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Victorio Edades, father of Philippine modern art(Philippine Daily Inquirer Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)FROM 1954 TO 1958, MY biggest artistic influences were Victorio C. Edades and Gabriel Custodio, whom I had had the great opportunity to meet while taking up Fine Arts in Manila at the time. Professor Edades was born in Dagupan City, Pangasinan on Dec. 23, 1895. Coming from a poor farmer's family and the youngest of 10 children, he had shown an early interest in drawing. In 1915, he was enrolled at Pangasinan High School in Lingayen. After graduating, he got a scholarship from the University of Washington. Edades and five schoolmates took a passenger ship to San Francisco in April 1919. They reached San Francisco after two months by ship and then took the train to Washington. There, Edades studied Architecture. He kept drawing every day, until his chest hurt. A doctor advised him to slow down, and he returned to the Philippines for a vacation. When he went back to the US to resume his studies, he decided to shift to Fine Arts. At the time, he was already tremendously interested in the works of Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) and Diego Velasquez (1559-1660). He also saw the works of Paul Cezanne (1839-1906), Henri Matisse (1869-1954) and Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) in a group exhibit in 1922. It was at the time that Edades' painting style changed from realism to neo-impressionism. Edades earned his bachelor's degree from University of Washington in 1925, and proceeded to get his master's, staying there for nine years. His master's thesis was the 48" x 125.5" work titled "The Builders." Recognized as Edades' masterpiece, it is now with the collection of the Cultural Center of the Philippines . While studying the theory and technique of painting from European perspectives, Edades realized America was a young country, like the Philippines. It had no culture it could call its own yet. Edades even noted that when he was studying Architecture, he was learning the French principle of design. During the course of his study, he met Jean Carrot, who later posed for his paintings. They fell in love and got married after he earned his master's in 1928. They returned to the Philippines shortly. Edades loved his country so much and wanted to contribute here what he learned in America. But during that period, there were no galleries and no organized art associations in Manila. He found little encouragement to spur public interest in the arts. Painting was considered a pastime, not a full-time profession. Defiant Edades defied such conditions in 1929 when he exhibited his artworks at the Philippine Columbian Club in Ermita, Manila, defending his right to self-expression. His style at the time was neo-impressionistic, like Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) and Cezanne. His masterpiece, "The Builders," was characterized by strong composition and dark colors. Edades introduced modern art to the Philippines when it was still largely a conservative society. The public was not ready to appreciate his works, and not one of his paintings was sold. He wrote his personal account of the beginnings of modern art in the article "The Last 30 Years of Filipino Art," published in Philippine Magazine in 1956. "The history of Filipino art during the last 30 years is strictly the history of Modern Art in the Philippines," he wrote. " ...When I was a senior student in the University of Washington Fine Arts Department in 1925, I was admitted into the Seattle Fine Arts Society through the recommendation of my professor-Walter F. Isaacs. The following year, I took part in the Pacific Northwest Art Competition conducted by the Society, in which my painting titled 'The Sketch' won the First Honorable Mention, the only award given besides First Prize, which was won by one of my professors." He wrote that when he exhibited 'The Sketch' at the Philippine Columbian Club, there was an uproar. Classically trained and academe-based artists condemned the work and others like it. It was the start of the clash between the classicists and the modernists. Edades ended his article: "It [the exhibit] served as the opening salvo for the battle between the Conservatives and the Moderns which has continued ever since and which will continue till the Moderns win in the end." At Santo Tomas Perhaps because he had met the Dominicans in Pangasinan (the province was the Dominicans' mission post), Edades conducted the modernist battle largely from the Dominican-run University of Santo Tomas, whose School of Fine Arts he helped establish in 1935. Edades taught at UST for three decades, and was joined by the likes of Carlos "Botong" Francisco, Galo B. Ocampo, Diosdado Lorenzo, Antonio Garcia Llamas, Vicente Manansala and J. Elizalde Navarro. It was at the time when the UST School of Fine Arts became the seat of