Provenance:
Private Collection, Manila

ABOUT THE WORK

The works of celebrated contemporary artist Jose John Santos III give off a familiar feel amidst an assemblage that is wholly unfamiliar when viewed in its totality— effectively challenging the viewer to engage with his works on a deeper level. Santos’ foray into the surreal first started when he was a student at the University of the Philippines’ Fine Arts program. He drew inspiration from a number of renowned surrealists such as Francis Bacon, Robert Rauschenberg, and Joyce Tenesson, as well as few American artists that liked to focus on the everyday and the mundane such as Edward Hopper. Yet it was only in the early 2000s that Santos developed his iconic and visually frank surrealist style. By adopting the artistic philosophy of the Salingpusa group of artists, which involved both technical mastery and conceptual rigorousness, Santos was able to bring forth a wholly unique style that is still unparalleled in this day and age. Though the artist has since developed and updated his style as a way to constantly challenge his practice, his original aesthetic is undoubtedly one that has helped shape the landscape of Philippine contemporary art. This early 2000s piece is emblematic of Santos’ iconic look and feel. Though Santos has named a number of inspirations, this piece undoubtedly harkens back to a major piece of surrealist work, namely René Magritte’s painting titled Son of Man. One can see the similarities by looking at Santos’ and Magritte’s works side by side. Certain visual elements are undoubtedly similar right off the bat, such as how both the placement and the color of Magritte’s apple is replicated through Santos’ birdhouse-turned-headwear. While other more conceptual elements can be discerned by a closer look. Yet, unlike Magritte’s work which sought to unearth the absurdity of the human condition through impossible similarities, Santos’ work brings together a slew of disparate elements in an attempt to showcase how they relate to one another. This particular piece seemingly parodies the unneeded hierarchy that sometimes plagues organized religions. Other than they’re overtly religious pose, Santos’ figure is seen wearing a birdhouse as a mitre and carries an underwhelming papal ferula. It is this connection between the mundane and divine that Santos draws that ultimately gives the piece its context, one that shows how the divide between sacred and the profane is one that is thinner than one suspects.