My Great Grand Dad

We fondly call him "Lolo Miong", Emilio F. Aguinaldo, first president of the Philippine Republic. Despite the intrigues created by historians on his being a hero, he has remained an inspiration to many of us, the fourth generation of the Aguinaldo clan and to a lot of other people. Being an artist myself, I have found him an interesting subject of art. Here are some filtrographs I have created with a modern flair to pay tribute to his greatness .

Filtrographed Flowers

Flowers, leaves and trees have always been my fave subjects ever since I learned to draw and take photos. I may have been a bumble bee or an elf in my past life. Here are a few of these subjects captured as photos then manipulated into an art called Filtrographs.

Old Style,New Prints

I have always been fascinated by old prints and illustrations coming from a world without software technology. They reflect ingenuity and pure raw talent. Here are some of my experiments, my versions, that are products of such fascination.

Tamondong In Color Dynamics

Christian Tamondong holds his 10th one-man show billed "Pajama Party" from July 12-31, 2008 at the Blanc Art Space. Ten years before (in 1998), he was a passionate art student of the Institute of Fine Arts of the Philippine Women's University. His former instructor in Color Dynamics, Nimfa Ursabia, was kind enough to share some of Tamondong's class seat works with me. They truly convey Tamondong's early fascination with colors and shapes- the springboard to his now whimsical, somewhat cartoonish and metaphoric images. Here are two of them, posted with permission from the artist:

The Insomnolent Life in Tamondong's Pajama Party

Tamondong's somewhat dark, provoking, and humorous images are back.

As I sat and listen to him, I realized that he really never ceases to intrigue the restless mind. And one may continue to go on exploring and dig dipper into Tamondong’s fancy as he mounts “Pajama Party”, a look into an insomniac’s gray matter, on July 12 -31, 2008, at blanc, Crown Tower, 107 de la Costa St., Salcedo Village, Makati City. .

Asked on the rationale of “Pajama Party”, Tamondong quipped “as an insomniac, I get the most creative juices at the wee hours of the night. It is when ideas pop and battle in my own consciousness.” It is in this consciousness that the antics of the restless nocturnal are stirred.

“Pajama Party” mirrors that consciousness. To cite an example, “Pillow Fight” is an attribution to throwing ideas and the battle of these thoughts in one’s brain.

His “Truth or Dare” simply reflects the game– a reality where one chooses either to open up or withhold at the mercy of the spinning empty bottle. “Jack & Company”, takes on one’s security blanket – a toy that becomes a witness, a sort of a friend to everyone and company to one’s mood and thus, becomes a source of inspiration.

“Be with friends on a drinking spree” seems to be what “Big Bellied Beer Buddies” says as a way out of a seemingly restless night.

“Bitch”, says Tamondong is a study on life’s bitchiness. One has to go on with the flow of life’s complications. And for the insomnolent life, there is always a stalker in oneself. There seem to be these omnipresent eyes that watch him on every thing he does. The body, no matter how restless, gives in and the mind simply tones down.

“Super Strong” speaks of the gentleness one craves for in the aroma and taste of pure and strong coffee. They simply relieve the tired heart.

It’s a busy life with relentless creation amidst isolation. There is no resentment but the thought of the unadulterated life in "Missing My Once Calm Self", gives Tamondong's hyperactive mind a respite. AA

Art as a Poor Imitation

I have always thought that imitation is not flattery. So when I think of doing a photo manipulation similar to the works of Andy Warhol, I tend to become defensive and think of it as inspiration. And honestly, I feel that my Warhol-inspired works are far from excellent. The inspiration I get from Warhol is respect for the artist who lived in a time when digital art was not en vogue. I imagine the effort and time Warhol has to devote on every piece. Amazing! Now, with emergence of a lot of softwares on digital image enhancement, anything is possible.

I still don't know how to draw the line between imitation and inspiration or adaptation. As an artist, if ever I imitate or draw inspiration from known artist, I make sure it is paying homage to his
greatness for nothing is greater than the original.

Christian Tamondong and his Whimsy’s Park

Kindergarten doodles, distorted toy images, dripping paints in nursery room colors, and things from childhood are what one immediately notices in Christian Tamondong’s works in his one-man show billed Whimsy’s Park at Gallery Nine in Mega Mall few years ago.

“There is character,” said a viewer. And she was right.

Tamondong refuses to look at others work when preparing for a show. Any thing may catch his fancy. He, however, admits Francesco Clemente, whose explicit works Filipinos may not readily accept, tops his list of artists he admires. In a way, Clemente has influenced him. But for inspiration, he draws it from Basquiat, a black graffiti artist.His fascination for these artists has helped him come up with a theme that veers away from a local flavor which he quickly dismisses as colonial mentality.

For Whimsy’s Park, it is simply about childhood sentiments and memories. “Picnic”, the centerpiece of the show, reflects a “salo-salo”- a gathering in a park amidst differences, he fondly relates. The prominent fresh paint drips are essential in allowing a sense of freedom that Christian always sees in children when obsessed with colors. His colors, evident in anyone’s childhood, bring one to a time warp making him feel a juvenile once more.When asked if Whimsy’s Park is his childhood, he kept mum. Again, he referred to it as anyone’s childhood but with a smile, he lamented on how fast a community is devoured by urbanization that there is almost no Green left.
There is a feeling of relief with this second solo exhibit since he was able to convey his repressed sentiments. They were both joyous and melancholic since he believes “an artist has no stable emotions; he can be happy for a moment then down for the next.”

His first show at the Drawing Room is simply expressive for he simply wants people to know him as an artist continuously experimenting with style and everything. “My whimsical, somewhat cartoonish work, springs from my fascination with colors and shapes. I simply aim to capture life’s truth and fancy – calm and chaos, love and hate, thus imparting fun and humor.” The ambiance of the Boulevard, public plazas and game arcades are where he gets them.

A character he truly is. At first glance, one mistakes Tamondong for a band player – cool and hipped. He started out as a greeting card artist and later found himself winning in the centennial and millennium PLDT-DPC Visual Art National Competitions and the Art Association of the Philippines (AAP) Annual Art Competition. These feats, however, were not the only parts of the equation that made him an artist. With additional dedication and discipline, Tamondong views his art on canvas as a continuing process and it doesn’t stop at Whimsy’s Park.