Tempest in CCP

       The Cultural Center of the Philippines is touted as "a tribute to the Filipino Spirit". It was Mrs. Imelda Romualdez Marcos, erstwhile builder and founder of the CCP, who spearheaded the realization of a center where Filipino art and creativity could flourish. Never mind that it was the beginning of her "edifice complex". Even after the Marcos family was deposed and shanghaied to Hawaii the CCP remained as the greatest Filipino beacon of both visual and performing arts. Designed by National Artist for Architecture Leandro V. Locsin, the center was inaugurated on September 8, 1969 with no less than Gov. Ronald Reagan (California) and wife Nancy as special guests of Mrs. Marcos to cut the ceremonial ribbon.

     Just yesterday, Mrs. Marcos was again seen on TV pitching for the removal of an art exhibit by a group of UST Fine Arts alumni from one of the CCP's galleries. The exhibit entitled KULO featured  an art work entitled POLITEISMO that featured various images of Christ irreverently enhanced by mickey mouse ears and wooden penises on the corpus. Naturally, the work stirred a hornet's nest. The outrage from concerned Catholic groups and purists caused a raucus reaching the august halls of the senate.

     Artists and Art groups quickly ran to the defense of the artist claiming the controversial piece was part and parcel of art as freedom of expression. Art, they claim, is a personal vision that makes the public viewing it think. Art should be thought provoking. It should challenge accepted norms... it should be daring...

     That's where all the controversy sets in. The perception of art is a personal thing. Nobody can dictate what each and every individual likes or dislikes. The CCP's board and management came under fire for allowing the piece to be exhibited. Why, of all pieces, was this artwork allowed? Why, of all places, was it exhibited at the CCP? Credit goes to CCP management for bowing to pressure if a bit too late. 

     The damage has been done, though. For Art to be effective it must have a balance of all the eight basic elements: line, shape, volume, movement, light, color, shadow, perspective. Politeismo didn't (at least for me) have a cohesive balance of the elements at all. I remember the three main qualities that espouse the CCP's raison d'etre: Katotohanan, Kabaitan, Kagandahan. I can almost hear Mrs. Marcos saying her favorite line: the TRUE, the GOOD and the BEAUTIFUL; the said artwork so worked against it.

     I'd like to say I'm an artist myself so I should know what I'm talking about... I really have reservations about this one... We could all go technical by discussing the finer points of art... Or even condemn the work as sacrilegious... But i tend to simplify my view. 

     If it isn't good enough to hang on my wall... it's not ART!