Angelo Magno

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Filipino Art on French Walls

Published in What's On & Expat, 23 December 2007

The French have a long and proud tradition of association with the visual arts with many 19th and 20th Century French artists being household names throughout the world. Who has not heard of Monet, Degas or Duchamp to mention just three? Less well known is the 17th Century French printmaker Jacques Callot. His innovations improved etching to such an extent that his work became a favored collectable of the Dutch master Rembrandt, a formidable printmaker in his own right.

Continuing in these footsteps, the Alliance Française de Manille is host to the Philippine Association of Printmakers’ latest group exhibition, The Medium is the Message. Meandering throughout the public spaces of the Alliance’s Nicanor Garcia St premises, this exhibition showcases almost the full gamut of techniques available to the contemporary printmaker. From serigraphs (screen prints) via wood cuts, lithographs, mono prints, intaglios (which includes etching and engraving), lino prints known colloquially as rubber prints to digital prints, which are often referred to by the French name of giclee, all are represented.

Two impressive woodcuts by Virgilio Aviado hang by the exhibition’s catalogue table. Architypal Pinoy I and Architypal Pinoy II are full length scrolls depicting life size renderings of contemporary Filipinos. The first is about the male of the species presented as a peace loving, guitar playing hippy on the left and a baton holding security guard on the right. The second shows 3 women, a nun in shades of black and grey is center with a teenager in crop top, short shorts and boots on her left and a society queen replete in a green gown holding a light gold clutch bag on her right.

Behind the information desk and a little to its right is a lithograph by national artist Jerry Elizaide Navarro. It is a1999 untitled commedia dell'arte inspired rendering of the comic/tragic theatre masks. Where the comic mask wears a salacious leer and the tragic mask questions the audience, it is a delightfully whimsical reading of the age old cliché.

On the wall of the corridor leading to the toilet, just before the restaurant, is a group of works that includes the African inspired works of Angelo Magno. The three rubber cuts and a monotype are recent works that explore the artist’s relationship with the Dark Continent through line and color. Babaylaon: Medicine Woman and Diety are red faced mask like renderings with multi colored halos while Black Mask uses multi-colored lines to delineate its features. The monotype Mater Delorosa is a black and gold depiction of a shrouded figure with a barely discernable halo.

Inside Le Coude Rouge restaurant hangs Bencab’s digital drawing Sabel with Moon, depicting a woman’s nocturnal affair with her pillows which are both her comfort and her nemesis. On the opposite wall is a pair of Janos Delacruz intaglio prints and on the mid point of the stairs to the second floor are two more. Pepito and the Urban Jungle shows a wide eyed, open mouth youth amid the extravagance that is a modern city and Traveling Insomniac hints at the terrors of enforced sleeplessness.

Upon reaching the upper level of the Alliance building, amongst the rewards, are four recent serigraphs by Bernard Temperosa. In these two tone, red and black, works two calligraphy inspired characters cavort in varying scenarios, each an environmental dance between danger and opportunity.

This multi-faceted exposition of the printmakers craft has many more gems than space constraints here allow to enumerate. The Medium is the Message at the Alliance Française de Manille, 209 Nicanor Garcia St, (formerly Reposo St) Makati City continues until 11th January 2008. Visit www.alliance.ph for more information.

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The musings of an Aussie artist working & living in the Philippines.

Bateman’s work is about people and the places they populate, people and the things they do, people and the results of their passions.
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Dreaming in denim

September 25, 2007

Updated 18:25:24 (Mla time)

By Pam Pastor

Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines

—Denim is one of the world’s great equalizers.
It doesn’t matter if you’re young or old, it doesn’t matter what you do and how much you make doing it, the pair of jeans hanging in your closet is one of the things that make you just like the rest of us.
So when designer Avel Bacudio finally turned his dreams of coming up with his own denim line into reality, he made sure he covered all markets.
First, there’s the denim line which he will be launching through Boardwalk. Avel is the direct-selling company’s fashion consultant and head designer, and when it offered him the chance to design his own line of jeans, he grabbed it.
“This has been a long-time dream,” says Bacudio.

Avel Jeans for Boardwalk will be unveiled on Oct. 7 at the Sofitel.
Bacudio, who studied denim construction in Los Angeles, says of his denim designs, “They’re Japanese-inspired. The pairs may be basic but the cuts are experimental. They will be lightweight. The fit is very comfortable and the denim is soft. I use good quality denim.”
The jeans are affordable, as no pair will be sold for over P1,000.
But this ready-to-wear line is just half of it.
Bacudio will also be offering customized pairs through his own shop—made-to-order jeans that will fit his clients perfectly.
“They will be more expensive but they will be very exclusive. I will only be making a limited number.”

Sneak peek

The designer speaks of his jeans with passion. Clearly, to him, denim is not just a fabric, it’s an art form. Bacudio gave 2bU! a sneak peek at his collection.
Inspired by his zeal for turning denim into his own fashionable canvas, we managed to turn our photo shoot into a celebration of fashion as art.

Artist Angelo Magno transformed plain shirts provided by SM into colorful masterpieces. Stylist Ram De Vera wielded his scissors and made the shirts even more unique with his creative cutting.
We spent hours at the Ayala Museum, leaving not just with photos but with the realization that while there’s art that you hang on walls, there’s also art that you can wear.

Avel Jeans for Boardwalk will be available through BoardWalk dealers and stores nationwide. For Bacudio’s custom-made denims, call 4350578.

©2007 all rights reserved

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Fr(ee)ames of mind



By AMYLINE QUIEN CHING

Ideas move. They swim on the edges of our imaginations, ran across fields and reels of colors and fly towards possibilities that are beyond boundaries. To incarcerate them in immobility, still abstract in the mind, is to stifle their brilliance and bring them to stagnation.


Ideas live to be free.


