Street Art Exhibit

there's going to be another art murmur coming plus the art walk in SF. i'm thinking of displaying some pieces on the streets of SF and oakland.

my fears:
1.) somebody might get offended and kill me.
2.) if somebody tries to hurt me, i don't know how to defend myself.
3.) the pulis might arrest me.
4.) i'm old and i might not be able to handle the cold weather.
5.) i will smoke a lot.

so will i let my fears get a hold of me or should i just do it? my instinct says i should just do it.

it's a kind of protest against those galleries who require artists to cut their ears. here are some pieces i'd like to show...


'Tiger Ipis' 2006 Mixed media on 3 pieces of cartons.


'White Dick, Brown Chick' 2006 Acrylic on carton


'Hangal' 2007 Acrylic on back of poster board

'MURPHY' in Datebook

hello guys,

remember the guy i was talking to you about at the oakland art murmur? he's the artist who cannot get his artworks in galleries because he does it in cartons.

i was surprised and got excited when i saw his artwork in the cover of datebook. i rushed and read the article but i didn't see his name anywhere. i recognized his art immediately because i also took photos and published it on this blog.

http://melveracruz.blogspot.com/2007/05/traidor-at-art-murmur.html





i think it's unfair that they didn't mention his name but i guess they could not find him at the scene because when i took pictures of his work, i couldn't find him either. good thing he gave his card to me. that's why i knew his name was murphy.

i also told him if we could show outside the galleries together sometime. i forgot his answer but i'll call him again.

Recent Drawings

i've been doing some comissioned drawings lately. i have a lot of styles in drawing. i don't believe in focusing in only one direction. most people tell me to just focus in one style but i find that boring. if they ask me why i have too many styles. i just tell them because i can.

i really enjoy drawing and these artworks are like my exercise. here they are...

TRAIDOR! At the art murmur

I was at the art murmur in oakland last night. I have been hearing about this buzz recently and I’m glad to be part of it. Our show traidor is hanging at esteban sabar gallery. I also heard a lot of negative things about this gallery. This gallery they say is too commercial and hangs ‘inferior’ artworks. I walked around art murmur and found out that much of the art hanging at the galleries are pretty much the same so I don’t understand why somebody would degrade esteban sabar.

What I noticed is that a lot of the people who look at the art seem to really ‘dig’ the artworks. I have been an artist for almost forty years but I still cannot understand most of the paintings. If somebody would write heavy stuff about a door I saw leading to a bathroom in one of the galleries, that door could be a masterpice.





I have done my pieces on cardboard boxes mainly because I could not afford a canvas and it really worked for me because I am a third world artist. Those rugged boxes have the appearance of inferiority. I don’t delve too much on drawing anymore. I have proven to myself that I can draw so I turn to subject matter. For me, I can use low quality materials as long as I get my message across. Those expensive art materials conspire with ‘art’ and I don’t have to follow it.

I think the advantage of being a third world artist is that we have an overflowing sense of reality. I can see a lot of pretensions. I’m not saying this is bad. I’m just curious why I didn’t see any artwork that represent oakland. There are drive-by shootings nearby and here we are looking at art that we don’t understand.

I heard people who represent art murmur mostly came from san francisco. Most of them are artists who got evicted from sf because of gentrification and now they are gentrifying oakland because of art. Art is elitist so it attracts people who have the luxury of having time for art. I know as a third world person that most poor people don’t have the luxury of having art in their lives because their priority is to have food on their tables.





One nice thing happened to me last night though. No I didn’t sell a painting. One guy came up to me and blessed me and my paintings because they were done in cardboard boxes. He’s doing the same and his artworks cannot get in galleries because they’re done on cardboards so he spread his artworks outside the gallery. He said esteban sabar must be a cool gallery for accepting my paintings. But it’s not just the cardboards. There’s a lot more to it.

Lian ladia curated our show. Traidor! Also features works by england hidalgo, marcius noceda and carlo ricafort. it will run up to the end of this month so check it out if you have the ‘time’ :-)

Overmapped Opening

i was at the somarts last thursday. it was the opening of our exhibit 'overmapped.' i was surprised at the turnout. i didn't expect it to be such a good show. there were more than 25 of us in the exhibit. they hanged the artworks in the main gallery which was huge. i was happy to see four of miro's ninongs and ninangs specially angela silva whom i haven't met again in 2 years. she gave miro very nice childrens books. thank you ninang angela.



here's a utube video about the exhibit. i didn't expect also to have a special mention by rico reyes (our curator) on this video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krKAu-tivrc

the show is on until april 25 so you can still check it out. see my earlier post. here are some more pictures...

