작품 상세

Untitled signed and dated 1974 (upper left) acrylic on masonite board 26 1/2" x 24 1/2" (67 cm x 62 cm)   Warm, geometric, and lyrical, this wonderful 1974 painting by Romeo Tabuena offers a glimpse into his mastery of modernist abstraction, in which everyday objects are broken down into fragments and rebuilt through color, geometry, and rhythm rather than simple realism. With the painting looking like a random mosaic of shapes and colors, Tabuena presented recognizable forms that seem to peek from the canvas when you take a second look: a flower arrangement on the upper right, some fruits in a bowl, and a vague shape of a human figure sitting as a form of a guitar resting on their lap. The fragmented aesthetics of the piece push viewers to see beyond appearances, offering an experience through a combined play of color, balance, and rhythm. For context, by the 1970s, Tabuena had fully absorbed European modernism into his art style and blended it with distinctly Filipino sensitivities. The palette itself— consisting of muted earth tones and brighter accents of greens, oranges, and violets—establishes the calm and contemplative mood of the piece and the existing harmony between structure and emotion. (Mark John Castañeda)