EARTH
Augusto Albor
Earth
7 - 30 June 2011
Elemental and primordial
For Gus Albor, abstraction can convey the nuanced passage of time and space; movements imprinted on the physical surface of the planet. These qualities of natural forms are compellingly captured in Earth, an exhibit of recent works in acrylic on canvas at Mag:net Katipunan.
The paintings in "Earth", all recent works, are quiet testaments to the elemental and primordial forms in nature: the stillness and flux of tides below the rasing seas; the shadows of the earth's recesses; the movement of masses, unbound. Albor's abstraction intentionally steps back from being deliberately expressionist and gestural, from exposing the hand of humans as creators (and destroyers) of civilizations. Rather, his forms evoke the silent passage of eras beyond human lifetimes, interventions and scales, "standing firm in praise of time and space," as the artist terms it.
In this time when the earth is warming at an unprecedented rate, of terrifying rage spewing from the bowels of the land and seas, Albor's art has the capacity to instill in one a wonder for the world beyond the gallery. It, if only for a few frames, positions our realities within the perspective of the earth we inhabit: the movement of the continents that continues beyond our lifetimes, the infinite sadness of oceans older than memory. As the title of one of his paintings seems to point out, the passage of time and of the elements may signal the end of the word and of civilization as we know it, but not the end of the world which embraces us all.
About the artist. One of the country's esteemed abstractionists, Gus Albor's art practice spans nearly four decades. His formal art studies were pursued at the University of the East and the West Surrey College of Art in England. Albor was cited in Thirteen Artists Awards from the Cultural Center of the Philippines in 1976 and the Art Association of the Philippines (First Place) in 1977. His works have since then been shown in exhibitions throughout Manila and in other countries, such as Hong Kong, India, Germany, France, and the United States.
"Earth" by Gus Albor runs from June 7 to 30, 2011 at Mag:net Gallery, located at 335 Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City 1105. For inquiries, contact the gallery at 929.3191 or magnetgalleries@gmail.com.
Image:
Augusto Albor
Below sea level,, 2011
Acrylic on Canvas
36x36 Inches
