Monday, April 30, 2012

PRETA INUX: Rommel Pastrana Celespara's one man show



featuring works of Rommel Pastrana Celespara

Influenced not just by painters but writers like Dante Allegeri and his interpretations of hell through the monumental epic "Divine Comedy," Irish novelist Bram Stoker and his undying tale about "Dracula," and English novelist Mary Shelley's renowned gothic novel "Frankenstein." Countess Elizabeth Bathory of Hungary and her prolific serial killing throughout history have some contribution in his passion for art. Using surrealism and pop art as a medium, Rommel Pastrana Celespara's work is full of disturbing and highly depicting visual negativity. His artworks were a bit similar as those gothic/baroque Western-style paintings from the Dark Age period, horror movie posters, comics and Pop advertisement from the 50’s up to the early 90’s.

He was fascinated by the Church’s grotesque old paintings and religious relics, and finds it as a symbol of monstrosity and conspiracy in that certain era. At a young age, Rommel was raised as a Roman Catholic run by Dominican congregation but later turned skeptical when he became an acolyte and was exposed to the lies nd hoax created by the church, thus addressing those issues in his body of work. He is currently employed as an art director/marketing manager that fuels  his passion for art and allows him to explore other possibilities beyond his forte.

Catch Preta Inux, at Vinyl on Vinyl at The Collective, 7274 Malugay St. Makati.  
















Sunday, April 29, 2012

RECENTLY CONCLUDED:  ACID ASYLUM

When a nightmare catches you in its claws, you're thrown into a world where the bizarre feels chillingly real, where possibilities are ripped out from the very depths of your mind. Nightmares are the host of many things that shouldn't exist, you try to rationalize in your head, yet you remain entranced, haunted, and defenseless. Nightmares teach you that there's always something sinister beneath the floorboards, something monstrous lying in wait behind the closet, something vile confined within your soul.

It's not always a dark and stormy night.

The bright colors concocted by Mother Nature inspire both beauty and danger. Gaudy colors imprinted on territorial predators warn us of the lethal venom they possess. The blinding lights of the city bring to mind modern fears and thrills. Nightmares are not all visions of the macabre shrouded by gloom and doom. As mankind evolves and devolves, the room of the night terrors dutifully refurnishes itself for its unwitting guests. Here to take you on a tour around this sinister yet enchanting chamber are the young artists of SPIDERSILK PRODUCTIONS.

Dione D'Souza is a designer-in- training, caffeine junkie, Imp breeder and chaos-enthusiast born and raised in Manila. Thriving on a steady diet of Books, B-movies, Goth rock and South Indian prawn curry, she has recently developed an affinity towards watercolour, gouache, sculpting and pop surrealism.

Maku Felix is a freelance artist who loves doodling, painting, chugging down coffee, and playing console games more than socializing. Yet she captures everyone's attention when she takes the stage, with her powerful voice and her arresting stage presence. In truth she is much saner than everyone gives her credit for.

Isobel Francisco just recently got into the swing of illustrating for an audience and looking relatively presentable at art galleries. When she's not working as Copywriter and Creative Specialist for GMA Marketing & Productions, Inc., she spends her time painting, wearing torn clothes and dog collars, and drowning in music. 

Alex Lara is a photo editor by day and neurotic weirdo-artist by night, whilst obsessing over Milton, World War II, and paintings by great Renaissance artists. She is the most idiosyncratic among the Lady Arachnids, of which all blame should be put towards the little mice that take over her brain in the worst of situations and leave their host to derisions of the artistic kind.

Come in, and leave all pleasant dreams at the door. 









Tentaculum Deluge by Alex Lara


 Mute by Dione D' Souza


Grow Up by Isobel Francisco


Breathe by Maku Felix





Acid Asylum also features guest artists Marius Black and Gabriel Tiongson.   


To view the rest of the ACID ASYLUM artworks, click HERE .   Opening night photos can be viewed at the Spidersilk Productions page.   

Monday, March 12, 2012

Dead Leaves and Dirty Grounds



John Marin and Erick Villarruz muse on life’s impermanence in their two-man show, “Dead Leaves and Dirty Grounds,” a capsule of stories in 12 canvases.

Marin’s painted faces are arresting in their realism, with eyes that draw one in and a monochromatic visual narrative that makes one linger. Created in the likeness of others but self-portraits to the artist, Marin’s canvases capture his experience and perceptions about the stories of others. As storyteller, he uses single frames to define the utmost beauty of youth (Late Bloomer), portray the cyclic nature of intimacy (The Fire of Prince Vincent), and shape the density of grief (The Crusader).


Late Bloomer by John Marin



The Crusader by John Marin



The Fire of Prince Vincent by John Marin

Moving from social realism to the melancholia of personal history, Marin continues to challenge the ideal with interpretations of human vulnerabilities. In his pieces, time flows and ebbs, while we stand on the ever-shifting shore.

