One Man Sio

CEBU, Philippines - While it can be argued that many of the local art scene's contemporary-themed art pieces are products of misguided clichés, one would be at fault in branding creative forays into the realm of thought as trivial allusions of life's embarrassments of richness.

"One Man Sio" - Qube Gallery's featured exhibition for the month of June - gives due focus to this often misunderstood aspect of the contemporary arts field, gathering more than 30 non-representational paintings made by abstract expressionist Dennis "Sio" Montera.

Opening on Wednesday last week, the show is more than Montera's 18th solo art exhibition, and is certainly more than a celebration of the artist's decade-long affair with abstraction, given how it affords audiences with a valid sampling of the different reasons why the supernova known as abstract expressionism eclipsed its predecessors.

With its lyrical concepts characterized by the combination of technique and the least amount of deliberation, the style has long been associated with a spontaneity that aims to capture what intuition and emotion can only perceive - bringing the unknown and unseen to form, giving structure to the myriad and the endless.

As the reverse counterpart of representation-based styles, abstract expressionist pieces are made without any predefined subjects, themes, studies or concepts, tempering an artist's capacity to form something while in the process of painting in real time - a quality that is evident in "One Man Sio's" featured works.

From pieces crafted using the multi-faceted characteristics of acrylic-based texturizers to works made with oxidized asphalt as an alternative medium, the show's presented pieces are calibrated to evoke a sense of being from viewers - steering clear from distinctly looking like something; intent on giving spacial tone to non-symbolic interpretations of hope, assertions of enterprise and the distant reminders of ignored social obligations.

But beyond showcasing Montera's diction as a creative visionary, "One Man Sio" also heralds another misunderstood, if not understated, aspect of the contemporary arts field: Words are not the only coins in the realm of thought, as visual design directives also have their own value as its currency.

“One Man Sio” runs until July 16, 2014 in Qube Gallery at The Henry Hotel, in Banilad.