The Cartography of Desire

BY MADS BAJARIAS | In Christina Dy's "His Shirt" (2008), we see a rumpled shirt depicted as if it were a mysterious landscape. At 55 inches by 100 inches, there is a map-like quality to the work as our gaze is swept along the sinuous folds of the fabric. In it, we see what could be a maze of twisting paths, canyons, cliffs, overhangs, crevasses, switchbacks and deep drops. A forbidding region. Easy to get lost in.

Cartographers make it possible for explorers to navigate their way around the dangers of the unfamiliar. We arm ourselves with maps to hold at bay a chaotic reality, and in the constellation of human emotions what is more troublesome and confusing than love?

In love's geography, difficulties flourish and the landscape is never dull. "Love requires absence, obstacles, infidelities, jealousy, manipulation, outright lies, pretend reconciliations, tantrums and betrayals," wrote Diane Ackerman in "A Natural History of Love."

"Lovers fret, hope, agonize and dread," she noted, while describing the travails of Marcel Proust's characters in "In Search of Lost Time."

Dy charts the shadowy cul-de-sacs and sharp turns of this intimate landscape. It is as if hidden within each crease is a trip wire to an explosive memory or expectation. To navigate this terrain requires extreme dexterity. Hidden dangers abound. That is what we get when we enter desire's realm.

As for the man who owns the shirt, his absence is the point. Ultimately, desire is a feat of the imagination.

Christina Dy answers a few questions about "His Shirt."

Medium. Date created. How long did you finish it?

CD: Charcoal on paper, 55 inches x 100 inches, 2008. It took me a total of 8 hours to make it, but a staggered 8 hours. I need time away from my work before I could go back to finish it.

What ideas were kicking around in your head when you made it?

CD: This piece is for a show called "Clothes They Stood Up In." I wanted to show intimacy in a very subtle way. So instead of drawing people in bed, or something as obvious as that, I drew the clothes that people usually just take off and leave on the bed or on the floor. A friend gave me that shirt, and when I wore it and we went out, people were like, "You look like you had just sex with him and wore his shirt after." That kicked off something in my head, which turned into this show.

I love the fact that its large size associates intimacy with geography. It reminds me of a topographic map.

CD: Yes, I was thinking of intimacy and how the scale of the work would draw you into it. How the work could actually envelope you with its size. I wanted a lot of curves and undulating lines to hint at a little sensuality.

Did you work from a photograph?

CD: Yes. That night after I wore his shirt, I took it off and when it was on my bed, I thought, hmmm...

Where can people go to see your works?

CD: I'm represented by Silverlens, so for available works, people can contact Silverlens Gallery at www.silverlensphoto.com. I'll also have a show "Soaplands" at CCP, July 25-30, and I'm part of the Ateneo Art Awards show that will be in Shangri-La Mall this August.

Are you the Christina Dy credited as production designer of "Maximo Oliveros"?

CD: Yup that's me! I'm doing Quark Henares' film "Rakenrol" now, but that'll be the last film I'll be doing in a while. Drawing na muna (Smiles).

Thanks Christina.

Half-Empty Buildings Over Mayhem-filled Streets

BY MADS BAJARIAS | While exploring the galleries of Kulay-Diwa, I came across a curious drawing by Raoul Rodriguez. "Untitled II" (pencil on paper, 25 x 20 cm., 2002) is a richly obsessional and paranoiac study about urban strife and isolation. It depicts a maze of buildings and walkways peopled by figures which are either faceless or limbless and large unblinking characters hiding behind walls. Each of the building dwellers are incomplete, missing parts of themselves and cut off from events outside of their towers. On the street, below the buildings and their fragmented beings, is a chaotic clash of arms between helmeted armies brandishing lances and broadswords and mounted on warhorses. The armies on the streets are pressed together, toe to toe, locked in combat.

This work echoes M.C. Escher's surrealistic woodcuts, but while the Dutch master's fascination was with mathematics and architecture, Rodriguez's preoccupation in this work seems to be the urban tensions inherent in a society with wide divisions. You have the rabble fighting for space on the streets while alienated beings peer anxiously from their half-empty buildings.

Raoul Rodriguez's "Untitled II" is in the Kulay-Diwa Gallery of Philippine Contemporary Art.

In Praise of Pinoy Comics Artists

BY MADS BAJARIAS | I have recently written about artist Gerry Alanguilan's laudable initiative in creating a museum of Pinoy comics art. Alanguilan plans to build the museum in San Pablo, Laguna, his hometown and a place with a strong artistic tradition. Meanwhile, the online museum is already a rich resource and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to get an overview of Pinoy comics art.

