Jerry's Crew Palette Paintings, 2014
oil and acrylic on panel
variable sizes (approx. 5 x 11 inches)
Paintings made in collaboration with the artisans of Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bataan, Philippines. In 2014, I was invited as resident artist by the Bellas Artes Foundation in Bataan to realize a series of collaborative works that were designed and fabricated in conjunction with skilled tradespeople employed at Las Casas. “Jerry” refers to Jerry Acuzar whom established and oversees Las Casas as a site to preserve original examples of Spanish-colonial architecture of the Philippines. The process employs wood carvers, painters, brick layers, masons, and many other skilled tradespeople to deconstruct, repair, and relocate Spanish-colonial buildings found across the archipelago to Bataan.
Painters at Las Casas are hired to manufacture large wall panels by silkscreening colorful patterns onto 4 by 8-foot PVC sheeting. These panels are later joined together and installed as wall paper for many of the hotel rooms at Las Casas. As part of the fabrication process, some panels require touching up due to various printing errors. To do this, several painters are tasked with correcting the misprinted panels by mixing colored paint by eye on small off-cut pieces of panel and hand-painting in the corrected colors and shapes with a brush directly onto the wall panels.
For this project, I worked with the painters to design and produce a series of paintings. The images included here were created on off-cut panel pieces that the artisans used as palettes to mix their colors. The off-cut pieces they used were originally part of larger printed panels that did not pass inspection and were later cut down and used as palettes to mix colors by the touch-up crews. These palettes were often reused, sometimes by different workers, to mix colors and then usually discarded. For these paintings, while the artisans worked, I asked them to consider each palette as a work of art that could be displayed rather than to be discarded after its functional use ended. The resulting pictures were made in response. The images to the left and below are of the paintings and several process photos.
Works created in collaboration with:
Milet Abajon, Ludimer Agbada, Leo Albunag, Rosemarie Aluad, Madelyn Balagso, Rose Ann Balagso, Leosan Bantugan, JR Cabase, Bayani Cagayat, Jomar Cascasan, Larlie Castillo, Emerson Espino, Maricel Fadul, Bong Fabon, Cesar Fapul Jr., Richard Fulgar, Bernardino Gabion, Ghia Gonzales, Mary Ann Labampa, Sarah Loterte, Marjorie Loterte (Joy), Leslie Lumangculob, Angelo Madridejos, Leo Magadia, Maricris Mejla, Margie Mendoza, Mhean Revelo, Ginalyn Reyes, Cezar Sarmineto, Jackie Patricio, Cathy Pedrocillo, Hershry Pedrocillo, Rollet Perjes, Rossel Perjes, Ivy Vales, and Cornelio Validion.
Special thanks
Jerry and Jam Acuzar, Tony Godfrey, Marion Bugay, Jordan Hernandez, Sir Ping, Randy Nojadera, Reimel Arellano, Alwin Reamillo, Mabel and Larry, Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, Bellas Artes Foundation, and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
