Art Review: Pop Fusion

Qube Gallery hosted last Wednesday March 18, 2015 another art exhibit which was entitled Pop Fusion. The show is a Bright Eyes series that showcases the works of Kim Bartz. This exhibit will run until April 6, 2015 and is located at the Henry Hotel, Ma. Luisa Road, Banilad, Cebu City.

Kim Napha Barbara Aurelia P. Bartz is a 25 year old Filipina – Luxembourger. She is a graduating student of fine arts with major in painting at the University of San Carlos.

Her works can be labeled as Pop Art, an art movement that emerged in the mid-1950s in Britain and in the late 1950s in the United States. The movement is famous for incorporated imagery from popular culture such as advertising, news, etc.

I wanted to witness this art exhibit because I was interested to see the works of artists coming out of the Fine Arts program of the University of San Carlos, and it was good to know that coming to the exhibit was not a waste of my time.

The works of Kim Bartz reminded me of the works of Wyndelle Remonde, such works that give Pop art a modern updated look. Pop art as we now know employs aspects of mass culture, such as advertising, comic books and mundane cultural objects. The aspects that Kim Bartz took from mass culture to put pop art in tune to the times were from dolls, canned goods and the art of tattooing.

By incorporating such influences, her works were colorful, stood out and also refreshing. It is refreshing in a sense because the Fine Arts program of the University of San Carlos is almost known for artists who make good portraits and landscapes, but Kim Bartz, one of the new generation of artists from the program has emerged to show us that the program has another side to it.

The emerging of Kim Bartz is a good development for the Cebu art community because it gives a good sign that the young generation is willing to stamp their mark on the scene. It showed that this upcoming, if she continues to do art, has potential to turn heads in the future. She is a new artist and also a new voice that has potential to stir some controversy along the way as well.

So congratulations to Kim Bartz, the Qube Gallery and the Fine Arts program of the University of San Carlos for a job well done!

About the author: N.M. CABANGBANG graduated Bachelor of Fine Arts Major in Painting at University of the Philippines Cebu. He is now currently teaching grade 6 – 10 Art at B.R.I.G.H.T. Academy.