To mark this year’s Art Month, ArticulatePH, a YouTube Channel dedicated to the preservation of the oral history of Filipino visual art, was launched recently at a simple event at the National Museum, entitled “The Lost Conversations.”
The title of the event refers to a compilation of tape-recorded interviews done by noted art historian, art critic and celebrated author Cid Reyes, with some of the greatest artists the Philippines has ever produced. The tapes served as source material for Reyes’ book “Conversations on Philippine Art” which was published in 1989.
From left to right: Danny Jacinto , Gemma Cruz , Cid Reyes, Teng Ropa (TBWA), Jorell De Guzman
On ArticulatePH, these remastered audio interviews can be listened to in their entirety, providing inspiration, insight, and even practical tips for future generations of artists. This comes at a time when Philippine visual art is very much on the rise, and Filipino art is selling at record prices both here and abroad.
No Country of Starving Artists
“How lucky is the Filipino artist now, to be creating art now?” enthused Reyes at an interview for the event. “Because the market is ready for them. The emergence of so many talented Filipino artists so young, and their works being accepted now by the market, by a growing burgeoning art audience willing to pay for their creations. Look at the success of the art auctions, look at the success of the art fairs.”
Reyes, who has been a dedicated chronicler of the emerging Philippine visual art scene since he was a young man, in the era of early Filipino artists such as Fernando Amorsolo and Victorio Edades, gushed about how far art has come: “The emerging audience and market for Philippine art is overwhelming.”
“The generation of Edades and Amorsolo would be amazed at how much art has been accepted by the Filipino audience. The level of acceptance in the Philippine auctions of masterpieces that during their time could not be sold for 50 pesos but are now in the multi millions. That was totally unheard of in their day,” Reyes continued.
Reyes also pointed out that great Filipino art has become a blue-chip investment, sharing that National Artist Jose Joya’s painting “Space Transfiguration”, which was done in 1959, and recently sold for 112 million pesos, originally sold for around 350 pesos. “If you had put 350 in the bank all those years ago, there is no way it would have grown to millions of Pesos. It is now unquestionable that art is a blue-chip investment.”
How Art Evolution is Fueled by Adventurous Art Lovers
Reyes also marveled at how innovative Filipino art has become, and how Filipino art enthusiasts have nurtured this creative direction: “But I am amazed and truly grateful that an emergent audience and market is now very accepting of adventurous experimental art, of art that may appeal to them mysteriously, but they’re willing to gamble on these artists who are creating works that are breaking barriers.”
Back L-R Gemma Cruz Araneta, Silvana Ancelloti Diaz ,Melvin Mangada, Blen Fernando, Max Ventura, Tanya Pico, Danny Jacinto, Atty. Dominador Buhain Jr. ,Jorell Legaspi
Documenting History as it Happens
Ultimately, “The Lost Conversations” aim was to underscore the importance of oral history: “I have always believed that oral history is of paramount value, even though we have what you call written history, written by historians after the fact. But with oral history, which is history being lived at the very moment, is history as we say, straight from the horse’s mouth, from the artist’s mouth, and you cannot change that.”
“It is my fervent wish that more young historians, more young writers and more young art critics would emerge and rise to the challenge of documenting some of the most exciting art being created by Filipino artists. Now we need documentation because without documentation, with no literature, there is no history,” he added.
Reyes also shared what he hopes future artists can gain from “The Lost Conversations”: “With lost conversations, I want today’s young Filipino artists to realize the rich tradition that has been handed down to them. That now they have a legacy that they are obliged to continue, a level of excellence that they must pursue and aspire to, and that way before their lives, we had Filipino artists who worked in the same way, went through the same struggle that they are going through now. These artists triumphed against the difficulties and challenges and managed despite these problems, to create tremendously excellent works of Philippine art, and this is really amazing.”
If you would like to draw inspiration from the great masters who have carved our rich visual arts heritage, listen to The Lost Conversations, and check out other videos of great Filipino artists and art luminaries at: https://www.youtube.com/@articulateph
