Of death and life's gentle reminders
By NENI STA. ROMANA CRUZ
Manila Bulletin, January 13, 2007
This is the story of life and death on a farm and the celebration of the joys of farm life and the richness that nature has to offer.
This is not about the pastoral nor lyrical aspects of rural living, for a haunting quality pervades both text and illustrations. Even the opening lines are ominous, for this young and beautiful wife is described as riding horses with abandon "around the farm without a saddle" and having "her breath escape her often." Early on, a sense of tragedy is intimated.
Chisco, the frail child in the story, took after his mother's free spirit and love for the outdoors. He too loved to ride, loved the outdoors, but wore out just as easily too.
The illustrations, even the most cheerful of them, have a constant cloud of gloom hovering over them. The oil paintings are impressive and the angular features of the characters bespeak of tautness and tension. There is sadness that is so tangible that in every illustration, one can pick out a detail that tells us that all's not right in the universe. The father's cautious and pained look as he leads the horse that Chisco is riding. Chisco's deep gaze as he embraces the kamagong. His desolate look as he is confined in his room, behind the grille. The mysterious roving eyes of the handymen delivering the package. And so it goes with the rest of the art work.
SUBTLE AND GRACEFUL
Although death is a recurring motif in the narration, its description is hardly morbid. It is both subtle and graceful. The mother promises to heed the reminder that she take more care that she does not tire herself, "but that was all soon forgotten at the sound of neighing horses or an inviting breeze." Thus, it happened, "she tried to catch her breath and never quite caught it again."
The details in the story are memorable: The mane with the color of raw sugar, the laughter that fell like tiny ringing bells, the smile that felt like the sunshine warming up his face, Chisco's joy bouncing off the very walls of his room.
Even the technique of having Chisco measure the tree's growth by embracing its trunk is a heartwarming one. More endearing than the embrace is the child's urging that the tree continue to grow tall and sturdy.
The events in the story do not develop as happy ones, for the lovely kamagong is found uprooted one day. But out of its sturdy wood is carved a wooden rocking horse, much like Chisco's own horse, black in color and with mane the shade of muscovado — a worthy toy and companion for the homebound boy. It allows him to take untold journeys everywhere his imagination flies, taking with him everything precious to him, his books, his toys, his musical instruments.
Chisco passes away as quietly as his mother did but while there is sorrow, there are miracles of life to marvel about. Right where the kamagong used to stand was a little sapling pushing its way out, the promise of another grand tree. And indeed, life goes on, as the book ends on a quiet note, with a gentle reminder. "Sometimes it passes beyond our sight, but life goes on. Everywhere."
The startling topic, the mysterious illustrations, and the prose that conceals more than it reveals is reminiscent of Caldecott award winner author-illustrator Chris Van Allsburg who wrote The Polar Express, The Garden of Abdul Gasazi, Jumanji, and Two Bad Ants, among many other successful titles. Van Allsburg's illustrations are as well-studied and constructed, evident of his background as an architect.
It is fascinating to know that the book grew from a creative writing competition based on one Borlongan painting, a man playing the violin, astride on the rocking horse. Looking at the painting, it is amazing to see where Bravo's imagination has taken the story and that it has elicited response from over 80 Filipino writers from all over the world.
CANVAS has outdone itself again, perhaps even more successfully than with its first noteworthy venture, Elias and the Trees based on a French story, retold by Augie Rivera and illustrated by the late Romeo Forbes. And again, the added bonus of an audio CD narrated by Pinky Amador in English and Filipino with music score by Pido Lalimarmo.
The book is exceptionally designed and one to be proud of, with its full color, its uncluttered and unused space so pleasing to the eye, the stitched binding, and the Filipino (isn't Tagalog a misnomer?) text neither intruding on illustrations nor the English text. The storyline leaves much to think and talk about. And isn't a successful story precisely one that leaves the reader with more questions rather than answers?
The author is a member of the Philippine Board on Books for Young People and may be reached at nenisrc@gmail.com.
The Horse and His Boy
From a painting to a children's story to an exhibit to a book
By SUSAN A. DE GUZMA
Published on page B12 of the June 24, 2006 issue of The Manila Bulletin
A PICTURE can paint a thousand words.
In the case of the First Annual Romeo Forbes Children's Storywriting Competition of the Center for Art, New Ventures and Sustainable Development (CANVAS), a painting has spawned much more than that ― 86 stories to be exact, hence confirming the evocative appeal of a powerful image.
After tapping critically acclaimed artist Elmer Borlongan last year, CANVAS launched its unique contest, asking participants to weave a tale based on Borlongan's work ― a rendition in oil of a bald young man playing a violin while astride a rocking horse.