Eric Villarruz, on the other hand, dives into an ocean of introspection with vivid, phantasmic canvases.

Layering images and styles from hyperrealism to cartoons and graffiti, Villarruz’s subjects are not defined by physical space, but by the reality of psychological and experiential existence. In deconstructing experiences both personal and representational, complex narratives intertwine in his pulsating landscapes, resembling a dense forest or a deep, open wound. In his piece, How is your heart? the artist uses a wealth of symbolism to illustrate the duality of character, emotion, and ultimately, human motive. Transience, to Villarruz, is a stark reminder of our susceptibility to change.

How is Your Heart? by Eric Villaruz


The artists are undergraduates at the Technological University of the Philippines and have been painting professionally since 2009. Marin is a 2011 Shell National Art Competition award recipient, while Villarruz received recognition at the 2011 Metrobank Art & Design Excellence Competition. “Dead Leaves and Dirty Grounds” is on exhibit until March 24 at Vinyl on Vinyl at The Collective, 7274 Malugay St Makati.



Friday, February 24, 2012

COLLECTIVE ART FAIR on Feb 25!


Check out the first Collective Art Fair on Feb 25, Saturday 10am onwards at The Collective 7274 Malugay St Makati.

One day of food, art, music, toys, bikes, boards, clothes, bags, accessories, and more!!

Hang out with us!





Thursday, February 2, 2012

Tara Mcpherson celebrates with Vinyl on Vinyl !


TARA MCPHERSON at Vinyl on Vinyl's 2nd yr anniversary Exhibit and Toy Release February 8 (Wed), 8pm onwards

Perfoming Bands: Vulture Club, Bagetsafonik and Chillitees

Advance release of Bunny in the Moon book 3 available at Fully Booked.

Q&A at DLSU Benilde SDA Cinema Feb 8 1-4pm
Q&A at UP College of Fine Arts Corridor Gallery Feb 9 1-330pm

Brought to you by Vinyl on Vinyl, Fully Booked.
Special thanks to Spy Wine Cooler and Seawind Boracay.



Tara Mcpherson's back!!


New York-based artist Tara McPherson returns to Manila on February 8-9, 2012. This second visit is brought to you by Vinyl on Vinyl and Fully Booked.

Born in San Francisco in 1976 and raised in Los Angeles, McPherson received her BFA from the Art Center in Pasadena, California in August 2001. She graduated with honors in Illustration and a minor in Fine Art. She interned at Rough Draft Studios, and worked on Matt Groening's Futurama during her college days.

McPherson exhibits her paintings and serigraphs in fine art galleries all over the world. Named the crown princess of poster art by ELLE Magazine, she has created numerous gig posters for acts like Beck, Greenday, Faith No More, Rilo Kiley, and the Melvins. She has also created toys for companies like Kidrobot, Dark Horse, and Toy2R; painting comics and covers for DC Vertigo; advertising and editorial illustrations for companies such as Wyden+Kennedy and Spin Magazine. McPherson also teaches at Parsons in New York.

Her work has appeared in the graphic novel Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall. She also did the cover of Bridget Jones’s Diary for the Penguin Tattoo series. Soon, Dark Horse took notice and her first book, Lonely Heart: the Art of Tara McPherson, was subsequently published. This was followed by Lost Constellations; The Art of Tara McPherson Vol II.

McPherson believes in creating art inspired by people and their odd ways. Her characters exude an idealized innocence with hard-earned wisdom glinting in their eyes. She draws inspiration from childhood issues from childhood and life experiences. Her images are thought-provoking and seductive. People and their relationships are a central theme in her work.

On her first visit to Manila in 2010, Mc Pherson gave a talk at the International Multimedia Design Conference Graphika Manila. She also auctioned off several poster designs she did for bands, which local musicians performed covers of. This time, McPherson unveils her third book Bunny in the Moon for the very first time.

Fully Booked will prepare two dialog/books signings: one at the De La Salle College of Saint Benilde, which will take place on February 8, 2012 (Wednesday) from 1:00-4:00 p.m. at the SDA Cinema 12/F SDA Campus; the other will be at the University of the Philippines Diliman (U.P.) on February 9, 2012 (Thursday) from 1:00-3:30 p.m. at the U.P. College of Fine Arts Corridor Gallery.

The culminating event will take place during Vinyl on Vinyl’s second anniversary celebration, where McPherson will exhibit her original art and unveil a special Toy release, Lucius and Mountains, inspired by her legendary Melvins poster.

For more information, visit the Fully Booked website: www.fullybookedonline.com and the Vinyl on Vinyl blog - vinylonvinyl.blogspot.com.