Monday, March 21, 2011

Gallery Day 2

I found myself with a free lazy Saturday afternoon, decided to drop by an exhibit at Instituto Cervantes, and spontaneously go to the National Art Gallery in Manila as well, a place I should have visited before any other place in the world.

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Jose Joya (and a little of Manansala)

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Potential

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A gallery of recently acquired Juan Luna personal paintings,
some by his son Andres.

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My favorite one. I think this was by Andres Luna.

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Juan Luna's mother

And FINALLY...
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Spoliarium, by Juan Luna, my main reason for visiting!

Marco had been bugging me to see this since I got back from my Spain trip and told him about all the museums and paintings there. Just the enormity of the piece was so daunting. I tried approached it to see details clearer, but the light would just reflect and I think I only came up to the Roman soldier's foot. At the moment I stood before it, I was filled with wonder, with awe. How can one paint something as big as this? How can one paint something as big, as detailed, as dark, as meaningful, as scary and as beautiful at the same time? When I was in Spain, I would say that if I lived there, I would visit my favorite museums on my birthday, just to see my favorite paintings. I think I will start a tradition this year to visit the Spoliarium every year, on my birthday or sometime near it. No picture can ever do justice to its grandeur. And I will have to go back every time I want to see such wonder again.

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A gallery of unfinished Amorsolos!

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Marco peeking into more construction areas

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A gallery someday, maybe?

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Manuel L. Quezon greets us goodbye (and hello, for that matter!)

When I got home, all I did was google more National Artists and find which local museums had them on exhibit. I can't wait to find another lazy Saturday to visit them all! :-)

Before I forget, the small photo exhibit I originally went to the Manila area to see: 


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The real Guernica vs. Picasso's Guernica

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It's Antoine de Saint-Exupéry!

Friday, February 18, 2011

A Pre-Oscars Filmfest

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No available posters for these four movies we're showing next week, so we had to make our own as needed! Inspired by many posters circulating online, of a simple object or character silhouette that their respective movies revolve around, I did what I could with the online low resolution photos and of course, the handy pen tool.

Drop by if you're interested! It's the Oscars soon!! :-)

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Pasinaya 2011

A nice, long and crowded day at the Cultural Center Open House!

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I just love how the dancers turn into spirits and ghosts in this picture! 

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A packed house!

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Child prodigy from Manila Symphony Orchestra.

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Another day of "bumping into" Pilipinas Street Plan work! 

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Don't you love how it's the little girl that paints Pacquiao on the wall?!? Hahaha! 

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A tribute to Carlos Bulosan by Mark Jusiniani. 

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THIS IS THE CUTEST LITTLE GIRL EVER!!! 
She was watching through the backstage wings the whole time and clapping and dancing along with the cast!! 

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I can't wait to watch Zsa Zsa Zaturnah again!! 

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Tambakan. 

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White Swan. 

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Roman soliders just chillin'. 

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What I caught of the Philippine Madrigal Singers. 

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'Til next year!

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Gallery Day

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Espanya y Filipinas ♥

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My definition of a happy productive weekend is one where I finish my errands, perhaps catch a movie, do some shopping, and visit the places I wouldn't get to go to on working weekdays! Yesterday was one of those days, and I gave particular priority to visiting the gallery exhibits I had been seeing online. One museum with both classic and modern art, to another with installation and conceptual thought.

No other giddy-ness can compare to walking out from a great movie (no matter how depressing it actually was) or exiting a gallery whose art made me smile. A happy, productive weekend indeed!

Extensions featuring work by National Artists Felix Hidalgo, Ben Cabrera and Juan Luna ♥ (among others), and work from Pilipinas Street Plan and J. Elizalde Navarro (among other modern artists as well, though not in these pictures), in celebration of the Lopez Museum's 50th anniversary, in Lopez Museum, Pasig. Present Superstition by Nikki Luna, in Blanc Peninsula.