PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF A DISTINGUISHED GENTLEMAN

Exhibited:
Art Center, SM Megamall, Story Messengers, Organized by
Galleria Duemila, Mandaluyong City, March 17 - 30, 1999

ABOUT THE WORK

Apalpable sense of poignant whimsy can be felt throughout the artistic practice of celebrated Bacolod-based painter Charlie Co. Vibrant, surreal, and rife with allegory, Co’s works seemingly subverts the often dour and serious tone of critique by utilizing the technicolor aesthetics often attributed to theatre and circus productions. Co’s ability to present a variety of sociological, psychological, and philosophical topics in a relatively new and unorthodox light has landed him numerous praises from artists, collectors, and critics alike. Notwithstanding the baffling characteristic of his works, Co always ensures to impart to his viewers a specific narrative. He executes this through a formidable mastery of his composition and an innocent playfulness in his inquiries of visual language. Co’s style gives prominence to thematic content over realism. He has always inclined his style towards renditions of folk elements in a highly stylized manner. Co’s application of color in this piece is arresting, employing raging reds and bold blues that the artist strikingly accentuated. The emphasis on color coupled with the artist’s dynamic and textural strokes align to a purpose – amplifying the impassioned narratives of his subjects. Behind Co’s seemingly innocent themes lie a collection of symbols and allegories that point towards the bizarre and often absurd nature of the human condition. As stated by Co, “A painter is also a visionary, helping people understand what is going on in his environment by creating something visually powerful. But one should consider that an artist should get right in his inner self first before anything else.” A Negros Occidental-based contemporary visual artist, Co’s name has been synonymous with striking social realist themes executed in expressionist and surrealist styles. In the 1980s, he co-founded the Black Artists of Asia (BAA), a Bacolod-based collective that brought awareness to the predicaments of sakadas (sugarcane farmers) and other groups in the lowest strata of social hierarchy. Co has had exhibitions in numerous countries and became the Filipino representative in prestigious international events such as the Asian Modernism exhibition at the Japan Foundation Asian Cultural Center in 1995 and the 23rd São Paulo Art Biennial in Brazil in 1996. In 1990, Co received the CCP Thirteen Artists Award.