High Art
April 27, 2002 | 12:00am
Located on the 21st floor of the Corporate Center in an office block in Makati is a piece of haven for the eyes and soul. Izukan (pronounced I-shu-kan) is Mandarin for emotional responses to art. It is also an art gallery and is one of the newer spaces devoted to displaying art for sale.
"There is no pressure to make viewers buy," avers owner Juliet Lao, "but to make them feel there is room to look around and relax amid art." She admits that it was her reluctance to have to visit malls to see exhibitions that began her quest for her desired art spaces. With the dearth of those types of venues, she eventually took the leap and put up Izukan.
A quiet solitude pervades the gallery, which may put off people who are used to the bustle of mall shops when in the mood to look for art to buy. Even going through the security on the ground floor of Corporate Center, on Valero St. in Salcedo Village, can be a deterrent to some visitors. But if you think about it, almost all public buildings, including shopping areas, require patrons to submit to some sort of inspection. Since it opened, Izukan has had a steady stream of visitors and clients. She deliberately does not advertise, preferring friends of friends to pass on the word.
Juliet recalls having had an affinity for art even at a young age. When she was 16 years old, she studied Chinese painting and immediately became aware of the ability to convey ideas and images through art. "The Chinese brush is so powerful," she affirms, "you can write with it and you can paint with it." It was probably that time of her life which shaped her fascination for art. Later when she started working, she would pass by the Manila Peninsula Hotel and watch artists at work during their sessions there. She remembers "Onib Olmedo painting in pastel and giving out sketches for free." She also mentions watching Manansala paint there.
Having established a place where she can also sit down with others who are just as keen as she is about art, Juliet Lao feels that she is learning more about art. Izukan’s atmosphere allows those sorts of exchange.
As soon as I walked in, it became apparent that it was not the usual art gallery or office space that I have been to. There is a warm, almost homey feel about it. Viewers are offered a selection of teas and coffees. Easily this puts across the idea that we were not being hurried out. Juliet’s intention is to welcome anyone who is interested in seeing her exhibits.
Visitors will enjoy looking around Izukan while those contemplating to buy can see the possibility of how the art displayed there would fit their own homes. The condominium setting acts much like a showroom for those living in similar residences, particularly those with little architectural detail. The gallery consists of a short hallway that links the entrance to the display areas. A Chinese rosewood table serves as reception counter where visitors can jot down their names and contact numbers. The wooden floor adds warmth to the space, as well as the couple of flat, varnished closets on one of its sides. The minimal lines continue with the choice of low, neutral colored sofas and a glass and steel coffee table, as well as the white, roman shades that screen strong light when the sun hits the big picture windows. In this space, the artworks are displayed well without having to compete with furniture or retail products.
The first time I walked into Izukan was during its opening. It presented Lao Lianben’s "Buddhist Television" – abstract, wall-bound, mixed media works. They seemed like well-ordered lines are akin to moving patterns between television frequencies. Predominantly white and gray, the 18 paintings evoke thoughts rather than images. They were also proof of Lao Lianben’s capacity for contemplative methods of work. Some of the surfaces of his paintings had layers of pencil lines running up and down the canvas. In others, he used modeling paste and acrylic to create the dripping effects or parched textures. His works that were hung around Izukan have since been replaced by other exhibitions.
Returning lately to see Hadrian Mendoza’s pottery show, "Spontaneously Raw," it was noticeable how the gallery seemed to have changed. Part of it has to do with its walls now left bare, except for a lone painting by National Artist Arturo Luz on one side. Mendoza, who is otherwise known as Adee, is a partner of Jon and Tessy Pettyjohn in running pottery schools based in Alabang and Makati.
His distinguishing artistic marks are evident on the vases, cups and teapots, some of which bear long, diagonal incised lines or textured speckles on surfaces. But his clay ware trays caught my attention. Seeing him work on his potter’s wheel a while back, he seems to have a knack for creating tall cylinders and then cutting them down in the middle to spread them out into curved trays. As someone remarked while we were viewing Adee’s exhibit, "Now, all it needs is sushi on it."
A tall sculpture pottery that bears an oblong ring on its top caught my attention. Juliet Lao said that Adee was not too happy about it. The result, she maintains, of the "unpredictability of firing in Anagama." Having recently written about it and the experience of the Pansol potters in this section last March 16, my curiosity was piqued by her informed discussion of Adee’s pots. As it turned out, Juliet Lao is also a potter, albeit a closet one. This means she has resisted all attempts to exhibit her work in a gallery.
During the interview, I witnessed the extent of her being a "closet potter" when it took some time to convince her to show me what she has done so far. I have seen other artists’ solo shows with fewer artworks to choose from or of lower quality than her pottery. Yet this particular collection was located at the back rooms of Izukan – her private sanctuary that’s unbeknown to visitors.
As a museologist, I have always believed that what happens behind displays is far more interesting than those arranged for viewers to see. In the case of Juliet, it was her pottery that caught my imagination. We were allowed to photograph her work and go into her study and office. I also understood her insistence of running the art gallery her way upon seeing her art, her pottery being all about serenity and grace.
Juliet Lao’s gallery has to do with displaying and selling works of art she most believes in. In Izukan, she allows visitors to sit awhile, drink tea or coffee and have a chat. These meetings and exchanges are as important to her as running her business. Having a wonderful setting helps in creating that right tone she has always sought when looking at works of art.
A senior artist walked in recently and was so obviously taken aback by the sight of the Makati cityscape from her gallery that he remarked to her, "You should at least charge for the view."
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