Retrieved: re-construction of memory

Siefred Guilaran – First Solo Exhibition

September 29 – October 8

Cevio Art Haus
60 San Isidro St., Bgy. Kapitolyo, Pasig, Philippines

Siefred Guilaran, to say the least, is very interested in the past and its inviting rediscovery through its clues, objects and any material residues it leaves behind. With this recurrent theme threading his creative pursuits, he weaves together narratives that are immediately familiar and matters of rich visceral connections to him. In his predilection with the past, Guilaran turns to photographs and their inherent ability to reveal stark and quiet memories as reliable graphic records of time and repository of private lives and collective histories. Through his picture based paintings, he tries to reconnect on the original feel and circumstances of these mementos and rekindle what demands to be remembered and to hew on their significant lessons.

In his first solo show, Retrieved, he takes on the role of an unwitting archivist as he turns to old photographs as the object of reference and negotiation. In doing this, he collected and borrowed old photos, most of which still produced in film and now considered ephemera, from his neighbors and old friends from where he lives and who are deeply connected to a river which they all share fond and tragic memories as a community. Most of these of photos were tattered and partially damaged because of a flood that once devastated their place and this incident provides the context of sentimentality and premise of search and of his personal and parochial recollection. By mapping out memories through these old photographs, he is able to examine not just his neighborhood but hopes to rediscover himself as well.

Indeed, memory is ever fleeting and just before they completely fade away, he steps to commit them to history by transmitting them to another medium altogether. From these snap shots, he comes out with paintings as reproduction in halftone images and benday dots, a style known to Roy Lichtenstein. With some degree of digital intervention, he then recreates these images and prints directly in canvas with acrylic through the process of silkscreen. He often, paints in black and white to evoke such melancholic tone, sensibilities and the fraught complexities of remembering. As medium specific concern, he only does minor tweaks to declare his keen fidelity to his photo references, keeping all the nuanced details of its being worn out until his final set of paintings are finally done. By deciding not to edit and efface and obscure the damages to reflect the texture and thus, to ostensibly underscore the play of elements in the adapted medium to mimic what memory is in self which gradually fades and gets lost, teetering on the verge of oblivion.

In this committed act of retracing and looking back, he does this to retrieve and access memories and essential things which help define us. Even with the natural turns of tear and wear, we still can evokes good memories, relationships and human intimacies as he also reflects on the imminent power of time to ravage and renew things around us and how it is sacredly important to be reminded.

It should be noted that often, memories aren’t always reliable and can be contentious. They can be fragmentary, tentative, tenuous and possibly manipulated depending on who’s summoning them. However, his paintings become cogent responses aim to what is gradually lost and firmly secure what is half remembered or totally forgotten things perhaps worth remembering.

Growing in the cultural town of Angono, Rizal, his artistic sensibilities developed by his immediate environment. He is a graduate of Fine Arts at the University of Rizal System and has since been a fulltime artist after graduation. Except in 2015, he was consistent finalist in Metrobank Art Awards since 2012. For a time, he also apprenticed to several artists including Thomas Daquioag, Vincent Padilla and Lito Balagtas. His other influences include Ikoy Ricio, Ogie Salmorin, Andy Warhol and Sigmar Polke. Through Cevio Art Haus, he participated in Asia Contemporary Art Show in 2015. He is an active member of S16- Mga Anak ng Kuta, Rizal based arts organization.

EXHIBIT VIEWING STARTS SEP. 24 TO OCT. 7,2016. ARTIST RECEPTION SEP. 29, 2016, 6PM