Cow Palace Tattoo Expo

March 29 to April 1 2007

At the previous tattoo convention (pomona, ca), I was asked to draw ‘rodriguez’ in graffiti style by a guy whose last name ofcourse was rodriguez. He liked the drawing and took it. I always make copies of what I do for my portfolio.

I was on my table at this convention drawing something when I heard a customer looking for graffiti style drawings. So I took out the ‘rodriguez’ drawing and showed it to him but he didn’t like it so I just left the drawing lying on the table.

I was really surprised when a big bulky guy came up rushing to my table exclaiming that’s exactly what he was looking for. Is your name rodriguez I asked. He said yes and the style I did was exactly what he wants except for some additional tribals extending to his arm. I was happy because this drawing made money twice and the second one I only had to adjust a small bit. He came back the next day to have the tat done.

This tattoo expo set a record for me. On Saturday, I started drawing at 11am and was only able to rest at 5pm. 6 hours non stop of custom drawings. There were a lot more after my rest. I was really satisfied because the customers loved all the drawings I did. Whew!

These drawings I did based on the clients’ descriptions. Here they are…

Body Art Tattoo Expo

i will be illustrating for cruz creations and da underground tattoo at cow palace this coming weekend. this will be a drawing marathon for me. 12 hours a day for 3 days i'll be with my pencil and drawing pad. i'll be doing on the spot tattoo designs from 20 bucks up. check it out... http://www.bodyartexpo.com/MAIN.PHP

cruz creations website: http://www.cruzcreationstattoo.com/

OVERMAPPED

i'm excited to be part of this. first time i'll be exhibiting with mr. carlos villa plus ofcourse a group of other talented artists. i'll be showing 2 huge pieces, banner style. come over if you have time.



A Cartography of Filipino American Visual Arts Curated by Rico Reyes

April 5th - 25th, 2007
Reception April 5th, 5:30 - 7:30pm

The artists presented are Filipino, Filipino American, American Filipino, scholars of Philippine Studies or Pinoyphiles, marking the growth and development of the Filipino visual arts community; Overmapped is a pause, to look, and take stock of what is happening with young artists, established artists and their career trajectories, with hobbyists who find themselves deep in serious artmaking, along with many others.

These artists represent the various points on the arc of Filipino, American visual art, points defined by both artists and the academia and institutions. They address gender and sexuality, race, ethnicity, or otherness, material and formalism, conceptual and avant-garde, established and emerging. There are many points on the arc, one artist may occupy many points simultaneously, or a point might be occupied by more than one artist.

The artists are Melba Abela, Terry Acebo-Davis, Matias Aguilar, Yason Banal, Genara Banzon, The Barrionics, Eliza Barrios, Elaine Benisano, Leo Bersamina, Emily Caisip, Danilo Cuevas, Ariel Erestingcol, Robert Gutierrez, England Hidalgo, Maryrose Cobarrubias Mendoza, Allyn Nobles, Marcius Noceda, Johanna Poethig, Carlo Ricafort, Angela Silva, Alberto Vajrubukka, Charles Valoroso, Carlos Villa, Mel Vera Cruz, & Jenifer Wofford.

Say Hello To My Little Friend

here is a drawing i did of al pacino as scarface. i used photoshop and my wacom pen. i am planning on drawing celebrities for my portfolio and i started with this.

Birds and Our Apple Tree

we have an apple tree in our backyard. I've always been fascinated taking photos of this apple tree. i think it's because of the contrast between the blue sky ang the brown-green branches plus the rotten apples. i like rotten stuff because i can relate. maybe because i'm getting old. even when i paint, i don't really bother to correct mistakes because that's the way it should be. sometimes when we think that we made errors... there will come a time that everything will weave together. that's always the case for me. making mistakes is natural.

i was lucky to have birds posing during those moments.

