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Magbubulaklak by Antonio Oil on fiberboard 60 x 81.5cm 1964

Angelito Antonio or “Mang Lito” was born on February 3, 1939 and grew up in a simple farming household in Malolos, Bulacan. His passion for art began at a very young age, he participated in various art contests and had begun earning several big titles and awards to his name as a child. In 1958, he initially took up Architecture at the Mapua Institute of Technology which he then continued at the University of Santo Tomas. However, he eventually shifted due to a scholarship opportunity given to him and studied Fine Arts instead at the University of Santo Tomas, where he met several future colleagues like National Artist Ang Kiukok, Mario Parial, Jaime de Guzman, and Norma Belleza, a woman he later married. During his time at college, Antonio was granted a teaching position for his excellence, which he kept for over a decade even after graduation, by National Artists Vicente Manansala and Galo Ocampo. After that, Antonio only seemed to rise up further into stardom in the art world as he quickly garnered 20 more local and international awards to his name. He’s considered as one of the most influential artists of our country’s Modern Art movement, well regarded as an action painting trailblazer and for proliferating the Cubist style in Philippine art.

That being said, Antonio is best known for his Cubism style, an abstract approach to realism, with his emphasis on strong confident diagonal lines combined with a unique take on figurative distortions, and his use of black juxtaposed with strong primary or muted tertiary colors. He’s regarded as both modernist and expressionist in his approach, his subjects mostly consisting of figure folk. Having grown up a country boy surrounded by farmlands and small towns, there wasn’t much inspiration to draw from, thus, the young Antonio focused on the people that surrounded him. He showcased vendors, farmers, fishermen, and the simple daily lifestyle of his community. He wanted to illustrate an authentic representation of Filipino customs, traditions and way of life to the world, and incorporate the genuine emotions his subjects felt in that image.

Angelito Antonio’s Magbubulaklak was created in 1964, during his teaching years in the University of Santo Tomas. He made it with oil paints, commonly used to bring emphasis to textures and colors used, and a fiberboard base, a type of cheap wood used as roofing and wall sheaths. Which in hindsight, may seem like an atypical choice at first but through deeper analysis, can make sense because it may remind viewers of impoverished, barren walls where one may find forms of vandalization and graffiti in dilapidated areas; a possible contributing factor for interpretations later. The piece itself is a medium-scale painting that depicts a long haired woman holding several white flowers. She’s seated barefoot behind a container of more flowers and has an evident look of unhappiness on her face. She appears to be a flower vendor. Her hands are slightly stretched outward as if she’s anticipating to offer the flowers she’s holding to someone. Her body and clothes have visible contours from the yellow, red, white and even green hues that surround her, like casted shadows from a light source, making it appear as if she’s situated near objects with these different colored lights.

The title of the piece itself, Magbubulaklak, tells a story that can be universally understood by most if not all Filipinos, with a majority of us having experienced seeing something parallel to it in our lives. In translation, it directly means flower vendor or florist, however, the piece falls short on the latter definition as florists typically have a florist shop to professionally arrange and cut flowers. Instead, the woman appears to be selling in an open area with only a container of flowers, and she’s barefoot which is far from being professional.

Looking at the lines in Magbubulaklak, we can see a rough outline which emphasizes the woman’s details and some of the background in the piece, the shapes appearing more organic and life-like in nature. Additionally, the texture of the piece is composed of variously layered brush strokes of different colors purposely on top of one another. These components may represent Antonio’s intention to illustrate an emotional setting and emphasize the reality of the scene. The use of thin, soft curved lines on the woman’s features contribute to her appearance of delicateness and sorrow. A feeling of being fragile or “walking on eggshells” that most of us experience when we are at a low point in our physical, mental or emotional health. The wide contour lines on her face and body also bring emphasis to her emotional state, the dark shadows toward the center of her face adding depth to her grim and frail look. Moreover, the outline of other forms behind the woman bring distinction to her surroundings and environment. This can be attributed to Antonio’s goal of creating a realistic and expressive setting that interacts with the subject, by acting as context and emphasis. He represents the scene as genuine as it can be to the flower vendors we see in most Philippine streets and sidewalks today.

Moving on, the piece holds more positive space than negative as nearly every inch on the painting is filled with shapes. It feels very crowded and chaotic, one might even say there’s a “fear of space” present in this piece. And since there is only one subject, the woman, it seems like the purpose of having no negative space was to somehow bring your attention to her first. By having a mess of shapes in a background that is incomprehensible at first glance, the painting forces oneself to look at something that is clear, stable and coherent which is her. In my opinion, it was a bold yet clever move as it conversely emphasized how the surroundings were unstable and volatile, possibly foreshadowing her metal and emotional state. The overwhelmness from looking at the painting at first glance is really just to draw our attention to the center going out, to first take note of a clear subject then expand our line of focus outward as we investigate her relationship to the chaotic background and vice versa.

Furthermore, the colors in Magbubulaklak are composed of mostly bright primary colors red, yellow, and secondary color green, all of which are juxtaposed to the monochromatic white and black present. Initially, I was surprised to find so many bold and traditionally “happy” colors in what appeared to be a solemn painting judging by the subject’s facial features. The tones were very bright and lively, making the piece very eye catching and immersive to look at. Although my initial thoughts were that the subject would suit duller and darker shades to compliment the seriousness of the painting, but after looking at the whole picture, I understand and commend sir Antonio’s utilization of these specific colors. He used these bright colors as natural representation to our progressive cities and societies. It’s an abstract or distorted version of reality as it looks more chaotic in image but everything it represents is genuine, emotionally and physically. Chaotic streets and troubling emotions that surround the woman trying to sell her flowers, she is outlined with strong black lines and this contrast is what makes her pop out as the painting’s stable focal point, creating a clear distinction between her and her background.

