NATURE as anthropomorphic entity has been an influence in Jandice Castillo’s oeuvre. He translates trees and flora not as a literal representation but as an interpretation of a moment. The dark and luminous elements in the paintings reflect the idea of duality. Trees typify stillness — yet beyond one’s immediate perception there is movement, growth and change.
For “Jardin Coloré”, the evolving colors of nature becomes the main focus of the exhibit.
Castillo paints a landscape richly evocative of the timeless and universal archetypes of being — the sovereignty of the land, the connectedness of the forest, the ebb and flow of a grassy pathway. The artist depicts a garden filled with light, exuberant color, and texture which flourishes in a constant state of flux.
In Castillo’s visual universe on the borders of abstraction, things are transformed to the point of being reversed in a kind of alchemy: the blurred becomes sharp, the splashes become figures, the unseen becomes the evident. He questions the notion of representation and beyond, of reality itself through what constitutes the very essence of visual perception. Beyond his impressionist gardens, Janddie Castillo’s extraordinary palette invites the audience to explore new territories.
“Master of Splash Art” is the title given to Janddie Castillo, a Far Eastern University Fine Arts graduate, by his peers due to his unique art style which he invented and coined. This technique melds realistic and impressionistic themes with the symphony of splashes, splatters, and swiping strokes. He has successfully incorporated Jackson Pollock’s “Drip Technique” with Voka’s brush stroke style and color combinations to make an art style that is truly Filipino and truly Castillo’s own.
“Jardin Coloré” by Janddie Castillo will be on view from March 20 to 29, 2021. Galerie Joaquin U.P. Town Center is located at 2/F Phase 2 U.P. Town Center, Katipunan Ave., Diliman, Quezon City
