In his ‘Occupying Powers’ series, celebrated Philippine artist Ronald Ventura examines the effect of history upon the contemporary psyche of his country through various visual mediums. Ronald Ventura’s palette includes oil painting, sculpture, graffiti and cartoons, demonstrating just how versatile the artist is.
Spain, Japan and the United States of America have all occupied the Philippines at one point in time. The Occupying Powers series examines how these occupations have interacted with one another as well as with indigenous Philippine culture to produce a complex contemporary Philippine identity.
A word that easily comes to mind when thinking about this theme is layers. Ronald Ventura deliberately uses layering in the Occupying Powers series to tackle this admittedly complex subject. A review of the series demonstrates just how effective the artist is with this technique.
Layered Psyche Illustrations
The Ronald Ventura ‘Occupying Powers' Series Explores His
Trend Themes
1. Layered-psyche Art - The growing prominence of layered-psyche illustrations presents an opportunity for artists to explore the interplay of past and present in contemporary cultural identity.
2. Cultural Reclamation - The Occupying Powers series demonstrates a trend towards cultural reclamation as artists seek to contextualize historical events and examine their effects on present-day society.
3. Medium Diversity - Artists, like Ronald Ventura, who are able to work across multiple mediums, will stand out in a crowded art scene that prizes versatility.
Industry Implications
1. Art - Artists who can harness the trend of layered-psyche illustrations can capitalize on the public's growing interest in complex cultural identity narratives.
2. History - Scholars and researchers stand to gain from the trend of cultural reclamation as they seek to better understand how past events shape present-day societies.
3. Storytelling - The layering technique used in the Occupying Powers series can inspire writers and filmmakers to explore the complexities of cultural identity through narrative.