Lot description
Interaction signed and dated 2000 (lower right) oil on canvas 84" x 156" (213 cm x 396 cm) LITERATURE Gatbonton, Juan T. and Alya B. Honasan. The Art of Malang as Filipino. Mandaluyong City: The Crucible Workshop, 2002. Photograph of Malang, Steve, and Soler Santos with the painting reproduced in color on page 14. The turn of the new millennium saw Mauro Malang Santos in high spirits as he welcomed the first month of the year with celebrations for his 72nd birthday and his 40 years in the Philippine art scene. In fact, when the new millennium kicked off, Malang was blessed with four solo shows in one month, proving that age is just a number. The optimistic Malang smilingly said in a January 15, 2000 interview with The Manila Bulletin: “How else should I welcome the New Year? Many people send the old year off with firecrackers, and they are happy doing that. I am happiest when I paint. Becoming a painter was one of the best things that ever happened to me.” The year 2000 was also a very special year for Malang, as it marked his first creative collaboration with his two beloved sons, Steve and Soler. This mural-sized painting is remarkable for being the first interaction painting Malang created with his two equally talented sons, who both followed his creative footsteps. The work was commissioned by a Philippine conglomerate in 2000, in line with the celebrations for the new millennium. “I am only beginning. Hindi ako nagsasawa [I am not getting bored] after 41 years of my career in art. Without fail, I still get to paint every day.” In a recent correspondence with Leon Gallery, Soler shared the contributions of each family member to the painting. The upper portion of the work, including the sky and birds, was painted by his older brother, Steve, whose style in this work echoes his father’s. On the other hand, Soler painted his signature tree forms on both sides of the work. Their father, of course, painted the central subject, showcasing his trademark breezy, cartoon-like figures that sparkle with childlike joy and innocence. Malang’s subjects portray a configuration of technological machinery and abstracted figures representing multiple spheres of society that speak not only of the institution’s prestige and standing, but more so its commitment to be of service to every Filipino, even beyond borders and oceans. The piece sparkles with confidence and exuberance, reflecting the country and its institutions entering the new millennium with renewed hope, optimism, and a vision for a progressive future. Being a collaborative painting, the work sees Malang continuing the “interaction painting” tradition of the Saturday Group of Artists, which he once headed from 1994 to 1998, succeeding Cesar Legaspi. Malang had been supportive of his two sons’ decision to pursue art as both a profession and a vocation, with him serving as their first art teacher and making them meet his friends who were also titans of Philippine art: Manansala, Legaspi, H.R. Ocampo, Olazo, Kiukok, and Larry Alcala, who became Steve’s godfather. Steve mounted his debut solo exhibition in August 1975 at the Luz Gallery, where his younger sibling, Soler, also held his debut in 1981. There’s a comic backstory about Steve before he debuted as a painter. Roberto Chabet, Steve’s mentor at the UP School of Fine Arts, asked Arturo Luz to give his bright student an exhibition. Luz then phoned Malang, saying, “Mayroon ka palang anak na pintor, at mas magaling pa daw sa iyo. Kailan siya Pwedeng mag-exhibit?” To which Malang humorously replied, “Basta’t creation ko, magaling!” Steve, known for his realist paintings of commonplace objects and settings shrouded in enigma, was also an avid photographer. With his mastery of form and composition, he once called his subjects “decisive moments” captured in permanence, seeing and photographing things he liked, with the images he did not capture on film, he kept at the back of his mind, and at the most suitable moment, painting them with camera-like precision as they filled his stream of consciousness. On the other hand, Soler found solace in nature’s images: leaves at different stages and trees in various life cycles. He first made his mark with his dexterity in tempera and watercolors, with his signature leaf forms evoking nostalgia, romance, and warmth all at once. Interestingly, it was also Malang himself who offered Soler the present lot on which West Gallery now stands. Malang was notably the one who encouraged the hesitant Soler, with both having the idea of conceiving the gallery for future up-and-coming artists to have their own exhibit space, a form of giving back to the community, especially for the seasoned Malang. When Steve and Soler debuted, critics and audiences alike were quick to notice their differences in style from their esteemed father. In a Lifestyle Inquirer interview for West Gallery’s 35th anniversary in 2024, Soler shared that their father inspired them both to develop discipline and uniqueness. He said: “Tatay was very disciplined with his practice as an artist. He showed us by example and encouraged us to paint or draw every day. He was also very serious about us developing our own style and would always buy books and art magazines. Our travels were always to see museums and galleries, even when the kids were small and seemed uninterested at that time. Now, they are the ones who are more informed about important art shows and events and have taken us to new galleries and museums.” Overall, this painting conveys the joy of the family, the warmth of belongingness, and the delightful feeling of being embraced by a love that resonantly speaks of nurturing and encouragement.