Despite Alanguilan's busy schedule (he juggles multiple comic book projects and dispensing advice to aspiring comic book artists and writers), he took time out to answer our questions.

When did the idea of putting up a museum for Pinoy comics art first come to you? How is it going so far?

GA: I began thinking about doing a database for Philippine comics art way back in 1999. In fact, my first attempt is still online here.

The desire was always there, but I was seriously lacking in both material and a much deeper and important reason for doing it. It wasn't until much later when a lot of young artists came to me showing their works for critique, and I saw that they had been very much influenced by Japanese, American and European artists. That got me started again to think about our own old artists. I believed we had a lot of comics artists who were not only very talented and produced some magnificent pieces of comics art, they were also known internationally.

These were artists like Alfredo Alcala, Nestor Redondo, Alex Niño, Tony De Zuniga, Rudy Florese, Ruben Yandoc, Rico Rival, and many more. They were known more abroad for the work that they did for American comics in the 70s. Because comic books are highly regarded as collectibles in the US, there has always been a great effort to archive and republish good material over there. The offshoot is that the works of these artists in the US have always been available.

Such is not the case here in the Philippines: After our old komiks were read, they were generally thrown away. There has been virtually no effort at all to collect, archive and preserve decades-worth of really beautifully-made comics. As of now, it is not possible for a casual reader to go to a bookstore and buy anything about our old komiks artists and their works.

This set me on the path to collect as much old komiks and original art as I could get my hands on, sacrificing much of my life savings in the process.

I began collecting not really for my personal satisfaction, but to put together as much material as I could so I can preserve, scan and then upload them into an online museum where everyone can see and appreciate them.

Through the online museum, I can share with a new generation of Filipinos the artwork that have never been seen since they were first published, in many cases, decades ago.

I have always believed that we had a great legacy of great comics art, but I didn't realize how large this legacy was until I began collecting, and I discovered many artists who I've never heard of, but were individuals of unique talents.

I try as much as I can to update the museum when time permits. But at this point, I think I've only uploaded something like 5% of what I have in my collection. There's lots of work yet to do!

Among the artists featured in the museum, whose work really blew you away?

GA: The work of Francisco V. Coching is by far the one that has impressed me the most. The more I study his works, the more I'm bowled over by how incredibly talented he was. He has been in the running for National Artist for a couple of years, and it's such a shame that he can no longer be eligible for the distinction as I heard that there seems to be a new ruling that those who have been passed over are no longer eligible. This is really tragic.

The work of Coching, both art and stories, have been a strong and indelible part of Filipino culture for many decades. In a time when comics lorded it over radio, TV and cinema, Francisco V. Coching was creating stories that reflected the heart and soul of the Filipino more than any artist. But because his accomplishments are decades old, and because Filipinos have short memories, it's so easy to dismiss what contribution he has had. And that's really tragic. I hope to spread awareness of Coching's genius for today's generation, in what little way I can.

I read that you have a subscription to Liwayway Magazine, how would you describe its current work compared to those of earlier times?

GA: Not really a subscription, but I do buy a copy often. A few years ago, the komiks section of the magazine did not impress me at all, although artist Jun Lofamia was able to produce artwork of a quality that I rarely saw in contemporary comics. But in recent years, Liwayway's komiks seemed to have enjoyed a renaissance of sorts. The artists have gotten a second wind perhaps, and produced artwork of a much better quality than they have previously.

Your single frame of "Timawa" is breathtaking, tell us when will the comic book come out? We missed "Wasted" and have regretted it.

GA: Thank you! "Timawa" is currently being serialized three pages a month on the pages of The Buzz Magasin, published by ABS-CBN. It began serializing with the September 2007 issue.

"Wasted" can be read online here.

Who will "Timawa" battle against? (We hope some corrupt public officials get slaughtered in it!)

GA: Although "Timawa" is the title, that's not really the name of the character. That's just what people call him because they don't know what his name is. But in the mythology of the story, he's an "Apolaki Warrior," the latest in a long line of warriors defending the weak and innocent, stretching back throughout Philippine history. They have an opposite, the "Sidtaka Warriors," whose sole purpose is to wreak havoc wherever and whenever they can.

Tell us a little bit about what keeps you busy nowadays.

GA: "Timawa" is something I do regularly, and when I'm not doing it, I concentrate on my self-published comic book "Elmer." You can find information about "Elmer" as well as download the first issue for free here.

