MAIDEN ISSUE
SPL ced
DECEMBER 2016
ASSEMBLAGE: VISUAL ART BY THE C R E AT I V E Y O U T H
about us We have long ceased to be the heedless kids. We found art in everything, even in the smallest and the most trivial there is. Our innate ingenuity is what makes us special. In this age of technological revolution, we are presenetd with a myriad of platforms on which we could share a part of ourselves, a piece of our mind. Do not underestimate this. Ideas are so often left stagnated in a mind that is unclear on how much impact art makes on societ. And Society is what we make of it and what we make for it. Let
us
make
Here, we the Filipione that is vibrant, l i f e . Let
us
it a beautiful one. show you splices of no youth culture, the of many colors, rich, always pulsating with keep it alive.
hello, Kindergarten was a confusing time. I didn’t know how to spell my name right, I had an imappropriately high sense of pride because of my 64-Crayola box (the one that came with a sharpener by the side), and I cried over not being able to buy a Magic Slate. But I was a kid, so all of these were easily dismissed as products of childhood ignorance and naivete. Although I admit that even now at twenty, if given the same Crayola box, I’d have the same sense of pride as my five-year old self. Hell, maybe even more. I like to believe that art touches us in ways that leave lasting impressions, and in times that are most surprising. And like in most things, it is how we react to it that dictates how the situation eventually plays out. Over the years, art has become easier to recognize and even more so to make. In our maiden issue, we present to you the kind of art that sees beauty in everything, and so when put together, creates a masterpiece that might boggle the mind but will surely stir the soul and spark the creative in us. In the spirit of art as a reflection of the culture of the Filipino youth from the Filipino youth themselves, I present to you, readers: SPLICED.
Alahna Sam Sy Editor 2
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CUT & PASTE the history of collage and the works that came before THE CREATIVES 8//ches gatpayat 15//sean eidder 18//jao san pedro BY HAND or OTHERWISE an exercise on meticulosity: traditional and digital collaging CREATIVE SPACES viva excon 2016, iloilo city
A L A H N A S Y editor S A M C L A V E L art director S A M A N T H A D A Y A L O layout artist A L A H N A G O N Z A L E S production manager D O C Z O I L O A N D R A D A J R . consultant
contents
a b o u t t h e c ov e r dive
CUT CUT & & PASTE PASTE
collage on paper artwork by SAM CLAVEL
CREDITS Betelgeuse / Ches Gatpayat / Sean Eidder / Jao San Pedro / Google Images / Pinterest / Deviantart / Freepik / Behance / Rookie Mag / Google Images / Flickr / 4
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cut & paste: briefer
a new whole: As most introductions and background overviews go, we’ll begin with the etymology of the word that we’ll be encountering a lot of times in this issue: collage. From the French word coller, which basically means to glue, collage was popularized by two of the most famous artists from the early 20th century—Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso. Collage now is commonly defined as the assemblage of varied elements, incorporated into a common theme to create a new whole.
the transition cubism:
from
But the collage works that we see now—online or otherwise—haven’t always looked like that. Before collage itself, there was cubism, which is an art movement that made use of geometric shapes and interconnecting planes. Collage became the major turning point of cubism, and ultimately the entirety of modernist art.
In its infancy, Braque used the concept of collage in its charcoal drawings while Picasso also incorporated it in his oil paintings. It remains unclear, however, who between them used it first because the two worked so closely together.
an art of many forms: Despite this, collage was continuously developed by artists until it has taken on many forms. A little after paper collage was introduced, then came wood collage. It mainly made use of pieces of wood or wood shavings, either assembled on canvass or on a wooden surface. Decoupage, on the other hand, is a type of collage that makes use of paper cutouts. It is believed that it originated from the funerary practices of East Siberia, then reached China where it was used to decorate objects such as lanterns, windows, and boxes. Lastly, there’s the photomontage. It is a composite of photographs, similar to the right-most photo above. This particular type of collage can either be done manually or with the aid of a computer software (see also: digital collage).
