(BENCAB)
[PHOTO -
Cover photo by Wig Tysman]
MANILA,
MARCH 27, 2012 (PHILSTARweek)
In the garden of bencab By Edu Jarque - Proclaimed a National Artist for
Visual Arts in 2006 and declared by lovers of heritage, culture and the arts as
the country's best selling painter of his generation, Benedicto Cabrera, better
known as BenCab, is a big man.
And by that, I don't just mean he's built big – which he is – but that he has
a lot in him, of him, to give. Unlike other artists, he is not very cavalier
about giving remarks, and in that sense, he is very careful, very deliberate
about what he says.
Another writer has written of him as perhaps the only Filipino artist who can
be considered a celebrity: Even those who are not so immersed in the visual arts
know him by name or even by face, and when someone mentions the phrase Filipino
painter, BenCab is one of the names that comes to mind, immediately after
Fernando Amorsolo.
But over coffee at the sprawling greens of the BenCab Museum, in the rain, we
talk at length about topics that go beyond his fame. Like his growing penchant
for gardening and farming and his dedication to a school nearby, for instance,
and making sure he's always on good terms with his farmhands – so much so that
some of them are his scholars while others even model for him when he's
painting.
[PHOTO-The BenCab Museum houses the artist's extensive collection of
works of Philippine masters and contemporaries . Photo by
Wig Tysman]
He does make certain that his love affair with his land comes across, almost
as much as his love for the museum itself.
And this means a whole lot, given that the museum is a 1,200-square meter,
multi-level labor of love and creativity, each floor housing an awesome showcase
as precious as those on the other floors – be it a collection of bul'uls BenCab
himself has become famous for, marvelous works by modern masters and
contemporary artists and even the erotica.
In this rare opportunity, we get a glimpse of BenCab unplugged – that is,
BenCab relaxed, at home and unguarded. It is a more carefree BenCab with whom we
had an eye-opener of a chat, in the garden he loves.
Here are some excerpts.
In a nutshell, what is the creative process like for you?
I visualize it in my mind. Sometimes it just comes to me – at night, even in
the afternoon, when I am not painting. And when it comes, I think about it
intensely – almost as if I were in a trance while painting. (Laughter)
So, you don't paint in the afternoon?
I like to work with natural light. In the afternoon, the light is not so
good. Not to mention that I look forward to my siesta whenever I can. (Laughter
again.) Unless of course I have a deadline to meet!
What year did you start painting?
[PHOTO -BenCab with one of his bul'uls in the background. Photo by Wig Tysman]
I started painting at a young age but it was in 1966 that I painted
professionally. I didn't get to keep my early works. When you're young and
starting a career, you sell whenever you have the opportunity. I was able to buy
one small painting back, though. It was a 1967 work, and I paid a lot for it. On
the back of the frame was a Gallery Indigo label. It was the Malate gallery I
owned with my friends in the '60s, where we first sold that same painting for
P500. (Hearty laughter) I couldn't believe it!
Do you always bring a sketchbook?
I do bring a sketchbook but there are situations when it is not practical to
draw. There was a time we went to Tubbataha Reef where I did my first dive. A
sketchbook is no good there! It's easier to bring a camera and just take
photographs. So I bring one with me all the time, I can't leave home without it.
Wherever I am in the world, I have a camera with me, to document whatever I see
that interests me.
How do you react when fans want to approach you?
When I'm around the museum, people approach me all the time, to have photos
taken with me. I can be very accommodating. (Laughter) I used to be shy. When I
was young I was timid and shy in school. Even my school report card said so.
I've overcome it now.
Why have you chosen Baguio to be your home?
[PHOTO -A duck pond with a gazebo compliment the lush landscape of
the museum grounds.]
I lived in London for 13 years, where it was cool, foggy, and rainy. Baguio
reminded me of the weather in London. I was lucky when I came back to the
Philippines because a cousin of mine had a house in Baguio, which he offered me.
They were going to migrate, and they thought the house might as well go to me.
So I bought the house and lot. This was in '86. Hulugan pa, eh. I got lucky, and
I started to work right away and built a studio.