modern art. In 1934, architect Juan Nakpil invited Edades to paint a mural for the lobby of Capitol Theater on Escolta, Manila. Edades sought the help of the then 22-year-old "Botong" Francisco, who, in turn, invited surrealist and fellow UP School of Fine Arts classmate Galo Ocampo. They all worked on the composition, while Edades provided the initial sketches. Titled "The Rising Philippines," it was among the first significant murals in the country. Modern art began to flourish but modern artists still were working on their own. They needed to work as a group to make modern art significant. Because he was the foremost modernist advocate, Edades led the so-called Thirteen Moderns. The group included Edades, Francisco, Lorenzo, Manansala, Galo B. Ocampo, H.R. Ocampo, Anita Magsaysay, Cesar Legaspi, Demetrio Diego, Ricarte Purugganan, Jos S. Pardo, Bonifacio Cristobal and Arsenio Capili. Though World War II might have aborted collective attempts to promote modern art more aggressively, the Thirteen Moderns eventually shone individually in the postwar era. Powerful pedagogue Edades, whose educational background made him one of the most progressive artists of his time, stressed free expression more than anything else, and "not to be afraid of making mistakes." He once wondered why I wasn't a regular student, and persuaded me to finish my bachelor's degree in Fine Arts. I replied: "I am studying Fine Arts and painting, but my foremost goal is to become a painter one day. If that dream doesn't come true, it's no use having a degree." Edades understood my position and was very supportive. Since that conversation, I noticed that Edades was spending more time in his life painting class, teaching me all I needed to know. And he saw that I was doing better. Whenever he found a good-looking model, he would invite some of my classmates and me to his home on Pilar Street near Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City, for a painting session. I learned so much from his Life Painting class. In March 1955, I was inspired to join the life-painting competition in UST, where I won the honorable mention. In the same year, in the Shell National Art Competition, my oil painting "Vista por la Noche" won a special prize. The painting was featured in the company's 1956 calendar, and was included in their art collection. That competition had two separate categories for modern and conservative art. Excluding the special prize, there were three different winners for each category. On Aug. 5 later that year, the works were exhibited at the Northern Motors Showroom, and First Lady Luz Magsaysay sponsored the awarding ceremony. Of the seven winners, five were students of Edades at UST. He himself posted the newspaper clippings of the results of the Shell contest on the bulletin boards. As an educator, professor Edades did not try to intimidate his students, nor was he very strict with us. He was committed to his job, and we easily sensed his sincerity. He encouraged his students to develop their own styles, and didn't force them to adopt his style. I remember him telling us, "If you are studying painting, you must be patient, so that you can develop your artistic talent. You must also be sincere with your work to become successful one day." Edades' skills as an educator proved to be one of his biggest strengths. He encouraged us to gain a broader sense of history: "Know how art was developed, and at the same time understand music, literature and philosophy. Do not just limit yourself to one interest or area of study." He maintained that painting, sculpture and music were only a few of the many manifestations of art. Art, he insisted, must be part of "all that we touch, see and hear in everyday life." Edades emphasized that one's painting style usually depended on the painter's background: "Do not be afraid to change your style, because, as you change your outlook in life, your style will also change." He added: "The influence of the Masters is not bad. Let other artists influence you, but don't copy them. If you just copy others' works, you will not develop as an artist." Good mentor I was very fortunate to have him as one of my mentors. Even after so many years since I left UST, he was always generous in supporting my artistic pursuits. When I mounted my first one-man exhibit in 1958 at China Art Gallery, Acacia Shopping Lane, Manila Hotel, Bonifacio Drive, Manila, Edades was there and commended me for the improvement of my painting techniques. In 1980, after sending Edades an invitation to my exhibit at ABC Gallery, he wrote back from Davao to thank me for the invitation, and complimented the color reproduction of one of my paintings. He wrote: "I admire the delicate color of the lotus petal, which blends very well with the bluish green leaves and deep cobalt-blue water... I am very happy, indeed, to see your present work to be a great improvement, and I hope you will continue painting in the years to come." |