(UPDIO) -- They say that art is the reflection of a civilization. This was no more evident than in the latest book offering of the University of the Philippines (UP), which puts the spotlight on the best of the College of Fine Arts (CFA).
Forming Lineage: The National Artists for the Visual Arts of the University of the Philippines is a compilation of some of the best works of the nine National Artists found in the UP collection.
The nine National Artists for Visual Arts that have come from UP are Fernando Amorsolo (1972), Carlos Villaluz Francisco (1973), Guillermo Estrella Tolentino (1973), Napoleon Veloso Abueva (1976), Vicente Silva Manansala (1981), Torrente Legaspi (1990), Jose Tanig Joya, Jr. (2003), Benedicto Reyes Cabrera (2006) and Abdulmari Asia Imao (2006).
The book was launched last June 11 in coincidence with Lineage of Mentors: The National Artists for the Visual Arts of the University of the Philippines, an art exhibition also featuring their works at the National Museum.
In her foreword, Centennial UP President Emerlinda R. Román called attention to the importance of art in our identity.
“The book positions the university as a repository of art and culture within the context of its
mandate to educate the youth. We did not fail the nation in assembling an art collection cutting across the University System that mirrors the aspirations of our artists in embodying the ideals of truth and beauty, and making such expressions genuinely intuitive of our national art. Truly, art plays an uplifting role in the life of the nation.”
Written by two leading scholars of Philippine art, Prof. Rubén D.F. Defeo and Dr. Patrick D. Flores, Forming Lineage showcases the various works of these national artists that are housed in UP’s seven campuses.
The opening essay by Defeo is a historical synopsis of the College of Fine Arts and chronicles its development from its beginnings as the Escuela de Bellas Artes in the 1800s before being integrated as one of the three academic units (along with agriculture and medicine) that were established when UP was founded in 1908.
He describes the role of the CFA in its many incarnations as a fertile training ground for the movers and shakers of Philippine art.
Centennial UP President Emerlinda R. Roman (in pink) is presented with a copy of
Forming Lineage by UP Vice-President for Administration Arlene A. Samaniego and
authors OICA Director Ruben D.F. Defeo (in black) and National Museum Curator
Dr. Patrick D. Flores during its book launch at the Lineage of Mentors exhibit at the
National Museum last June 11.
“Diversity is the essence of art. In this regard, the College of Fine Arts of the University of the Philippines takes honor and pleasure in having provided the sine qua non for diversity to bloom.”
Flores, for his part, discusses the influences those nine National Artists have had in shaping Philippine art and history.
“…National Artists who were raised in the atmosphere of the institution whose sensibility painted, sculpted and printed not only the history of the art of the nation but the character of modernity itself: that a nation and art are possible, contemplated in the vast province of the University that has yet to reap its tenure of freedom.”
Nestled inside Forming Lineage’s 120 pages are reproductions in full color of the artists’ work. More than a mere art book, it is a collection of the university’s finest. And at a robust
11x13 inches divided into 13 sections, would make an impressive centerpiece for both collection and presentation.
Lusciously photographed and thoughtfully presented, the book is also a time capsule that informs and stimulates, reflecting the spirit and aspirations of the university that nurtured the artists that are highlighted in it.
The pieces featured range from the obscure to the everyday, from the ancient to the modern, sometimes strange but moving, and always undeniably UP.
Forming Lineage comes at a time when the University is celebrating its centennial year, and is a fitting if small tribute to the contributions of these nine masters to the country.
Limited copies are for sale at P3,000 each. For inquiries, please contact the Office of the Vice-President for Administration at 925-67-21 or 981-8500 locs. 2525, 2527 and 2526.
—Anna Regidor