analog and digial: In the advent of technology and its continual rapid innovations, making collages have never been easier. While the traditional or analog method is already pretty basic, making use of photo-editing softwares have made it even easier and better in a number of ways. The traditional method would require you to manually cut up photos from different sources such as magazines or old textbooks. Meanwhile, going digital means being able to go into the deepest recesses of the Internet to look for the most bizarre photo you would want to use and then transforming it into whatever size, without the guilt of wasting a page of your grandmother’s magazine collection. But this is not saying that the traditional method is obsolete. Just like most activities done by hand, there is still that unbeatable satisfaction in going into every minute detail of your work—not to the mention the sense of pride in being able to call it handmade. It’s truly a practice in the art of meticulosity and an exercise in finding inspiration even in the most ordinary things around.
in defense of variety: Needless to say, collage has changed over the years but its core remains the same: it’s the amalgam of different elements, coming together to speak of a common theme but without the monotony and flatness. Collage, for the most part, speaks greatly of the beauty in coming together, not despite the differences but in account of it.
(left to right) VIOLIN AND PALETTE Georges Braque, 1909 Cubism STILL LIFE WITH VIOLIN AND FRUITS Pablo Picasso, 1912 Synhetic Cubism Cut with the Dada Kitchen Knife through the Last Weimar Beer-Belly Cultural Epoch in Germany
Hannah Höch, 1919 Collage Just what is it that makes today’s homes so different, so appealing?
Richard Hamilton, 1956 Collage 6
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for the love of indie those
who are familiar with the Manila underground music and film scene might have already come across Ches Gatpayat’s works once or twice. She is the creative behind the movie poster of the award-winning indie film Lisyun qng Geografia directed by Petersen Vargas, where she delicately combined the vital elements of the film’s plots into a collage that isn’t even a bit of an eyesore despite the variety.
ches
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by Alahna Sam Sy
She’s also responsible for the very well-executed album art design of B.P. Valenzuela’s EP, The Neon Hour. Ches made a series of collage art using scenes from B.P.’s music videos, and also incorporated the songs’ lyrics into the pieces. The results were stunning (see below). It’s no surprise that the musician’s fans became a fan of Ches (and her art!) as well.
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the art of pubmats our pages do not bleed;
the indie scene, she mostly makes pubmats for gigs of local musicians. Designing one is always a challenge, she said, because of the many details that need to be included in such a limited space. She also has to consider the aesthetic elements that shouldn’t divert from the event’s theme. But if she really did have a hard time coming up with these, it really doesn’t show.
Ches
is currently an Art Studies student at University of the Philippines Diliman and a member of the prestigious UP Art Society. With his ingenuine approach to collage art, she’s earned numerous commissions within and outside the university. Perhaps one of her ‘specialties’ is designing event posters or what is commonly referred to as ‘pubmats’, a shortened term for publicity materials. Staying loyal to
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Ches is often inspired by vintage photographs because of its nostalgic feels, and also by road maps and pieces of paper. And with the variety of her finished works, it’s safe to say that the versatility of her creativity knows no bounds.
but here you may.
journals now available in 150 gsm pages thicker than your ex’s face
SEE MORE OF her work at: •cargocollective.com/ chesgatpayat
between the line collective society6.com/BTLcollective
the sixteen-year old collage artist and graphic designer from Manila tells about his surreal and oftentimes magical works: how he made his first work, how far he’s gone since then, and why he is one truly peculiar boy.
the finer things in life. Malikhain Brushes by Noypi Art Collective
sean
eidder the peculiar boy by Alahna Sam Sy
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This penchant for magic and peculiarity can be traced back to Harry Potter, as he said so himself. In fact, it was where he got the nickname THE PECULIAR BOY, from “the second line of the last paragraph of the second page of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.” Collage art is naturally composed of a variation of elements that are almost too weird to look at sometimes, but that’s what makes it so interesting. Artists have their own favorite elements, those that are always present in their works. For Sean, there’s a recurring presence of florals, analog photos, and photos of galaxies in almost all of his works, “to make it more vibrant and alive.” True enough, there’s not a sense of monotony or dullness in his art. May it be minimalist or intricate, it always makes you look.