MOVING CONCEPTS

With an aim to provide opportunities for students to set free their ideas and bring it to motion (picture), the University of Santo Tomas College of Fine Arts and Design have organized, "Moving Concepts," a film festival that featured the works of its senior Advertising students. The filmfest ran for three days at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Dream Theater.


May pangarap din pala si Juan tamad

"Artists have different perceptions and concepts of life as it is translated to art. Capturing these concepts through video production processes is a challenge that students should start taking. Unfortunately, video production is one media that is being neglected in the college. Through Moving Concepts, I hope to encourage these students to move out of their boundaries and step towards the greater possibilities that technology can offer," says JM Pacena, faculty member of the UST-CFAD and project director of the filmfest.


FURTHERING THE FIELD

Moving Concepts is actually a video production competition in the College that started last year. UST-CFAD even held a small film viewing in the College last year. However, organizers felt that the works of the students can reach more people outside the campus. Thus, this year, they tied up with CCP for the three-day film festival.

This is actually a dream project for Pacena, who feels that not much attention is being given to video production as an aspect of Advertising. Students are more concentrated on client-based projects like print ads and commercials that they neglect to look into what they personally want to do. Through Moving Concepts, he hopes to encourage more students to do video productions and maybe create an interest in the field.

"The competition is one avenue where students can showcase their talent and their creativity and at the same time engage in a bit of healthy competition. Making a short film is not a small thing. They are doing all the work here, from the storyline to the production to the editing. Organizing the filmfest is one way of telling them that they did well," says Pacena.


TOUGH JOB


Piso ni Gido

With a bunch of films all worthy to be shown in the big screen fighting reel to reel, choosing this year’s best films definitely did not involve any popcorn plodding.

Each of this year’s judges, Pacena, writer Angelo Suarez, theater and visual artist Angelo Magno, production designer Clint Catalan, and fellow faculty member Fernando Torres, faced a tough job.

"There is actually no clear-cut set of criteria. We just deliberated on which video stands out in a certain category. Over all, we are looking for films that are light and easy to watch but deep and thought provoking," Pacena relates.

Last year’s Best Screenplay winner, Chicks ni God, tried (and succeeded!) to capture in film the essence and extent of God’s benevolence without putting the audience to sleep after the first few minutes. The movie is actually so metaphorical that one may not understand the story until after the last few frames. It demonstrates God’s relationship with each people, fixing them when they are broken and then giving them the freedom to choose their own path.

"I guess that made us stand out from the others, the fact that the movie shares an important lesson in life and yet it is not so heavy. Sobrang simple and yet sobrang lalim," says Monica Timbas, now a creative designer.

In contrast, "Piso ni Gido", last year’s Best Picture, is a light, playful and amusing take on a serious plotline. The good use of sound effects, unusually funky graphics and playful dialogues and scenes make for a really entertaining view. One good thing about the movie is the fact that it brought its message across without seriously boring the audience.


REEL WINNERS

Winning a crop of awards this year, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Editing is "Langib", a thriller that kept audience hanging by the edge of their seats until the very end. It made use of every frame in the reel, weaving a tale that is unpredictable yet comprehensible.


Yapak

"I guess what made the difference is the fact that we refuse to do something mediocre. We sat down and brainstormed everything. We don’t want to just do another project. We want to do something that we can be really proud of," he says.

The story revolved on the life of a girl, who kept seeing strange visions that she can’t explain. It was only at the end when viewers realize that she does the killing and has done it when she was a small kid.

"We titled it 'Langib' to represent the main character, whose emotional wounds would not heal," explains Tracy Santuyo, one of the directors.

Like "Piso ni Gido", Best Screenplay 2006 winner "May Pangarap din Pala si Juan Tamad", sought to give a light treatment on a serious and important societal issue. According to its project head, Michael Gonzales, the movie aims to change people’s concept of Juan Tamad, perceived to be lazy and carefree.

"People think that Juan Tamad is someone who has no ambitions, who doesn’t do anything but sleep. In the movie, we showed the other side of Juan Tamad, the side that nobody knows. What people see as laziness is actually tiredness and sleepiness from staying up all night," Michael explains.

In doing the film, the group hopes that viewers will learn not to judge so easily and to look beneath the surface. Sometimes people are so busy looking at the negative that they cease to notice the positive.

Another standout is "Yapak", another thriller with a shocking twist at the end. It shows people that not everything is what it seems and things, people can surprise you… to death.


Larawan

"The movie is about a boy who is being haunted. Each day, he feels as if he is being watched all the time. This may seem a usual plotline but what makes the story really unique is the twist in the end. Whom he thought as the person haunting him was only trying to warn him about a person that he has been trusting for so long— his best friend who is already dead," says Adverting senior and project leader Chris Ang.

"Larawan", on the other hand, deals with a danger far from the supernatural kind. The story centers on a girl who develops schizophrenia after her parents died. According to Michael Segura, their group focused on the characterization and story sequence. They really wanted to develop the character of the protagonist.

"Cuida"’s picturesque setting and great movie photography won for it this year’s Best Cinematography plum. A story that touches on gay relationships, "Cuida" presents a simple story in a not so simple style.

"We originally wanted to do an MTV for the song 'Cuida', which is sung by Sugarfree. That’s why when you view the film, yung style niya MTV. Very minimal dialogue. It was only while doing the scenes that we thought of making it into a film."

Other films that were shown in the film festival were "Baso", "White Light", "Atrapado", "Kadenang Susi", "Papa Jing", "Realidad", "Idol ko si Rene", "M&Ms", "Rift of the Mind" and "Ikot sa Palad na Gulong na Tatsulok".


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This article was published in Business World, Wednesday, March 22, 2006.

Arts & Leisure page



Embodied prayers

By Josefa Labay Cagoco

“Sana bumaba ang presyo ng mga bilihin. Sana bumaba ang pamasahe sa jeep. (I hope the prices of commodities go down. I hope jeepney fares go down.)”

Ipinagdadasal ko ang mga taong biktima ng digmaan at mga biktima ng mga sakuna ng kalikasan. ( I pray for victims of war and natural disasters.)”

