{"status":true,"msg":{"data":{"id":1833,"auction_id":4,"set_id":5,"lot_number":"108","artist":"Elaine Navas (b. 1964)","title":"Untitled","starting_price":400000,"signed_dated":"signed and dated 2018 (lower left)","medium":"oil on canvas","size":"48\" x 72\" (122 cm x 183 cm)","property":null,"coa":"Accompanied by a certificate issued by West Gallery  and signed by the artist confirming the authenticity of this lot","provenance":"West Gallery, Quezon City","exhibited":null,"literature":null,"write_up":"How does one appreciate nature? Given how \nit exists in the world, is there a proper way to \nunderstand it? Is art an acceptable avenue \nor medium when it comes to appreciating nature? \nNumerous genres from Realism to Impressionism have \nhad a long history of depicting and sharing the beauty \nof nature. But the development of technology, especially \nwithin the context of photography, videography, \nanimation, etc… has painting become obsolete? Perhaps \nour now multifaceted understanding of nature should not \nbe seen as a replacement for realism, but as a jumping off \npoint for a brand new kind of philosophy. One that goes \nbeyond seeing realism as a mere commodity, document, \nor artifact; but something closer to art’s more inherently \ntranscendental claims. Such bold claims must first rest \nupon certain distinctions.<br /><br />\nWithin this context, what then separates a photo of \na collection of clouds. What separates this 2018 oil on \ncanvas painting by Elaine Navas from a similar photo \ntaken by a common smartphone? One could argue that \nperhaps it was the intention. Whereas while a photo is \nrelatively instantaneous, a painting is one which may \nimply a prolonged sense of dedication or intent behind its \ncreation. Such a position seemingly takes inspiration from \nthe aesthetics developed by Leo Tolstoy. Tolstoy even \nargues that “What is precious to us in an author’s work is \nthe labor of his soul and not the architectural structure in \nwhich he packs his thoughts and feelings.”<br /><br />\nAnother argument would be that, in a world so focused \non delivering and even finding ways of delivering and \ncapturing things in the most detailed and cutting-edge \nway, Navas’ realism can be seen as delivering reality not \nas it is seen, but how it remembered, how it is felt, how \nit is experienced by us the viewer. The philosopher Nick \nZangwill, in response to the notion that true aesthetic \nappreciation always requires factual or scientific \nknowledge, notes that such an epistemic condition may \nruin or harm our appreciation of a thing. He cites clouds as \nan example. Wherein he notes that “the beauty of clouds \nis the beauty of things that look solid in a fluffy bouncy \nway.” The introduction of the true physical makeup \nduring an act of appreciation in the sense that Zangwill \nputs it may harm or diminish the aesthetic experience \nof them. Thus in some cases, context, especially one \ndistanced from aesthetics, may not be helpful to an \nexperience. In Navas’ case, its imperfections, in its failure \nto accurately depict the world, we are able to view not \nclouds as they actually are, but through an aspect of \naesthetic experience and beauty. The work’s unreality \nshows us more than meets the eye. (Jed Daya)","lot_group":"PAINTING","lot_details_html":null,"alias":null,"hp":1600000,"bp":0.2016,"isWithdrawn":0,"accounting_hp":1600000,"userBid":6957,"isPaid":0,"userId":22,"lot_status":"SOLD","isDone":1,"bid_history_id":null,"reserve_price":null,"hammer_price":1922560,"fav":0},"image":[{"id":2045,"img_url":"https://leongallery.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/v2/auction/4/5/lot/108.jpg","isFeatured":1}]},"increment":[900000,1000000,1100000,1200000,1300000,1400000,1500000,1600000,1700000,1800000,1900000,2000000,2200000,2400000,2600000,2800000,3000000,3200000,3400000,3600000,3800000,4000000,4200000,4400000,4600000,4800000,5000000,5500000,6000000,6500000,7000000,7500000,8000000,8500000,9000000,9500000,10000000,11000000,12000000,13000000,14000000,15000000,16000000,17000000,18000000,19000000,20000000],"prev":107,"next":109,"count_bid":0,"bid_history":[],"tokenExpired":1}