Craft instantaneously translates to something made by hand or to work with hands or, almost unanimously synonymous to physical labor done through a certain duration of time which is becoming quite rare in these fast-paced times that’s continually being gobbled up by the manufactured and the factory-made. According to writer Bruce Metcalf : “Historically the discourse considering craft as an art form states that craft must be a physical object made by hand using traditional methods and because of this it limits the art work’s aspect and meaning.” Adding further that, “the craft world accepts the meanings of felt experience and the body, whereas the art world remains dedicated to meaning embedded in texts and discourse.” The intensive engagement with material that understandably march with time, renders craft as a purely durational exercise induced to an evolving mastery. The meaning that artists derive from employing craft is more experiential rather than purely rational, the approach to material being more instinctual as well. Combined with the vicissitudes of art idioms, the twinning of material and craft renders their work a conceptual layer, and by which the artists of Hand Job rearticulates craft, subverting the decorative arts and the fine arts in a mash-up of pure form and everyday life These are palpably extrapolated from a discourse on the nature of labor and authorship via Bascon’s wired detailed instructions for his family to execute his work; to a mitigation of material weaving disparate surfaces such as plastic and photographic print with embroidery in Villanueva’s reiteration of selected quotes from Foster Wallace’s The Pale King, and in Lim’s repurposing of industrial, synthetic material to fashion flesh-like underwear; to drawing parallelisms between ecstatic catharsis through physical pain in Garcia’s gilded and embroidered panels that explore BDSM themes that uses religious iconography, thus elucidating craft as an exercise in endurance. The rest of the works are driven by exuberance and jouissance for the craft, as its ritualistic routine through the manic paper folding of Tamoria’s modular origami sculptures, to the whimsical crocheted pieces of See, and to the cutting dark humor of Gallardo’s stuffed dolls. What threads them together perhaps is their unwavering pursuit for all possible medium, technique and format and use them as their practice allow them as part of the language in their art works. In a rather oblique and radicalized approach and homage to these traditional craft techniques, they ensure the continuum of such practice, embedding them further with new meaning and a broadening avenue for what’s possible in contemporary art. Lena Cobangbang. August 2014
Zeus Bascon 1. To the No Land (Curtains) | Photograph, wood lamination, gold hologram stickers, automotive gloss spray paint. Assisted by Zach Djan Derreck Bascon, my nephew. For some reason I’m liking the use of these glittery gold hologram stickers. Much like my approach in scattering collage elements onto the surface, creating layers of interpretation, forming a narrative, a portal. This will also be an opportunity to show a photograph, I’ve been taking a lot of photos for the past months tapos nagugustuhan ko to show some of them. One day iI was at Kodak, printing some photographs for the 420 show and i came across the wood lamination. It's a classic! And with the theatric drama of a photo of red curtains i took in one of my visits to the CCP, it fits. As if the red curtains an installation, translated into a photograph, objectified with the lamination and an artwork completed with the addition of the gold stickers. Attached photo: i, bago lagyan ng gold stickers; ii, half of the gold stickers (yung ,mas malalayo ang agwat at bigger stickers nilagay ng pamangkin ko. Nakakatuwa may pattern siya na parang nakasunod sa grid) then yung other half dinagdag ko na. as of now, tapos na paglagay ng stickers, sini-seal ko na alng ng laquer spray paint para pantay yung surface, walang nakaumbok na sticker.
2. Positivity Mantra: HALATAGUMSIGUE | wood, wood glue, nails, putty, primer, paint. Assistance by James Bascon, my oldest brother First edition, titled Positivity Mantra, done for one of 98b's collaborative projects that coincide with the Future Market. A combination of words and syllables that echoes positivity, mystery and the haunted: "Hala", "Tagumpay" and "Sigue sigue". The first work i used wood scraps piled in the area where they do the market, yun din yung inadvise nila na gamitin ko. So i formed it into the word, large in scale and yet totally unnoticed kasi maninipis, i have to add colors. For this exhibition, i would like to make it all white, seemingly invisible but present. I would prefer this to be subtly hidden, at a corner, delicately resting on a thin piece of wood, even on the floor is fine. Attached photo: i, the ones I’m showing for our exhibit. Bale yung white nay an yung putty pa. I’m planning on putting on sealant or paint kasi nagkcrack siya pagnapwersa. At this point super liha muna; ii, yung ginawa ko dati sa 98b.
3. Fortune No.1 | Fortune cigarette fliptop pack, packing tape, putty, paint, laquer. July 2013 is when I switched from Marlboro lights to Fortune lights due to the raised price in cigarettes and further instability regarding my own finances. I started collecting empty packages from my own consumption, then in early 2014, i eventually asked sari-sari stores for their extra packages on order to achieve a workable quantity of packages i'll be needing for an installation work. (From Still, show curated by Mariano Ching, to the second installment, Tabletop, to my 3rd solo show, to this show) Fortune No.1 is the first pack to be experimented. Ayos naman siya, i feel i just need to finish the transformation from a regular pack to a brick (kunwari). I would like to install it sana within the wall. If we could make a whole for Fortune No.1 to fit, or if it's not possible e i will have to buy a small weighing device then ill put the brick on top, showing no significant bearing in weight, in contrast with the appearance as a brick being gold. Attached photo: i, yung actual fortune no.1 . di k opa siya ginagalaw ulit kasi nakastack silang lahat, as seen on photo ii.
