My Turf

One thing I LOVE about taking photos is that it makes you pay attention to details you normally do not take much notice of. I am no pro (although I do fantasize about being able to take professional photos a lot), but I sure get such high in seeing an object or a scene that has the colors, the composition, the grandeur or subtlety of a great photograph.

A favorite project I did last year was for the Japan Foundation. It was a documentary on the works of modern Filipino artists such as Edades, Francisco, Ocampo and Manansala. Prior to doing it, I never had much interest in mural art or sculptures. It was only when we were shooting, when I took really close looks at each of them, was I able to appreciate their beauty as well as the genius and hard work put into them by their majestic makers. 

I found it a little sad, though, that it’s people from other countries who recognize–and, to this day, celebrate–the talent of the Filipino artist. Even in international contemporary art books, you’d find the works of the artists whose names I mentioned above. In fact, when this AVP we did on Philippine Cubism was played in France, our contact from the Japan Foundation gleefully told me that people were actually inquiring how they could place orders for the video!

After shooting, I realized just how heartbreaking the evident neglect we’ve shown for these works is. Admittedly, I wouldn’t have understood all this had our team not been commissioned by JF to do this project. If not for this project, I wouldn’t have known that these pieces stood in those places, rotting, wasting away, forgotten.

Here are a couple of examples (pics taken by moi with my digi cam, so pardon the not-so-good quality. Hehehe). Just click to enlarge.

           

      

   The now dilapidated Capitol Theater in Manila

  This is not a work from our artists. Just some old building with its walls ripped off.

In the ’70s, Imelda Marcos commissioned modernist painters to "beautify" Manila. Some works were blown up into murals and painted into firewalls, water tanks, and other urban spaces. This is one of those water tanks. Now barely recognizable as a work of art.

 

The beauty stands in the midst of old houses, tangled wires, and shanties.

This is where the "art work" stands now.

Oh yes, there is a family living under the water tank. With them in the picture is National Museum’s Dr. Patrick Flores. And their doggie.

‘Bantay’ in oblivion…

Eto, isang maikling addendum lang. Hindi gaanong related, pero related na rin. Nakakatawang-nakakaasar. Na nakakalungkot at nakaka-bahala. Doon sa isang taping ng National Quiz Bee, sa Easy Round, tinanong ang mga Elementary level contestants kung sino ang bayaning nasa 50 peso bill. Alam niyo ang pangalang isinulat nila sa kanilang answer boards? Karamihan ay Manuel Quezon. Ang iba ay Manuel Roxas. Siguro sa halos 20 contestants, isa o dalawa lang ang sumagot ng tama, na Sergio Osmeña.  O di ba?  Pera natin yan. Hinahawakan at ginagamit araw-araw. At hindi mo kilala kung kaninong mukha ang nandoon? Nakakatawang-nakakaasar. Na nakakalungkot at nakaka-bahala.

Hindi na ba talaga kilala ng mga nakababatang henerasyon ang kanilang mga bayani, ang mga National Artists, mga magagaling na mangangatha at manunulat? Ako yata, hindi ko rin sila kilala…

Tsk. Kaya naman pala pati tayo nahihirapang maniwala sa sarili nating galing.

Kasi hindi na natin alam kung kanino tayo galing.