Alliance Française de Manille (AFM) presents
" When The Earth Smelled Of Water "
by Elmer Borlongan and Plet Bolipata
Alliance Française de Manille (AFM) is proud to announce that its Total Gallery will host the exhibition “When The Earth Smelled Of Water” by Elmer Borlongan and Plet Bolipata.
In the words of writer Rene Guatlo:
“ Water is the source of life. In Genesis, it was there even before light was. The human body and the earth's oceans are composed of roughly two-thirds water - one of those facts that point to life beginning in the sea, before primeval life moved to land. It is the first element that scientists look for to check for the viability of life in any planet.
Floods meanwhile, eradicate life. The annual flooding of the Nile perhaps best illustrates this duality: the higher the flood, the more silt on the riverbanks, the greater the next harvest.
Based in San Antonio, Zambales, in a seaside mango orchard and art center, the artist couple Elmer Borlongan and Plet Bolipata bring their visions of creation, their celebrations of life to the city: colorful canvases imbued with the refreshing and life-giving blessings of the sea and water, resin vessels that allude to the ark, and the great deluge that drowned the earth, so that life may be renewed.
Emong highlights various scenes - a 'chicken fight' in the water, a child drawing water from a well, fishermen with their nets, an escape artist in a water container, a woman wading into the ocean, a scene of melancholy in a bath tub - each an allusion to water and the sea, reflecting the artist's signature humor, wit, and deep understanding of the human character. He says: "We are drawn to water because we live close to the sea."
Plet always injects a fresh and playful sensibility to her art, which includes oils, collages, naif figures, and lately, colorful mosaics of animals. Her metal and tile mosaics of zoo animals about to be installed at Global City are complemented by the resin sofas in this show that were inspired by Holly Golightly's bathtub sofa from Breakfast at Tiffany's. The sofas represent vessels that save us from the deluge, their colors reminding us of the rainbow that symbolizes God's promise, and our hope. She hopes that people "can relax as the stresses and strains of their daily lives subside, and take the time to enjoy and appreciate the preciousness of life."
Elmer and Plet point to the beginning of time, the beginning of art, in their show at Alliance Française de Manille”
Elmer Borlongan and Plet Bolipata’s exhibition “When The Earth Smelled Of Water” opens on Thursday, April 12, 2012, at the Alliance Française Total Gallery of the Alliance Française de Manille, with cocktails at 6:30pm to 9pm. The exhibit runs until May 3, 2012. For high resolution images of the artworks and more details about the exhibit, kindly contact Mr. Earl Parco (AFM Cultural Officer) at 895 7441 / 895 7585 or email cultural@alliance.ph, or visit the AFM website at www.alliance.ph.
