I went to school at Canossa College, San Pablo city from Kinder to Grade 4. I hold far more affinity from this school than I do San Beda, where I continued by grade school and onto high school, and UST, where I took up Archtitecture. I'm a little put off that I can't really be considered a Canossa alumnus since I didn't finish grade school there. Nevertheless, this school holds the best memories for me in the entire time I was studying.
So I was rather happy to be coming back and holding an comics exhibit of mostly works by our classic artists, but some art from me and some of my contemporaries as well.
Someone commented somewhere that ...
"Putting up a virtual museum in the internet in honor of our comics greats is indeed laudable. But if the effect is only to produce bittersweet memories of the past and of pinings for glories long gone, I'm sorry but its not my cup of tea."
Yes it is my cup of tea and please, give me a whole thermos. In fact, give me a box of thermos full of this tea. It's simply excellent! To say something like that impugns on the value of worth of every museum on every subject, on every country, all over the world.
There is something good about preserving the aspects of our cultural history that characterizes us as Filipinos. The works of our great masters in comics are some of the most beautiful comic book art ever in the entire world. Their work must be preserved and displayed, so that Filipinos of today and in the future will be enriched by the knowledge and the experience that our cultural history had great worth and value.
These works are displayed not to pine for glories long gone, these are displayed so that they will inspire Filipinos today. To inspire our artists to aspire for greatness themselves because they know it is within their blood to do so. Our artists need not settle for artistic identities of Japan or America, because we have an artistic identity of our own. How would we know that or appreciate that if we are not even aware of these great works?
We have to know our past before we can move forward.
You should have seen the reaction of the kids who were at the exhibit today. These are kids weaned on anime on TV, who have most likely never heard of people like Nestor Redondo, Alfredo Alcala or Alex Nino. But they crowded the exhibit, marveling at how beautiful the art of Filipinos can be.
How can something like that be a waste of time and effort?
Ilyn's paper crafts booth. She made more money than me! :) But then again, I wasn't really selling anything except Humanis Rex and Sampalok posters.
More tomorrow!
