The Neo-Picasso Works of Jun Caingat
By Jane Stangl
Picasso (1881-1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, and ceramicist who also designed costumes and sets for ballet. His life-long fascination with experimentation and innovation produced Analytical Cubism and Surrealism. Taking apart objects and analyzing them for their shape, objects were broken down and reassembled in abstract form, depicting them from multiple viewpoints.
Painter Amado (Jun) Caingat in his January 2020 show at SM Art Space exhibits a new, neo-Picasso orientation in vibrant colors of blue, green, aqua, maroon, red, pink and yellowgreen. Like Picasso, he has broken down shapes and views them from various perspectives. Did Picasso want to redo the perfection of the human figure to rediscover the mysteries of life? Whatever it is, Jun Caingat is able to keep aloft the hope of color, for in color there is life and expectation…
Being a migrant to Australia where he lives with his wife and three daughters, he took lessons under Paul Delprat at the Julian Ashton School of Arts in Sydney, receiving two 1st prizes, in 1997 and 1999 at the prestigious Panthers Annual Australian Day competition. He is also the migrant artist selected from 13 other artists to do the mural “Journey of Blacktown” for the State Rail Authority of New South Wales, on display at the Blacktown Bus and Rail Interchange.
Migrating to Australia with his family in 1994, he worked for the firm Blazed in Glory, doing sketches of the famous cricket and football players of Australia used in a nationwide advertising campaign. The commissions he got after that include the Don Bradman Museum, a lifesize portrait of Sir Don Bradman, the world’s greatest cricket player; a portrait of Mal Mannings, Australia’s best football player; and portraits of Peter Sterling, Ian Roberts, Doug Walters, Steve and Mark Waugh, outstanding cricket and football players.
Caingat has exhibited his works in Manila, at Heritage Art Center, Megamall in 2000, Glorietta in 2002, and a comebacking exhibit in 2015 at Shangrila. All the shows were extremely well received by his countrymen.
With his former style, painting with an aborigine friend, he applied his paint in a pointillist manner, small islands of paint distinct from the next. A chameleon effect is produced, depending on how the light strikes the canvas. He also applies paint with a sponge, his geometric figures surging with energy. He eschews designs in backdrop or clothing that could grab attention away from his color fields. In this show he goes back and forth, combining his new and old styles. He continues to use oil, watercolor and acrylic.
According to Caingat, although his art has seen several developments, his thirst to constantly express life through lines and colors remains always the same.
His show, “CHROMA” runs at SM Art Center from January 9-15, 2020.
