By Jonathan Shih
But let's start where it all presumably began. When the Philippines gained its so-called independence from Spain, the Filipino 'art' historians proclaimed and pronounced with much gusto, that the country had produced our 'masters' from Juan, Felix, and Fabian. These historians state that these painters were masters of their craft. Let's say they are, but while they are painting away their 'masterpieces', in the 'classical' style, Impressionism in France, on the other side of the globe had already reached its pinnacle. It was already established as a major and next Art movement. And the Impressionists were soon to be immortalized in the pages of Art History, true Art History.
And lo and behold, were our so-called 'masters', included in the pages and annals of Art History and in the Art History books? The answer is a resounding no. From the time I started collecting and reading art books, in 1991, I haven't encountered their names, ever. In locally published books, yes, but in the realm of international Art History, not a glimmer, not the slightest mention. In a book titled, Techniques of the World's Great Painters, which is Art History in a nutshell itself, their names were not there, even one of them. But one may ask, why do their names don't appear in the Art History books? Even the ones who came after them, Fernando, Victorio, Vicente, and Francisco, were not included.
Here is the answer, they were not included simply because they didn't contribute anything to the progression and advancement of Art and Painting. Let's face it and accept it. Not one 'artist' from this God-forsaken and this art backward country has garnered the prestige of being written in the annals of Art History. Countries that are poorer or similar in stature have produced artists and painters with that prestige. Countries like Mexico, India, Brazil, Lithuania, Poland, Holland, even South Korea, and Japan. What are then the factors and reasons why the artists from those countries were included in the annals of Art History? Is it luck, chance, or coincidence? Perhaps it's not just a stroke of serendipity.
How could these so-called 'masters' of Filipino 'art' not be as famous and great? It's because they were thinking and working in a box. Contented in their little 'artistic' bubble. Whereas the artists who are in the Art History books were there because they were at the forefront of art and painting, with sheer talent, a progressive mind, and extraordinary visionary imagination, and just simply being true artists.
