THERE is often something of the whimsical and playful in art which tosses up riddles and puzzles of which the surrealists were well aware.  They were among the first to explore the potentials of material beyond its capacity to create the illusion of volume and depth on a flat surface. The surrealists were the first to discover the “thingness” of the object and called it “objet trouve”—“found objects”. In these objects, they often subverted function by medium. For instance, one of the creations of Salvador Dalí was the fur-lined teacup which evoked the odd and funny sensation of drinking tea or coffee from such a furry texture.  This is also how the surrealists developed a kinship with three-dimensional sculpture and installation.

This time, artist-engineer Ferdinand Cacnio got his inspiration from the shoe city. Just in front of the White Box Gallery at Cubao Expo—formerly Marikina Shoe Exchange—was a small traditional hub of footwear. They were done in the best styles and materials, and exuded the rich odor of fine ecru leather that Marikina has long been known for. He thought it would make an interesting project to exhibit shoes, likewise, in the gallery. Across the street, as though posing a challenge. But a challenge it was not, for Cacnio worked in an entirely different material: metal.

True, Cacnio produced a good number of footwear for women—actual sizes 6, 7 and 8—except they were in metal, and each one had a theme or background story. His basic model was the high-heeled shoe, sometimes with stiletto heels for the dangerous siren. What is particularly admirable is his dexterity and control of materials—his training in engineering removed all uncertainty with the use and manipulation of different metals, such as stainless steel, brass, copper, combined with wood. His processes involved soldering, welding and carpentry.

The title of his show, Sapatusin, alludes to the parental custom of whacking the butt of a stubborn child, although the shoes here are more for young adult females than for children. A dramatic example is Tuksuhin , which is a gleaming stiletto-heeled shoe. Its particular feature is a long snake coiled around the heel in several loops, going up the ankle and turning round with its small head and forked tongue poised to attack the apple lying on top of the upper sole. Adam, Eve and the snake interchange roles, as the snake and Eve become the antagonists.  The marvel is how the artist manipulated the steel rod to make the flexible and sinuous figure of the reptile.

Tigasin is, likewise, unusual with the curving heel made of finely carved wood shaped in the handle of a gun, but it has neither barrel nor trigger. Its deadly intent is defused by a single anthurium flower with its unusual configuration.

In contrast, Ferdinand Cacnio has at least two romantic works, Mamahalin and Pakasalin. The former features a full-blown rose upon which the ankle rests and under which the stem forms the curving heel. A single petal adorns the upper sole. Its companion piece, Pakasalin, has a bouquet of roses for its heel, a couple of roses for between the toes, and swirling ribbons around the legs.  In these romantic pieces, the artist indulges his feelings and does not spare any detail to convey his theme of love.

A fresh ode to nature is Palaguin, much in line with our urgent environmental concerns. Here, the shoe bursts all over with greenery from a luxuriant tree that forms the heel, while the upper sole, likewise, sports lively saplings. The trunk of the tree, its branches and twigs are rendered in lively detail, making it a celebratory piece.

 Cacnio also has two shoes on the contrasting themes of captivity and release. A highly ingenious piece, Huhulihin, shows astonishing ingenuity in his use of a banca and fishnet (lambat) for the vertical heel and a bunch of lively fish struggling together on its upper sole. Various textures are combined in this piece:  the large, finely woven lambat, the wooden banca and the squirming fish on the upper sole, but most of these elements are of metal predominantly and wood. According to the artist, this subject originated from his childhood in Malabon, when fishing seemed to be the livelihood open to him and his family.

Its counterpart, a construction in wood and metal, Palayain, features metallic pieces forming a design of iron bars which, at one point, are torn away to open a large space that connotes freedom.  Most Filipinos in our time have vivid experiences of confinement of freedom. One may not actually have experienced imprisonment, but captivity and freedom are experiences which are now deeply embedded in our consciousness for us to reckon with.

These are, indeed, beautiful pieces by Cacnio.  Outstanding is his dexterous use and combination of various materials which together produce a clean, elegant and gilded sheen.   While whimsical and playful, they have a strong underlying element of culture, especially folk culture, and allude in many ways to the people’s collective experiences.