What about the bul'ul that enchants you so much?
We're so used to our santos which were introduced to us by the Europeans.
Very few people realize that our bul'ul is very original. It is underrated. My
interest in it also comes from my fascination with tribal art. It's a pity that
foreign collectors appreciate our primitive art more than we do.
This fascination led you to putting up the museum?
I was inspired when I went to Indonesia, particularly to Bali and Bandung, by
the artists there who had their own museums exclusively for their work. But I'm
a collector of so many things. I wanted my pieces to be properly displayed. By
building the museum, I was putting up a place, not only where I could show my
own work, but also the rest of my collection of Philippine contemporary art, as
well as primitive tribal art from the north. I want to leave something behind, a
legacy.
[PHOTO -BenCab and daughter Jasmine at the front desk.]
How do you choose which works of the masters and which of your contemporaries
to exhibit?
When (National Artist) Arturo Luz established the Luz Gallery in the 60s, he
chose to exhibit the artists that he personally liked. It was his personal
decision.
The BenCab Museum was put up to house my own personal collection. Sometimes,
people ask, "Why don't you have a certain artist in the museum collection?" It's
really a personal choice. It also has to do with what I could afford to buy in
the past. I would always buy young artists' works and continue to do so.
The BenCab Art Foundation, which runs the museum, has also been adding to the
collection whenever possible. It is a way of upgrading and expanding the
collection. The Erotica Gallery in particular has had many additions to it and
has become much larger. We also have a changing gallery, where we put up a new
exhibition every couple of months. We receive proposals for exhibitions from
artists and the foundation studies the proposals and decides whether to show
them in the museum or not. It is a collective decision and we need to be
consistent.
And collecting?
I collect many things, including stones, shells, photographs, old books,
bonsai. I'm what you would call a magpie.
[PHOTO -Guests enjoy the farm and garden.]
What is usually your role when you get invited to art-related engagements and
events all over the world?
I have been invited to exhibit in galleries abroad and to do art residencies.
I'm very often asked to participate in fund-raising events and to give lectures.
Recently, I attended the San Francisco Philippine International Book Festival as
one of the National Artists invited to be guests of honor.
How is it being a National Artist?
Being a National Artist means more responsibility and more work, really. I am
busier than I ever used to be. I am always asked to judge competitions and cut
ribbons at art openings. And I am invited to give lectures, which I have never
been comfortable doing.
When I was asked to be the guest speaker at the commencement exercise of the
Gilbert Semon Elementary School, I agreed, because it is our foundation's pet
project. When the school needed an additional classroom for their growing
student population, our foundation built it for them, using part of the proceeds
from an exhibition I had in the museum. It was a community effort and the
students, teachers, and some Baguio artists helped paint the classroom using
paint that Boysen had donated.
Besides painting, it seems you like to garden?
[PHOTO -GREEN THUMB: The artist-cum-gardener picks strawberries at
Asin garden (top) and feeds ducks in his pond.]
When I'm not painting, I'm likely to be in the garden, trimming my bonsai. I
enjoying planting trees and watching them grow. I walk down to the river, cross
the hanging bridge and walk up the mountain across the museum, for about an
hour.
It's 150 steps down, and 360 steps up. It calms me, soothes my mind. Nature
does that to me.
In the farm, I plant whatever grows well – coffee, corn, strawberries,
vegetables and herbs. Because we have an abundance of running water, watercress
is plentiful.
There was one summer when we planted different varieties of tomatoes, using
seeds a friend gave us from France. We had a surplus so we sold some of the
harvest and the rest we kept for our personal consumption. The farm is not
really something I can earn from. In the end, it's more about aesthetics.
The way it's laid out, the combination of colors, whatever pleases my eye.
Even the aviary adds some color to the farm.
I'm just happy that the farm and gardens are appreciated by enthusiasts –
whether of art or nature in general. Being someone who cares about nature,
ecology, and the environment, I can't complain about my situation. I can go on
and on about farming and gardening. It's my passion.
[A classroom of the Gilbert Semon Elementary School built and donated
by the BenCab Art Foundation.]
Chief News Editor: Sol
Jose Vanzi
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