BenCab: Imprints and Impressions
Perhaps one of the more geniune marks of a great artist is his ability to be sensitive to the things and people surrounding him. It is beautiful, in fact, to witness one open himself up to his immediate world and somewhat become a sponge or “a receptacle for the emotions that come from all over the place” as Pablo Picasso once said.
You see, every artwork created with immense feeling is really no more than a depiction of the artist’s sense of self. And although the process of choosing his subjects is his way of praising, a subtle way of approval, if you will, it is still his sensibilities being manifest in his pieces.
If one is to be fortunate enough to make art according to his personal truth, to be able to condense his sentiments in one frame, and to evoke viewers’ sensations, then he is to be successful. National Artist BenCab’s images thrive because of his acute perception and ability to arrest life in his works. Attesting to this is his retrospective of prints which opened last May 12 at the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Gallery.
Curated by artist Jonathan Olazo, the exhibit is a showcase of BenCab’s prints from the ‘70s up to the present. Titled “BenCab Graphics: A Print Retrospective,” the show consists of 28 pieces—all of them, save for one, belonging to the artist’s personal collection. The smaller, earlier works were printed during his expatriation in London in the ‘70s using the facilities at the Chelsea School of Arts. The larger, more recent ones, meanwhile, were done at the Singapore Tyler Print Institute where he had been an artist-in-residence with.
According to Olazo, the definitive works, all handpicked by BenCab himself, have been laid out chronologically, making the body of work, in a sense, tighter and more cohesive as opposed to laying it out thematically. The result is an exhibit that will let viewers travel in time, so much so that they will be able to get glimpses of the world BenCab was probably in at a certain period of his artistic career.
One can see the different and changing sensibilities of BenCab starting from when he had originally experimented in printmaking in the ‘70s up to now. The artist’s sense of self as well as his keen awareness of his milieu is palpable in his opuses.
And Olazo agrees, saying that there are definitely apparent changes in the artist’s sensibilities per period. It is then exquisite for artists, critics, and viewers alike to behold the elemental progression and evolution of BenCab both as a man and as an artist who observes and chooses moments to immortalize.
Using the tedious and painstaking processes of printmaking, BenCab was able to not only immortalize his iconic and historical images of ‘Sabel’ and “Larawan” (a suite of paintings based on photographs of turn-of-the-century Philippines) but as well as slices of life and social commentary, making BenCab a chronicler of his times—his being a visual storyteller inarguably influenced by having worked as illustrator in a magazine. “I got involved with journalism, that’s why. I like chronicling events,” he says.
Printmaking thus lends justice to BenCab’s graphic and detailed pieces, bringing in them a vibrant narrative that is, as Cid Reyes writes, “subjected to a tighter control” but is not in any way contrived.
He further says, “Space is fragmented dynamically through geometric intervention and dramatic deployment of his figures: a barefooted woman with her long-suffering visage looming against an impenetrable darkness; a multitude of native officers mesmerizing the viewers with their stoic stare; sugar workers with their backs turned, as it were, away from any human communication; the artist’s self-image conjured literally against the metal plate.”
The effect is beautiful; the impressions more flagrant. Notable pieces in the retrospective include: His “Boxed Objects” (a trio of prints displaying a dark and whimsical juxtaposition of sculptures and still-life objects that is captured into boxed sets); “Lahar Woman” and “Lahar Man” (two separate figures being enveloped and engulfed in winding cloths); “Glimpses of the past/present” (a series of prints created by combining various printmaking techniques lithography, etching, collagraph, and screen print highlighting parallels and nuances of the past and the present); and “1081” and “Untitled (Philippine Flag)” (both pictorial representations of the abuse of power of the dictatorial regime.
While some people may think printmaking is underrated because there can be multiple pieces created using the same plate or matrix, it’s not actually the case. BenCab says that the very charm of printmaking lies in its end-products’ ability to reach a much wider audience. They can be imprinted on books and cards, therefore reaching audiences who may not easily have access to museums and galleries or those who may not have the means to acquire art pieces.
“I think this exhibit will let the public appreciate printmaking more. Many have said that printmaking is underrated. Iniisip nila mura lang [ang gawa] na ‘yan. Pero mahirap ang mga proseso. They seem to not give importance to it, but you see, we have Rembrandt’s prints and we admire them. It is also, in a way, democratic because you can make editions of your works so more people can have them. Ang painting kasi isa lang ‘yun. Once it’s hidden in a private home, wala na’ng pag-asang makita ulit,” he shares.
Aside from prints, the exhibit also features one etching plate that the artist has used to make his “Two Mestizas” print and a video (documented by BenCab himself) of how his recent prints were made, allowing audiences a peek at how the master works as well as giving the public a crash course of sorts on printmaking.
BenCab says that he loves the effect printmaking brings to his works, and this seemingly inspires him. He gushed when he had pointed out the stunning contrast of colors in one of his recent prints—a testament, perhaps, of his relentless adoration for the many surprises that art brings; a good sign that he will be continuing to enthrall his audiences with his art forms.
At the end of the day, BenCab’s prints is the artist’s way of saying how he likes to work with his hands, but more so, they say the master is a great draftsman and a sincere and perceptive artist whose celebrated works let the maker and beholder finally meet in a delightful tryst. - Article courtesy of Manila Bulletin.
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