" From The Old Pond, I Ponder "
August 5 - 30, 2006

Roberto Robles considers sculpture as his first passion but by no means does he approach painting with less enthusiasm.  For his annual exhibition at the Galleria Duemila, he pursues abstraction in painting as part of a continuing series entitled “From the Old Pond I Ponder.”  The series title comes from a popular 300-year old haiku by Matsuo Basho to which Robles constantly refers for renewed inner peace and inspiration.  The pond has become a metaphor of his life, particularly the last ten years.  

It was in 1995 when Robles traveled to Japan with his wife.  They lived there for five years during which time he completed a Masters degree in Fine Arts, majoring in sculpture, in the University of Tsukuba.  He had a chance to study the art of sculpture more in depth, particularly stone carvings and its long history in Japanese culture.   In 2000, he was selected as country representative to the Symposium on International Sculpture held in Busan, South Korea.  Here Robles had a chance to work with an international group of professional sculptors.  And recently, in 2002, he spent three months in the United States for an artist residency program in Vermont.  Altogether these travels overseas have enriched his life and artistic development.

Robles has a contemplative nature, seeking solitude and finding time to spend the weekend outdoors.  The body of water he refers to in this series is found in a secluded area in Batangas, a tributary of Taal Lake, which he visits often.  It was not a surprise that he immediately found a common ground with the spirit of Zen Buddhism that predominates Japanese culture.  In his search for enlightenment, Robles continuously seeks to discover himself and his inner strengths by questioning his own purpose in life.  The Old Pond series is part of a continuing process of “seeing into his own mind” and finding serenity in everything, especially through nature.  This contemplative nature is also present in Basho’s haiku, where “he presents his own mind as timeless and endless, serene and potent.”

A parallel theme Robles aims to explore in this exhibit is the concept of art as object and the object as art.  This idea is consistent with those of the Zen artist who tries to “suggest the simplest possible means the inherent nature of the aesthetic object.”  His job is to suggest the essence, the eternal qualities of the object.  The painted canvases are not direct representations of a pond or any object for that matter.  Rather, Robles suggests its essence and its eternal qualities, based on his own understanding of the inner nature of the object.  The paintings remind us of pools of water – peaceful, but not stagnant, and enriched with the passing of time. 

On the technical level, these paintings are executed in a spontaneous process.  Similar to his approach in sculpture, Robles works directly on the material.  For him, making studies (or maquettes, for sculpture) are not necessary.  Although instead of the subtractive process in carving, he builds up layers of paint on canvas to achieve the right texture and color intensity and depth. Another element that identifies these paintings to those of Oriental artists is the inclusion of inscriptions within the image plane.  Handwritten, almost calligraphic strokes, compliment the painterly and textured brushwork.  Placed in different positions, these black linear strokes seem to complete the whole composition.

The scale of the paintings is varied, ranging from medium to large canvases.  For Robles, working on large-sized paintings is similar to working in stone.  With much affection, he relates that although stone is cold, the carving process creates a warm feeling, an intimate relationship with the material.  Similarly, a large canvas allows him to establish a more direct contact with the surface and pigment, thus creating the same level of intimacy with the medium.

Robles will incorporate a new element in this exhibition in response to the dimensions of the gallery’s new space.  He has prepared small paper sculptures echoing the essence of a kite and other familiar objects.  These will be presented as part of an installation work to compliment the wall-bound works.  Like the paintings and consistent with his style in stone sculptures, Robles emphasizes on the quality of rawness alluding to the ideas of natural and unfinished. 

The unfinished quality is prevalent in his works, regardless of medium.  This state, however, does not mean fragmented.  Rather it underscores the idea of a work in progress.  Like this series and his life, Robles believes that ending here defines another starting point for his development as an artist and as an individual.  Although his views his works since 1995 as more mature, he constantly questions his purpose in life and the direction his art will take in the future.  And in this search, Robles continues to see the old pond as his state of mind.

For inquiries, call Ms. Beth Manuel or Mimi  Santos  at  Tel. No 831-9990  or  Telefax 833-9815, E-mail us at duemila@mydestiny.net