Out of all the entries, Becky Bravo bested the rest with "The Rocking Horse". Bravo, a multiple Palanca Award winner, tells a heart-tugging story about a boy of frail health who, nurtured by his widowed father's love, learns to appreciate nature, music and a lovely wooden horse.
"For us, it was fascinating to see how a single painting could inspire diverse and unique stories that children and adults can enjoy alike," says Delan Robillos, CANVAS project director.
Robillos points out that the first staging of the competition actually exceeded the group's expectations, as it drew entries not only from the Philippines but also from as far as away as the United States and the Middle East. The deluge of participants apparently even pushed back the announcement of winners as judges wanted to evaluate each story carefully.
Bravo's story, as reported on the CANVAS website, was in a close race with three other contenders ― "Si Ninjang Kabayo at ang Violinistang Kalbo" by Andrea Lazaro, "Treasures I Have Known" by Raissa Claire Rivera and "Sol" by Anna Cristina Llanera.
For Borlongan, the process proved to be a refreshing challenge. "It's a nice concept to have an artist make an image on which a story can be developed," he said last Monday at the opening of "The Rocking Horse" exhibition which features his paintings that were, in turn, inspired by Bravo's story.
"The Rocking Horse" ― both story and paintings ― will be turned into a book come October, as published by CANVAS and the UST Publishing House. This will be the second joint effort of the two groups, after "Elias and His Trees", a translation of a French fable by Auggie Rivera with illustrations done by the late artist Romeo Forbes (after whom the story-writing competition is now named).
As the first recipient of CANVAS' Art Fellowship, Borlongan had been given complete freedom in choosing the subject and colors for that initial painting. What he finally depicted, he said, was an actual scene that he witnessed in Zambales where he is based with artist-wife Plet Bolipata. Looking out of a window one day, Borlongan saw one of the music students of his brother-in-law, violinist Coke Bolipata, riding on the rocking horse that was out in the yard.
"It's a big rocking horse that we had bought in Bacolor, Pampanga," Borlongan related. "I always draw inspiration from what I see and things that catch my attention. That image of the boy really struck me, so I decided to go with it."
Asked about the bald subject in his painting, which has also become like a trademark in his works, Borlongan said he first started making such figures in 1993. Inspired by the likes of Ang Kiukok, some of whose subjects have close-cropped hair or bald heads, he followed suit.
"I wanted to concentrate on the facial features, and for people who look at my works to do the same. I feel that having a crown (hair) tends to distract or draw attention from the faces of the subject, so I decided to do away with it," Borlongan explained.
A DIFFERENT APPROACH
Meanwhile, for Bravo, having learned about the competition, the game was on to create a story based on the painting. She printed out a copy of the picture that had been posted on the CANVAS website, and taped it on a filing cabinet by her bedside. It was, as she said, the last thing she would look at before going to sleep and the first thing she would see when she woke up.
For the better part of two weeks, she basically would just stare at the artwork while waiting for storylines to pop into her head. Then when her idea about a sickly boy named Chisco hit her, the story just flowed. It only took her two weeks to finish writing it. "The story practically wrote itself. It was just like I was listening, and I was writing it all down," Bravo described.
Though she was not particularly dejected during the writing process, her resulting story has a tinge of sadness to it. "I thought of a frail little boy because the bald man on the rocking horse actually looked a little ill to me," noted Bravo, who is a member of the Kuwentista ng mga Tsikiting or Kuting, a group of children's story writers.
The story-writing competition actually provided Bravo a different approach to developing a literary work.
"Before, I would base stories on childhood experiences and actual events. But this time, it was suggested by a visual. It gave me a new way of writing, a new technique," she said.
Looking at Borlongan's paintings at the exhibition, Bravo was hard put to choose a favorite work because she likes so many of them. "He did a great job!" enthused Bravo, who finally settled on "The Farmer's Wife" ― the first artwork that will be seen in "The Rocking Horse" book.
"When Elmer was doing the paintings, Gigo (Alampay, CANVAS executive director) e-mailed me some of them. This particular work, as I was downloading it, and seeing the image slowly come out, naiiyak na ako (I was already starting to cry)," Bravo admitted.
Borlongan finished doing the paintings in six months, saying that he enjoyed the experience because the story gave him an opportunity to flex his skills in figurative expression. "I really take my time in composition. I made detailed studies in pastel and after these were all done, it was easy to put the images in the actual painting. Parang meron na akong guide (They served as my guide)," he said.
