Provenance: Provenance: Danny Floro Collection

ABOUT THE WORK

Dalena's Expressionist style and somber colors are contradicted by the sarcasm, and satirical, irreverent sense of humor in his paintings. His subjects are both hilarious and pitiful — from the jai alai betting areas, to the sleazy Alibangbang beerhouse and its habitues, to the "toilets", "urinals" or "kubetas". His wit and brutal frankness have been sharpened as an editorial cartoonist of Free Press. For art critic Alfredo Roces, Dalena "had a rare quality not usually found in local artists: a spirit of play, a sense of humor, a delight and excitement in what others may dismiss as inelegant materials." This is a public toilet with five men urinating. Little boys like to compare who can pee the highest. Grown men like to compare size. Filipino men like to see who is not circumcized and get a kick out of feeling superior. Gay men like to see who they can pick up — or if they get really lucky, which toilet or CR pick up will be their true love? What secrets lie in these toilet grafittis? Dalena's fixation on toilets started in the 60s and continued to the 70s. He frequented these latrines to have on the spot drawing sessions. In 1972, he had a "toilet"/ "kubeta" art exhibit as a statement on the political situation and declaration of Martial Law similar to how Dada Art protested against Hitler and Nazism. The "toilet" exhibit meant to say: "This stinks!" "This is crap!" Now, that is creative protest with a spirit of fun.