Blanc Gallery, Makati City
Whale songs, like the howls of wolves, are probably the most haunting “music” in the animal kingdom. The timelessness and unearthly quality of whale songs, with their deep bellowing notes are alien to the human ear, yet unmistakably beautiful. True, the “music” of the whales is something that us earthbound creatures can never fully comprehend; nonetheless, we cannot help but be inspired by this fascinating underwater phenomenon.
This fascination does not only extend to the artistic or the scientific but to the emotional level as well for artist Jonathan Ching. He believes that at a certain point, each of us might feel as if we are immortal, as if we are invincible, as if we know all. Then life happens and we are stripped of all our illusions and pretensions—a process called “disenchantment”.
Ching was listening to whale songs as he was painting this collection. He was inspired by the music, to explain that even though we have undergone the harrowing process of disillusionment, we need not live the rest of our lives reliving it. In each painting, he captures the elements of disenchantment in still life—detachment and apathy in “Whale Songs for the Disenchanted”, helplessness and vulnerability in “Conscious of Infinity”, and the disturbing awareness of the fact of mortality in “Master of the Universe”.
Finally, he explains in “Beta” that rebirth and redemption are possible if only we dare to grasp them. They can be achieved by finding inspiration in beauty which—in Ching’s case—can be whale songs. It’s different for everyone but these works of art are telling us that the cure to disenchantment is not as impossible as we think.
“Whale Songs for the Disenchanted” opened on August 9, at 6pm until September 1, 2008. Please visit Blanc at the 2E Crown Tower 107 H.V. De La Costa Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City. For inquiries, please contact tel. 02.7520032, mobile 0920.9276436, visit the website at www.blanc.ph
Pls. visit this site as they have written a short article on the show
didn’t see this exhibit last year. but love your works here, jon.