“Gusto ko ng sarili kong espasyo. Gusto ko malaman ang sikreto ng kapitbahay ko. (I want my private space. I want to know my neighbor’s secrets.)”

“I love you. Please love me back.”

Whispered and shouted, sung and chanted, begged and beseeched, these words reflect the everyday prayers of people. Many such prayers are gathered in Dala-dalang Dalangin, Angelo Magno’s exhibit that transforms the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Pasilyo Victorio Edades into an intriguing representation of a sanctuary. As the title of the exhibition – Dala-dalang Dalangin- suggests these are the most intimate pleas carried in mind and heart, and deposited only in public temples or private sanctums where people feel unrestrained to do so.

The prayers, of course, come with the individuals that spoke them. The faces, drawn on paper with oil pastel and graphite, are pictures of reverence and fear, impatience and resignation. Some heads are plump, some thin, while others almost emaciated. The drawings stand on top of thin metal poles lodged in shoe molds. As the myriad color combinations used on the faces signify the invisible emotional bruises, the worn-out molds stand for weathered feet and bodies.

The many gaping toothless mouths empty eye sockets and bald heads leave grotesque impressions. (The anxiety embodied in expressionist Edvard Munch’s famous work
The Scream comes to mind.) Is this really how people look in their most desperate?

With his background in creative writing, painting and theater, artist Angelo Magno recreates narrative embodying visual, textual and symbolic elements. The wide ranging concerns shown in his installation reflect a life involved in, or in the least observant of, what goes on out there.

This recreated sanctuary is a place we are familiar with, a refuge we go to in our loneliness or sought in our gratitude. Most definitely, it is a place that transcends the material space, for indeed it is something that we carry with us.



(Dala-dalang Dalangin is on display at the CCP Pasilyo Victorio Edades until April 23.)

Gallery is open daily except Mondays and holidays from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Having a background in creative writing and nurtured in a culture with a strong sense of religiosity, the artist embarked in a journey interweaving the process of drawing and writing in the attempt to transcend the human psyche from the rituals of prayer and worship conveyed in paper and pencil medium. The medium, being common in the arts of drawing and writing, facilitated the transfer of the artistry faster than the process of painting on canvas.

The perspective as to what the human psyche is and how it is constituted are the keys to further fathom ourselves or fail to do so. “Who am I?” is thus a question posed by all individuals and it can, accordingly, be said to express an existential fact whether we try to go beyond ourselves and commune with a higher being. With multiple drawings of faces embodied with litany of prayers which further profound a sagacity of characters encompassing emotions, imagery, memory and personality patterns, the gallery is transformed and vicariously represent a venerated sanctum. An inner sanctum that one can soul-search, contemplate or be appeased with the self.

The written prayers alone should have directly encapsulated the very character of an individual. The artist did not stop from such point of view yet have ventured on and made a vivid visual representation of human characters through drawings and made it more tangible.

Compelling it was, indeed, that the artist presented a portion of the human psyche, faith that is, expressed in prayers as a revealing reality embodied in forms of exaltation, mercy and salvation that warrants human existence further. Man is in the world as a perceptive reality. Selfhood cannot be achieved ultimately and completely within the self. But prayers and worship, as being illustrated in the installation, expresses profoundness of self commitment to the one beyond, to a higher being for a transcendental self-fulfillment.

Hopefully, Dala-dalang Dalangin may inspire the spectators to explore their own persona, beyond merely relating oneself, amidst the different visual elements in the installation.

- Joseph Dominic H. Palermo

Held Last December 2004 at the Art Elements Asian Gallery in SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City, Philippines.
Grace and Gestures
First solo exhibition
Art Elements Asian Gallery, December 2004

---Ikebana Series

by Angelo Magno----


Drawing is the nearest discipline I can relate to writing. We use the same materials such as paper and pencil in drawing and in writing. Sometimes we spontaneously write what is on our mind. This can be in the form of phrases, sentences or poetry. Poetry being one of the most disciplined but ironically one of the most expressive forms of writing. --o0o--

The process I have incorporated in this series is similar to creating poetry and writing by using our stream of consciousness and by the process of automatic writing. We write what is on our mind at the moment. In this case, we draw what we feel at the moment. These drawings seem to form some kind of foreign texts. Texts that may mean nothing at all but the movement of the lines convey intense emotions. --o0o--

I call this as the Ikebana series since the forms created by the impulse of drawing are similar to Ikebana arrangements. In the same way the creation has a touch of restrain. I did not fill the compositions with colors but attempted to create minimal compositions using oil pastel and pencil on paper. --o0o--

“The Zen master merely says: act and don't worry about it; what you do may be right or wrong, neither is bad. That is, from the universal point of view there is no right and wrong: these are values superimposed by society--the universe makes no distinctions or categories” – Zen Buddhism ---------o0000o-----------







-0000000- Grace and Gestures -0000000-

One looks at the work collected in Angelo Magno’s Grace and Gestures and sees an aesthetic flight.
The softest point of the pencil draws dark lines that seem to blur, but later turns into light,
filling the great white space-our feelings floating in the void.


Matched with the burst of the oil pastel, each flower burns and savors its moment. That is how the
artist renders his impression of beauty: each blooming is also an homage to all that is temporal and
painful. The more that one is attached, the more one suffers. Our eyes hold unshed tears.

There is a convergence of influences in this exhibition, all of which are positional and Japanese. They
range from ikebana (the art of flower arrangement), haiku (traditional poetry of three, measured lines), zendo (way of meditation), chinkon-koshin undo (the unity of mind and body).

Moreover, the artist is no stranger to the practice of the literary arts. He has used pencil and paper to draw the faintest element, which in writing could sometimes remain unexpressed, being the province
of the visual arts.

Finally, Angelo Magno has done his great duty of presenting the consolations of both writing and
drawing. Although they may be two different disciplines, two solitary acts that need to be sustained
in one’s stream of consciousness, he keeps his promise and fulfills it, showing us elegant poetry.

