AN American men’s magazine posited earlier this month that today’s downtown scenesters—embraced in the fashion world for their avant-garde style characterized by slouchy blazers and fuzzed-up sweaters—trace their roots to stand-up personalities of yesteryears. It just so happens that the inspiration, the look of a “’90s comedian,” are “about the two least stylish words imaginable.”
That a laughing stock today can be a hot commodity tomorrow is nothing new in the world of fashion. Conversely, a must-have piece this season is encouraged to be forgotten the next. All this to keep the consumers buying and the players earning.
Visual artist Nina Garibay takes a moment to reflect on this exploitative cycle. In her latest solo exhibition at Art Cube Gallery, titled Turn, Turn, Turn, Garibay advances the futility of keeping up with the vanities promoted by the fashion industry.
Garibay graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of the Philippines, Diliman, with a degree in Visual Communication from the College of Fine Arts. She is currently the program manager at the Punlaan, a program of the Linangan Artist Residency, located within the Alitaptap Artists Community in Amadeo, Cavite.
In her new solo, Garibay presents paintings created from her college-based aesthetic, piecing together images from fashion photoshoots that critique our dealings with the industry.
Her Molting series, for example, presents variations of the same woman’s silhouette superimposed with different elements, from a flowing dress to blooming flowers. Perhaps it alludes to how we associate clothes as extensions of ourselves and how fashion is a means toward self-realization. However, the fact remains that no matter what we have on, our true identity remains our only identity.
Garibay also leads us to ponder on what’s next. The artificial demand prodded by the industry often leads to the overproduction of textiles and garments, which in turn overwhelms the environment with needless wastes.
In Light Trap, the artist depicts half of a model’s body in couture pose, bending unnaturally to achieve what we are trained to believe as impressive or desirable. The same can be said for the industry itself.
Alongside Garibay’s show in Art Cube Gallery is a solo exhibition by Pablo Zingapan, titled Shake, Rattle & Roll.
Zingapan studied Fine Arts at the Far Eastern University and University of Northern Philippines in Vigan. He was a finalist in various national art competitions such as the GSIS Art Competition in 2010 and 2019, and the Metrobank Art and Design Excellence (MADE) Competition in 2012.
Heavily influenced by horror movies and stories, the artist presents works that center on eerie visuals and a sense of nostalgia in his new show. While nostalgia is almost exclusively associated with pleasant memories, Zingapan challenges the notion by evoking that feeling through frightening images.
The supernatural and the mythical are showcased through works that appear as time-worn photographs, featuring haunting subjects, and splattered with blood for good measure.
In Ang Pari, a decapitated priest manages to exchange gaze with the viewer. In Ang Magkakapatid, three children bare no mark of innocence, as one appears more sinister than the last. The youngest of the bunch has his face turning from the inside out, casting a menacing shadow with lurking eyes.
Nina Garibay’s Turn, Turn, Turn and Pablo Zingapan’s Shake, Rattle & Roll are currently on view at Art Cube Gallery in Karrivin Plaza, Chino Roces Extension, Makati City.