My
participation, along with other Philippine artists, at the 2014 Langkawi Art
Biennale in Malaysia rekindled my interest in the basics of drawing and
painting. As long as I remember, Oscar Wilde’s quip that "continuity is
the last refuge of the unimaginative" has underpinned my approach. And
then, in Langkawi, surrounded by beautiful flora and fauna, and in the company
of other artists, my creative instincts led me to compile a set of drawings
true to my initial learning.
I have always tried to commence each composition or compilation with 'beginner's mind'. Hence, I regularly change subjects and mediums, and deviate from the safety net of familiarity and “marketability”. Unpredictability has continued to fuel my thirst for creating and I have avoided formulaic style.
I have always tried to commence each composition or compilation with 'beginner's mind'. Hence, I regularly change subjects and mediums, and deviate from the safety net of familiarity and “marketability”. Unpredictability has continued to fuel my thirst for creating and I have avoided formulaic style.
During
the in-between hours in Langkawi, when the Philippine delegation organized spot
drawing, I realized that I had in recent years delved much into abstract that I
had forgotten the basics of drawing and painting. The idea of creating a series
came to mind and I searched for photos from antiquarian books on biology and
zoology and the like, magazines, encyclopedias and the internet- looking
specifically for flora and fauna. Trading the easel for a table, I sat down
late at night or early in the morning, drawing various images from my research.
The
result is 'Table Drawings' - a collection of gouache drawings completed during
the past eight months since my return from Langkawi. The folio aims to remove the work from the
category of simply 'drawing' as some of the drawings are grouped and arranged
randomly in order to create the effect of collage comprising a visually loose
and dispersed. Yet, constitute a whole, visual journal.
To
achieve fluidity, I experimented with the paper surface and gouache, which in
turn allowed for an accidental quality, yet retaining the photography
reference. Importantly, as all artworks are completed in gouache and pencil and
on velum paper and drawn in the traditional manner, I have remained true to
‘drawing’ in this folio.
TABLE DRAWINGS opens on November 14, Saturday, 6pm
The ArtAlley - Unit 324 LRI Design Plaza, Nicanor Garcia St. Bel Air II, Makati City
Exhibit runs until November 30, 2015.
For more information you may call Ellen Capili at 8368799 or email one_workshop@yahoo.com