MANILA, Philippines -- The first thing you'll notice about Eugene Cubillo's work is that it has none of the baggage one associates with art. The pomposity and pretentiousness that often turns viewers off is conspicuously absent. On one level, it is quite straightforward. But it is also rich in meaning, once the viewer decides to engage each work on a one-on-one basis.
While traditional paintings are also in the show, it mainly features a series of mixed-media collages using playing cards as the primary canvas. Why playing cards? ''Playing cards are like people,'' Cubillo observes. ''We are bound and connected to each other; we have kings and queens in our lives, as embodied in our leaders and loved ones. You might say the aces are those we idolize. We have numbers and rankings, comparable to our status in life. Like cards we can be played, and we are the players of a game called life. Art is life; life is wild. We risk and we gamble.''
Barahang ligaw can be literally translated to ''missing/lost cards.'' Cubillo has used a ubiquitous, even mundane, item as his primary media because he sees entire stories in each card. ''Every card was done individually, and I arranged them according to their chromatic weight. I assembled them like a puzzle. Each card has its own story, but no single story stands out. There is no central or focal point; my idea is, you have to look at them as a whole. There is an image-my portrait-within the images, and for me, this is my way of saying that my experiences manifest themselves in my work.''
Indeed, the cards aren't the only common thread of the various works and series in Cubillo's first solo exhibit. One gets the sense of a unified whole, a tapestry of stories-like Cubillo is marrying the idea of a picture painting a thousand words with the idea of thousands of stories making up a larger story.
What makes the exhibit truly engaging is not only the subtle colors, the masterful brushwork, or Cubillo's technical excellence. This is not to say that Cubillo's work is ordinary or boring--far from it. You don't make cute posters out of Cubillo's work--you engage with them actively, as they draw you in without forcing their ideas on you. This is because one of his strengths is in the restraint he shows when it comes to his work-no long explanations, convoluted treatises or arrogant declarations accompany it. His collages are labeled with titles-and nothing more.
His musings on hostesses, for example, featuring near-ephemeral nudes painted on cards, is entitled 'Uniporme' (Uniform Series). The irony of the title of the series becomes evident once one realizes that uniforms are worn at work, and hostesses-who often also serve as nude dancers and even prostitutes-use their bodies as their uniforms. The social commentary and wry joke suddenly become clear. Yet one is still free to draw other conclusions. The dialogue between Cubillo's work and the viewer can be an intensely personal experience-thanks to Cubillo's refusal to force-feed the viewer with his ideas.
Upon being told by a few curious viewers that his 'Plastic' painting-featuring a human with his or her face covered with the red-and-white large sando plastic bag we associate with Divisoria-reminds the viewer of the Makapilis of World War II (those who placed native bags or bayongs on their heads to conceal their identities while betraying countrymen to the Japanese), Cubillo quietly explains that yes, the Makapili concept was among those he was playing with when he did the painting. Then he adds his own take-he sees a lot of people as being ''plastic'' or phony-and upon learning this, the viewers nod and turn back to his work, seeing it this time through his eyes.
It is refreshing to see an artist who is not concerned with posturing or pretense, both in his work and in his public persona, and Cubillo has demonstrated that he truly has the soul of an artist-his art is part of who he is, and his talent reaches out to all, from art aficionado to casual viewer.
'Barahang Ligaw' can be viewed until October 18 at Galerie OneWorkshop, Suite 324, LRI Design Plaza, Nicanor Garcia Street, Bel Air II, Makati City. For inquiries call 836-8799.
