León Gallery wishes to thank the artist for confirming the authenticity of this lot

ABOUT THE WORK

“Blue-funk erotica” is how Filipino poet, art critic, and painter V.I.S. de Veyra described the works of Marcel Antonio. Published in a 2010 blog essay, de Veyra categorized “blue-funk erotica” as a subtle sort of erotica, more melancholic than carnal with only a hint of erotic imagining. Though the lot in hand preceded the term by four years, Antonio's The Blank Canvas already showed the foundation of the style that de Veyra coined. The Blank Canvas depicts a woman staring at herself in a handheld mirror with a painter in the background waiting for her by the easel. The subtle sensuality suggested by the style shows itself as the woman flashes a sliver of thigh when she crosses her leg. There is nothing explicitly erotic about the piece but it becomes a springboard for the thought, the slight drama and suspense of it all propelling the piece forward. The Blank Canvas continued upon Antonio’s predilection for narrative paintings – understated as it may be, The Blank Canvas manages to tell a story so subtle with its drama. (Hannah Valiente)