----(Text was written byJaime Dasca Doble)-------




Angelo Magno is a graduate of BA Art Studies from the University of the Philippines, Diliman Quezon City. He is now taking his Master in Fine Arts at the UP College of Fine Arts.

"One by One"
A group exhibition--- -ooo---

Ayala Museum, December 2003 ----0000------

Faces, Phases, Feelings
by Angelo Magno ------000000-------

I write poetry and playwrights as a means of expression. Both are influenced by my experiences in theater and creative writing during my undergraduate course. Drawing and writing have their similarities . Drawing is the closest artistic process I can associate to writing I have been using oil pastels and pencils as coloring mediums every time I wanted to draw or just doodle when dealing with my artist block. We use pencil and paper in both conventional writing and drawing. I also paint with acrylic and oil but I am more comfortable in drawing because it is the fastest way I can express an idea visually. I would like to relate my work to the process of playwriting. In playwriting we create characters. We command what the characters do, we resolve their problems. We create their lives, the world they live in. Just like making a character sketch, I would be drawing multiple images of faces to cover up a specific area or site. Each face would stand for a certain character. Filling up a specific site with drawings of faces would create an overwhelming experience for the viewer. I would like to show the congestions happening in the metro during our present time. The myths of modernity and urban life as compared to a masquerade. They would represent individuals which are not classified by gender but as emotional beings in this drama of life. The challenge in my study is to create a consistent style in my drawings to fill a specific environment order to create a different spatial experience.

In paintings, sculptures, and installations, artists do their best to capture the very essence of life. Blooms that are so vivid you can almost smell them; fruits that are so detailed even the slightest puncture on their surface are clearly seen; idyllic towns that tell how beautiful life is outside the bustling metropolis; canvases that acknowledge the divine origins of the female body; and revolutionary concepts that provide a glimpse of the future of Pinoy art.
Paintings that reveal the artist’s definitive brushstrokes, serigraphs that bare the mark of a steady hand, and sculptures and ceramics that tell a thing or two about the skilled craftsmen behind them and other facets of art were the feature of Sigma Delta Phi Alumnae Association’s (SDPAA) “Arte a la Carte,” a revival of the sorority’s art exhibit traditions. Sigma Delta Phi, a Society of Dramatics and Fine Arts and the oldest sorority in UP, has mounted art exhibits and cultural presentations from the ‘40s up to the ‘90s. “Arte a la Carte” was the first art exhibit of the Sorority in the new millennium. The exhibit, which was held at the art center of SM Megamall, featured 26 artists and their respective works: 16 Sigma Deltans, five Upsilonian painters, and five special friends of Sigma Delta Phi.
The exhibit aimed to expose the general public to Philippine art for their appreciation, revive a Sigma Delta Phi traditional endeavor, and raise funds for Project HOPE and other SDPAA socio-civic activities. “Arte a la Carte” was also in line with the 20th founding anniversary of the Alumnae Association and the 72nd year of Sigma Delta Phi.
Art enthusiasts, sorority’s close friends and relatives, and special guests trooped to the exhibit hall to witness yet another milestone for Sigma Delta Phi.
The inauguration
Gracing the exhibit opening was Sorority’s living founding member—92-year old Gloria Lucero Monzon (batch ’33). Special guest included National Artist Napoleon “Billie” Abueva, and renowned glass sculptor Ramon Orlina.
Gloria Lucero Monzon is one of the Ikebana flower art pioneers in the Philippines and was also a founding member of the country’s Ikebana Society. National Artist Napoleon Abueva designed and sculpted the Sigma Delta Phi Mariang Maya statuette, given by the SDPAA to its outstanding members in recognition of their achievements and excellence in various disciplines once every five years. The Abueva sculpted statuette was also part of the exhibit. An acclaimed glass sculptor, Ramon Orlina represented a contemporary art form that easily became one of the exhibit’s highlights.
The selection of these eminent personalities symbolizes the thrusts of the sorority and its quest for excellence—in the past through the present, and the years ahead.
Most of the artworks were for sale, except for a few on loan from personal collections, which were for exhibit purposes only.
Artists and their masterpieces
From blooms, landscapes to nudes and mixed media, “Arte A la Carte” brought out the creativity and personal style of each artist. There was Tess Sarmiento Duldulao’s pastel on paper. She painstakingly imprinted the minute details of delicate china in one of her works. Ruth Nguyen Carpio’s vibrant hues underscore the subject of her masterpiece. Manuel Gamboa’s Moonlight Sonata can be simply put as an ode to National Artist Nick Joaquin’s May Day Eve.
Standing on the left side of the art center is Nina Libatique’s Sister Talk, an installation of reinforced plaster with small parchment of hidden messages attached to its body (guests got one and read its message as they passed by).
One of the most intriguing set of artworks was done by architect Bart Aguas. His was a collection of ceramic tiles on brass plate and wrought iron frames. “I used to paint before, but I wanted to experiment on a different kind of art form, so I decided to utilize ceramics,” Bart said. “You spend almost as much with this art form—in terms of money and time—but this is much harder to do. In the end it’s all worth it.”
Herman Lazo’s work, on the other hand, used blooms as subject. But his style is very different—almost surreal flowers with no definite shape. He only relied on the hues for which he made a flower’s outline. “I’ve always loved to paint, but I don’t join exhibitions. Most of my work is at home, but some are commissioned by those who knew I can paint,” explained Herman. “I’ve seen this kind of technique, which is not really popular here. I sort of experimented on this style and added a few personal touches to achieve this kind of effect.”
Other artists included Anita Magsaysay Ho, Kathy Yatco Bengzon, Celia Diaz Laurel, Lucy Vergara Fernando, Bella Yan Ramirez, Ofelia Gelvezon Tequi, Bing Chanco Libatique, Yoly Bello Pajaro, Emily Aniag Marcelo, Rescina Sarmiento Bhagwani, Janice Revilla Rubio, Cherrie Anne Sarmiento, Glenda Ollero, Dr. Mars Custodio, Romy Carlos, Angelo Magno, Jia Rubio, Sylvia Amorsolo Lazo, Jing Uy, and Dr. Jose Mari Imao.
Women of distinction
Spearheading this event were Baby Salmingo Olivar, project chairman; Maripaz Tagle Chua, vice chairman; Linda Gamboa, SPDAA board chairman and president; Ligaya Lualhati Tankeh, SPDAA 1st vice president; Ike Gelvezon Tequi, assistant treasurer; and Vee Javier Sese, special projects committee chairman. The exhibit was curated by Riel Hilario.
On the exhibit’s last day, important art works whose commercial worth ranges from P5,000 to P75,000, were given away through a raffle. Among these masterpieces was Pot Vemis, a framed mural in oil by France-based artist Offie Gelvezon Tequi (listed in Who’s Who in International Arts book,) is the top prize.
Books by the late Purita Kalaw Ledesma, a Sigma Delta Charter member and a multiawarded icon of Philippine arts development, were on sale during the exhibit, as well as Upsilon Sigma Phi’s KKK book.
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Bachelor of Arts in Art Studies
University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City


