Provenance: Provenance: Private Collection, Manila

ABOUT THE WORK

Despite the long and varied history of abstract art, new and novel expressions of the medium still continue to excite and revolutionize the tradition. Bernardo Pacquing’s approach toward his art, style, and medium reveals the expressive potential of Abstraction. Though Abstraction is often attributed to having a moral dimension such as a purity or simplicity, Pacquing’s radical formulation of the genre posits that abstraction’s capabilities lie in a more expressive and figurative treatment. Thus, unlike popular works of abstract art, Pacquing’s style is not purely nonrepresentational. Instead he draws upon the forms and figures of found objects and nature. Yet his subjects still remain vague and obscure enough to benefit from the mysterious ephemeral allure that guided the very first patrons of the style. His abstractions carry with them a sense of familiarity that welcomes nuanced particularity and universal understanding. What Pacquing offers the school of Abstraction is a release from the uncritical orthodox dogmatism that often plagues extensive schools of style and thought. Pacquing’s signature form of abstraction tests the limits of creativity by going against the grain, and he suggests that everyone do the same.