Bust
Nature is not art...it needs the intervention of man for it to be considered an art form.So goes the lectures in art theory and criticism. I wonder what my life would be right now if I have decided to continue pursuing my art studies degree?
Long before I stepped into college I have always liked History classes. Philippine History, Asian and World History. Long before I knew completely the whys,I was content with the hows, the whats, whens and wheres.
During college, I got my history fix once more, not just in the classroom, but also in my immediate surroundings. The travels in and out of manila, Burnham's manila, Intramuros, UP Diliman. Now I try to seek the why's in the works of man.
I got engrossed in war history as well. Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, Braveheart, The Patriot, Timeline. I would look up various eras for any trivia and facts about the lives of various people during different times of war. Now it's not just art figures, but significant historic figures and events as well.
But I didn't think history was in our own front yard. Not until now.
My landlord, a self proclaimed artist, recently acquired an old plaster bust, coated in copper. He was busy retouching the old bust when I passed by his garage workshop. Upon going back home, I found him ecstatic, looking over the corners of the bust. It turns out that the sculptor of the bust was none other than Guillermo Tolentino himself, circa 1953. He found Tolentino's signature at the base of the bust.
Now he is on a mission to spread the word about the bust, looking for contacts, writing articles and researching about the authenticity of the bust.
He found the sculpture at the chemical dumping grounds at the side of the Institute of Chemistry, while he was out jogging. Being the artist he claims himself to be, he got the papers necessary to acquire the forgotten bust, and took it home. The rest is history.
It's a good thing that there are still people who appreciates artworks, both known and unknown artists. My landlord is one of those unknown artists who still has the passion to continue doing art for art's sake. With the continuing "modernization" and improvements in the university, there are many art pieces that are left at corners, unknown and deteriorating.
With this precious find, we hope to spread the word that there are many art works from bygone eras that are just waiting to be discovered. Let's just hope that the bust find won't be just, well, another bust. As for me, history is now in our front yard, waiting for me to join in and do my share of its appreciation and contribution.
2 Comments:
does nature have any worth without men to value it?
yup, man can value nature since he lives in it, we can term it as development, sustainable, strategic or otherwise.
The difference is man cannot term a beautiful sunrise as art, but as nature, since art must have the intervention of man in order for it to be termed as art, as much like when a photographer takes a picture of the sunrise. We can term it as God's art, but when an external intervention takes over, it becomes man's art.
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