Galerie Francesca Booth B5 | SMX Convention Center, SM Aura Premier, BGC, Taguig City, Philippines| October 12- 15, 2017

We consume or use up food and things and those that are no longer useful or wanted, our excesses and waste are being thrown away without being fully aware of where it goes and the impact it has on plants and animals and on Earth as a whole.

When I decided to experiment with mixed media, I wanted to challenge myself to create something out of the things that I already have at the time—my old bike rims, plastic trash, computer parts, etc.- things that I no longer need but may have a negative impact in nature when thrown away. As I was happy with the result of my initial experimentation, I later on decided to use a combination of plastic wrappers, bottle caps and plastic bottles, wire mesh, metal scraps, bicycle rim, copper wire, glass (marbles and beads) and other found objects in my mixed media work. I have faith that I can express myself further with this medium since I can also further my advocacy towards the protection and preservation of nature, by being eco-conscious.

There is an abundance of plastic materials and plastic waste around us. But during the initial stages of my experimentation, it was taking time before I get enough materials to work with since I was only depending on my personal trash. So, I started getting discarded bottle caps and plastic wrappers from relatives and neighbors, either from their personal consumption or from the sari-sari stores they owned. I realized, you can have an idea on a person’s lifestyle and tastes just by looking at his trash.

Bottle caps of beverages consumed in 2months by a neighbor with 5 members.

Initial stages of my experimentation.

Baguio is also known for its wag-wag or second-hand industry so it’s where I get additional materials like old toys, kitchen utensils, women’s jewelry and accessories, buttons, marbles and glass beads.

It has also been a routine for me to ride my bicycle atleast twice a week as a form of relaxation and there were times when I passed by Mt. Ulap (near PHILEX mines), where more and more tourists have been flocking this year. I would see a lot of discarded drinking bottles nearby the junction so I would collect the caps as well.

When my wife and I went to Japan for an exhibition back in May 2016, we also had this idea to collect the plastic from the food that we consumed there. We then did the same for our Hong Kong and Taiwan trip. I thought it would be good to add those to my artwork since some have different writings or characters on the plastic, proof that plastic consumption and its impact is global. As any other tourist destinations, it is also one of the highlights to go to the local shopping districts where you get to sample of their local food, buy souvenirs and be exposed to the popular and material culture. It’s mind-boggling to see the scale of shops and flock of locals and tourists and it’s difficult to fathom the resulting amount of excess and trash thereafter.

Some of the plastic we collected from our trip to Taiwan last Dec. 2016

Due to its many uses and advantages, plastic has become an integral part of our lives. We can help lessen its negative impact on earth by looking for sustainable alternatives or by reducing, re-using or recycling. I do my part with my art.

PROPERTIES OF PLASTIC

-Plastic is as colorful as oil paint and known for its resistance to environmental and biological degradation.

-It’s viscosity makes it bind with glass and metal giving more overall texture and room for experimentation.

- Some plastic can be challenging to work with and shape. Sometimes as I continue to heat the plastic, I let it take its form. Its malleability gives an element of play which is vital in being an artist. When there is more play, the mind is free and there is more room for ideas.

-Its brilliance is further highlighted when mixed with glass and metal.

MIXED MEDIA:

RAFT SERIES AND ADRIFT:

Trash floating on bodies of water, although colorful, has a negative impact on its inhabitants. So instead of the possibility of it floating on bodies of water, I thought of incorporating it in my artwork. With this series, I imitated the appearance of waste or garbage floating and drifting on a body of water when viewed from above (top view).

Raft 1 is actually the very first artwork I made in my mixed media series. It took a few weeks before I actually finished it since I had to learn how I can work with plastic and how I can successfully add glass and metal to it.

ACCENTUATE | 34 x 34 x 7 cm | Mixed Media | 2017 | Private Collection, Philippines

By wanting to draw attention to make ourselves more noticeable or prominent, we accessorize or enhance some of our body parts but can sometimes come to a point of being excessive.

SYNTHETIC | 41 x 26 cm | Mixed Media | 2017 | Private Collection, Philippines
Something made by combining different artificial substances

Private Collection, Philippines | The beginning of something which continues to develop or grow.

Something that is made by combining different things, in this case plastic, metals, glass.

A central or most important part of something

I mixed various symbols which represents the coming together of various ideologies.

Fish like

Resembling a bird like figure in flight

Private Collection, Philippines
Fian-fianilag is a term by the Ifialig (people in Barlig, Mt. Province) when they see flickering light in the rice fields, similar to St. Elmo's fire.

Private Collection, Philippines

Our current perception and standards of beauty are influenced by almost all forms of media. Exposure to billboards and magazine advertisements by supermodels and movies by actors that fulfill the unrealistic media ideal of beauty often lead to feelings of insecurity and low self-esteem on most people. Because of the pressure of wanting to be socially accepted as “beautiful” or “attractive”, some people subject themselves to drastic changes in their diet, undergo some medical procedures or operations, or adorn themselves with decorative or material things, sometimes to the point of extravagance or addiction at worst, just to appear acceptable or closer to our current society’s standards.

Having or suggesting qualities (such as strength and sexual energy) that are associated with men and that are usually considered attractive in men.

OIL PAINTINGS:

RECLUSE | 20" x 16" | Oil on canvas | 2017 | Private Collection, Philippines

TAMED | 20" x 16" | Oil on canvas | 2017. Subdue the wildness, spirit or energy from somebody or something.

ALLU KUY 2 | 22" x 18" | Oil on canvas | 2015. A local term by the Ifiallig (Barlig, Mt. Province) for a spirit dwelling in the forest, a "shape-shifter" whicj can assume the form of an animal, a person, etc.; it can either be good or evil depending on the nature of the person who encounters it.


DELUGE \| 20" x 16" \| Oil on canvas \| 2017. The sudden downpour of rain sometimes causes flash floods or flooding in low lying areas and as the water subsides we sometimes see fish, eel or other aquatic animals displaced in the streets or fields.

CRADLE | 48" x 60" | Oil on canvas | 2017. "The seed receives nutrients from living matter that has come and gone. This is the cycle of life. Beautiful and balanced."-Anonymous