{"status":true,"msg":{"data":{"id":50107,"auction_id":99,"set_id":131,"lot_number":"18","artist":"Joven Mansit (b. 1984)","title":"Diwata #5","starting_price":80000,"signed_dated":"signed and dated 2016 (lower right)","medium":"pastel on tea-stained paper","size":"39 1/4\" x 27 1/2\" (99 cm x 70 cm)","property":null,"coa":null,"provenance":null,"exhibited":null,"literature":null,"write_up":"Artists are no stranger to sourcing inspiration from events that have transpired. From Jan van Eyck’s 1434 depiction of the aristocrat Giovani di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife, to Pablo Picasso’s monumental piece on the Spanish Civil War titled Guernica, artists have used history as their muse as a way of grounding themselves in our world. But these pieces are not merely depictions of events, but are also effectively critiques of the reality of the human condition. In the same vein, the meticulously stylized paintings of contemporary visual artist Joven Mansit are more than unique or quirky aestheticizations of our colonial past, but contemporary critiques to the way we view our own history, culture, and identity. Mansit’s paintings and collages stemmed from the artist's oversaturated experience with unapologetically Filipino-themed paintings that defined the parts of the 20th century. These paintings were often filled with idyllic images, from beautiful rural landscapes, to austere locals garbed in traditional attire. Though these works and the style of art are undoubtedly seminal pieces of Philippine Art History, in order to break ground and find new ways art could be used as a medium of both expression and critique, Mansit took it upon himself to create a practice that was firmly rooted in our history, but also critical of what had transpired.
Though Mansit has created numerous pieces, all of which tackle different historical events and eras, similarities have been drawn between Mansit’s style and the early look of photographs that were prevalent during the turn of the 20th century. Though photography in the Philippines was present during the Spanish colonial era, namely as an art form reserved for the upper echelons of society, it was arguably only during the American occupation of the archipelago that photography really broke out of its shell as medium for documentation and ethnographic analysis. Among the works produced during this period were the photographs of the American Dean Worcester.
But while Worcester’s photographs were used as a medium for ethnographic research, Mansit’s pieces approach history in a different way. The artist’s works often take a much more humorous treatment, effectively utilizing irony and satire as its core. Though one might question the ethics of indulging in humor when one speaks of history, especially when it comes to complex and traumatic events, one must also understand that such an approach, when done correctly, has the potential of being critical and furthering the conversation. The philosopher Ted Cohen emphasizes the importance of telling jokes, especially within communities , by stating that “When metaphors go across and jokes work, communities of appreciation are realized, but these are essentially non- conscripted communities, because there is no penalty for failing to join them. I have been understanding these communities, principally, as what I have been calling intimate communities of feeling.” Humor allows us a degree of levity that ultimately opens up the floor for conversation, especially when such things are often left highly guarded. This method is undoubtedly present in Mansit’s work. The presence of irony and satire in his pieces, such as this one titled Uncommon Sense, effectively looks at events that have had convoluted effects on our history, but does so in a way that teaches us to process historical trauma in a way that both acknowledges it and opens it up to critique and progress. (J.D.)","lot_group":"PAINTING","lot_details_html":"
Joven Mansit (b. 1984) Diwata #5 signed and dated 2016 (lower right) pastel on tea-stained paper 39 1/4\" x 27 1/2\" (99 cm x 70 cm)