Art from the lens of the viewer
Annie Cabigting’s latest art exhibit focuses on the observer
By Poch Eulalia
At A Glance
- Art is not a handicraft, it is the transmission of feeling the artist has experienced. — Leo Tolstoy
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In the age of social media, we’ve found ourselves more accustomed to a fast-paced world. It’s a common sight nowadays to find people taking pictures at museums and speedrunning through each wing. It would seem as if the luxury of sitting down to reflect upon the artist’s work is now a rare occurrence. Artist Annie Cabigting’s latest exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum in BGC, “When we look at art…,” reflects upon the ways we take in art.
“Our social media has taught us to consume (art) really fast,” says Annie. “They come in, they go out, they look.” A quick look at Annie’s work has us viewing classic artworks but from the lens of the viewer. From her work, we can spot familiar paintings from iconic artists like Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, and many others sitting in the background as an onlooker observes.
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Annie likens her art to an unboxing experience. “We’re experiencing it, not (by) ourselves, but through someone else.” It sparks true as looking at her artwork has onlookers focusing more on the viewer rather than the iconic art piece. We are drawn to them in a way that we wonder what they must be feeling, being in front of the art. In a way, there’s a metaphysical bond between the viewer and the subject. As we peer into their mind, we slowly realize that we too are in the same boat. We are both looking at art, trying to piece together what exactly the artist is trying to tell us.
“I feel that the audience is part of the work,” says Annie. “It completes the circle of appreciation… Artists and objects. Art is an object in a wall. Kung wala ‘yung audience, ano ‘yung purpose niya (If there’s no audience, what is its purpose)? It’s just an item on the wall. If you put a person, us the audience, nagkakaroon ng symbiosis (there is a sudden symbiosis). What does the art give to you? It’s either you hate it, you love it, there’s a conversation. That’s what I’m saying here. You, as the audience, when we look at the work, we are part of it. The experience is part of it. That’s why I started painting people.”
True to her words, the more you observe the gallery and the people observing the art, the more you realize how beautiful it all is. As we take time off our lives to peer into the work of another, or in this case, as we look into the lens of how we view art, there’s a certain bliss that comes with allowing the world around us to slow down.
Annie’s exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum in BGC will be on display until April 13, 2024.