Once in a while I accept jobs from abroad, including adapting classic short stories for Graphic Classics. The latest one I did was an adaptation of "The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe.

I also contributed a short story for "Liquid City," an anthology of comic book work by mostly South East Asian writers and artists to be published by Image Comics later in the year.

I'm about to start work on the CD cover of American heavy metal band Crescent Shield's second album.

And that's just the ones I can talk about right now. (Smiles)

Thank you so much, Gerry.

GA: Thanks for getting in touch. I appreciate the chance to talk about the museum and my work.

A Francisco V. Coching Classic From 1955

BY MADS BAJARIAS | There is so much to learn and enjoy from Gerry Alanguilan's online museum of Philippine comics art and I find it has become an indispensable resource for the keen student of Pinoy comics.

Recently, I read with relish the feature on Leandro "L.S." Martinez, the creator of Nognog, Superkat, Bulol en Tangak and other characters which appeared in the late-lamented Filipino Funny Comics (1978-2004). Written by daughter Cristina, the article revealed that Martinez came from a large family with 10 siblings. Ah, so that's where he got the funny, rowdy and rambunctious spirit in his works!

After reading the Martinez piece, I spent a fair amount of time looking at the various Pinoy comics luminaries whose profiles and sample works Alanguilan has meticulously collected and posted on his site. Alanguilan has devoted his time and resources to rescue nearly-forgotten Pinoy comics artists from oblivion. It is a laudable undertaking.

Among the many artists featured by Alanguilan is the astonishingly gifted Francisco V. Coching. Born in 1919, he created an incredible 53 titles in a career that spanned 39 years. His career was interrupted by WWII (he joined an anti-Japanese guerrilla unit), but took up his pen and brushes again after the war as if nothing had happened.

His cover art for Pinoy Komiks's September 10, 1955 issue is a fine study of timeless optimism and youthful exuberance. The pair still look fresh and chic all through the years. The bright yellow skirt decorated with colorful splotches is something that today's fashion-conscious girls will still wear. Same with the gold lamé pumps, ankle bracelet and summery pink sleeveless blouse. The other night I watched the "Sex and The City" movie and was surprised to see that large hoop earrings are in vogue! Open one of the ubiquitous teen-fashion magazines today and you're bound to find something similar to what Coching dreamt up in 1955.

The man's fashion isn't too shabby either. The blue jeans, white tee and tan belt ensemble is classic male. The biker's cap and rolled-up pantslegs may not be in fashion now—but they should be! Although the cap and rolled-up pants may not be something that ordinary Pinoys can get away with on a regular basis today, they wouldn't be out of place in the trendiest night spots. I swear while I was writing this, a Korean teen idol was on TV wearing virtually the same "look" as Coching's 1955 man.

In his interview with Ros H. Matienzo, Coching had said that the late 50s up to the 60s were the Golden Age of Pinoy comics.

"You can see for yourself," said Coching in 1980. "Get an old copy of Pilipino Komiks and compare it with the best that they have today. There's just no comparison."

In 1998, Coching passed away at age 79. But his genius, and his young lovers of 1955, will shine on forever.

Jeproks Spirit Lives on in Team Manila Tees

BY MADS BAJARIAS | The only t-shirt designers I've seen who are able to capture the middle-brow Manila look: Team Manila Graphic Design Studio. They get just right the jury-rigged-and-duct taped tropicalia of chaotic Metro Manila.

Their tees' illustrations are crowded, multi-layered, graphic elements elbowing each other and infused with a chirpy (verging on the satirical) nationalism. There is something in Team Manila's designs that echo the lamented happy-go-lucky jeproks and Jingle vibes.

Comedian Joey de Leon had an equally hilarious phrase for the jeproks set: mga hiping hilaw. Nevertheless, it was a fun time that resulted in a distinctive art style.

Manila hippies (if there are any left), might balk at the price, though, as these tees are more expensive than most.

Aside from the mens' and womens' tees, Team Manila now have a kids' collection: Tiny Manila.

Flap Your Wings for these Posters

BY MADS BAJARIAS | Arnel Telesforo's poster for the Palawan Bird Festival, an event organized by the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines, to popularize birdwatching and raise the public's awareness about Philippine birds and their habitats. The splendid bird featured is the male Palawan Peacock-pheasant (Polyplectron emphanum), a creature that can only be found in the lowland forests of Palawan.

Telesforo's illustration-poster for the Cebu Bird Festival. The feet seem more polished and nicer here than those in the Palawan poster. Aside from being an artist, animator and filmmaker, Telesforo is also a teacher and a keen birdwatcher.