I soon discovered, as the organizers showed us a short documentary on him, that Lee is the father of Philippine abstract-expressionism. Let me repeat: the father of Philippine abstract-expressionism.
Now, in all the time that I've been loving art, reading about it, studying it, discussing it with friends, why the heck did I not know who the father of Philippine abstract-expressionism was?!
According to the documentary, Lee was born to wealth, but he gave it all away for a life of art. Lee's father disapproved of his work as an artist and wanted his son instead to carry on the family business (selling high end furniture) and, thus, help carry on the family legacy. I'll skip all the details since it would be better to read about Lee's life story by reading the book. But what I would like to share is that in the end, as the family business folded, it was Lee's legacy as an artist that ended up continuing the family name. Ironic, right?
During the program, Lee's son shared that his father lived life with a devil-may-care attitude--and, by looking at the retrospective exhibit of Lee's works in the Ateneo Art Gallery, one can surmise that it was this attitude that fueled the fire he put into each artwork. Each piece was an awakening to me, literally. The strokes, the colors, the subjects--all the elements in his works just scream at you, they beckon you, they affect you.
But I won't go on anymore about my personal experience of Lee's works. I'm posting photos of several of his pieces so you can experience them for yourself. Enjoy!! (I apologize in advance for the low quality shots; I wasn't allowed to use my camera's flash)
Lee's Portraits:
Self-portrait, 1985, mixed media (photograph and acrylic mounted on plywood), 14cm x 12cm
Self-portrait 1, 1989, mixed media on board, 25.5cm x 34.5cm
Lee at 52, taken in 1985, by Wig Tysmans, 1985, C-print, print in October 2010, 51cm x 50cm(I added the maple leaf. Just want to maintain a PG-rating with my blog)
Pollock-inspired Works
Explosion in Earth Colors, 1963, oil on fiberboard, 122cm x 243cm
Side view of Explosion in Earth Colors so you can see the texture
Explosion No. 141, 1957, oil and enamel on canvas mounted on fiberboard, 122cm x 198cm
Detail of Explosion No. 141
In front of Explosion No. 141 with my newly (self) trimmed bangs!
Monday, August 10, 1959, oil on canvas, 88cm x 131cm 
In front of Monday with my professor at UP and one of the authors of the book, Boots Herrera
Spring No. 2, 1958, oil on canvas, 76.5cm x 111.8cm
Painting in Brown, November 10, 1961, oil on canvas, 116cm x 116cm "I paint in sections, you see. I fill in the top section first, then the center, then the sides. It's all very calculated." -- Lee Aguinaldo
Color and Linear Works
Some of Lee's linear paintings that reminded me of Mark Rothko's works
Yellow Circulation No. 2, July 29, 1975, acrylic (Aquatec) on marine plywood, 58cm x 58cm
Linear No. 3, March 23, 1965, acrylic (Aquatec) on marine plywood, 117cm x 132.5cm
Untitled (unfinished linear painting), undated, acrylic on marine plywood, 122cm x 152.5cmGalumph Series
Galumph No. 1, January 20, 1964, acrylic on marine plywood, 122cm x 122cm
Galumph No. 1, January 20, 1964, acrylic on marine plywood, 122cm x 122cm
Galumphing Eye, August 2, 1964, oil and collage on marine plywood, 60.5cm x 60.5cm(Curator's Note: The Galumph Series was inspired by Lewis Caroll's Alice in Wonderland, are gestural like his Pollock and flick series of paintings, but in bolder strokes of color. Collages by Robert Motherwell inspired some of the Galumph paintings wherein Lee incorporated paper collage images, often of nude women taken from glossy magazines)
Lee's Love of Jazz
Portrait of Nacho Trapaga, 1983, mixed media on paper mounted on plywood, 51cm x 40cm
More Illustrations
Rembrandt with White No. 2, 1990, mixed media on paper mounted on plywood, 29.5cm x 23cmLee's Photographs
Speed, 6/250, 1979, black and white photograph of mixed media work, 29.8cm x 39.4cm"What keeps me alive is knowing that I am capable of surprising myself of being able to delight myself... of being able to find out that you're still capable of being creative and inventive and energetic." -- Lee Aguinaldo
These were really nice seat covers. I wonder where you can get them? I want them for my house!
The tent outside the Ateneo Art Gallery where buffet and drinks were served
Some venue pics:
These were really nice seat covers. I wonder where you can get them? I want them for my house!
The tent outside the Ateneo Art Gallery where buffet and drinks were served
Hi LaCar,
ReplyDeleteIt was nice to see you that evening of the book launch and thanks for writing about it in your blog. See you around soon!