Lovely time at Art in the Park 2014

01ADM_2599
Installation by Maxine Syjuco.

I've heard of it before yet I still keep on missing it year after year anyway. But yesterday, March 23, I was finally able to catch Art in the Park at the Jaime Velasquez Park in Salcedo Village, Makati City. Although I only arrived at past-five already, I still had a good two or so hours looking around, perusing the artworks, and grabbing some dinner and coffee.

Art installations
The steel frames and enlarged photographs installation by artist Maxine Syjuco first greeted me at the park. I then made a right and into artist Pete Jimenez's exhibit dubbed "Iron Will," a visually intriguing display of everything iron, cast, twisted, and welded in every which way. There were huge pieces involving car hoods and doors, pipes and pipe elbows, as well as smaller items that would fit perfectly atop a console.

02ADM_2614
Pete Jimenez's "Iron Will."

03ADM_2608
Amused by this contraption. That spring of a trunk, by the way, was bobbing and swaying lightly in the wind. And oh, I reckon those shoes would make for a cool design for real shoes.

Come nightfall, Olivia d'Aboville's light installation came to life. The dandelion-like fringes were made of cut plastic bottles, I believe. There were also versions of this that hung from the trees, the same ones you see at the Greenbelt-Landmark elevated walkway.

04ADM_2778
Cute, aren't they?

Paintings
Several galleries participated at the fair, exhibiting and selling works from their respective stables of artists. Without a doubt, paintings still comprised the majority of the artworks there and were the easiest to sell. I made a quick tour, looking for stuff for the house, although I was slowed down by the huge turnout that afternoon. Good thing My Bibe and I share similar tastes in art. With regard to paintings, we either go for minimalist or colorful quirky.

05ADM_2673
Paintings galore at one of the booths.

06ADM_2756
"Candidates" that fit our taste. But of course we still had to think about where to hang them and how they'll look on the wall.

07ADM_2642
This was where I ended up getting something. Such vibrant colors!

Hung on the wall, stacked atop a table, or laid on the ground, paintings were everywhere from established galleries and art students alike. It was such a cool vibe at the park despite the humidity.

08ADM_2624
Pick me, please?

Here are but a couple of paintings that I did like, or at least found interesting.

09art in the park_2014 03 23
The beauty of minimalism. But frame dimensions also had to be factored in my decision.

10art in the park_2014 03 231
See that painting with the geometric shapes on the left? I thought about it, too. But our house would be filled with so much blue already if I still got it. That piece on the upper right-hand corner was likewise interesting, as was the one right below it.

11art in the park_2014 03 232
Bravo for texture! Would you believe the one on the right was being sold for just Php 3,500?

Other artwork
There were, of course, lots of other stuff at the fair. There were prints, photographs, sculptures and figures, some furniture, mosaics, pottery work, woodworks, costume jewelry, and a host of other stuff I can't make of.

12art in the park_2014 03 233
Above: Something I don't know how to call. There's a glass statuette in a depressed section of the frame and then a painting of that figurine. Bottom: The artist messed with a print by making cuts at the center and mounting it on the frame in a manner that allows the cut area to protrude.

13art in the park_2014 03 234
A juxtaposition of contrasts. I love the intricate details of the artwork on the left in as much as I like that the other one is all about kitties. Meow.

14ADM_2619
Not all paintings were sold framed already. Good thing at least one booth sold frames.

15ADM_2598
Pure geometric cuteness these are not. They're also very functional with their cabinets and drawers.

16ADM_2616
Having learned pottery outside Hogwarts, Harry the Potter made these.

17ADM_2640
Something for the fashionistas in attendance.

18art in the park_2014 03 235
Metal sculptures. Above: One of the pieces at Pete Jimenez's "Iron Will." Remember that iconic Richard Gomez TVC for Bench from way back? The artist calls it "Parang Bench" (Like Bench). Bottom: Some figures fashioned out of brass and copper.

19art in the park_2014 03 236
Aww...doggies. On the right Mr Skeleton is busy with some paint job.

20ADM_2735
This booth featured nothing but mosaic works using tiles primarily. Such patience just one piece must have taken to complete.

21ADM_2652
Some lamps using cutouts from corrugated boxes.

22ADM_2750
Some lightboxes. Quite cute actually, especially when they're pooled together like this.

23ADM_2704
Woodworks were this gallery's main attraction.

24ADM_2671
I don't know that this is made of but it's cute.

25ADM_2679
Music you say? How about some spoons and tubing fixtures?

26ADM_2664
A spiderweb chair. And yes, it's functional (I even sat on it). Comes with a cushion actually.

True enough, artworks observed a Php 30,000 price ceiling. Most of the pieces I asked about didn't even reach Php 20,000. Heck, there was even one painting that the artist was selling for only Php 3,500! Art in the Park sure did not disappoint and stayed true to its promise of being a significant venue for affordable art.

Payments were centralized in two areas at the park and cards were accepted. At least for me, it didn't take long, what with the sheer number of counters available.

What else
Art in the Park wasn't exclusively about art, though. People get hungry and thirsty, so it was but right that they had a couple of food stalls and stations for water, coffee, and even beer and wine on site. There was also a band playing in the middle of the park to provide some entertainment.

27ADM_2622
One gallery offered free cotton candy in exchange for a donation. Not surprisingly, people lined up for it.

28ADM_2770
One of two payment centers. Felt like the elections or something.

29ADM_2721
I believe sales were quite robust. I saw paintings being carted away, paintings taken down from the wall for wrapping, and all that.

30ADM_2695
Just two of the food stalls at the venue. See the beer station on the far end? Oh yeah.

31ADM_2794
Entertainment courtesy of some string and percussion instruments.

32ADM_2773
Chill vibe here. The crowds peaked in the afternoon and gradually thinned out again as night fell.

I'm sure glad I made time for Art in the Park, which I hope to catch again next year, with My Bibe hopefully. And yes, I was able to bring home something, an acrylic on canvas piece by Kevin Balboa. If I'm not mistaken, dimensions are 3'x4'. Welcome to your new home, little blue creature of the forest!

33ADM_2643
And quirky won over minimalism in this round.

For more images, you can check out my Art in the Park 2014 set on Flickr. Till next year!

**************
Looking forward to my next Art in the Park experience on Sunday, March 22, 2015!

Comments

  1. Wow this looks like such a great event. It's always nice to just walk around and pick out your favourite pieces.
    the-creationofbeauty.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. i always wanted to buy filipino artist paintings. i hope next time i go back home, merong event like this :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. sana itaon mo. art in the park happens usually in the summer (summer here).

      Delete
  3. wow...this looks amazing! I would´ve just loved so much being there...so many interesting works..love it!

    hugs
    Andy
    theblacklabelblog.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Nice artwork and a perfect way to spend a day I think. Did you feel 'inspired' after being surrounded by so many brilliant pieces of art?

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

FRAGRANCE | Green Cedar EDT by Bench: An environmentally-conscious offering from the Philippines' premier retail brand

Man of style: Steven Tyler