In my opinion, although the piece can be generally interpreted with one common idea, “the subject is an unhappy and poor flower vendor”, the actual specifics may go in several directions. One possible interpretation is that the flower vendor is situated by a busy street, where cars and stop lights can be found, signifying the purpose of the familiar color group, the yellow and red representing a car’s flashing front and tail lights, and the green for “go” on the traffic light. An economic representation of the inequality between the rich and the poor, a gap between people with opportunity and those without; the people who can travel with cars and those limited only to the streets. In relation to the previous paragraph, an additional interpretation may be the background’s relationship to the subject as her emotions and thoughts. The chaos around her possibly represents the true mental state she’s in, underneath her sorrow features, it’s an image of someone with not much options or a way out. Using a traffic light analogy, the yellow and red around her could represent all the restrictions or barriers she continues to face, constantly stopping or slowing her down before she can have the opportunity for a better life while those in the cars can come and go as long as the light turns green. On the other hand, although very small, the presence of green located on her body may represent her spirit and remaining will to fight against the poverty she’s facing. This act of strength may be seen in her slightly stretched out hand where she attempts to sell the flowers to a possibly more fortunate passerby just out of view, a bridging interaction between the poor and the fortunate. Inspite of the piece being two-dimensional, it seems the painting crosses the threshold if we look at the angle of her gaze, because it can be met.

Despite the fact that this piece is currently located in the Ateneo Art Gallery, a private university often referred to as a place of privilege, regardless of the painting’s location, anyone who meets the woman’s sorrowful gaze can recognize by reading her expression and appearance, the story of hardship, poverty and inequality she imparts to her viewers. If one chooses to meet her eyes, it is physically possible, noting painting size and placement, as her gaze is angled in a specific way that allows your eyes to connect if you wish to do so but just slightly out of reach so that you’ll have to actively seek it out yourself. This feature itself can be a play on social action, how recognition of present injustices and gaps in opportunity or privilege is there as long as you accept to see it. Though this interpretation might not be exactly what the artist wished to impart, I feel like this version engages with the country’s current social and economic concerns, especially on how the unfortunate are most affected by it. It provokes my mind about the structure of our own society and the injustices present. The historical divide between social classes but now in a modernized setting, and how we can do something about it if we only open our eyes and recognize that something needs to be done. In the end, this analysis deepened my own understanding and appreciation of the work and the artist’s thought process behind it, effectively motivating me to have more compassion for the other side represented behind the painting.

When we observe sir Antonio’s entire piece of work, we are able to see another side to the daily life he aims to portray in Magbubulaklak. We recognize his clever use of brightcolors to contrast and enhance the seriousness in the painting, a signature technique that he’s used across most if not all his pieces. I commend his level of authenticity for these conjured images, not because he had lived through the hardships firsthand, but for managing to observe time periods and modernize the setting of these experiences. He was able to evolve his perspective as times changed, knowing what current situations are, and manage to still reach the hearts of many people across different generations.

To conclude, from a bird’s eyeview, the piece does not come across as classical, harmonious or traditionally beautiful in nature. At first glance, it all just seems abstract and too complex to comprehend. Due to this, a possibility I see is the piece becoming overshadowed in the near future, maybe several decades from now, as it does not garner enough interest to an average person’s eye. In worst case, it would look irrelevant. And this may be because the work only portrays a current image in society, one that may yet again change in the future, thus, would leave this piece outdated and unrecognizable to any part in the Philippines. As a third world country, it’s only natural for the Philippines to experience dynamic changes every few years. However, the changing times also have an ability to emphasize the beauty in these pieces by classifying them as historical, so they set a reminder to everyone what life in certain time period was like; how society lived and such. If that is done, we will have further enhanced outdated pieces’s relevance to even future time periods, effectively making these historical pieces timeless. It’s honestly amazing how art can be just that, an abstract representation of realities and expressions. Thus, I can wholeheartedly admit that Magbubulaklak is a great piece of high value, as both a viewer and someone who has encountered seeing this representation in real life. Through this painting, I recognized my own experiences and values, it also opened my eyes to the reality of our society and the impoverished community that I don’t often get to see. Having been at tucked away at the safety of my home for the duration of the lockdown and pandemic, Magbubulaklak makes me pause and think about the people struggling right now, financially and in health, making me more aware and appreciative of what blessings I do have, and how simple actions like donating to these people can go a long way to help them. In the painting, the lady looks like she’s anticipating for someone to sell her flowers to. Rhetorically, by “reaching out” my hand to her, maybe then even if it’s just a little, can I make an impact in our society.

References: “ANTONIO, Angelito.” Heritage Arts & Antiques Gallery. Accessed July 14, 2020. Retrieved from http://heritagegallery.ph/2017/09/antonio-angelito/

“04 1964 Angelito Antonio – Magbubulaklak,” August 25, 2018. https://lakansining.wordpress.com/2018/08/25/katipunan-avenue-quezon-city-the-social-realism-collection-of-the-ateneo-art-gallery/04-1964-angelito-antonio-magbubulaklak/.

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