A unique exhibit showcasing digital art created by one of the country’s top visual artists opened recently at the Adamson University Art Gallery.

A Creative Reaction 5: A Digital Art Innovation is the 18th one-man show staged by Lito de Guzman, currently the college secretary and a faculty member of the University of the East’s College of Fine Arts. Creative Reaction 5 follows de Guzman’s last one-man show, A Creative Reaction 4, held at the Power Plant Mall in 2009.

De Guzman’s latest show was borne from an idea conceived during his period of convalescence after a heart illness. During the time spent getting well, the artist tried to go back to his art using several mediums, including his favored monochrome ball point pen and oil pastel. He would be unsatisfied with these attempts until after a few accidental clicks on his computer saw him developing a form of art he calls “abstract expressionism.” His work on the computer would turn out several artworks, all of which forms the body of his current exhibit.
Present at the opening ceremony on November 19 were de Guzman’s colleagues from UE and the Federation of Philippine Photographers Foundation, Inc. (FPPF). Students who came to the opening were given a rare bonus as the artist himself gave an impromptu lecture on his art and his methods.

The show is staged together by the Cultural Affairs Office, FPPF, and the UE College of Fine Arts. Exhibit runs until December 10. Yael Esperat

ARTIST NOTE
by Lito L. de Guzman

In my time of illness, I tried to recover it through painting. At first, my art was so formal and traditionally realistic, that somehow reflects my loneliness through its colour blue, using my favourite medium, monochrome ball point pen which I plan to have it exhibit to the gallery. And I said, it is a blue period to me, no distinction of sweetness or attractive colours, but simply quiet moods.

As I go on, I’m not satisfied with the medium, so I change it to oil pastel, where i express my happiness and my enjoyment to the environment. Some may say it cool, because of the impressionistic presentation of colours and technique, some of it were included it to a group show with my best friend last month of August.

Still not contented,  so I tried to find another art medium that could answer to my need in bringing out those concepts, filled with sweet and attractive colours, to show that I am getting better and better every day.

But still not contended, I think of using a camera, to express my ideas through digital manipulation, but somehow I find it, lack of some creative enhancing, and the time and places which will be my subjects, it can spend more time to find it, The ideas is limited to the equipment . But using some studies and sketchy subjects, i find   that there is more freedom to express something.

While working on some digital work. I accidentally pressed some icons to my computer, that it created my work different. It is more mature and professionally done to its presentation. It is like having a digital palette, combine with some cubes and your inner emotion. The result is “Abstract Expressionism in Digital Painting”.

Sometimes it needs to be influenced by the other artists, like Van Gogh, Renoir, Picasso, Pollack or Matisse to develop a new form of art to your composition. The delivery of my art today is something new to me, that i have not seen it yet, in the internet, reference books or to the actual exhibitions in the gallery. The colour harmonies are not the usual combination that I used, but got it from my desire and inspirations, from the people that gave me strength and the motivation to go on... And with this, “Abstract Expressionism” lives on to the computer.