EDUCATION

M.A. Fine Arts, in progress
College of Fine Arts
University of the Philippines
Diliman, Quezon City

Solo Exhibtions


Grace and Gestures, Art Elements Asian Gallery, SM Megamall, December. 2004.

Grace and Gestures II, The Chocolate Kiss Café, U.P. Bahay ng Alumni, U.P Diliman, Q.C. , May- July 2005.

Dala-dalang Dalangin, Cultural Center of the Philippines, City of Manila, Pasilyo Victorio Edades, March 16 – April 23, 2006.

Schizophrenia, The Cubicle Art Gallery, Pasig City, July- August 2006.

Masquerade, La Nuova BMW Autocentrum, Alabang July 2007

Reified Delusion, The Cubicle Art Gallery, Pasig City, August 2007.











Selected Group Exhibitions


Crossroads, an art exhibit of various artists, Bistro 110 Makati, June 2001

Crossroads II, an art exhibit of various artists, Flute Wine Bar, Makati, Jan. 2002.

One by One, an art exhibit of U.P. Fine Arts graduate students, Ayala Museum Small Works Gallery, December 2003-Jan. 2004. Curated by Nestor Vinluan

Daing, Bulong Dasal, an art exhibit, UP College of Art and Letters Faculty Center,
Galleria 2, March 2005.

INtroSPECTION, a group exhibition, Alliance Francaise de Manille annex gallery
2nd flr. LRI Business Plaza, 210 Nicanor Garcia st. (Reposo st), Makati. April 2005

Art ala Carte, a group exhibition of various artists organized by the Sigma Delta Phi sorority, SM Megamall Art Center, Mandaluyong City, May 2005.

Free Spirit, a group exhibition organized by the Kalipunan ng Sining ng Pasig,
Pasig City Museum, November 2005.

Boxed, a group exhibition, Big Sky Mind, E. Rodriguez, Quezon City, April 2006.

Boxed 2007, a group exhibition, Cultural Center of the Philippines , April 2007- May 2007.

The Medium is the Message, a group exhibition, Printmakers Association of the Philippines, Alliance Francaise de Manille, Makati City, December 2007.

Monotypes, a group exhibition, Printmakers Association of the Philippines, Art Asia Gallery, SM Megamall, November 2008,

Boxed Erotica, a group exhibition, Cubicle Art Gallery, Pasig City, November 2008.

Tutokkk, a group exhibition, Gallery Blanc, Mandaluyong City, November 2008.

ItimPuti, a group exhibiton, Philippine Association of Printmakers, Yuchenngco Museum. Makati City, Feb. 2009.

Bakas, a group exhibition, Philippine Association of Printmakers, 5o years of Philipppine Printmaking, Cultural Center of the Philippines, December 2009.

Tutok, “Ano Bayani!”, a group exhibition, Cultural Center of the Philippines, December 2010.

Petit Format, a group exhibitkon, Philippine Association of Printmakers, Cultural Center of the Philippines, February 2011.



Publications


Truth about Accepted Lies, a book of poetry by Dayang Yraola with drawings
by Angelo Magno Baron Multi Media, (Adsmith Inc.), Desktop publishing, 2008

Truth about Accepted Lies , (partial book publication) featured on FLOW 02 Magazine,
Octobereighty Publication, September 2008

Traveling the Path of Printmaking , an article for Contemporary Art Philippines magazine, Issue # 15, 2011

Ways of Seeing in Briccio Santos' Numbers Revisited, an article for Contemporary Art Philippines magazines , Issue # 16, 2011


EXHIBITIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES


Culture Z , an art exhibit of U.P. Fine Arts students, Bistro 110 Makati,
Nov.2000

Crossroads, an art exhibit of various artists, Bistro 110 Makati,
June 2001

Crossroads II, an art exhibit of various artists, Flute Wine Bar, Makati,
Jan. 2002.

One by One, an art exhibit of U.P. Fine Arts graduate students,
Ayala Museum Small Works Gallery, Dec 2003-Jan. 2004. Curated by Nestor Vinluan

Grace and Gestures, first one man show, Art Elements Asian Gallery, SM Megamall, Dec. 2004.

Daing, Bulong Dasal, an art exhibit, UP College of Art and Letters Faculty Center, Galleria 2, March 2005.

INtroSPECTION, a group exhibition, Alliance Francaise de Manille annex gallery
2nd flr. LRI business plaza,210 Nicanor Garcia st. (Reposo st), Makati. April 2005


Grace and Gestures II, The Chocolate Kiss Café, U.P. Bahay ng Alumni, U.P Diliman, Q.C. , May- July 2005

Art Ala Carte, a group exhibition by the Sigma Delta Phi sorority, SM Megamall
Art Space, SM Megamall bldg. A. Mandaluyong City, May 2005.