The
artwork above is Sean Eidder’s first ever collage work: the product of a kid’s lightbult moment when he was simply craving some cookies ‘n cream but ended up being gastronomically satisfied through virtual photos of ice cream. It easily garnered hundreds of likes and compliments from netizens and before he could even fathom it all, his artworks already found their way on the pages of Candy Magazine, Rookie, and the Philippine Star just to name a few. Meanwhile, this artwork on the right is one of his most recent works. The improvement from the simple and minimal artwork on ice cream haven to this intricately done and vibrant collage is undeniable. If there’s one thing that you can expect from Sean’s work, it’s that you will always, always feel like you’ve have trespassed into somewhere magic and pastel-tones reign supreme. Somewhere peculiar, perhaps. After all, he doesn’t call himself The Peculiar Boy for nothing.
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“I think that collaging is not just a hobby or a skillset, it is an art itself.” Like most artists, collaging for Sean has become his way of self-expression, and true to this inclination to anything magical, he is fascinated by how he could make up an entirely new world in the imagery that he makes. This particular form of art, he says, enables him to tell stories that he cannot express in words. And if indeed these are the stories he wants us to see, then they are one of the most interesting kind. For many, collaging cannot be more than just an afternoon hobby, when you’re surrounded with magazines and old papers, scissors, and maybe some adhesives. “I think that collaging is not just a hobby or a skillset, it is an art in itself,” Sean said in an interview with us. And it shows! Sean’s art is indeed so appealing--commonly referred to as “eye candies”--that its wonderland-magical-maximalist aesthetic has become such a hit not just among local and international publications. Aside from being a collage artist and graphic designer, Sean also hopes to become an online influencer and to motivate the youth to use art as a way of expressing ideals. After all, he said, art is anything anyone can get away with. But with the success that he’s having now, it doesn’t need to be said that he’s already definitely an influencer among his peers and perhaps even to older people, who have been inspired to try the art of collaging by looking at this magical works.
SEE MORE OF his work at: •cargocollective.com/peculiarboy •thepeculiarboy.blogspot.com •instagram.com/theboywholied
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jack of all trades If there’s
anyone who embodies the versatility of art, especially that of collage making, it would be Jao San Pedro. He calls himself a number of things: collage artist (of course), graphic designer, fashion student, stylist, and entrepreneur. And he’s just seventeen. Early on, Jao has been exposed to a numebr of fashion magazines and this particular inclination to fashion ultimately manifested not only in his everyday outfits but also in his art. He recently submitted several illustrations for L’Officiel Manila’s Ootober issue, and a few more collage work for international magazines such as London College of Fashion Pigeon’s & Peacocks Magazine.
Jao
One stark element in his works is the incorporation of thread in the actual photo. And since he’s a fashion student, it doesn’t need to be said that he is
truly skilled in the area of stitchwork, as apparent in his clean and flawless collage pieces. This particular style is often dubbed as ‘embroidery on paper’, and it produces stunning results: see photos on the left side of this spread. Aside from fashion-inspired pieces, Jao also works on collections about the frailty of human emotions, especially in the aspect of finding one’s lost self.
Voyager is his series of collage works that depicts the quest of seeking the self. It’s composed of five artworks, two of which can be seen at this side of the spread. Unlike his works for fashion magazines, this one has a more minimalistic vibe to it, accented with pastel and desaturated tones. He made use of vinage photographs and lines, and combined each element so seamlessly. At seventeen, he already has a lot of things to be proud of but perhaps one of his greatest achievements, according to him, is being commissioned to make artworks for high-authority websites such as Rookie Mag. His art is basically all over Rookie, earning him rightful bragging rights among his peers. It’s one thing to be featured at Rookie, and an entirely different thing to be a regular contributor.
