Today's painting is inspired by a wedding dance in a garden reception in the bride's home. Nephew Willy, @ 10 years old took advantage of the occasion to pose mischievously at the camera inside the bougainvillas while the couple nervously danced. No one noticed him except the camera! The primary celebrants remained faceless in this composition & the young boy became important in a fleeting moment! Sidebar: The couple migrated to Chicago as accountants to begin a new life! Nephew Willy, when he became a father with 3 kids became an overseas blue collar worker at Dubai & worked for almost 20 years, sending remittances to his family in the Philippines. His family settled in a farming town where the main road is a national highway used by provincial buses. Inspite of the financial benefits, the enforced separation of the family of OFWs or overseas Filipino workers for a long time gave them heartaches & emotional scars. Two years ago, Willy returned to his family for a proposed retirement. In one of the usual family disagreements, Willy left the house, unhappily to clear his mind, & while walking was hit by a provincial bus! I wondered before about the reason I kept the
photo with faceless faces, now I realize it is about our Wedding guest all along!
Beautiful painting - lots of texture and color and a wonderful expression on Willy’s face. A sad story though. But its universality reminds me of Jacob Lawrence’s migration paintings that tell the story of the Black migration from the South to the North. Taken together, your family paintings illustrate the Filipino experience in the 20th-21st centuries.
ReplyDeleteI'll say it again: I really like the way you're telling stories in your recent paintings. You zero in on the essential moment and use composition and color to enhance the moment. I also find this background interesting. For all that this is a rich and textured background, it's intentional and points us to the centers of interest—first, the couple and then to the star, Willy. He more than holds his own in this riot of color and movement. So sad to hear the rest of the story, though.
ReplyDeleteI like the movement, the way they are twirling like dancers at one of those elegant balls that used to be in the black and white movies, and then suddenly that little kid, popping up of a little rough spot in the garden and gleefully giving his comment on all that stupid adult stuff.
ReplyDeleteEvery picture tells a story, especially yours, Susan. Your painting reveals so much even without it. It's so densely filled with color and texture, quiet stillness and bridled energy.
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