

Thankfully, this strange and striking irony has been resolved.  This is because I have been to the National Museum of the Philippines Thursday night to attend an art exhibit.  The one of three domains of the museum that I particularly have been to that night was the main and the grandest domain, the National Art Gallery.  The other two components (The Philippine Planetarium and The Museum of the Filipino People) of The National Museum are housed in an equally splendid buildings.

Being inside the building of the National Art Gallery already evokes some exquisite emotion.  I was like being transported through a time capsule to the grand and auspicious era of the Philippines.  The feeling was like being inside a gorgeous art piece, breathing with it and being part of it.

i love this shot!
the hallway leading to the dimasalang exhibit. that man is f. sionil jose the national artist for literature.

Before and after the program formalities of the beautiful art exhibit I attended (housed in one of the glorious galleries of the building), I and my colleagues got the chance to view the other galleries of the museum.  Museum directors graciously opened all galleries in all floors of the whole museum that night for all event attendees of the art exhibit to see and appreciate!  The night time ambiance with impressive lighting mood inside the museum galleries further add up to the already massive emotions I was already feeling.

Aside from the penetratingly dramatic Spoliarium painting by Juan Luna and the massive yet gentle looking Diwata sculpture by Guillermo Tolentino, I will not be posting any photo of the art pieces on display.  It is because I want you to go there and experience the same emotion I had.

a super huge oil on canvass painting! spoliarium by juan luna

diwata by guillermo tolentino

I never knew how rich, magnificent and stunning the Filipino-made art pieces were until last night.  Those precious works of art were so beautifully intense it felt like those were interpolating divine messages directly towards me.

The visit to my National Museum was an outstanding buffet that fed my soul to the brim.  It was no doubt an invigorating assault to my senses!

 

The National Art Gallery of the National Museum of the Philippines is open Tuesdays to Sundays, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.  Its free admission on Sundays.

Grabe, parang wala ako sa Maynila!

A Museum On My Mobile Phone

the first piece of art that appeared on my device

“It feels like having a new mobile phone every day!”

This is what I generally feel every time I am surprised by the daily changes that happens to my phone’s wallpaper. Thanks to the mobile app Muzei (a Russian word meaning museum).  Every day my phone home screen is automatically refreshed with works of art.

I really love the app’s classy concept.  It’s so simple yet so unique.  It’s the coolest way if you happen to be dealing with mobile-phone-homescreen-fatigue.

I am so happy and amazed by this clever app, I even bragged and announced this app to my co-workers during one of my lectures.   This well done app can also optionally educate you.  If you wish to know about the description of the featured art piece you simply click on the title.  Then you will be directed to a wiki entry on the internet for the information.

 

refreshing!

winner!

he was a popular russian opera singer…

I have always believed that pieces of great works of art are the food for the people’s soul.  Thus, this awesome app simply does that for me.  Besides, you don’t want your “ulam” (viand) to be the same “ulam” every day. Right?

This is easily the best wallpaper you can put on your device!

Hayli rekomended!

A Painting In Corregidor

the guns… one of the popular fixtures in corregidor

About two weeks ago while having a quiet weekend breakfast with Nengkoy, I learned that my family have close affiliation to that of the historic Island of Corregidor.  During this peaceful breakfast, Nengkoy told me that her mother (Lola Teray) actually lived and inhabited the island of Corregidor for a considerable amount of time.

Nengkoy told me that Lola Teray (though was born in Naic, Cavite) lived with the rest of her family in Corregidor when the island was still under the control of the Americans.  In fact, Nengkoy’s eldest sister (Aunt Lydia, who is now based in Canada) was born there.  She also told me that Lola Teray and the rest of her family was living at the Bottomside of the island where Barrio San Jose was located.

Three Sundays ago, I got the pleasant chance to again visit Corregidor.  It has again been an enlightening tour and visit.  I learned from the tour guide that since the island was controlled by the Americans, Filipinos born in Corregidor in the past are given the option of either being an American or a Filipino citizen.  How cool is that!

The competent tour guide however raised that at present the island is no longer inhabited by anyone and is already preserved because it has been declared a National Shrine.  Thus, there is no longer called a newly born Corregidor-ian.

But what truly moved and startled me was when I saw a rather small framed painting hanged on the wall of the Pacific War Museum (the last stop of the tour before heading back to Manila).  Surprisingly, the prolific piece of art which I never noticed during my first visit was actually painted by no less than my late Uncle Dante.  The younger brother of Nengkoy.  This further confirmed that indeed, somewhere in the marrow of my bones can be found my affiliation to the Island of Corregidor.

a street in early corregidor by dante romasanta

Painted in 1960, the painting depicts the life of ordinary citizens of Corregidor and the usual dealings of the locals with the Americans prior to the horrific World War II.  It’s a representation of a social drama which imbibes a superlative story telling skill through the usage of oil pigments and genius strokes of the brush.

At first sight the painting may seem chaotic.  But at a longer glance, it actually presents a mantra of noisy energy contained by discipline, freedom and order that is miraculously held together.  This I suppose is the glory of this painting.

super proud!

I thought I would surprise Nengkoy about this immense discovery during that breakfast.  So when I told her about my finding Uncle Dante’s painting, she simply told me that she has known about it all along.  And that she has long been immensely proud by this artistic feat achieved by his beloved brother.

Super prawd pamangkin hir!!!