One by One
A group exhibition

Ayala Museum, December 2003


Faces, Phases, Feelings
by Angelo Magno

I write poetry and playwrights as a means of expression. Both are influenced by my experiences in theater and creative writing during my undergraduate course. Drawing and writing have their similarities . Drawing is the closest artistic process I can associate to writing I have been using oil pastels and pencils as coloring mediums every time I wanted to draw or just doodle when dealing with my artist block. We use pencil and paper in both conventional writing and drawing. I also paint with acrylic and oil but I am more comfortable in drawing because it is the fastest way I can express an idea visually. I would like to relate my work to the process of playwriting. In playwriting we create characters. We command what the characters do, we resolve their problems. We create their lives, the world they live in. Just like making a character sketch, I would be drawing multiple images of faces to cover up a specific area or site. Each face would stand for a certain character. Filling up a specific site with drawings of faces would create an overwhelming experience for the viewer. I would like to show the congestions happening in the metro during our present time. The myths of modernity and urban life as compared to a masquerade. They would represent individuals which are not classified by gender but as emotional beings in this drama of life. The challenge in my study is to create a consistent style in my drawings to fill a specific environment order to create a different spatial experience.


Grace and Gestures
First solo exhibition
Art Elements Asian Gallery, December 2004

Ikebana Series

by Angelo Magno


Drawing is the nearest discipline I can relate to writing. We use the same materials such as paper and pencil in drawing and in writing. Sometimes we spontaneously write what is on our mind. This can be in the form of phrases, sentences or poetry. Poetry being one of the most disciplined but ironically one of the most expressive forms of writing.

The process I have incorporated in this series is similar to creating poetry and writing by using our stream of consciousness and by the process of automatic writing. We write what is on our mind at the moment. In this case, we draw what we feel at the moment. These drawings seem to form some kind of foreign texts. Texts that may mean nothing at all but the movement of the lines convey intense emotions.

I call this as the Ikebana series since the forms created by the impulse of drawing are similar to Ikebana arrangements. In the same way the creation has a touch of restrain. I did not fill the compositions with colors but attempted to create minimal compositions using oil pastel and pencil on paper.

“The Zen master merely says: act and don't worry about it; what you do may be right or wrong, neither is bad. That is, from the universal point of view there is no right and wrong: these are values superimposed by society--the universe makes no distinctions or categories” – Zen Buddhism







Grace and Gestures

One looks at the work collected in Angelo Magno’s Grace and Gestures and sees an aesthetic flight.
The softest point of the pencil draws dark lines that seem to blur, but later turns into light,
filling the great white space-our feelings floating in the void.


Matched with the burst of the oil pastel, each flower burns and savors its moment. That is how the
artist renders his impression of beauty: each blooming is also an homage to all that is temporal and
painful. The more that one is attached, the more one suffers. Our eyes hold unshed tears.

There is a convergence of influences in this exhibition, all of which are positional and Japanese. They
range from ikebana (the art of flower arrangement), haiku (traditional poetry of three, measured lines), zendo (way of meditation), chinkon-koshin undo (the unity of mind and body).

Moreover, the artist is no stranger to the practice of the literary arts. He has used pencil and paper to draw the faintest element, which in writing could sometimes remain unexpressed, being the province
of the visual arts.

Finally, Angelo Magno has done his great duty of presenting the consolations of both writing and
drawing. Although they may be two different disciplines, two solitary acts that need to be sustained
in one’s stream of consciousness, he keeps his promise and fulfills it, showing us elegant poetry.

-Jaime Dasca Doble




Angelo Magno is a graduate of BA Art Studies from the University of the Philippines, Diliman Quezon City. He is now taking his Master in Fine Arts at the UP College of Fine Arts.























Daing, Bulong, Dasal
An installation by Angelo Magno
UP College of Arts and Letters, Galleria II, April 2005

Daing, Bulong, Dasal depicts the individual intrapersonal and interpersonal communication of a variety of people in a site of worship after the celebration of the Ash Wednesday mass. Portraits are used to represent individuals which are present in the site of worship. The characters in the work have their own conflicts to confess and resolve It is an art work that explores the human psyche, a religious event that deals with penance, and an exploration on narrativity using different mediums such as portrait drawings, found objects and tarot cards through the genre of installation art.

The installation would like to investigate the human psyche and our concept of the self. The site of worship is an interesting space to explore the dynamics of communicating through ourselves by means of prayer.

Ash Wednesday is the start of the season of Lent. This is a time when people begin their process of spiritual cleansing for the coming holy week. It is a time of penance. The portraits or characters have their own utterance or confession of conflicts and a suggestion for change. It also deals with the concept of impermanence of life. This is reminded in the saying “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.” It also deals with the temporality of time and the desire to change for the better as time goes by. People need to learn from the past, cease the present, and improve for the future.

Each drawing is also supported by a tarot card which is installed in the work. . The artist would like to relate the (portraits) characters to archetypes found in the Osho Zen tarot. might be unclear about what those thoughts and feelings are. This type of tarot is usually used for meditation, to turn the individuals attention away from outside events and find a new clarity of understanding about what is in their “inner self.” The artist also attempts to build a visual narrative using the Osho Zen tarots with the portraits for a stronger visual imagery.

The artist would also like to explore the possibility of creating a different space within a site.
“These are places that do exist and that are formed in the very founding of society - which are something like counter-sites, a kind of effectively enacted utopia in which the real sites, all the other real sites that can be found within the culture, are simultaneously represented, contested, and inverted. Places of this kind are outside of all places, even though it may be possible to indicate their location in reality. Because these places are absolutely different from all the sites that they reflect and speak about, I shall call them, by way of contrast to utopias, heterotopias”
---Michel Foucault

Fragments of objects in the site of worship also explores our sense of the real. What makes us believe that this is a place of worship? Do the objects installed in the space present or signify what we think they actually represent? Is it really a site of worship? A representation of a site of worship? Or a different site altogether? A theatrical space? A heterotopia?

