Category: Inspiration
Meeting Rachel Whiteread and The Art of Getting Un-starstruck
Starstruck is a word which would always be a part of my psyche especially when I meet artists. Believe me, it's something I would like to overcome because it doesn't really serve me well. It doesn't help that my cheeks get red and my tongue gets tied in front of a famous artist. Do you say 'I'm your biggest fan' as your opening line? How would anyone react to that? Instead of embarrassing myself, I just smile, stare and get red in one corner.
In fact, I recognise that this is a result of being blinded by the newly celebrity status of artists today. It should be a conscious effort on my part to separate the 'celebrity' out of the artist and focus on how their art is speaking to me. Would I still like their art if they were not famous? The answer might be very different. Read More »
RIP Steve Jobs: Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish, Never Settle
This blog would not have existed in the first place if it weren't for the many creative individuals that continue to inspire me until today. And one of these people was no other than Steve Jobs - the visionary of Apple who died yesterday at the age of 56, (such a short time here on earth!) but whose legacy will live on for generations. He was a personal hero of my father (an advertising executive in the Philippines), who once told me that he wouldn't mind working for Steve serving him coffee.
I am a fan of Apple products - I literally wake up looking at my Ipod and use it watching videos before I sleep so it has become a huge part of my life. These gadgets have revolutionized our lives in the 21st century but more than that, I love the idea that Apple was headed by a cult figure like Steve Jobs. I honestly think that there is no giant corporation here on Earth headed by a leader as inspiring as Steve. Read More »
Ayrton Senna: In His Last Race to Spirituality and Immortality
I never understood people´s fascination with car racing. My primal girl-self cannot grasp what type of adrenaline one gets from hearing the sound of screeching tires and the humming of machines for what I would plainly categorise as a man sport. Since being involved in a minor accident years ago, I had sworn never to drive again. But lo and behold! Seeing the documentary on Ayrton Senna had made me change my mind. Aside from becoming a fan of the legendary driver and having a newfound respect for Formula One, I´m no longer afraid to take up driving once again.
Who would have thought that a film about racing would touch my soul to the core? But that´s what exactly this film did. Directed by Asif Kapadia, the film is in itself a breakthrough in documentary filmmaking as it tells the story of Senna through archival footage Read More »
The Menacing Storm: The Future of Art Books in the Digital Age
In London, summer is a bit of oxymoron because for the past few weeks, it had been raining every single day. But whether it rains or the sun shines in the UK, I am just amazed how the weather could be such a mundane ice-breaker in conversations whether it be on the lift or the bus stop. But beyond the topic of weather, small talk just falls short.
People are just in a hurry to really speak with one another. As soon as the doors of the lift open, it´s too late to catch the slightest spark if there ever was any to begin with. I miss the sunny disposition of the people in the Philippines where elevator conversations become the start of real friendship. In the UK, the weather is just what it is. Always cloudy with occasional rain. Read More »
Ode to My Trainers:How Artists Glorified their Shoes and Other Sole Sentiments
My trainers have finally succumbed to its finality-a slow, painful but sure death and I am the only one mourning. The plastic straps that held the shoe laces fell out and as much as I want to revive them with superglue, I know it is high time to give them a rest. There were tears shed indeed, for these once-beautiful worn-out shoes have been with me since the start of my European saga and have witnessed my personal retreats, ups and downs, journeys and art discoveries.
For a year, these trainers have been in Barcelona and discovered the trails of the fathers of modern art: the Fundación Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso Museum, Gaudi´s Sagrada Familia/Casa Mila and also discovered the avant-garde Antoni Tapiés. Read More »
My Personal League of Justice: Women Make Sculpture at the Pangolin Gallery
I'm struggling to find a personal definition of justice especially when there are obvious things in life that are unfair. Pach, however, believes that justice still runs along the lines of moral rightness which can only be obtained by having worldwide empathy, when human beings truly care about each another. But isn´t this a utopic ideology that may never see the light of day unless we eradicate poverty? and the banks and the IMF stop pegging us against one another?
When you are poor, and see somebody having a grander time than yourself, do you think there is justice? But another friend thinks even if you are wealthy, it´s still very difficult to obtain the kind of fairness that justice promises. Read More »
Theme: Memory and Uselessness/ How I Celebrated my Birthday with Ai WeiWei
No planned lunches, no fancy dinners: My birthday had strictly been a whole-day art affair between me and Pach. My friends have probably cursed me by now for not planning a birthday celebration this year or even inviting for tea or coffee. I´ve been absent from the social circle for several months.
I was however, slightly more active in that darn and yet indispensable Facebook which reminds me that I can be in a so-called social circle and yet still feel like an outcast. Technology will never replace face to face human interaction and here I am blogging about my sentiments with the world, with people who I may not even meet. But to my real friends in the real world, please do not forget, you are all very dear to me. Read More »
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Recent Posts
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April 3, 2013 -
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(My Top Ten Picks) Kinetica Art Fair: The Future of Art and Technology
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Interview with Artist Louise Champion: Painting the Mundane
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