SAN PEDRO
by Alahna Sam Sy
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don’t look for me a live art exhibition on escapism and solitude
Although his craft doesn’t stop there. Aside from being an artist, he also considers himself as an entrepreneur. Jao prides himself as the creator of Cool Girl Studios™, a design agency that caters to the creative needs of its clients. He offers design services for publicities, posters, and the likes. On top of this, He also sells his collage work. For artists like Jao, monetizing off his art is not an easy job. The profit is minimmal and the platfomrs or events where he could sell isn’t constant. But he doesn’t mind, he said. Currently, putting his work work out there, regardless of whether he earns from it or not so much, is his main priority.
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Truly, Jao could be considered a jack of all trades--but not necessarily a master of none because he’s so good as wha he does, may it be in the creative the entrepreneural aspect of things. In the next few years, he expects himself to learn and develop new skills in the field of visual arts, to propagate his business, and to be able to inspire the youth to explore the field of arts and see it not as a failing career but as a way to better the society. He definitely knows where he’s going and we couldn’t be more excited for him!
SEE MORE OF his work at: •cargocollective.com/jaosanpedro •instagram.com/jaosanpedro
southpoint, iloilo city january 5, 2017 9 am to 9 pm live bands follow
an exercise in meticulosity
by Alahna Sam Sy after browsing through this magazine, you’ve somehow become convinced that you want to try this particular craft. problem is, you don’t know where to start. no worries, reader! we prepared for you collage materials on our centerfold and here are a few tips that will help you get started:
1. cheap is good probably one of the best things about collage is that you don’t need to buy new stuff to try making one. most of the things you need could be found just around the house or if you’ve been crafty, on your own desk. practicality? check!
3. hoard with caution 2. anything can be a material
tools of the trad glue e
and we mean anything. your scratch paper, fallen leaves--heck, even your discarded junk food wrapper! this lets you literally see things from a new perspective. junks can be part of an art, too! you just have to be creative enough to make it so!
4. explore, explore, explore the flexibility of collage is something that should be taken advantage of and not be insecure about. don’t limit yourself to a singular style! explore platforms where you can get inspirations from and who knows, you might come across something that would ultimately lead to your artistic awakening!
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5. go digital
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since collage makes you appreciate things just a little bit more, it might surprise you that your desk and drawers have been dominated by magazine or newspaper cutouts (“I swear I’m going to need them soon enough!”). you better get yourself a box or any container in which you can store your cut-outs for future use!
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magazines
the traditional way of doing collage is satisfying and even cathartic on its own way, but the digital method (hello Photoshop!) might proves easier for some. one of the many perks is that you don’t have to cut your precious NatGeo magazines--just scan them and cut them up on PS. you get to keep your magazine whole, and you get to have a digital archive of your materials! spliced
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VIVA EXCON Visayas Islands Visual Arts Exhibition and Conference Hakos: Embracing the Art of the Islands
On the days between the 17th and 20th of November this year, the art galleries and museums in Iloilo City were embellished with the artworks of artists from all over the Visayas region. Aritst and enthusiasts alike gathered during the four-day for the celebration of the art of the islands.
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Artworks by Kristine Ayra B. Sayat
SI LOLO by Namol Bragg
UNTITLED by Karina and F. Gonzaga
HA : KOS
DOMINO EFFECT by Irma Lacorte and Wowee Ferido
Photos by Alahna Sam Sy
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embracing the art of the islands
PAHAKSA KO NIMO, TAMBAL SA AKOY, KASING-KASING by Rianne Salvarita
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ME ME ME
stroking the fragile millenial ego: a self-portrait exhibit 12.28.16 ben carb museum, baguio city, ph