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VISUAL ARTS
ARTS Filipino Canadian artists relish painting outdoors
by Carlito Pablo
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AVancouver arts organization will hold an event at Jericho Beach honouring a tradition of the Impressionist movement. Thirteen members of the Dimasalang III International Artist Group will paint en plein air, the French expression for outdoors.
The 19th-century French Impressionist art movement popularized the practice of painting in the open. The movement, which focused on real life and subjects, was led by artists such as Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Oscar-Claude Monet, and Camille Pissarro.
Vancouver artist Leo Cunanan Jr. serves as president of Dimasalang III, a group that traces its roots from Manila.
“The Impressionists worked with natural light when they painted plein air,” Cunanan told the Straight in a phone interview.
He explained that plein air painting is much different from working inside a studio.
“You’re immersed in nature, surrounded by light—and with light, the colours are richer,” Cunanan said.
Plein air painting also allows artists the opportunity to paint spontaneously as light shifts and colours change.
“Light is very important in capturing the essence of an impression,” Cunanan said.
Because weather and light conditions can rapidly shift outdoors, plein air painting challenges artists to capture and render on canvas the fleeting impressions they perceive.
“The most important thing is getting rid of nonessentials to create a painting that is the artist’s own interpretation of what he sees,” Cunanan said.
Dimasalang (dee-mah-sah-lang) is a potent word for Filipinos.
It comes from the Tagalog expression di masaling, which translates to “cannot be touched” or “untouchable”.
Filipino patriot Jose Rizal, whose writings helped inspire the first nationalist revolution in Asia during the 19th century, used Dimasalang as a pen name.
For Filipinos, the word dimasalang denotes resistance, a call to freedom and independence.
It’s also the name of a street in Manila where Filipino artists Sofronio Ylanan Mendoza (SYM) and E. Aguilar (Abe) Cruz cofounded the original Dimasalang arts group during the late 1960s.
The original Dimasalang artists mentored other artists, and Dimasalang II was later born.
A media release for Jericho Beach plein air painting event on May 29 recalls the influence of Impressionism in Dimasalang’s history.
“Starting at the crack of dawn, most weekends, SYM [Mendoza], together with his artist colleagues, trek off to find a spot to paint and capture the hazy morning light. They were seen sketching and painting street scenes of Binondo in Manila; sometimes, from the rooftops of buildings.
“The Dimasalang artists captured sea- and landscapes, trying forever to catch that ‘magical light’,” the release notes.
Dimasalang pioneer Mendoza immigrated to Vancouver in 1981. He connected with other artists, and now Dimasalang III is one of the most established grassroots
Vancouver artist Leo Cunanan Jr. is president of the Dimasalang III International Artist Group, which has been inspired by French Impressionism and Filipino calls for freedom and independence. organizations in the local Filipino Canadian community.
“When SYM moved to Vancouver in the early ’80s, he initiated the concept of painting outdoors to his art students,” the media release recalls.
“Finn Slough and the Steveston Harbour in Richmond were some of the earlier venues. The parks like Minoru in Richmond and Queen Elizabeth in Vancouver are a few of the chosen spots where the artists meet and paint in the summer months.”
The Vancouver plein air painting event at Jericho Beach will be held on May 29, starting at 11 a.m. and ending at 5 p.m.
Dimasalang III and the National Pilipino Canadian Cultural Centre are collaborating for the event.
Cunanan told the Georgia Straight that proper social distancing will be observed. He said that visitors can drop by, watch works in progress, and interact with artists.
Joining Cunanan at the May 29 plein air are Filipino artists Charlie Frenal, Francis Herradura, Jess Hipolito, Carol Historillo, Agnes Kindrachuk, Hercules King, Edgardo Lantin, Mary Ann Manuel, Bert Morelos, Andy Naval, Reynato Pablo, and Rod Pedralba. g
– artist Leo Cunanan Jr.
On ViEw UnTiL SePtEmBeR 6
TiCkEtS At VaNaRtGaLlErY.Bc.Ca
Organized by the Vancouver Art Gallery on behalf of the City of Vancouver’s Public Art Program, curated by Diana Freundl Interim Chief Curator/Associate Director. Sun Xun, Mythology or Rebellious Bone, 2020 (detail), ink, gold leaf, natural colour pigment on paper, Courtesy of the Artist and ShanghART Gallery Major Sponsor:
