BusinessWorld Newspaper
Arts & LeisureFeb 24, 2010
Censoring the ‘secret part’ of a woman Igan D’ Bayan’s elation at being included in the Philippine delegation to the 24th Asian International Art Exhibition (AIAE) held in Malaysia turned into disappointment when curators of the Kuala Lumpur’s National Art Gallery didn’t allow his painting, Gothika Filipina 2, to be displayed.  Rosscapili’s Coexistence # 35 He received no official letter from the organizers explaining why his macabre riff on Grant Wood’s American Gothic -- replete with skulls, bones, breasts and genitalia -- was censored. The only communication Mr. D’ Bayan received was a trail of e-mail messages forwarded by Ramon Orlina, chair of the Philippine Committee of Asian Artists, Inc.
One of the messages in the back-and-forth conversation between Mr. Orlina and National Art Gallery curators cited that Gothika Filipina 2 was unsuitable because the woman’s "secret part" was "too clear," making the painting open to "bad interpretation."
"Here in the Philippines, we take our liberties for granted," said Mr. D’ Bayan during the opening of his somber one-painting show in Crucible Gallery, his way of giving Gothika Filipina 2 a proper wake. The AIAE, which ironically carried the theme "Manifesting Diversity," was supposed to be his first international showing and he wondered if his experience was a foreshadowing of future exhibitions.
Tough censorship in Malaysia can prompt head-scratching when news of it reaches our liberal shores. American rap-rock band Linkin Park was given the okay to play on the condition that they would refrain from jumping around and screaming -- which is basically what a Linkin Park concert is, in the first place.
The Malaysian government has also objected to pop divas who flash too much skin, among them Mariah Carey, Madonna, and the Pussycat Dolls. "I feel like I’m kindred spirits with Nicole," Mr. D’ Bayan laughed, referring to Nicole Scherzinger, lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls.
On a more serious note, the debacle prompted the artist to do research on contemporary instances of censorship in the visual arts. "I thought censorship stop-ped with the Inquisition or with the Nazi regime’s banning of what they called ‘degenerate art’ by the likes of Picasso," he said.
But the artist discovered that modern examples abound: Manuel Ocampo’s swastika paintings were censored in Germany; Chris Ofili’s Holy Virgin Mary, a 1996 collage decorated with elephant dung, caused a stir when Rudy Giuliani, who was mayor of New York when it was shown in the Brooklyn Museum of Art, pronounced the piece "sick stuff."
"I have utmost respect for people who view art because they know better," Mr. D’ Bayan said. Going back to his painting, he added that the woman in Gothika Filipina 2 was monstrous rather than erotic and looking at her wouldn’t prompt lustful thoughts in a normal person.
"I had to expose her private parts because I was making a point about Philippine history, bomba movies, and conjugal dictatorship -- it should be taken in its totality," he said.
Printmaker Virgillio "Pandy" Aviado, a member of the Philippine Committee, who was present at the opening, said that the Mr. D’ Bayan gambled when he flout-ed the AIAE’s guidelines. But, he added, "art is about exceptions, not rules."
"If you want to fool around with things and ideas that will provoke audiences, go ahead, take the risk," Mr. Aviado said. He added that the Philippine Committee decided to be "gracious, diplomatic, and civilized" in its response to the National Art Gallery’s decision to pull Gothika Filipina 2.
A digital covering in order to get around Malaysian customs.
"We didn’t want to become the problem," he said, before compli-menting Mr. D’ Bayan. "I appreciate how Igan continues to fight for whatever it is he believes in."
Mr. D’ Bayan’s take-it-leave-it approach in dealing with the situation contrasts with the manner that artist Ross Capili, another member of the delegation, responded.
The latter’s Coexistence #35 was in the same boat as Gothika Filipina 2 because of breast exposure and both men were given the same options: submit a less provocative painting; cover the "offending area"; or stand by their work and face the consequences.
Where Mr. D’ Bayan refused to budge, Mr. Capili digitally retouched his work and covered his subject’s breasts.
"I expected it; I mean censors Malaysians have been known to black out an artwork’s cleavage area with a Pentel pen," he said in the vernacular during a mobile phone conversation with BusinessWorld. "I didn’t want them to destroy my art so I retouched it myself. Mas okay na gawan ng paraan kaysa ’di mapakita. [Better to compromise than not be seen]."
Then, in an e-mail letter to this writer, he explained that the final painting was not touched.
He found out that the original works would not be opened at Malaysian customs, but that they would "only check the ‘goods’ inside via a picture to be submitted via e-mail." So what he covered up was the exposed breasts on the digital image” the original was untouched.
"In other words, I compromised only for the requirement of the customs [bureau]... but not my original which were shown and displayed prominently during the AIAE at the gallery without any glitch or censorship whatsoever.
"I really want to get this work through the hassle because my work and the techniques that I’ve applied there really showed the ‘Diversity theme’ for this year’s Asian Art meet. With today’s technology, there are ways to escape the censorship... but compromising and retouching the original work is ‘no way,’" he wrote.
Gothika Filipina 2 is on view at The Crucible Gallery, 4th floor SM Megamall A, Mandaluyong City until Feb. 28. For detailscall Chari or Inas at 635-6061.
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