From Crucible to Takuza

Amirasolo and Other Essays

Part 2. My Trip Around the Art World

Essay 24. FROM CRUCIBLE TO TAKUZA 

By Arnaldo Bernabe Mirasol

Many consider my illustration for the story "The Little Mermaid" as the best of the illustrations I did for the book "Once Upon a Time". Perhaps, Tahanan Books publisher Reni Roxas thought so too as shown by her choice of the Little Mermaid as cover art for the book.

I'm a bit baffled though, because if she found the Little Mermaid that good, why did she not bought it, and instead acquired for her collection my illustrations for the stories, "The Wild Swans" and "The Farmer and His Wife".

Apart of course from the meticulous intricacy of my brushwork in the Little Mermaid, what amazed the admirers of this illustration is the composition. They were astounded by my supposed ingenuity in coming up with that circling fishes motif in the background.

To this I say, be astounded no more, because the idea for that background isn't original. I just copied it. I was 'inspired' by David Doubilet's photo which appeared in the National Geographic Magazine of a circling school of barracudas, at the eye or center of which is a hovering scuba diver.

I realized even before I had completed the set of eleven illustrations for Once Upon a Time that I had on hand artworks which are all art exhibit material. I first showed the original illustrations to Hiraya Gallery's Didi Dee, who rejected them outright. She didn't said a single word. She just smirked and shook her head. I next submitted an exhibit proposal to Araceli Salas of Gallery Genesis. I waited for weeks for news about my exhibit proposal. Nothing came. She didn't even deign to call or sent me a letter of rejection.

But when I showed the illustrations to Charrie Elinzano of the Crucible Gallery, I detected a ray of hope. I felt at once that she liked the artworks. She said that she'll hand over my exhibit proposal to Crucible President Sari Ortiga for his comment and approval. A few days later, Sari called to tell me that my exhibit was on.

The opening was set for September 8, 2001, which was also the opening date of National Artist Arturo Luz' solo show in the same gallery. What happened was Sari talked to Luz regarding the schedule overlap. Sari asked Luz if it's okay with him to let me exhibit first. Luz, the kind, generous, and understanding fellow that he is, gave way.

I chose "Old-Fashioned Fairy Tale Art" as title of my show. It was most apt because I wanted to emphasize the difference between my illustrations and the illustrations by other Filipino picture book artists at the time. Where they tend to draw modern cartoony illustrations, I patterned mine after those made by illustrators who did 'classically realistic' illustrations. Gennady Spirin was a big influence. His illustrations rendered mostly in earth colors so charmed me that I was induced to change my palette and adopt his.

The opening of my solo show can be described as very soft. Why soft? Well, that's because I plunged with my eyes close and with empty pockets into this solo show at the Crucible Gallery. I applied for an exhibit grant with the Metrobank Foundation by virtue of my being a Grand Prize winner in their first painting competition in 1984. But the cash assistance didn't come on time. It was awarded much much later, in 2007, when I applied again for an exhibit grant for my second solo in the same gallery.

Since I was told that I can do away with the formal opening and cocktails, I decided to open the show sans refreshments. That was embarrassing. "Dyahe (embarrassing)!" But I have no choice, because I truly have a set of Illustrations that insistently begged and can't wait to be shown.

Although there was also no ribbon-cutting ceremony, I had a guest-of-honor of sorts, Ray Espinosa. He was a classmate at UST High School, batch '73. A very brilliant guy, who took up law at the Ateneo, he topped the 1982 bar exams, and is now one of Manny Pangilinan's most trusted executives. 

The atmosphere during the opening of the show would seem dismal, but don't be fooled by it. Because even though me and the exhibit viewers have nothing to munch and sip in between conversations, the red dots plastered on the painting tags were more than enough to enliven my night. Of the eleven illustrations on show, nine were sold on the first night. Ray, who's into art collecting, wanted to add "Thumbelina" to his collection, but it was one of those reserved on the opening day and subsequently sold to Mark Yap, who also bought The Little Mermaid.

Although the first day sales was something to be proud of - still, I was embarrassed that I wasn't able to serve refreshment to my guests. So, I told my close friends that I'll make it up to them after I got my check. I promised to treat them to lunch, supper, or whatever. I treated Oca Magos to lunch at Busog, and Isko dela Cruz to supper at Wah Sun. I invited Buds Convocar, Jerry Dean, and Bert Falsis to a night out in a bar somewhere.

But Bert couldn't make it that time because he was indisposed according to his wife Dulce. That's why it was only me, Buds, and Jerry who went to Cubao for a good time. Buds is familiar with the watering holes in Cubao, they being near his house in Kamuning. He proposed that we go to Takuza Resto-Bar. The very name of the joint was enough to pique our curiosity. So we went there. Was it fun?---you may ask. I won't tell now. That would be another story altogether.