Art often comes at the intersection of different disciplines, at the end of which emerges a dominant medium. It’s little wonder that many artists are experienced in a wide variety of media. The Greeks called it ekphrasis, a device used for the transference of experience from one medium to another, and we have examples such as poets crafting verse inspired by a painting or musicians writing symphonies based on works of literature.
Into this discourse should be considered the visual art practice of Beatriz Robles. Trained at Ateneo de Manila University as a creative writer—and having been published in various magazines—she is also a talented clarinetist who studied under Ariel Sta. Ana of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. As if this wasn’t enough, Robles has also widely exhibited her artworks. Her visual arts practice has earned her recognition as a finalist at the GSIS Art Competition and Robles has participated in artist exchange programs in Malaysia and Thailand.
All this creative talent is channeled into her latest solo show, her seventh, at Ayala Museum’s ArtistSpace. Titled “Waltz of the Flowers,” the exhibit directly alludes to the influence of her cross-disciplinary approach to the visual arts.
Robles intersperses geometric patterns as icon motifs with outlines of musical instruments against a washed-out background, on a water-based acrylic platform. In some compositions, all these elements are present, in others, only two are used.
Robles understands the power of recurring motifs to enforce a consistent aesthetic style, similar to how archetypes are used to involve the reader in a narrative. The confluence of devices is just one way where her cross-disciplinary approach is manifested.
The use of outlines of musical instruments marks her works as distinctly personal, reflecting, as it is, her own experiences and preferences.
“Amber French Horn” (3 ft x 3 ft, acrylic on canvas) shows a singular outline of the aforementioned instrument—alone, as if to emphasize the beauty of a musical french horn solo. “Citrine Saxophone” (18 in x 24 in, acrylic on canvas) has all the motifs, with its geometric patterns resembling flora while a saxophone outline plays on the side. A viewing of Robles’ works then becomes similar to listening to a musical composition, but with visual aesthetics taken into account.
Beatriz Robles has a nonfiction book, “Life Through Letters: A Writer’s Journey from Sunrise to Sunset,” and has been published in a wide variety of publications. She’s the daughter of veteran artist Rene Robles.
“Waltz of the Flowers” will open in Ayala Museum’s ArtistSpace tomorrow and will run until June 11. The exhibition is hosted by Art Gallery Asia, located at 3/L Patriarch Bldg., 2224 Pasong Tamo and Don Bosco St., Makati City. For more information, call 0917-8943888.