Lot description
Romulo Olazo (1934 - 2015) Diaphanous # 831 signed and dated 2012 (lower center) oil on canvas 48” x 48” (122 cm x 122 cm) Provenance: Paseo Art Gallery Romulo Olazo once found his success as a commercial art director at an advertising firm in the 1960s. However, he left his job in 1974 in a dauntless move to pursue his artistic passion and develop his artistry. He ventured into painting and print-making and successfully combined both to produce his iconic series, Diaphanous and Permutation. Olazo soon proved himself worthy of being regarded as one of the most influential and leading artists of his generation. To have a full comprehension of Romulo Olazo’s artistry, one must understand in its entirety the vast range of materials and techniques that he has experimented with. Alice Guillermo wrote that “what distinguishes Olazo’s Diaphanous paintings from all other abstract works in the country and even elsewhere is the viewer’s immediate reception which is a mixture of awe verging on a sense of solemnity.” Art critic Cid Reyes wrote in the book Romulo Olazo: “In their breadth and intensity of vision, Olazo’s works invite tangential parallels, not exaggeratedly, with the works of Mondrian and Rothko.” He also described the Diaphanous series as having multilayers of screens that create “a whispery fusion of matter and illusion.” Instead of producing works that conform to traditional art styles, Olazo’s Diaphanous has pushed the boundaries of artistic styles and techniques.
