Causal Loops

Bernardo Pacquing (b. 1967, Tarlac, Philippines; lives and works in Parañaque City, Philippines) is a seminal figure in Philippine contemporary art. His exhibition at Silverlens New York, Causal Loops, marks the artist’s first solo exhibition in the United States and the sixth with the gallery. The show features a series of new large-scale mixed-media paintings. For this exhibition, Pacquing continues to explore the transformative nature of everyday materials, in particular the complex quality of concrete when manipulated on canvas. It is a substance traditionally used in building structures, denoting a monolith resisting environmental stresses. The new works transgress material expectations; they are part of the greater geometric form, which may be broken down into elements. The concrete on the canvas is given movement – maybe a greater sensuality – as if it were bubbling, oozing, or dripping in clumps. It would seem that for Pacquing, mastering concrete is not just treating it as a tool but a way to merge ideas and senses with its nature, almost like forming a dialogue with it. Pacquing persists in his innovative approach to painting by crossing the line and damaging even the sacred space of the canvas itself. The canvas is slashed, torn, pinched, slotted with petrified wood, and mounted with electric wire. Something is irrevocably changed for the better when you are willing to make progress by pushing the boundaries of what you are willing to do and be seen doing. —Josephine V. Roque

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