4.
Pavement | Broken glass, white cement, metal frame, calcium deposits from fish bones
and other raw materials (?). Based on a class research of Czarina Faye Pabilona, niece from my cousin, and her classmates. There are many excess bottles in our house that we cannot sell to the junk shop. Bubog lang daw. So why not use them as materials? Just recently, i smashed some of them out of rage. What happened was a big drama and what was achieved by the act of smashing bottles relieved me a huge amount of stress and the burden of not having to start with anything for this artwork!haha - the next step is to study my niece's thesis about using calcium extracts in forming pots. So this work is sort of an experiment, initially i plan on making one but since it's an experiment, why not make 2 or 3 with variations in the use of materials (white cement, cement an clay used in making pots) The reference image for this work is the pebble tile used as flooring at the house that used to be standing at the lot next to our house (same reference i used for the Tabletop show)
5. Power | Plastic pearls, string nylon and chains. To be assisted by Ate Nora, the sister of my brother-in-law and also our helper This work started with the material i used for my installation work at CCP, pearls and chains. I wanted to produce a flag with a very graphic imagery then i had the chance to work with these materials and it added another dimension to the flag work.
6. Family Romance | Sequins, thread on banner. To be assisted by Ivy Gamban, my oldest brother's wife Nabili ko sa ukay yung flag, I even posted it on Instagram. Tapos para saken ang lakad ng dating, ang graphic lang. Tapos after i use beads for the CCP show e parang nagustuhan ko to explore pa those kinds of materials, then i thought of sequins. Well para saken ang lakas ng dating ng flag, violent and sharp, then because of recent events, it's somewhat funny, like a pun. So I decided to put sequins on the flag, following its patterns an the colors to soften the vio-
7. SIPTCA | book and entries by myself and other people. I first showed this 2010 for the Ffffff... show curated by J.Pacena at Blanc Shaw. The book is on a pedestal i made, then in front of the book is a triangle painting i did, with an eye and at the very eye a mirror. So I found the book again, and for this show, i want to put it there to get more entries from random people. The gallery is in a mall, although im not sure din if madalas pumasok ang mga tao, but it's worth to try. Initially I wanted to lend this in a library, di ko lang sure kung pano, di pa naman din ako nagattempt magtanong sa librarian. Nung nakita ko ulit siya sa bahay I went through the pages and added some writings/drawings on some pages. So why not do this all over again. Pero before the show I will edit some of the initial pages (may intro kasi siya sa umpisa, telling something about the book, parang instructions din on how to use the book, may dedication din.) im not sure at this point how to edit the book, pero I will try to present it as it is pa din.
For now these are the materials i can provide. I still have to work on the instructions/manual na iiwan ko sa kanila before i leave to Japan. I want to make the manual (kung kakayanin nga gusto ko gumawa tlga ng parang package na andun yung manual, may visuals and instructions, and kasama materials parang sa crosstitch para ganahan din sila to do it) very instructional at madaling sundan so they can do it without much thinking involved, they just have to do it, they do not have to concern themselves to finish it for an exhibition, kumbaga they have to do it within 3months time before i get back from Japan, that is the only thing they have to be concerned about. I cannot expect perfection, i do not have to inject to them the pressures of presenting an artwork for an exhibition, I'll take it as my own challenge for this show.
Lala Gallardo
Tin Garcia
Nuestra Sra. De Unli-rice
Saksak puso tulo dugo
Juice Co-lored
Lou Lim Silicone skin bubble wrap underwear and boxer shorts 26" x38" na silicone bubble wrap. try ko palang lagyan ng hair implant bukas bilang balahibo. tingin ko di ko na siya gawing two piece na swimsuit kasi twice ko na itatranslate yung balat kapag ganun. mas neutral kasi ito. tas ife-frame ko nalang yun. though kapag may time pa, gawa ako ng stained glass na bubble wrap gawa sa resin pa na undergarment ng babae. 2 x 3 ft silicone bubble wrap skin, framed
Where the _________ resides
S wo r d o f a t hou s a nd s t i t c he s
Bl ad e s o f fu r y
Ci r c ula r s a w
C ha i ns a w
ma s s a c r e
Helo! Nag email ka n b? Hehe may naisip n ko for d show. Alam m ung ginawa ko s baguio ung mukhang beehive gagawin ko cyang mapa ng pilipinas. Title "the colony" tungkol cya s tao ung work tas medyo s trabaho ng mga tao. Bsta ganun!! Isusulat ko p. As In ngaun ko lng naisip. Gsto ko kc gamitin din ung paper module n un since ung last tym study lng un. Tapos. Gagawa din akong framed works! Bsta gagawa ko ng studies! Email kta. Peace out!. Tekla :)
"Best Case Scenario (t, v.)" Plastic bags, linen (7 pc. set) 14x5x10.5 inches 2014
Acknowledgements to : Troy Manzo + I単igo De Paula Cai Subijano (Scout Magazine) James Ong (Coconuts Manila) Staff of Galerie Anna + Atty. David Artists + friends + families + loved ones
"Crude Approximation (as the world turns)" yarn, digital print on tarp, wood, acrylic 84x60 inches 2014