My Father The Artist.
Leading up to Father's Day, let me tell you about my father, the artist. He came from a town called Kabankalan, in Negros Island (the Sweet Spot of the Philippines). He went to Manila to study Fine Arts in UP Manila. He belonged to the illustrious class of Larry Alcala, Jose Joya, Celia Diaz-Laurel, Pitoy Moreno, Juvy Sanso, et. al. In the second year, UP Fine Arts moved to its new campus in Diliman. Dad felt Quezon City was too far. With this, he moved to the University of Sto. Tomas.
While at the UST, he was sent on a scholarship to Spain with two other
artists, Cesar Legaspi, and Arturo Luz. They all studied at the Real
Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, where Juan Luna also studied.
Coming back to the Philippines after that scholarship, he took on a
teaching post at the University of Sto. Tomas, where National Artist
Victorio Edades was dean. His other friend at that time who became a
National Artist was Jerry Navarro.
Today, anywhere I go, if I
meet an artist from the 1950s to about the early 1980s, a lot of them
know about my late dad and in fact could have been their students.
As mentioned, he was surrounded by men who became National Artists. Both his Spain buddies Legaspi and Luz earned it. Could Larry Tronco have become a National Artist too? I think he could. Why he did not is another story.
Soon...
Related Post :
Negros Island History : Why People of Negros Celebrate on Cinco de Noviembre (Nov. 5)
The 5th of November is a special day in Negros Island. The Negros Revolution, now commemorated and popularly known as Al Cinco de Noviembre or Negros Day, was a political movement that in 1898 created a government in Negros Island in the Philippines, informally ending Spanish control of the island and resulting in a government run by the Negrense natives......Read More
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| Larry Tronco and Cesar Legaspi in Madrid |
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| UST College of Architecture and Fine Arts Faculty. |
As mentioned, he was surrounded by men who became National Artists. Both his Spain buddies Legaspi and Luz earned it. Could Larry Tronco have become a National Artist too? I think he could. Why he did not is another story.
Soon...
Related Post :
The 5th of November is a special day in Negros Island. The Negros Revolution, now commemorated and popularly known as Al Cinco de Noviembre or Negros Day, was a political movement that in 1898 created a government in Negros Island in the Philippines, informally ending Spanish control of the island and resulting in a government run by the Negrense natives......Read More
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