Last time, around July, I witnessed for the time, how people from the upper echelons of the society gives ‘simple’ yet elegant art gallery exhibitions for an artist.
At first I heard this familiar music that if memory serves me right, I only hear from AM radios during midnight. It’s so beautiful, and before I knew it, I'm listening to an old kundiman from a well-known singer with a patch on her left (or right? sorry, for my poor memory) eye. I know she's popular, but alas my memory took its toll on me, shameful to think I'm just only twenty years old. But what the heck, I liked that music come what if it's from the year 1920s; old songs make me love music more (sorry to those pop songs bombarding our FM radios, I'm so not into pop and rock and roll songs).Old, or rather, classical music made me feel more appreciative towards the beauty of music as what can it give to humankind. But that's not my sentiment for now.
Anyway, so there I was, strolling around that spot in the fourth-floor of Megamall trying to see who are those people are, am I not surprised, all of them belongs to the upper class B and A of my society. It's an exhibition of some sorts for an artist, and it seems they're so engrossed with the world they're in that ordinary people (like me) and the others just looked from the far corner, from the back of the escalator of the room taking glimpse, stopping for a while to look at these exhibition.After the introduction of the artist, I left, not witnessing the ribbon cutting.
And then the National Artist Award "scandal" popped out from the headlines last week. And then somehow the exhibition in Megamall fell upon me again. I started to connect the relationships, and they’re in some ways connected today. I cannot help but to feel rather, disappointed. Not only to the people involved, not only to the Filipino masa, but also to me, because I know deep in myself that all of us, Filipinos in general has the responsibility to be involved. What the heck is the concept of "nationalism" for, ne?
So here I am, saddened, especially with this uproar about Carlo J. Caparas' National Awards title grant. These things wouldn't have happened due to many reasons that if I will point here one by one, will only encompasses not only our problem with regards to art, but also to our society as a whole. Art is, as we all know, a part of society, any kinds of society, just look at Renaissance and you’ll understand the huge impact art can give to one culture. Look at the Asian’s Golden Ages in history and tell me if no one’s going to be aware of its capabilities to draw out the abilities of human hands to create almost like God.I just don't get it how some (or almost) of Filipinos look little in the presence of art as great contributor in the society he/she is in. So pathetic. So upsetting, but alas I can't do anything to change this, if people doesn't want to change themselves, the only thing I can do is to change myself. These scenarios only shows how Filipinos are still (and will be) artistic illiterate, very few still know how to embrace and understand the concept, the idea and the impact, not to mention importance of art in the lives of all common Filipinos. It's really hard to accept the gruesome truth that art here in the Philippines, is, unquestionably, a rich man's passion, hobby, or anything how you call it. The bottom point here is that art will not be appreciated by the majority of the lower masses of Filipinos. Unless we Filipinos in the know-how show it to them, at least it may make a huge difference.
And I want to ask these questions to the new National Artist in Visual Arts, from an ordinary Filipino, not as an artist. Does your works break this barrier between art and the ordinary masa? Does your contribution, especially to comics/komiks (it's in this category where you're being hit so hard) make an impact to the awareness of Filipinos of their existence as "Filipinos"? Did Filipinos felt that your komiks had contributed so much to our society, that it changes their way to see komiks in another perspective? And lastly, did you made an impact to us the younger generations that some of us emulate your works?If you think to yourself as a representative of the Filipino komiks, I hope you know the answers to my questions fully well.
It was a surprise to me at first, for him as a National Artist. It had even became the heated argument in the art communities, and if you look into the blogs and websites of the famous artists, it’s peppered with reactions and messages all but agaist (and some are of course not) to this new National Artist. And this National Artist still sticks to his belief that he deserves to be a National Artist.But this fight is not only about the elitists against the pitiable, it’s about the Filipinos in general view art. In truth, most of us, not just the majority of masa take art (in general) for granted. Sad, no, but heck yes it’s for real. Filipinos don't take art seriously, as long as they enjoy it, they like it. After that, sometimes they'll forget it. Take komiks for example. Neither word of appreciation nor word for further improvement they just stop from there, watching and after that leaving then coming back to their own little worlds of poverty and mediocrity. Although the number of Filipinos being aware of art is multiplying, we cannot ignore the fact that there are still many Filipinos, majority are poor who have no idea what art is. And now that the ruckus about this man granted as National Artist is staged up to the Supreme Court, we can only see on televisions, read on the papers that only the people who were above the threshold of poverty line gets to fight around the "illegitimate" technicalities surrounding his award. And where's the Filipino masses in this ongoing brouhaha? There might be few poor artists, but in general? I won't divulge anymore, everyone knows the answer to this question.
I cannot say to myself that I can be a good art appreciator, nor an art critic. I'm an ordinary Filipino who loves comics and arts, from Filipino, Western and Japanese, and I will stay as such as long as there is art in this world. Not only that, I love my country as my responsibility as a Filipino should be, and as a citizen of my society, I want to take part in the fight, not just about this National Artists fiasco, but to make the world of art be available not only to the rich, but the poor masang Pilipino too. I want to live in a country where the whole world recognizes its existence as a melting pot full of wonderful ideas that can be a part of the world, worthy of admiration and respect. For our country is rich in art, and as human beings with capabilities to think and to appreciate things around him/her, the smallest act you can do to show your love to your country, you show it through loving the works of people who contributed to your country's culture to make it wonderful, meaningful and colorful.
How come very few from the art sector recognized Mr. Caparas as a National Artist?
