Pondering the Dark Art of Barrioquinto
By Roel Membrado
Apparently, eerie movies, dreadful books and bloody creatures of one's imagination has nothing to do with a well-defined man who do not refuse to see the others side of reality; but indeed, he will just focus his nature to defy the truth around him. Nevertheless, art is inevitably constructed by his innermost fear and passion, which makes it consumable alone as what it makes him - Andres Barrioquinto.
At the early part of his career, Andres Barrioquinto seemingly traversed his yesteryears with the joy of expressing himself through painting. He was a tender-footed artist who often saw images of anguish, dislocation, and even decapitation. A sudden turn of events changed his way of thinking and unbelievably almost all of the good memories in his head. Perhaps, this circumstance swept away the joy of his being and affected the principles he applied in his Art.
Andres in fact, is an admirer of New York graffiti artist Jean Michel-Basquiat and Edvard Munch who had greatly influenced his works. Among our local artists, he prefers Jojo Legaspi's art best, which portrays a hazy distinction between existence and death. It is where Andres derived and heightened his ability to depict people in brutal fashion of brooding, rust drenched composition. He confesses that he does not abide the laws of colors but merely suits his artistic composition with his changing moods. What matters to him is the satisfaction of his hunger for self-expression.
Over the past few years,
Andres bagged numerous awards for excellent renditions, making his name as a
polished artist of his time. Considering him as a fledgling artist struck by
luck, art critics and connoisseurs often consider Barrioquintos art as harsh,
complex, and mostly a disheveled opus with an eerie character. One said that
his oil on canvas that placed third in the Art Association of the Philippines
contest in 1997 "couldn't give heed to its pastel tones for the sake of compositional
sincerity, contradicting its vie noire statement with affectatious put-ons!."
Another purveying critic phrased Andres cousin's art teacher, "that his oil
didn't deserve the top prize" in the first Urban Bank competition in 1998. He
was dubbed as a mere novice, which can be insulting, but Andres shrugs off the
barbs with a laugh. For him, "life can sometimes be too harsh that if you're
not bolstered by your principles 
and
beliefs, you can be spurned down easily." Andres is the type, which is cradled
by what he believes. Barrioquinto is likely to be more sharply individualized
than the realist. His individuality became more distinct when he attempted to
probe his soul more than his ideas, or express his inner world of turbulent
moods more, than the harmonious external world.
He paints images and forms constantly distorted and totally warped that take us away from the world we are in and bring us closer to his world. In extremes, this expression may even become hysterical or frenzied.
Andres also endeavors new means of expression, seeking new directions and exploring new medium while he settles on traditional media and a methods of working. This would be the excellent time in his development as an artist: to experiment, to meet and enjoy the challenges of the various materials present, and to keep alert for the inevitable accidents that appear as he works so he can take advantage of them. In his paintings, for instance, the colors sometimes blend together or overlap to create an admirable but unplanned effect; pencil marks or under painting may unintentionally show through, hence enhancing his work. Surprises can crop up in any material he uses, often giving rise to new ideas. It would take decades of studies to create masterpieces as he does.
Vision Magazine, 2nd sem 1999-2000
Issue no.35 vol. II 4
Copyright © Andres S. Barrioquinto 2003
Web Design by devil sushi