According to contemporary Cebu exhibit curator John Vincent Castro, the term “regional art” in the Philippines bears a stereotyped notion of rurality. Often, what comes to mind in mentioning this type of art are Amorsolo-like imageries of sundrenched rice fields set against wide expanses of azure skies. This widely held thought may be rooted in the evolution of Philippine art, particularly, during the time when many artists followed the “Amorsolo classic school of painting,” a style which may have lingered on outside Metro Manila several decades after the second World War. What are notable in this period of history, however, are the contributions of Wenceslao “Tito” Cuevas (September 2, 1938 –March 19, 2012), a renowned third generation Cebuano artist, whose non-conformist attitude paved the way for Filipino modern art to emerge in the Queen City of the South.
In Transcendent: Wenceslao “Tito” Cuevas An Insight on 40 years of Abstract, ArtistSpace presents a retrospective that spans over 40 years of Cuevas’ art. It is an illustration not just of the artist’s evolution, but also, an insight on the artist’s ingenious attempt to break from a tradition that sees beauty from a painting’s photographic resemblance to the subject. Most importantly, it is an exposition of one artist’s explorations in abstract expressionism, and his success at reinventing the style to create a signature abstraction inspired by the Cebuano local color, at the height of the style’s popularity in the international art scene.
Abstract Expressionism is a genre in visual arts that originated from the US and emerged after World War II. Prior to its introduction to the Philippines, the Amorsolo style of classical realism pervaded most canvasses in Cebu, as popularized by Cuevas’ mentor, Maestro Martino Abellana, a Cebuano art professor. Cuevas, on the contrary, deviated from the contemporary trends by exposing himself to global art, which led him to the discovery of the style. Encountering it, he related with the qualities of rebellion, anarchy and spontaneity, which the style evoked. He fell in love with the possibility of portraying Cebuano culture through the genre that made Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and Willem de Kooning superstars of their time.
When Napoelon Abueva and Dean Jose Joya, both declared National Artists for Visual Arts, were painting the town red with their modernist art in the 50s and 60s in Manila, Cuevas was likewise propagating modern art with the same intensity in one of the country’s major capitals. Such were the gravity of his contributions that he was recognized by local art critics and visual artists as the “Father of Abstract Expressionism” in Cebu.
The retrospective exhibition runs until Sept. 4.