Borlongan, along with the personalities behind CANVAS, were all smiles as the paintings to be used for the forthcoming book were already sold even before the exhibit opened. As soon as the availability of the paintings was announced, collectors had apparently shown up as early as 5 a.m. at the CANVAS headquarters just to make sure that they would be able to secure one for themselves.
For CANVAS, a non-stock, non-profit organization, the success of its first Art Fellowship and Story-writing Competition serves as incentive to keep the project going. The winner of the second competition, this time based on an artwork by Rodel Tapaya, is in fact expected to be announced soon. Artists like Jose Santos III and Farley del Rosario have already been lined up to continue this effort, hopefully leading ― somewhere down the road ― to a grand exhibition of the original competition artworks (which CANVAS keeps), alongside the books that they inspired.
Ultimately, true to its calling, CANVAS hopes to build up an artistic and literary output that would help instill appreciation for art, culture and the environment, especially among the young.
"The Rocking Horse" exhibition featuring Elmer Borlongan's paintings and Becky Bravo's story, will run until June 30 at the Artspace of Glorietta 4, Ayala Center, Makati.
Elmer Borlongan’s art of the human interest
By Jessica Jalandoni-Robillos
Published on page D1 of the June 19, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer
THE STORY IS THAT THE romance between Elmer Borlongan and Plet Bolipata unfolded as they were working on their murals at Casa San Miguel, the arts haven in Zambales.
They had first met in 1995 when Elmer, or Emong, conducted an art workshop for high school students there. But the story of their romance started later, when he worked on his largest existing piece. Their romance was a story and like his art, a “meaningful conversation with life.”
Emong says his narrative works are of “human interest” and thus effect a “conversation” with viewers. With Plet though, the interest went beyond just human. Their bond sprung from their shared love for art, and remains strengthened by it. Their meaningful conversation continues.
It is this non-gritty yet profound tale-telling dimension of Borlongan’s works that holds their audience captive. This quality is reaffirmed while being brought to another level in a new series of works.
Last year, the Center for Art, New Ventures and Sustainable Development (CANVAS) launched a children’s storywriting contest with a Borlongan work as inspiration. Becky Bravo’s “The Rocking Horse” bested more than 80 entries, and the winning story was presented to Emong so he could interpret them into 20 mostly oil-on-linen paintings.
The ultimate offspring of the marriage between the literary and the visual arts is a children’s book to be released in October. The paintings, however, shall be exhibited beginning 6 p.m., today, at Glorietta Art Space (visit www.canvas.ph).
The works, says the artist, are a new phase for him. Absent are his expanses of dark skies with whorls of clouds or grounds that are blotches of bluish grays interspersed with white.
The characters though are still vintage Borlongan, like a bald-headed man with sharp features
and taut skin.
LIGHT
Perhaps because he is making pieces to illustrate a book for youngsters, Borlongan has chosen brighter hues, particularly orange. The colors convey the light mood associated with picture books.
Always, a Borlongan work dwells on the positive rather than the glum. In compositions that depict daily plebian scenes, one sees dignity of labor as well as “adaptability and contentment” among simple and humble folk, rather than drudgery of work or alienation.
For Bravo’s story, which teaches a lesson on coping with loss, Borlongan paints images of resilience. His previous show in fact was dubbed “Mauway,” the Tagalog equivalent of resilience.
“Father and Son 1,” for instance, shows a man embracing a boy as they sit by the portrait of a wife and mother gone too soon. The heart-wrenching scene speaks volumes of the absence, but it also speaks of acceptance. On the father’s face is the resolve to be his son’s prime care and support.
“Protecting Chisco” shows the boy looking through a grille. There is an air of fatigue about the ailing child. His face speaks of longing. Borlongan says he “zooms in” on facial expressions, while including “elements beyond the visual field.” The light colors evokes effectively the emotional import.
In “Chisco and His Tree,” the lad hugs the wide girth of his favorite kamagong tree, his short arms not enough to complete the embrace. His neck is bent back, as he looks up to the robust head of leaves whose blocking of the sunlight is reflected on the dappled grass below. The light trick shows attention to detail, so admirable in a non-realist work. (It helps that in Casa San Miguel, Borlongan is always afforded similar sights.)
In “The Horse that Rocks,” Chisco enjoys the ride with a small guitar strapped on his shoulder. Captured here is the sheer and breathless joy of being alive.
Borlongan describes the book-illustration project as “fresh, exciting and challenging.” The works certainly show that.
In a way, the book project yields a lot of firsts for Borlongan. It is his first interpretation of a tale for kids and his first use of linen as medium. He has been able to achieve all of these firsts while retaining the power to create laudable visual food for thought.
E-mail the author at majorday@gmail.com
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