Francis Dravigny
and his
“puso” bag
Art can be used to jar the audience, causing catharsis.
Or it could exist for decorative purposes like breaking the monotony of space.
And then there’s art for propaganda, one that espouses a cause or movement. can be used to jar the audience, causing catharsis.
Or it could exist for decorative purposes like breaking the monotony of space. And then there’s art for propaganda, one that espouses a cause or movement.
Or it can be used simply to promote certain products and services whereby it becomes the snake in the hawker’s show where cure-alls are displayed.
Last month, 856 Gallery and Qube Gallery both came up with art shows that were used as promotional tools.
856 Gallery had “Interlace,” featuring the works of French artist Francis Dravigny that showcased the possibilities of using abaca-based fabrics.
Some of the works were done in collaboration with other artists.
“Cloud Fish”
Over at Qube Gallery, “SWU Next” showed a heady circus of performances that signals an old university’s metamorphosis. Southwestern University, which is known for its medical courses, will now as SWU PHINMA be offering what they call people-centered-industry-partnered seven new programs designed for the fresh K-12 graduates.
The venues for both events were chosen for reasons of affinity and proximity. Dravigny’s “Interlace” art textile company and research studio is located behind 856 Gallery.
Here, the man from Lyon, France, pursues his passion for abaca and other tropical fabrics which he often incorporates with other threads and fine wires like copper.
SWU PHINMA, that has ties with Qube Gallery, seemed to have picked the right venue to articulate the university’s out-of-the-box vision as the gallery is the city’s foremost supporter of modern art and progressive ideas.
Acrobats
In “Interlace,” abaca is interwoven with other materials that were then used not only in two-dimensional works but also in three-dimensional ones like puso- inspired bags, semi transparent space dividers and lamp shades.
Among the show’s more eye-catching pieces were “Fish Scale” (a collage of different fabrics made from abaca, raffia, copper and other metallic thread) and “Cloud Fish” (collaboration with fellow artist Myriam Chauvy, a scholar of Japanese culture, and in the use of natural Indigo dye).
“SWU Next” opened its caravan leisurely at first with an interactive painting, which invited the rather reluctant guests to participate before it went into a frenzy with a performance artist in a flesh colored body suit who swung in ropes before she splattered paint all over herself and the performing area of the ground floor.
The university president and the deans of the seven programs (Business, Architecture, Design and Communications, Information Technology, Sports Science, Hospitality Management and, Veterinary Medicine) then gave brief descriptions of the paradigm shift.
Did the shows articulate their intentions? Quite so. For sure they stirred the audience’s mind into considering various possibilities.
