It is not very often that you get a chance to spend a day with a National Artist. So when the opportunity arises, one must grab it and hold on tight! I had the privilege of doing just this with one of the most enigmatic and brilliant artists that I have ever met. When I heard that Malu was going to visit the work studio of Mr. Arturo Luz in Laguna, I asked if I could join her. Thankfully she said yes, but had to ask the permission of Mr. Luz because apparently, he does not like surprises.
It was a rainy Monday morning and we met him at a Starbucks in Alabang. We all had to be early, as Mr. Luz is never late! When we got there, we thought that we were ahead of him, but a few minutes later, he emerged from the restroom, clearly way ahead of us. We had our coffee and I had the chance to “interview” him. However, I later found out that he hates to be interviewed, so I just backtracked and told him it’s just “kwento.” LOL! My first impression of Mr. Luz was that he was so exacting, everything he did had measure and sureness. He even made a list for us for all the exits we had to make so that we would not get lost.
Mr. Luz told me that his "bush shirt" is all he wears! He has more than a dozen of these cotton shirts, all the same, from the fabric down to the coconut buttons. He wears this uniform daily and wears barongs for special occasions.
After coffee, we headed out to his studio. The place reminded me of a very large country barn, with its red and white facade and almost Western-like proportion. Right beside this was a very large lot, and on this lot were Mr. Luz’s latest sculptures. I was in a trance! Imagine a world where simple geometric shapes intersected and created the most profound statements. Since it was raining quite hard, we entered the studio.
The studio was more like a giant loft all painted white, and surrounding this were numerous works of the national artist. I took my time in taking it all in, as it was quite overwhelming! It was quite a spectacle! The visit was made even more memorable as Mr. Luz would explain to us most of the pieces that were displayed.
As we drove in the studio, a gravel lined lot was beside it, and within the lot were the most monumental structures created by Mr. Luz. I had asked him previously where he gets his ideas and he told me that it is ingrained in him, as when he was in art school, it was as if it was pounded in his head to create. Now, creativity is part of him.
The studio was filled with the works of Mr. Luz from various time periods. This piece is one of his latest creations.
This is from his circulo series. When asked why he chose this color, which many fans have called the "luz-yellow," he just shrugged and said, "I wanted the yellow of the caterpillar." I thought it was the bug, then someone cleared it up - it was the Caterpillar of the construction machines. It was that simple!
As we moved around, we had the esteemed honor of Mr. Luz explaining most of the pieces.
These are from the Acrobat group.
Hovering over the studio was a tarpaulin of Mr. Luz.
This was a small version of his very famous Paper Clip series.
A closeup of the signature of Mr. Luz
The vast studio really complemented the art works.
There were some pieces of his burlap pieces done in the '60s.
I am so inspired by his work!
This piece was very strong!
CLASSIC LUZ!
I LOVE THIS! This is one of the pieces that I have my heart set on! I am using the "secret" to acquire it! LOL!
This is also so beautiful! It's actually not that big, but it's made from solid steel! I tried to pick it up and had a really hard time doing so.
Even if it was raining we had to head out and get some photos of the sculptures.
Malu set her eyes on this piece!
Here I am with Tina Bonoan and Sari Ortiga, who is the managing director of the Crucible Gallery, the exclusive dealer of the art works of Mr. Arturo Luz.
While we were outside, Mr. Luz was very busy coordinating his men to arrange one of his recent works.
His exacting nature set in, as he pointed out how his work was supposed to be set up.
It was truly one of those special days. I will have to break down the visit into two entries, as I want to share with all of you in detail my wonderful experience. Thank you Mr. Luz for being so generous with your time, and thank you for an unforgettable experience!!
HUGS!
RAJO!
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