The artist would like to explore the possibility of involving the observer as part of the creation of the narrative within the work of art. Since the artwork is not based on a certain text, there is ambiguity in the structure of the narrative. The artist provides the setting (the site of worship) and the drawings signifying the characters for the narrative, the observer’s reaction and interpretation on the work would create the narrative or one of the narratives in the work. By participating, the observer in a way also explores his persona through observing and participating in a work with deals the exploration of the human psyche.


















INtroSpection

A group exhibition curated by Ambie Abaňo

Alliance Francaise de Manile, April 2005


“There is no screen that blocks me from the sight of my own face. Like any other living creature, I am not designed with the vantage to see my own face in person. Yet, I call it mine. It is the face by which I am recognized by the world outside. The image of which appears in their mental monitor at the mention of my name. The part of my physical being that I am first identified for. The portal of my observable reality. Nobody else but I can claim, yet only I shall never actually see.”

Other notions extend to disregarding completely, referencing to the physical is in none objective images aptly entitled “self-portrait”. In such cases, how does an artist see himself? Where is the mental picture derived from? Discussions and debates on issues on interpretation and reading of self-portraits continue to further widen the scope of engagement. But, although so much delved into, one thing stays the same—the source and center of all self-portraiture is the self of the maker. Thus, whatever output is produced, notions he holds, whatever medium he uses, whatever output is produced, at some point, one undergoes, whether consciously or sub-consciously, a process of introspection. a looking into oneself, a self-examination, an examination that includes one’s sensory and perceptual experience especially undertaken under controlled conditions of experiment.

The collection is a survey of artists’ construct of “himself”. It is hoped that the exhibit will incite the viewer to examine himself and question his own notion of “self”

------ Ambie Abaňo
MANILA 2005














Arta ala Carte
A group exhibition

SM Megamall Art Center, May 2005


Urbanscape Series

by Angelo Magno


This series was inspired by structures, facades and spaces that I have seen during my rounds in Manila. Most of the compositions are done in bold colors because of my orientation with the dominant colors during the changing times of the day. Dark blue for dawn, bright blue at noon, yellow to red at twilight. My concern is not on forming representational images of objects but to create bold works through the interaction of colors and texture to create an interesting planar composition.

“Color Impressions” perhaps would be a more appropriate term to use. I would like to create compositions which depict different sites or places recalled from memory inspired by the colors captured during the different times of the day.



Dala-Dalang Dalangin (Embodied Prayers) Drawing Installation

Cultural Center of the Philippines, March 13 - April 26, 2006

I have been exposed to the discipline of creative writing, theater and painting.

Creative writing deals with texts in order to present a narrative. Theater deals with space and performance and drawing deals with the creation of two dimensional images.

Having been nurtured in a culture with a strong sense of religiosity, I have used the rituals of prayer and worship to express the different issues that affect the psyche of various individuals.

In Dala-dalang Dalangin, I have used drawings as a tool to create a different visual experience on a given space. The gallery is transformed into a representation of a site of worship where multiple drawings of faces are installed. These faces have transpired from the encountered individuals at various places and events. Their characters where later adopted and transcribed as individuals praying, chanting their concerns in the site of worship. Their prayers range from the philosophical to the mundane expressing the views of the different individuals gathered inside the place of worship. Why do we pray? To whom do we pray? What do we discover within ourselves while praying? These are some questions that arise when we submit ourselves to the process of praying. I relate the place of worship to a comfort zone where one can meditate and reflect on one’s internal conflicts.

The gallery is also transformed into a theatrical space and a heterotopia where the viewer is invited to be a part of the whole work and create narratives from the given elements- a juxtapose between a site of worship and at the same time a gallery space. These conceptual framework of space may be further explained from the excerpt of Michel Foucault:

“These are places that do exist and that are formed in the very founding of society - which are something like counter-sites, a kind of effectively enacted utopia in which the real sites, all the other real sites that can be found within the culture, are simultaneously represented, contested, and inverted. Places of this kind are outside of all places, even though it may be possible to indicate their location in reality. Because these places are absolutely different from all the sites that they reflect and speak about, I shall call them, by way of contrast to utopias, heterotopias”

I hope the exhibition would inspire the viewer to explore his own persona through observing and interpreting the different visual elements in the installation.



- Angelo V. Magno

Travelling the Path of Printmaking

By Angelo V. Magno

When I was in grade school, our teacher used to give us half a piece of potato to carve on the flat
side any shape we wished using a spoon or a plastic knife. We dipped the carved part on a sponge
soaked with food coloring and stamped the potato on a colored paper. The result was
unpredictable and spontaneous. Nevertheless, what came out on the colored paper was
considered a sort of simple treasure. Something to be kept for posterity- a piece of art I can never
duplicate. Mom would pinch me on the cheek and tell me that I was such an artist. This was my
first encounter with printmaking. Little did I know, this simple kiddie art activity would be my
first fond memory of printmaking. In college, I pursued fine arts where you can encounter people
using the simplest of mediums in creating amazing visual works. It was really inspiring. One lady
caught my attention. Using dried leaves and mundane objects, she was able to create interesting
colorful compositions by inking them and pressing them on paper. It was not as naive as the
potato stamps that I used to make as a child. It was very skillful. She became my teacher and
friend. This was my second encounter with this art form called printmaking. Now I am taking my
time to learn this art form. Some say it’s a vocation, a sort of calling. More than a process, it will
lead you to a journey more spiritual in nature.

