The Curious Case of Sabel

It was my first time in Baguio City last March 14 to 16. I have always wanted to visit the place but never had the chance to. So when my friends from Feast PICC invited me, I giddily said 'yes.'

Apart from tasting strawberry taho, buying the must-try Good Shepherd Ube Jam, running through Burnham Park, and walking alone on Session Road, I made sure not to leave Baguio without visiting an artist's haven - the BenCab Museum. With two friends, we spent 30 minutes on an uphill ride to see the museum of Benedicto Cabrera, our highly-spirited National Artist for Visual Arts - Painting. 

The museum features his works (I cannot say his 'best' because probably the other 'bests' have been sold in staggering prices during international auctions), along with plenty of masterpieces from local artists.

The three-floor museum houses galleries for Cordillera, the artist's collection, contemporary art, erotica, Indio, and black and white stills. There are countless of sculptures around - modern and ethnic, but not as much as there are paintings and mixed media installations. 

I was overwhelmed with the beauty and backdrop of BenCab Museum.


I didn't meet the master, but I was keen on meeting the muse

Sabel is BenCab's most recognized and perhaps successful muse. She was a bag lady or taong grasa roaming in the same neighborhood as BenCab back in the '60s. 

Seeing her on canvas and on sculpture, I couldn't help but wonder where is she now. Did BenCab help her in any way? Was she aware of her impact to the artist and his followers? How about the next generation of artists and art aficionados? Does she agree with BenCab's interpretation of her condition? I hope the answers to these questions and more are all pleasant. I trust that what I don't know is good enough. 


Sabel on spotlight

This is another thought that bugged me when I 'met' Sabel. I first knew about her because of BenCab's partnership with Swatch for the latter's 25th anniversary. A non-numbered Sabel Swatch watch costs P3,500 while the limited edition numbered watch, which comes with a special case and a six-inch golden sculpture cum paperweight, costs P10,000 a piece. 

I tried the watch on my wrist and thought: she must be a very special lady. I gave back the watch to the staff and again told myself: I have to know her more. 

Back in the museum, Sabel can be felt and found in most corners. In fact, the cafe at the ground floor was even named after her. I hope it is the artist's way of showing gratitude to his muse, and reiterating his interpretation of Sabel's condition vis-a-vis that of the Filipinos. I don't want to entertain any other possible thought. 

Besides, quoting the National Commission for the Culture and Arts:
"For Bencab, Sabel is a melancholic symbol of dislocation, despair and isolation--the personification of human dignity threatened by life's vicissitudes, and the vast inequities of Philippine society"  

Also, quoting the artist himself:
"She was just going around our area on Yakal Street, and I’d see her from my window. Parang abstract eh — ‘yung mga balot-balot niya na plastic. I did drawings; then I started photographing her. I saw a lot of things in her — not only the human side, but also the abstract side.”

I know I may be over thinking things here but after seeing Sabel in the museum, and thinking of the countless Sabels in today's society, I think that reflecting on art and its purpose is the main reason why I endured the long ride going to the museum. 


Giving BenCab the benefit of the doubt (or, in the first place, who am I to judge?)

Perhaps BenCab built Sabel from just the woman to the muse, the brand, and the art, in the same way that Sabel probably helped BenCab seal his name in Philippine arts and culture landscape unintentionally. I think BenCab genuinely transformed from being 'an' artist to 'the' artist by seeing through Sabel, in a way no one else can and did.

Nevertheless, if mainstreaming art is an issue of an artist's ethics, authenticity and commitment, I can say that BenCab disproved it. BenCab showed me that art can definitely serve both the artist and his audience, in a way that the art does not lose its life and essence. 

Gallery

Him

Sabel in sculpture

Note to readers: This was originally an entry in my travel journal, written on the night of March 15 while having dinner at La Azotea's Cafe 108 along Session Road. The lights were dim, the music was inviting, the food was good, but not as good as 'that' moment. 

Tags: #BiyahengBaguio #Baguio #BaguioCity #BenCab