Art writer and curator Gina Fairley maps out Roberto M.A. Robles' repertoire
There’s a certain palpable air of solitude and mystery emanating from the works of abstractionist Roberto M.A. Robles.
One could look at Robles’ pieces for hours and stare at his canvases’ nuances, which in turn make them so unique and dynamic, and not immediately understand what the artist is trying to convey. But that is exactly the charm, if you will, of a Robles. His works conceal as much as they reveal. There’s much guesswork and speculation involved in deciphering them that the mind is stimulated to no end. The mind, however, isn’t the only one working in this scenario, as getting Robles’ works also involves one’s feeling and emotions. There’s beauty and rawness in his pieces that only the feeling heart can possibly interpret and wholly connect with.
International art writer and curator Gina Fairley seems to be feeling the same way. In fact, she has overseen Robles’ retrospective exhibition titled ‘Saluysoy’ at the Ateneo Art Gallery in such a way that audiences can relate to the artist’s suite of works spanning a whopping 30 years with such ease. This is not to say though that Fairley has taken curating the exhibit lightly. Fairley’s curatorial work for the show has had her working closely with the artist for almost a year—exchanging correspondence and swapping stories with him just so she could fully capture and present Robles’ enigmatic opuses.
But if there’s one to know how to deal with Robles’ works, it’s probably Fairley. “I met Roberto when I first came here in 2000. I met the man and his art. And in the past 12 years, I’ve always been surprised and energized by the diversity of his works as well as the incredible beauty in them. He has very strong supporters, but I think he’s kind of understood in Manila. To be honest, though, if you look at his art, it teaches you things on how to perceive beauty and how we perceive a work of art ot be finished. Roberto’s art has a lot to teach,” she says.
When Fairley talked about Robles’ works being misunderstood, the Australian writer and curator is referring to how the public and the art community make out the artist’s works as being unfinished or somewhat lacking in final ‘cohesive” touches—apparent things indicating a work of art is ready to be exhibited. “When you look at them, some of the palette is very dark and brooding. Sometimes, he rips up pieces of canvas and sticks them on and uses staple guns and would dribble paint all over,” Fairley continues.
Another atypical thing that Robles does with his pieces, Fairley tells, is how he purposely folds the canvas, creating permanent creases in it. “And our human compulsion is: How do we get the creases out?”
Fairley says she has mapped out Robles’ pieces based on moods and moments. Moving along the exhibit is like going through an artful labyrinth boasting of different sorts of themes, feelings, and colors. “Saluysoy” meaning “eternal spring” in the Southern Tagalog dialect starts with what Fairley calls “containment.” The first part of the exhibit features boxed assemblages fashioned in the early ‘80s. These are narratives, both autobiographical and universal, which contain who we are as a people and as a nation following the aftermath of Martial Law.
“They’re not socio-political in any way but they’re very alert to the human condition. What’s interesting in that section is that collage was used quite a lot. There’s also experimentation in material,” Fairley says.
The next part of the show is a lot more somber and more minimal in palette. Dubbed “purity,” the section looks back at Robles’ influences from Japan, where he had stayed for five years, and his travels to Korea, and “how those places, their colors, traditions, heritage, and religion melded with the Philippines.”
Perhaps this section best arrests the “zen-like” quality of Robles’ works; although Fairley would say that they are ‘self-styled Orientalism,’ as the artist didn’t formally study calligraphy and it was actually just him looking at his surroundings and taking these things into his own visual language and aesthetic sensibilities.
The third part of the exhibition is all about gestures and colors. Noticeable in this section is the artist’s use of vivid hues, a stark contrast from Robles’ previous works that make use of a very subdued and quiet palette. Fairley describes this room as all “material and energy,” a room that just says “Bang!”
“Saluysoy” finally ends with a meditative endpoint. The room is seemingly an appropriate conclusion to the exhibit-cum-journey. It becomes a resting place for the viewer and for the artist as well. Calming music wafts inside the room and a couch awaits anyone who would want to take a respite, a breather. It’s the perfect place where the artist can retire after a hard day’s exhaustive art-making processes.
“We’ve been working on the show for about a year. The joy is actually talking with Roberto and going back through his archives. It’s a wonderful time for me as a curator and as a writer. There are nearly 80 artworks in the retrospective,” Fairley says.
What is commendable in Robles’ exhibit is the artist’s massive exploration of materials. There are mixed media pieces, sculptures made of Carrara marble, steel, granite, and paper. There are paintings made of varied colors of thread and paintings made from cardboard, to name a few. One can find pieces in acrylic mish-mashed with Chinese ink and modeling paste.
“Roberto takes a long time to make things. Some of the sculptures took about a year. He’ll look at it for a long period of time and he pictures or visualizes the brushstroke and the transference of energies into the canvas… and thus his [brushstrokes] become this perfect gesture,” Fairley shares.
This period of silent thought tells the viewer about the contemplative processes that Robles has to go through and experience in order to give birth to a certain artwork or in order to just put paints into a canvas for that matter. Just imagine how thorough Robles gets!
“Curating this exhibition for me has been an unbelievable personal journey, one that has probably made me more aware of the connection of humans to nature, its impact on us, how fragile nature is but also how fragile we are as human beings. This fragility is present in his works,” Fairley discloses.
For Robles, the exhibit has also been a voyage both personal and artistic. He says, “Saluysoy” embodies the fruition of painting to sculpture; relief to three-dimensional objects. The art forms hold biographies and autobiographies; their narratives are an oration for the living, for the spirits of our forefathers, and the Filipino race to live its origin.”
‘Saluysoy: Roberto M.A. Robles, A Retrospective’ is on view at Ateneo Art Gallery until April 23. It is in collaboration with Galleria Duemila. For more information, call 831-9990 or visit www.galeriaduemila.com. Article courtesy of Manila Bulletin
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