Arroyo Park

No it's not gloria's. it's a park about 2 blocks from my house here in union city. millette and i took miro for play 2 days ago. it was very cold that morning but i was able to draw this scene with a little help from our son miro. i cannot finish this piece without him trying some colors out. that doodle on the lower right was his. he was just trying to live up to his name i guess :-)

TORORISTA

i overheard this word between two pinoys talking and mocking each other. the guy told the other (in tagalog), 'no you're not a terorista, but a tororista.' haha. i found that really funny so i used it for my painting.

everybody now knows about the label 'terorista' or terrorist and all filipinos know about the word tororista. for those who don't, 'toro' is how we call a couple fucking each other on a stage in front of people for entertainment. this is illegal but you can still find people who perform this all over manila.

i used the cruxifiction and transformed it into a bald eagle. i also used the vienna sausage box because this is one of the staple 'colonial' food in the philippines. i just want to express how easy they fuck people's minds. if you can't get this you might be one of those people who got TOROrized.

medium: serigraph and acrylic on vienna sausage box.

The F.O.B. four

nagkita-kita kami ng grupo last saturday sa bahay ni england sa oakland. meron kaming art exhibit na pinapakana na kinu-curate ni lian ladia. alam n'yo kasi ang statement naming mga pintor ay ang aming mga paintings na. kaya nagtataka ako kung bakit hinihingan pa kami ng statement ng mga galleries.

kung hihingan ako ng statement e ba't pa ako nagpinta. kaya nga ako nagpinta ay para nga iwasan ang mga pambobola. yun na ang statement ko. pero naiintindihan ko naman yan. nais ko lamang idiin ang point.



handicap naming mga artis yang magsulat lalu na kaming mga FOBs. di tayo masyadong magaling mag rambol ng mga salitang ingles. if a picture is worth a thousand words, how can you explain a painting in a few sentences? ang isang piyesa ko ay nanggaling sa kaibuturan ng aking diwa at karanasan tapos papa explain nila sa isang paragraph? that's bull. imposible. pero alam ko ganun talaga ang buhay lalo na dito sa america. madaming bullshitan kaya kailangang sumakay lang.

yan ang dahilan kung bakit di namin mai-curate ang sarili. ayaw ko ng bullshit. gusto ko aksyon na. wala akong panahon sa paligoy-ligoy. maiksi lang ang buhay boys en gels kaya wag nating sayangin ang oras sa bulshet. maaring kung sa tagalog gagawin ay mas mae-express ko ang sarili pero hindi kaya pasalamat ako kay lian sa abala. tenks lian!

the F.O.B. four:
england hidalgo - john lennon
mel vera cruz - george harisson
carlo ricafort - paul mcartney
marcius noceda - ringo starr

haha. katuwaan lang.

but we're serious. meron kaming website. eto:

http://www.sitekreator.com/curatorialprojects/main_page.html

Buhay Artista

Ngayon lang ako ginanahang magkwento muli. Mahirap kasi dahil ang bilis nang tumakbo nitong aking si miro. Laging naghahabol ang lolo nyo. Syempre, sa tulong yan ng aking si Millette.

Madami nang nangyari mula nang gawin ko ang last supper. Nakadalawang attend ako ng tattoo expos kung saan ako at si Dave nag-design ng mga tatu para kina ariel cruz at darius ng cruz creations at da underground tattoo ng san jose california. Sa buong california po ay tatlo lamang silang pinoy tattoo shops na naga-attend ng mga tattoo expos.

Isa po sa di ko na mention ay si monk ng san jose din. Syempre sasabihin nyo ang ‘apat na alon’ pero di ko sila nakita sa mga tattoo conventions. Maaring nagsawa na sila sa mga ganito. Ang apat na alon po ang madalas kong mabasa sa mga tattoo magazines. Ni-revive nila ang traditional tattoo art ng pilipinas na masasabing isa sa mga pioneers ng tattooing. San diego, pomona, L.A. at san francisco ang rotation ng inaatenan kong expo. 6 times a year nangyayari ang rotation na ito.



Isa pang kwento ay ang pag-alok sa akin ni oscar penaranda upang magsalita at mag present ng aking sining sa harap ng kanyang tinuturuang pilipino class sa logan high school (union city) at ang aking participation sa book launch ng ilang filam writers sa paddy’s dito rin sa union city. Lugod kong pinaunlakan ang alok galing kay Oscar P. syempre ay kinatutuwa ko ding makasama ang mga pinoy-amerikans na manunulat. Sina Tony Robles, Sam Cacas, Janet Stickmon, Vangie Buell, Everly Posh at syempre si Oscar P. Madalas po kasing hindi nalalayo ang aming mga sentimyento.



Malaking pasalamat ko kay Oscar dahil binibigyan nya ako ng daan upang maipakita sa nakararami ang aking mga piyesa at alam kong hindi lamang ako ang nabibigyan nya ng pabuya. Isa si oscar sa mga orihinal na ‘manong’ na nagpapalawak sa kaisipan ng mga kano tungkol sa kalagayan nating mga pinoy sa amerika. Salamat sa yo Oscar P.

