Noted abstractionist Lao Lianben will present "Substance", a solo exhibition of recent works, at the blanc compound
This time the artist raises the level of his paintings' emotional pitch, intensifying the rendition of his favored themes such as his Buddhist Television series and his abstract portals of light. Now executed in spectacular large scale, the paintings are more heavily encrusted with dense materials which congeal and coagulate into thick massive clumps projecting from the canvas surface into cracked relief.. The process is visibly labor-intensive as the artist pushes the limits of the materials' expressive potential.
All the works in the show evince a compelling spirituality, an enshrined quality in the art of Lao Lianben. The artist exercises a magisterial hand in the disciplined orchestration of blacks, whites, and greys. As visual analogues for man's spiritual search, Lao's paintings draws out the impressive radiance of space and light. The paradox lies in the contrast between the airiness of feeling and the sheer weight and density of his material. In a landmark work titled "Substance", the artist liberates the spirit from the terrain of accumulated clumps of pigment.
Also impressive are Lao's variations on the Buddhist Television theme. Comprised of a fine and filigreed network of thinly flowing paint, the image turns into a cascade of wash, fluidly tearing its way down in a swift descent of many-layered streaks. In other works, Lao releases the potential of the schemarized human figure, emerging from an infinitely expansive field. A tableaux of hands, lifted in a gesture of benediction, have a strangely becalming effect.
Substance will open January 18, 2009 3PM at the blanc compound, 359 Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong City. For inquires call/sms 752-0032 0920-9276436, email info@blanc.ph or visit www.blanc.ph
Catalogue Essay by Cid Reyes
Photography and Design by Gari Buenavista
Design by Katrina Tan
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