Printmaking is not only based on skill or how good one can render or draw, one also needs a lot of
patience and perseverance to be called a “printmaker”. The process is very meticulous, almost
meditative. Through this art form, I was able to meet prominent and respected artists in the
Philippines. They say that most artists will delve into printmaking in their lifetime but only a few
will remain as printmakers. “Many are called but few are chosen” as they usually say. Among the
“chosen few” who pursued the less travelled path of printmaking are Manuel Rodriguez, Sr,
Virgilio “Pandy” Aviado, Manuel Rodriguez, Sr., Bencab, Raul Isidro, Benjie Torrado Cabrera, Fil
Delacruz, Brenda Fajardo, Ambie Abaňo and Ofelia Gelvezon-Tequi . Although few , these noted
artists certainly enriched Philippine art by integrating this art form with their various artistic
pursuits.


In printmaking, you find your own “calling”. Each printmaker chooses his specific process,
creating his own mark in the field . Fil Delacruz had made his mark creating sensuous women in
lithograph while Benjie Torrado Cabrera creates organic abstractions in engraving. Fulfillment
comes to those who explore the various process of printmaking. One can compare this to a
spiritual journey where you can find enlightenment. Even though diverse in their chosen paths,
printmakers have a strong bond with each other. Printmakers have established humble
organizations here and abroad.


One organization continues to propagate and uphold the tradition of printmaking in the country -
The Philippine Association of Printmakers. In its almost 50 years of existence, it continues to
educate people from all walks of life by holding workshops and exhibitions of multiple originals
to promote the art form and subsequently to democratize art. It was founded in 1968 through the
pioneering efforts of Manuel Rodriguez, Sr., along with Adiel Arevalo and other printmakers he
mentored. For decades, the association has devoted itself to promote printmaking and bring art to
the people. As one printmaker would put it, “to the printmaker, the vocation is art, the discipline is
the art form, and the mission is bringing art to the world”. The PAP, as it is fondly called, with the
help of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, now permanently holds its studio at the back of the
Folk Arts Theater. In 2001, it was conferred with the Dangal ng Haraya Lifetime Achievement
Award for Cultural Promotions by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.


Beyond the various processes, printmaking is an art form- a medium for self- expression. The
possibilities of utilizing printmaking are endless. In contemporary art practice, printmakers like
Pandy Aviado , Imelda Cajipe-Endaya, and Benjie Torrado Cabrera have further extended
printmaking in sculptural and installation works using wood, plexiglass and found objects. Ambie
Abaňo, Ling Quisumbing and Joey Cobcobo utilize relief printing on handmade paper and three
dimensional surfaces. It is very important to be familiar with the different printmaking processes
in order to explore the various possibilities of creating prints.


Printmaking is a unique art form in that it involves the process of transferring images from a
prepared matrix onto the final material Perhaps many of us have heard of printmaking but are not
aware of its process and elements. ground, commonly, but not limited to paper. In woodcut for
instance, an artist makes a drawing on a piece of woodblock and by cutting out the background he
separates the printing and non-printing areas. He then applies ink using a hand held rubber roller
and transfers the image onto paper by applying pressure through simple rubbing – pretty much like
rubber stamping. Since the matrix (the cut woodblock) is permanent, the process can be repeated
allowing the possibility of creating multiple originals and variation prints!


Each print is considered an original art form because it is done completely by hand. With multiple
originals, an artwork can have farther reach. It can be exhibited at various places at the same time
and more people can acquire it at the same time. Because it is done in editions, prints are very
affordable compared to other art mediums. Truly, it is people friendly – a very democratic art form!
To someone who is starting an art collection, it is best to start with original fine prints.


Through printmaking, I have met my closest peers, one thing I am very thankful for. Although a less
travelled artistic path, printmaking also has its personal merits. To a printmaker, each print he or
she produces is unique in its kind. Even a limited edition holds nuances in each print. Just like
twin siblings have unique characteristics, so does each and every print. The result is always
unpredictable. As a grown-up, still I remember my first memory of printmaking as a child. Even
today when I attempt to create rubbercut prints, I am still thrilled with the results. As Pablo
Picasso puts it, “ Every child is an artist. The problem is to remain an artist once they grow up”.
Perhaps one of the magic of printmaking is that you never really grow out of it but you grow old
with it. In life we search for our true calling. Perhaps I am still searching for my personal direction.
I am happy I took this path to printmaking. Beyond the art works and the camaraderie, the
personal realizations I have gained are priceless.



Going into a more technical understanding of the art form here are the four basic printing
processes:

In relief printing, ink is applied on the surface of the matrix which is transferred on the final
ground. For instance, in woodcut and rubbercut the design is drawn on a piece of wood or rubber.
The background or non printing area is cut away with a carving tool. The matrix is then applied
with ink using a roller and pressed on the paper, fabric or other surfaces. Designs produced in this
process are usually very bold, and raw. . All you need is your ink, your roller and usually a spatula
for rubbing and transferring the image from the matrix to the paper .


In the intaglio process , scratches and incisions are made into into a plate or matrix. The plate
is usually made of copper, zinc or an acrylic sheet, which holds the ink or pigment. The artist
pushes ink with a squeegee onto the entire plate and wipes off excess ink on the surface leaving the
ink only in the incised lines. A damp sheet of paper is placed on top of the plate and the plate is run
through the etching press, which pushes the paper into the groves, lifting the ink out of the groves.
Drypoint, etching, engraving, mezzotint and aquatint are some techniques under intaglio process. In
contrast to the relief method, the images produced in etching are more fluid and spontaneous.
The Planographic technique pertains to lithography. It is based on the principle that oil and water
repel each other, and limestones are naturally attracted to oil. In hand-made lithographs, the artist
draws or paints directly onto the limestone with a greasy lithographic pencil or touche. It is then
treated with acid accordingly and the ink adheres only on the drawn areas when rolled on. Soft
lines and varied tones are achieved from lithographs.


Serigraphy is also known as the silkscreen process - a method also used in shirt printing. In
contemporary silk screen, artists use screens made of a fine nylon or polyester mesh. Selected areas
of the screen are blocked out by screen fillers or paper stencils, and the ink is prevented from
penetrating through the mesh to the paper or textile underneath. Serigraphy is most favored by
artists who use a qualities of color in their works.