Gerliz Marasigan 2013 Spanish Pop Culture

August 23,

Explosion No. 141 Oil on Canvas by Lee Aguinaldo (1957) Lee Aguinaldos Explosion No. 141 is a striking piece of abstract art that measures 122 x 198 centimeters, and was created using oil on canvas in 1957. At first glance, the painting struck me as a large display of exploding emotions. It engages you in its textures, strokes and contrast of colors. The piece of art conveys mindful and deep emotions that one cant help to get lured to it. At least it did at such a degree for me. Ive always believed that art, more so abstract art, is a conversation between the artist and the beholder. An artists message is hidden in between his brush strokes; his emotions etched unto the canvas and are relayed to the observer. And if the said observer listens carefully, and has had enough experience to understand the emotions behind the piece of art, a transcendent moment occurs when a seemingly ordinary work of art covered in splattered paint and chaotic madness becomes something more. It becomes a great conversation--an emphatic correspondence between artist and beholder. Striking in the painting is the contrast, not just of the colors and the strokes, but also between the background and the foreground. The background reveals swashes of bright, although muted, colors such as pink, purple and yellow. The lack of texture used in the background suggests formerly embraced feelings of exuberance with a touch of calmness. But what is most striking in this Aguinaldo piece is the use of black paint to explode over this calmness, and then white paint to splatter over it all

overshadowing the calmness with chaos, texture, and overall confusion. This technique taps into the human conditions of uncertainty, madness, confusion, horror, and perhaps despair. We may not know what exactly went on in Lee Aguinaldos life as he was painting this masterpiece, but his ability to convey such emotions in a 122 x 198 centimeter painting is overwhelming and bittersweet. For in one hand, it is exciting to be able to say that you grasped such emotions and converse with another person through a piece of art; but at the same time, there seems to be a call to feel a certain sadness in the fact that you understood such intricate explosion of emotions. For in order to be able to do so, you must have already have had an understanding of such confused and chaotic feelings yourself without needing the painting to explain it for you. Such tremulous and unnerving disposition looks us in the eye, and we are faced with the reality that we are unfortunate enough to be able to understand it. Nevertheless, we embrace this reality, stare at this masterpiece and let ourselves feel it one more time or even more. For we know that, just as the emotions etched on the canvas are indissoluble, so are your own.