Miranda
He appears to be as comfortable in urban trappings as he is at the beach, where he has chosen to live. He can be mobilized for hours by his insatiable curiosity, yet he is able to sit transfixed for long periods, especially once his attention is held captive. He is effusive and animated when he speaks, yet can be generally reserved. He has child-like curiosity and openness coupled with a very mature outlook in life. Basic but not. Simple yet complicated.
These words have been singularly and as a whole used to describe architect, furniture designer, and visual artist Carlo Tanseco, and most would note with admiration that he has somehow managed to make them all work in tandem. This is most evident in his art work.
Stacked inspirations
Coming on the heels of his successful Panapanahon, Paraparaan exhibit is Ex Libris, showing a series that once again highlights the artist’s duality.
“This term denotes ownership of the book, usually found on the first page after the cover, where the owner places his or her name as owner. But I find the literal English translation of this Latin phrase, which is ‘from books,’ the essence of this collection,” he explains.
Mr. Hyde
Tanseco’s fascination with magical realism is highlighted in the form of novels that have made an impact more than once in his life. The books he had chosen to include in this show are Gabriel Garcia-Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude, Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Frances Burnett’s The Secret Garden.
“I loved to read when I was younger, and these are books that I have always wanted to read again, not as a forced requirement in school, but as something to savor during my spare time. The problem is, spare time is a luxury nowadays, so I found a way to re-read these books in the guise of research for this show. It’s amazing how reading these books at this stage in my life revealed so many details I did not recall, and they took on different meanings from my first encounter with them. The book may be the same, but I guess the reader changes as he matures.”
It’s amazing how reading these books at this stage in my life revealed so many details I did not recall, and they took on different meanings
Tanseco found revisiting the worlds in these books refreshing as a form of research, as he was forced to focus on the essence and symbols in each story, which he had to later translate and interpret into paintings. He also found how much he enjoyed getting re-transported into the world of each novel when he played the audio versions while he worked on the paintings.
Magical realism stories have elements of the supernatural and otherworldly, and lives exist between these and the real world. What distinguishes the genre from science fiction, which is usually set in a fully fabricated world, is the ratio between the real and the supernatural. These books don’t attempt to explain the magic, but allow the reader to escape, lulled into a sense of normalcy and familiarity before being gently drawn into a different world, just like Tanseco’s art.
“I like to establish, through my art, what is familiar and real to the viewer to make it initially relatable and personable, and then I introduce something off-tangent or disruptive in contrast and counterpoint, yet maintaining a harmonious balance. I like the fact that the setting is grounded on reality or its representation, and yet magical and fantastical elements appear or occur.”
Another appeal of books to the artist is how much he has always liked cover art. “I always thought book covers make or break a book. So it’s a challenge posed to me, as well,” he adds. Tanseco believes a major reason his Rizal Matchbox series, which depicted the familiar matchbox with the national hero’s iconic image on the front, was received positively was because of the three-dimensionality of each painting’s design. “This inspired me to do yet another three-dimensional wall piece, but this time they would be novels and books,” he says. His signature juxtaposing of a character against clean lines and patterns, reflective of his own mixed interests and unique combination of architecture and free imagination, will also be a prime feature in this new collection.
Tanseco reveals how that ‘eureka’ moment strikes him anywhere and everywhere. ‘There are signs wherever one looks’
When asked where he gets inspiration for a series of paintings, Tanseco reveals how that “eureka” moment strikes him anywhere and everywhere. “There are signs wherever one looks. Finding something that will stir the artist in me is actually serendipitous.” It’s quite surprising to learn that although he’s a visual artist, once hit with an idea, he records his concept in words, and usually on his mobile phone.
“I’ve been doing this since I can remember, even with design. I later review and sift through these words that represent my thoughts and ideas, and it is only then that I transform them into a very rough sketch—rough, because I am primarily concerned with proportion and basic composition. And if I think it will work, then I transform it into a more detailed composition and final study.”
On the mesmerizing geometric patterns, grids, and symmetry that have marked his work, Tanseco says, ”I like to solve design problems.” That’s where the discipline of the architect that he is comes to the fore. Then, he reveals, he would begin to “mess up” perfect images with an unexpected detail or two—-whimsical, magical, even mysterious. Yes, including his easter eggs.
“I know it is done when it bears a faithful resemblance to my study. I stick to the original plan more often than not. Only colors may deviate.”
“Ex Libris,” Carlo Tanseco’s visions of favorite cult classic novels, will be on exhibit from May 21 to June 14 at the Modeka Creative Space (Modeka Art) at Don Chino Roces Avenue, Makati City. For more updates and information, follow @carlotanseco_art and @modeka.art on Instagram.
