Painter Bert Antonio: A Life in Abstract
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Bert Antonio's artwork is always full of surprises (Photo courtesy of Bert Antonio)
Based in Boston, Massachusetts, he grew up in Caloocan City in the Philippines. He has memorable childhood memories, both joyful and sad. But strong family ties bind his personality and creativity. “And even if haven’t seen or talked to my family and relatives for a long time, it’s very easy for us to pick up from where we left off and catch up on the present,” he says.
Antonio studied painting at the University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman, Quezon City. His favorite instructor was Roberto Chabet, who instilled in him and his classmates the zest for art. It was while doing class assignments that he observed something different. “What I set out to do usually ended up in the worst ways,” he remembers. As such, he enjoyed doing his own thing at the UP because he was always open to twists and turns with interesting results.
Ronnie Garcia, his best friend from the UP, recalls: “Bert always produced works that are different from the rest. Because he was not making plans, I have always believed that he is amazed at his works.”
Antonio made a vow a long time ago to be as original as possible. He believes that all art is autobiographical, that life and art are inseparable. In the works of other visual artists, he expects sincerity and conviction.
To him, art is not a career but his life. One lesson he has imbibed is that there is so much more to learn. At this point, he has accepted the fact that it is okay not to be able to figure everything out all at once. If ever he writes his autobiography, the last chapter would remain open.
In doing an artwork, Antonio chooses the sizes of his material in such a way that he can maximize the space it can occupy, or expand beyond what is to be expected.
Initially, I found (sometimes) i (get ideas) & (sometimes) they (get me) (2022) to be rash, rough, and tentative. It’s a mixture of lines, colors, textures, and unfinished shapes on a wood panel. However, it grows on me. The initial doubt seemingly becomes concrete, projecting magnificent confidence.
(sometimes) i (get ideas) & (sometimes) they (get me) by Bert Antonio, 2022, graphite, colored pencil, spray paint, and oil on wood panel, 12" x 9". (Photo courtesy of Bert Antonio)
Techniques are the least of Antonio’s concerns. He comes up with techniques as he needs them. His knowledge of the basics leads him to discover unplanned interactions with the materials he uses.
The artwork (from) thoughts come (words, from words, come worlds) (2021) is on watercolor paper. It has various dots, cutouts, and ovals with scratches. The images look effortless but are dense with details, especially three-dimensionality.
(from) thoughts come (words, from words, come worlds) by Bert Antonio, 2021, graphite, colored pencil, and acrylic on watercolor paper, 8" x 13". (Photo courtesy of Bert Antonio)
The titles of his artworks are far out and in lowercase. Where does he get them? “My titles come from things that I connect philosophically or spiritually,” Antonio replies. “They can be from a line in a song or a sentence that I heard or read.” Also, he has started using a “double” title for his work because he raises questions instead of providing answers.
The artwork knock yourself out (2007) is painted with oil on canvas. It has dabs of colors, of which only black and yellow are repeated, in elongated and irregular shapes. Nothing is overworked, making it fresh and attractive.
knock yourself out by Bert Antonio, 2007, oil on canvas, 32" x 24" (Photo courtesy of Bert Antonio)
Who collects his works? “Mostly other visual artists,” Antonio responds. This is telling. Visual artists have a good eye for art, and if they are collecting his artwork, then, he must be doing a great job!
Bert Antonio’s work looks very simple. It can even seem like a child made it. But closer scrutiny reveals great design and mind-bending effect. That is very Antonio—pushing the boundaries of form, color, and material, making the viewer experience abstract art to the hilt.
Bert Antonio can be reached at bertantonio211@gmail.com.
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Rey E. de la Cruz, Ed.D., Positively Filipino correspondent, writes from Chicagoland when he is not loving the arts and longing for his hometown in the Philippines: Ballesteros, Cagayan. He was the first documented film student (University of the Philippines) and high-school film teacher (San Beda University) in the Philippines. An educationalist, he originated and disseminated the use of the ancient Philippine board game sungka as a teaching strategy. He was awarded the Gawad Balagtas for Drama in Filipino by UMPIL, the Philippines’ largest organization of writers, “for his pioneering creative spirit that imagined and expanded what can be possible for today’s modern theater.” Far-out dreams, visionary storytelling, and bold theatricality defined the plays he wrote and directed.
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