Provenance: Private Collection, Makati City

ABOUT THE WORK

Emmanuel Garibay continues his mission of providing compelling visual narratives about the world we live in in this highly provocative work titled Matamis. Teeming with allegory and symbolism, Garibay says that Matamis is a work that is "visually attractive" yet possesses a powerful "pictorial narrative.' Garibay shares that this work is the "same old story about deception and servitude," how powerful countries maintain their imperialist agenda by using their "soft power" (culture, technology, and religion) to penetrate the consciousness and subconsciousness of a people. In Matamis, the eminent social realist depicts allegorical images that correspond to real-life personalities and elements, such as Andy Warhol (who used his art to espouse consumerism and pop culture), the architectural magnificence of the Notre Dame Cathedral, and technological innovations, such as spaceships. Superpowers use these elements to show how powerful and formidable they are, further strengthening their oppressive hold on the nations and the people they exploit. In his book Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics, American political scientist Joseph Nye writes: "A country may obtain the outcomes it wants in world politics because other countries—admiring its values, emulating its example, aspiring to its level of prosperity and openness—want to follow it. In this sense, it is also important to set the agenda and attract others in world politics, and not only to force them to change by threatening military force or economic sanctions. This soft power—getting others to want the outcomes that you want—co-opts people rather than coerces them." In this age of unprecedented technological advancement, the dominance of popular culture (mass media and entertainment), the internet, and social media are undisputable. Yes, popular culture and the internet are indispensable in today's wearisome age. Yet, it is also a weapon of mass distraction used to perpetuate the narratives and ideals of the oppressive and repressive status quo that is the formidable force of imperialism. The distractions of the contemporary age are manifestations of imperialism's ills. An imposing figure of a priest wearing a violet robe can be seen holding a cutting-edge apple. The priest represents traditional religion, an ideological apparatus that fosters authoritarian tenets and distorts class consciousness. The apple evokes a modern-day version of the forbidden fruit in the biblical Garden of Eden, symbolizing how soft power, like religion, induces people to be lured into the pits of imperialist exploitation. A flock of people seemingly worshiping these "cultural icons and emblems" are depicted as being uncannily similar in physical appearance and gesture, symbolizing how we tend to follow and pattern ourselves in the mold of the superficial "magic" and glamor of popular culture (especially celebrities) that frames narratives perpetuating the hegemonic status quo. Their praying gesture, coupled with the image of the dog in the left corner of the work, symbolize how we have become subservient to these instruments of indoctrination and propaganda. We must be critical of the culture we consume and strive towards a progressive, scientific, mass-oriented, and nationalist culture that upholds our interests and welfare, not a "sweet, superficial" culture that pushes us to blindness and subservience. Artists also have a significant role in radical cultural and societal transformation. Through their militant creativity, they are responsible for reintroducing and reinforcing to our collective consciousness the narratives of the masses' struggles by living among them—"From the masses, to the masses." Warning: Not everything sweet is delectable and delightful. (A.M.)