ABOUT THE WORK

Vicente Reyes has his own Filipino modernist idiom reflecting Philippine folk aesthetics, even Philippine history, customs, and traditions. He arrives at a visual idiom which was both Filipino with its bold folk colors, flowing rhythmic lines covering the entire field of the painting. He evokes a visual antithesis to Philippine gatherings and celebrations, by way of portraying a revolution, such as the “Cry of Balintawak” The central figure is Andres Bonifacio, founder of the Katipunan, the mass movement that aimed at independence from colonial rule through armed revolution. Calling his men to arms, the heroic figure rises above the Katipuneros and, the entire dynamics of the group seems to break out of the confines of the space. Dynamic movement is further heightened by the long bamboo spears. The sense of movement is also dramatized is also dramatized by the varied positions of the figures. Vicente Reyes reflects a sensitive eye for composition, the tropical sense of color and an abiding faith in indigenous values. The work is characterized by sustained vigor and ingenious inventiveness, as in the choice of dramatis personae representing different character types, unifying all in a flowing narrative scheme. He drew his figures with a supple curvilinear line, with a slight modeling of form. His choice of colors create a decorative quality. It has a mural like excess of detail, but the taut yet supple lines control each object and figure, and by concentration he manages to retain amid such diversity- total coherence. Vicente Reyes is a self-taught painter who only began painting after his retirement from architectural practice. Having graduated from architecture in 1957, he worked with the likes of Architects Leandro Locsin, Juan Nakpil and Antonio Sindiong. His exposure to the projects of such big name architects may have had an influence to his mural like works and specifically to his historical theme in this painting. 60