Quintessence.
Classically, from "quinta essentia," or the fifth
and highest element of which heavenly bodies are made of in
contrast with fire, air, water and earth. It is also the essence
of a thing in its purest and most concentrated form containing
its rarest virtue and most
essential constituent.
Quintessence
is the perfect example of its kind.
In the hands of Ramon Orlina, glass becomes the medium of
sculpture’s quintessence. And in celebrating his 30th
year as an artist, he embarks on easily one of his finest
shows with a show that is so appropriately
held at the Ayala Museum’s Glass Wing. Having been friends
with Ramon for years and having followed his growth as an
artist, a visit to his atelier never ceases to amaze me.
When
I last interviewed him four years ago, he was telling me that
there was still so much to do with glass and still so much
to learn. At that time, I was thinking to myself "What
else could he possibly do with a chunk of glass?" Apparently,
the answer is "plenty."One of the highlights of
the exhibit will be the presentation of studies and a scaled
replica for what will certainly be one of the most important
commissions of Orlina’s career. "Tetraglobal"
is an 8.6-meter structure of cast bronze and glass that will
tower over the Alumni Park
of Orlina’s alma mater – the University of Santo
Tomas to commemorate its 400th year in 2011.
Reaching
for the sky are four human figures – a male and female
student, a Dominican priest and an academician – who
represent the university’s four stakeholders throughout
its 400 years. Upon their
collective hands rest a globe in the center of which are four
pieces of glass again representing the university’s
four centuries of existence.
Like
the Earth, the globe tilts at 23.5 degrees perpetually pointing
its apex towards the North Star, which has for centuries acted
as a beacon and guide for travelers the same way the ideals
of the university guide its stakeholders. From the globe flows
a ribbon inscribed with Latin inscriptions representing the
various ideals that the Thomasians are proud to aspire to.
The
bronze portions of "Tetraglobal" will be cast in
Bangkok, which immediately presents the logistical nightmare
of shipping the huge sculpture to Manila. But Orlina quickly
points out that they really needed to have the best quality.
Although there are cheaper and easier
ways of doing things, those shortcuts will manifest themselves
as defects in maybe 10 or 20 years when the finish of the
sculpture is no longer smooth or cracks begin to appear where
joints are welded. He says that there is no substitute for
casting pure bronze.
Even the sculpture’s lights are laid out to maximize
the best features of "Tetraglobal." Orlina says:
"A lot of times sculptures are not lighted properly.
Usually they are just lit without considering the shadows
and how it affects the surrounding areas. When we were working
on the sculpture outside Wisma Atria in Singapore, we even
had a lighting consultant. We had to adjust the lights so
it didn’t spill around the sculpture. So if you are
walking on the other side of the sculpture, the light won’t
hit your eyes.
"In
any sculpture, light plays an important role. However when
you are talking about glass where translucency is an additional
factor, then lighting becomes even more important as the artwork’s
internal highlights and shadows play a major role in overall
appearance. But in the case of Orlina’s new works in
black glass, the lighting becomes crucial. In ordinary light,
black glass appears opaque. But with proper lighting, the
subtleties of the sculpture come alive as dramatic shades
and changes in the color’s gradation become clearly
visible.
Next
year, Orlina will also start casting his glass sculptures
into bronze and edition them to bring down the price. He says
because the medium is different, it is important to choose
pieces that are appropriate to an opaque metal vis-à-vis
the translucency of glass.
More and more, it seems like Orlina finds himself experimenting
and working with other materials such as bronze. And it is
ironic that it is this very same metal that gives his new
works in black glass its unique characteristics.
In
working with this color, Orlina found an opportunity to use
some of the colored Swarovski crystals he had kept from one
of his previous shows. Whereas he used to find them too small
to use for any significant artwork, he came up with the idea
of combining them with the black glass to create something
more substantial. These combinations he has created with the
variedly colored crystals resting in balance atop the black
glass are some of the most visually dramatic pieces I have
ever seen Orlina produce.
As in our interview four years ago, Ramon Orlina once again
told me that there is still so much to do and so much to learn.
I didn’t quite believe him before and I was proven wrong.
Perhaps this time I shouldn’t be such a non-believer
as Orlina is obviously a well of creativity with boundless
imagination.
Without a doubt, "Quintessence" is quintessential
Orlina.
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