By David Belmonte
Artists’ works speak volumes of their truest feelings. And these emotions often elude even the sharpest of minds, the most critical of critiques and the most adoring of fans. The public only sees glimpses of their inner workings—mere inklings of how they think and feel.
Artists reveal more about themselves with each work while we, the viewers, try to understand them and their pieces even better. All of us want to learn of their thought process. And with the León Gallery Spectacular Mid-Year Auction 2019, we get to see the thought process of some of the most celebrated Filipino artists of all time, including Lee Aguinaldo and BenCab, among others.
Lee Aguinaldo’s “All Blue No. 3” reflects this concept rather well. At first glance, it seems simple, yet with closer inspection, it is anything but. This abstract piece offers a certain sense of finality to it, but one can never know for sure.
Mark Justiniani’s curious “Lakas Marcos,” on the other hand, requires two glances to appreciate: once through a mirror, and once on its own. Capturing a rather controversial aspect of Philippine history, this clever work of art involves the word lakas (strength), which, when observed through the mirror, produces the word sakal (choked).
It’s up to the viewers to decide which of the two words resonates with them more. Whichever way the eyes go, there’s no doubt that this divisive art piece will challenge them to look beyond the surface.
Also included in the auction is BenCab’s “Sabel.” The name of the piece was inspired by the muse who has been reinvented in some of BenCab’s other works. The inspiration behind “Sabel” came to BenCab when he saw a scavenger—a symbol of despair and isolation—wearing nothing but scraps just around his house in Bambang in Manila.
Another painting that features a female subject is Marcel Antonio’s “Persephone”. Despite the subject’s alluring and sexy nightgown, her disinterested facial expression and unassuming body language speaks volumes of her situation—one in line with the tale of the Greek goddess of the same name.
View all of these paintings and more at the upcoming León Gallery Spectacular Mid-Year Auction on Saturday, June 22, at 2p.m. at G/F Eurovilla 1, Legazpi Corner Herrera Streets, Legazpi Village, Makati. Visit https://leon-gallery.com/ for more information.