Galak akong nagpabuya ng aking mga ideas sa mga nakababatang estudyante ni oscar. Isang malaking karangalan para sa akin ang makapagbahagi ng kuro-kuro sa mga nakababata at sana ay nakita din nila ang ibig sabihin ng isang taong nagsasabi lamang ng katotohanan. As usual ay sinasabi ko ang totoo kong nararamdaman kabilang dito ang pagtanong sa akin ng isang estudyante kung humihitit daw ako habang nagpipinta.



Malugod kong inamin na ‘oo’ sa dahilan pong hindi negatibo ang tingin ko dyan. ang mga nagbabawal sa halamang ito ay hindi naiintindihan ang tama nito. Out of fear ang kanilang basehan samantalang ako ay based on my experience. Wala tayong dapat ikatakot dito. Sa hirap ng buhay, lahat ng tao ay kailangang ma-high paminsan-minsan. Pero bago ko tuluyang gamitin ang salitang ‘high’ ay gusto ko lamang liwanagin sa lahat na sa paningin ko ay tayo ay meron nang kanya-kanyang klase ng high. Ang tama ng kape ay isang uri ng ‘high.’ Ganon din ang tama ng alcohol na sa tingin ko ay mas dapat na bawal kundi nga lamang lahat halos ng opisyal na nagpapatakbo ng gobyerno ay one way or another ay tumutungga rin kaya di ito maipagbawal. kaya sana po ay hwag nating i-relate ang salitang high sa mga basagulero dahil baka we’re pointing at our own.



Nais ko lamang paabot sa kanila ang karanasan ng high na ito upang makakonek tayo sa naiibang antas at di na lamang puro trabaho at retirement o mundo ng dog-eat-dog ang iniisip natin. Sa paningin ko ay kailangan nating magkaroon ng alternatibong pananaw sa mga bagay-bagay at ang paghitit ay daan patungo rito. Meron po kasing mga bagay napansin ko na kung nakahitit ka lamang saka maiisip. Peaceful ang isip sa damo di gaya sa alak na war-freak. Kaya marahil hindi natatapos ang hidwaan sa mundo ay kulang sa alternatibong pananaw. Masasabi kong addictive din ang damo pero gaya din ng masarap na pagkain ay addicting at dapat ding kontrolin dahil lahat ng sobra ay masama. Pasensya na sa di nakakahagip dahil di po nanggaling sa libro ang aking paniniwala kundi’y nanggaling sa kaibuturan ng aking budhi. Nais ko lamang buksan ang nakapinid nitong pintuan.

Mabalik tayo sa mga tattoo. Lakas-loob kong tinahak ang landas na ito dahil ang daan nito ay sadyang lumatag sa harap ko ng hindi ko hinahanap. Yan kasi ang palatandaan para sa akin. Inambisyon kong matutunan ito ngunit hindi pala ganon kadali. Ang pagdrowing sa papel kumpara sa balat ng tao ay totally different entity.

Malaki ang kaibahan kaya sa ngayon ay I’m taking baby steps at a time ‘ika nga. Mahirap po dahil ayaw kong mag mess-up ng balat ng kung sino man. Idinadaan ko muna sa pag-create ng mga flash. Yan kasi ang natural na daan bago mag-umpisang gumuhit sa balat. Syempre pag umuwi ako ng Quezon ay papipilahin natin ang mga homeboys upang mapagpraktisan. Haha, don’t worry dahil gagawin ko ang lahat ng aking makakaya upang di ako mapahiya sa mga tropa.





Enjoy din ako sa mga tattoo expos dahil bukod sa napakagandang sining at training nito sa drawing ay masaya at puro koboy ang mga kasama ko. Maaring mahusgahan sila dahil puno ng tattoo pero okey sila lahat. Minsan nga ay mas madadama mo pa sa kanila ang sincerity kesa sa taong walang tattoo. Ang tattoo kasi ay na-label din gaya nating mga pinoy. Ang tingin sa mga pinoy ng nakadadami sa europa ay maid o katulong. Sa taong may tattoo naman, para bang ‘gangster’ agad ang turing pag nakita nilang may tattoo ka. Di na ‘totally’ totoo ngayon yan. Baka mga 30% na lang. Yung tungkol sa pinoy, di ko alam ang percentage.

More pictures…