All About Bert

 

Essay 66. ALL ABOUT BERT 

We have in college, at the University of the East School of Music and Fine Arts, an art group which we named SETA (Self-expression Through Art). Our group held its first exhibit at the Galeria delas Islas in 1985. We revived that art group in 2011, this time as SETA Pilipinas, when we held in August of that year another group exhibit at Sigwada Art Gallery. To hype up that show which I titled "Renascence", I wrote a series of essays about the participating artists. The two essays below were my write-ups on Bert Falsis 

1. NOBLE, BRIGHT AND FAMOUS

Bert Falsis' full first name is Elberto - a variation I guess of Albert, which means noble, bright and famous. Bert initially used Bert Falsis as his Facebook profile name, but decided to change it to Treb Falsis because a cousin who's also in the same line of business (printing)  insisted on also using Bert Falsis as his profile name. As his name implies, our Bert is very bright indeed. He and wife Dulce had achieved a lot, having grown their printing business from a single letterpress machine which they obtained on a loan  to an offset printing machine. Not only that, they  had managed not only to send their children to the best schools, but also to build a beach house in Zambales and a luxurious house in Pampanga. 

Bert is made already, that's why I'm surprised when he suddenly expressed an urgent craving to paint. It was him actually who gave me the idea of reviving SETA. One day, he texted all of us his close buddies to join him in a painting session in a vacant room behind his office which he converted into a studio. He admitted  that he can't quite paint alone, that he needed the impetus of friends also engaged in painting to motivate him. But that was only during the first few weeks, because lately, he had been painting by himself. He no longer needs us around him. And to ensure that he wouldn't lose his creative momentum, he made sure that he had an ample stock of art materials always on hand, like dozens of primed canvases for example.

Since he hadn't touched oil paints, brushes, and easel for 26 years, Bert started doing still lifes, flowers mostly, which admittedly are the most undemanding of subject matters. What he came out with amazed me because It seems that he hasn't lost his artistic touch. It looks as if the years he spent creating wealth haven't dimmed one bit his ability to create art. He couldn't quite believe when I and Jerry Dean insisted that his flower paintings are exhibit material. What he wanted to display are the other paintings which he was doing "on the sly." I supposed that he plans to surprise us with what he considers as his more accomplished works like his paintings of Vigan scenes and serial visages of Christ. Anyway, ingress is only about 24 hours away - and all we can do for now is wait until Bert finally unveils his new works. I will no longer be surprised if what he's been keeping away from our eyes are little masterpieces indeed.

Going back to his name -  I've given ample proof that Bert is bright because of his keen business acumen and undiminished artistic skill. He's already rich by my standards though not yet famous, which I'm sure he would soon also be. As to being noble, well,  Bert may have that nobility of spirit which is shown by his generosity and kindness; but I'm quite sure that his family is not of the ancient Filipino nobility. Bert is also a commoner like me. Hindi kami dugong bughaw, hahaha...

2. RENASCENCE RECAP:  THE REVELATION

At last, Bert Falsis had finally unveiled his Vigan and Christ paintings which he'd been hiding from us before. As expected, we were all pleasantly surprised. Those who think that Bert can only do flower paintings were all proven wrong by his masterful realist rendition of Vigan's Calle Crisologo. Also, Christ's visage imprinted on His shroud was also faithfully copied by Bert, that I suppose I can now classify him as a hyperrealist painter. That's a big compliment because that would put him in the august company of William Harnett, Chuck Close, and Richard Estes. Bert claimed he hadn't touched any oil painting paraphernalia for 26 years, so, his unveiling of paintings these good and so true to actual appearances is truly amazing. But, we shouldn't be amazed - because if there's one fellow who's tenacious and single-minded enough to achieve everything he aspires for, it is Bert. He is a success in business, and now, I can see that he'll also be a success in art.

- 2011

#bertfalsis