ACTOR and Ormoc Mayor Richard Gomez’s provocative large painting titled “Oooohh” was said to have fetched P196,000 when it was hanged at the recent ManilART fair in Taguig City. The acrylic-on-wood showed a plainly painted male genitalia using one primary color on a black background. Because of the subject matter, the work got much attention on social media and got sold more than other works by more established artists, particularly those who were academically trained.
Gomez did not walk the path that most artists go through. His fame gave him the advantage of maximum media exposure. He could use the brush perhaps but his craft remains dubious.
In short, Gomez earned his slot at ManilART through his show-biz connections, not his social standing in the creative industry. But of course like any show-biz person, he may have artistic inclinations, and he may seeking artistic fulfillment in the fine arts. But he has a long way to go as far as artistic training is concerned.
“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist,” said Picasso. He meant that for one to make good art one must know the fundamentals of the discipline.
And obviously the most established way of learning the fundamentals is through fine arts school.
Gomez said his painting aims to tackle topics such as lust, self-pleasure and power. It may display grotesquely those attributes but his approach is too literal. In short, his painting could hardly be called a creative work.
Although his name has cache in show business, it has none in art. His inclusion in the 11th ManilART fair might have been motivated by the organizers’ need to better market the art fair, not exactly to present Gomez as worthy of the art lover’s attention. Definitely Gomez could hardly be in the league of the artists presented in the art fair, which had for its theme, “Showcasing the Global Filipino Artist.”
But Gomez’s example could provide some instructions to the fine arts student and the neophyte visual artist. For one, it is important for every artist to learn the business side of art in order to better market his works. An art work is nothing until it reaches the market—the art-gallery row, the art festival—and gets sold.
For fine arts students of UST, Gomez’s achievement may be a fluke, but they should be able to derive certain lessons, and not alone how not to paint the male organ. To be sure, they should focus on their art studies and training to become better craftsmen. How could one gauge one’s success in artmaking? If one got invited to participate in an art exhibit.
An exhibit of one’s work is a dream come true for every artist. It is not alone mounting one’s painting or sculpture but also exposing one’s artistry (or lack thereof) and even one’s soul and being for the whole world to see—and critique.
Gomez of course has exposed himself likewise in “Oooh,” and the result is indecent exposure and, to say the least, an artistic failure. But the buyer of his painting might have interests other than art and therefore, Gomez should not be entirely pilloried for earning a fast buck through his dubious work that purports to be art.
Different strokes for different folks. Gomez’s painting obviously appeals to the taste of the art lover who bought it, even if it leaves a bad taste for the rest of us in the art world.
