ArticulatePH is thrilled to present Lost Conversations, a series of interviews conducted 40–50 years ago by publisher, art critic, and artist Cid Reyes.
Cid recently rediscovered these cassette tape recordings of conversations with established artists, masters, and National Artists, and articulatePH has now digitized them for today's art enthusiasts.
These invaluable sound bites, now carefully restored, are truly national treasures, transporting us to an era on the brink of a Philippine contemporary art revolution.
Irrepressible and irreverent, Vicente Manansala was a dazzling storyteller, overflowing with rich anecdotes and sharp observations about the vibrant tapestry of everyday life and the art scene, alive with fascinating contemporary figures. He strode through the realm of Philippine art like a towering colossus, confident in his unique talents and skills, bowing only to one master: the esteemed muralist from Angono, Carlos “Botong” Francisco.
A devoted visual chronicler of urban life, Manansala masterfully captured the bustling energy of the streets. His canvases depict jeepneys ensnared in chaotic traffic jams, the spirited clash of cockfighting, and candle vendors gathered outside Quiapo Church—praying for hope in the flickering glow of their wares. He painted fish vendors displaying their fresh catches, vibrant still lifes of fruits and vegetables that sprang to life from the colorful marketplaces, and modest families sharing what little they had during humble meals. Among his persistent subjects were the barong-barong, the organic squatter shanties that sprung up against the city’s concrete backdrop, structures he described with the vivid Tagalog term “sala-salabat,” embodying the tangled, crisscrossed nature of their construction.
Manansala found beauty in the chaotic arrangement of rusted corrugated sheets and timeworn wooden planks, breathing life into the scenes of hardship and resilience. In his iconic painting, “Madonna of the Slums,” crafted in 1950—a poignant reflection of a nation grappling with post-war struggles—he portrayed the stark reality faced by those who flocked to Manila in search of a better life, only to find a city steeped in sorrow, forcing them into a precarious existence, living hand-to-mouth.
While the plight of the common poor was a prevailing theme among Filipino artists, it was Manansala’s distinctive formal approach that set his work apart. His innovative technique, known as “Transparent Cubism,” borrowed elements from the Western art traditions of Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, yet retained a uniquely Filipino spirit. Through it, he delved deep into the layered complexities of perception, showcasing multiple angles of reality while imbuing his work with the classic, lyrical tenderness of native sensibility. Manansala is fondly remembered for his self-effacing words: “I am not an intellectual. I paint from the heart, not from the mind,” encapsulating the very essence of his artistic vision.
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In 1981, Vicente Manansala was posthumously proclaimed National Artist.
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