West Gallery

Unexamined Failure

UNEXAMINED FAILURE | June 17 - July 23, 2008 | West Avenue

Artists Andres Barrioquinto, Jon Jaylo and CJ Tañedo tackle what they think is so deviant and rampant today yet hardly gets enough attention. Thus, they agreed to call their concurrent exhibits at West Gallery “Unexamined Failure,” on view from June 17 to July 23.

ANDRES BARRIOQUINTO

In “Disorder,” Andres Barrioquinto merges techniques he has applied in the past, updating them for those who have seen his earlier works and for those who are seeing his works for the first time. He based the idea on “people eating lotus plants to heal themselves,” observing that most people around him yearn or need some form of healing. To see through the human condition is to grasp the existence of human disorder as well. This is what Barrioquinto is exploring in this series of works, all done in oil and in different tones of blue. This time, he moves away from the heavily graphic images he has used in the past, and zooms in on realism and cubism, which he has used more recently. “People can relate easily. I guess it is because they see something familiar,” says Barrioquinto, who now uses full-body images. He adds that it was a challenge to do full figures, instead of just portraits. One’s skills really come into play. “I try to be more conscious of my art now, but it still surprises me. Maybe it’s because I try to do different things, and not just repeat myself.”

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CJ TANEDO

CJ Tañedo interprets the term “Standards and Practices” in his own series of works in oil at West Gallery’s Gallery 2. For Tañedo, the term has begun to mean what is so perversely yet commonly happening around us. One such example is the culture of corruption, ironically being a “standard” in many social situations today. In a way, fellow artist Barrioquinto has been an inspiration, particularly Barrioquinto’s “A Dreaded Sunny Day.” For Tañedo, it was like a visual reply to his colleague’s earlier work. He likes studying other artists’ works, and takes with him vital lessons. He also gives his take on poverty and how it has affected many people. He may be exposing the negative aspects and distorted values in our society through his works, but Tañedo, who studied painting at the University of Santo Tomas, isn’t hopeless about the situation. He believes that the first step to awareness is acknowledging even the awful truths.

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JON JAYLO

Jon Jaylo’s “Sweet Tragedies” (Gallery 3) reflects the dark, tragic moments in one’s life. Jaylo, an advertising graduate from the FEU, almost compares his pieces to literary works. There are highs and lows, though Jalyo focuses more on the low points. In a work titled “The Perfect Bait,” money is depicted as the bait that makes everyone greedy. “It is [comparatively] darker than my previous shows,” intimates Jaylo, himself facing personal trials yet finding the inner strength to keep painting. “I poured out my emotions [into these works]…Painting is an extension of what I feel.” Other issues include how one has to leave the country to provide a better future for his family. “It is a big sacrifice. You have to survive but it also rips your family apart.” Then there’s “Listen to My Sadness,” Jaylo’s way of telling the government to listen to the people. He hopes that viewers can relate to the emotions he conveys in his paintings. Just like Tañedo, he believes that addressing the issues will lead to action

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