Aug

8

Carlo J. Caparas: “I Can Draw!”

Filed Under Philippine Comics | 27 Comments

All throughout the past few days Carlo J. Caparas has been going around defending himself from criticism, the intensity of which he probably did not expect, upon receiving the title of National Artist for Visual Art and Film.

I’ve tried to remain objective in my protest, zeroing only on the fact that Carlo is not a visual artist, which disqualifies him from getting the award at all.

He has then been going around lugging about his portfolio of drawings claiming that he can draw.

Once again I refer you to a few of the qualifications for National Artist under the guidelines of the NCCA:

Artists who have created a substantial and significant body of works and/or consistently displayed excellence in the practice of their art form thus enriching artistic expression or style; and

Artists who enjoy broad acceptance through:
- prestigious national and/or international recognition, such as the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining, CCP Thirteen Artists Award and NCCA Alab ng Haraya;
- critical acclaim and/or reviews of their works;
- respect and esteem from peers.

“Body of work” is a key word. This means taking his work as a whole from beginning to end (or current). Carlo may bring up a few drawings that he claims prove he can draw, but these illustrations DO NOT form the body of his work. The fact still remains…

The stories that have made him popular in comics, the stories that gave him his name, stories that form the body of his work in comics… all of those were drawn by other artists. Carlo is not known, and has never been known for his illustrations.

A National Artist doesn’t need to drag his drawings out of the bodega just to prove to people that he can draw. A National Artist does not need to justify himself. His work should speak for itself.

A National Artist also enjoys critical acclaim for his work, and the respect and esteem of his peers.

If the past week has proven one thing, it’s that Carlo J. Caparas does not enjoy full critical acclaim for his work. It’s also proven that he does not have the respect and esteem of many of his peers. In fact, many of them marched and BURIED their National Artist medallions in protest of him.

The “Carlo J. Caparas Is Not Qualified to be National Artist Petition” has now broken 2000 signatures. If you agree that CJC is not qualified, please sign here.

Comments

27 Responses to “Carlo J. Caparas: “I Can Draw!””

  1. Miam Fabian on August 8th, 2009 10:15 pm

    I find it ludicrous that he is going around showing his drawings. There’s just something wrong about a “National Artist” who has to justify himself. I mean most people do not contend why Ang Kiukok is a national artist, right? So why should this guy feel as if he needs to? It all feels like a guy who is trying to assuage his guilt.

    Kung ganyan katigas ulo niya, hindi niya ibabalik yan. Mukhang magkakamatayan muna tayo bago ibalik niya yan. I say that we let him keep the award,after all EVERYONE is convinced he DOESN’T deserve it.

  2. Gerry Alanguilan on August 8th, 2009 10:39 pm

    Yes. I’m fairly convinced now that he’s not going to give it back. The strange thing is, many people would have respected him if he did. I probably would. As someone I know said… if he returned it, people would be putting him on a pedestal now.

  3. gilbert monsanto on August 8th, 2009 10:56 pm

    Imagine him representing us sa ibsang bansa, sasabihin nila ganyan lang pala ang quality ng art sa BUONG bansa na iyan.

    He can draw but can he DRAW WELL??????

  4. auggie on August 8th, 2009 11:13 pm

    Obviously, hindi naiintindihan ni Carlo ang ibig sabihin ng PEER REVIEW. Ang ibig sabihin, mga peers din niya sa Komiks industry ang magsasabi kung worthy nga at qualified siya doon sa award na VISUAL ART & FILM. At hinusgahan na nga siya, at sinabing HINDI dahil hindi naman siya ang nagdodrowing ng mga nobela niya. Nobelista siya, dapat Literature Awards sa kanya. Ang karapatdapat doon eh si FV COCHING, dahil sa kaniyang mga KATHA”T GUHIT series which spanned decades of excellence. Nobela na, Guhit pa,bihirang tao ang nakakagawa niyan, mga geniuses lang.

  5. Jun Pamintuan on August 8th, 2009 11:25 pm

    Napanood nyo interview nya sa Startalk kanina? Hindi raw niya ibabalik yun, madagdagan pa nga raw sana eh. Tapos eto namang tatlong host ng startalk akala mo may alam wala naman. May interview pa si Bong Revilla, Manny Pacquiao, at Jinggoy kung ano raw masasabi nila ukol sa issue. Eh ano naman alam nung mga yun? Sus. Puro oo lang at suporta kay CJC kala mo may alam sa issue. Hinihintay ko na ma-open up yung questions regarding sa NA for Visual Arts pero walang kahit na anong nabanggit. Ang mga banat ni CJC eh puro kesyo mahirap daw sya noon, marami sya nagawa, nagsumikap sya, blah blah blah, bibigay nya pension nya sa mga mahihirap, blah blah. Hindi ito kaso ng isang mahirap na nagsumikap. Ke mahirap ka o mayaman walang paki ang criteria for selection sa ganung mga bagay. Ke marami kang nagawa kung puro ampaw naman wala rin. Quality, not quantity! Nung napanood ko yung interview nya parang nanggigil pa ko kasi puro walang katuturan yung mga tinatanong, wala pang katuturan mga sinasagot. Ni hindi nga man lang na-open up yung question na: “Binigay sayo ang title na National Artist for Visual Arts. Isang title na binibigay lamang sa isang illustrator o visual artist na malaki at maganda/significant ang na-contribute sa bansa natin specifically through visual means..Sa tingin mo ba eh may nagawa kang ganun para mag-qualify man lang para sa title na yun?”.

    Sa hindi ko malamang dahilan bakit wala akong makitang nag-oopen-up nung question na yun ng harap harapan sa kanya sa mga interviews or sa TV. Ano kaya isasagot nya pag sinampal sya ng ganung tanong?

    At kahit hukayin mo pa yung bakuran mo o kung ano mang baul dyan sa bahay mo CJC, walang kwenta at saysay lahat ng ipapakita mong drawings mo samin. Dyan ka ba sa mga drawings na yan nakilala? Nakilala ba mga gawa mo sa mga drawings na yan? Kahit mag-drawing ka pa on-the-spot sa harap ko at kahit mag-art lessons ka pa at gumaling ka sa pag-drawing sa hinaharap, malinaw pa rin na WALA KANG NAGAWANG MATINONG VISUAL ART prior sa pag-bigay sayo ng title mo as NA for Visual Arts. Kahit bali-baliktarin mo mundo hindi para sayo yung title na yun. Mahiya ka naman!!! Para sa ibang artist yan kinukuha mo!!!

  6. Pinoy Comics USA on August 9th, 2009 12:00 am

    The main issue in the CCP protest is Guidote-Alvarez and the NCCA of which she’s a director and therefore exempted from being nominated much less given the NA award. I can’t believe she would stoop down as to have a band play music to drown out the voices of protest.

    Meanwhile sitting mum and comfortable on the sidelines, waiting to be conferred, are two other DNAs (Dagdag National Artists), Bobby Manosa and Pitoy Moreno. Swerte nitong dalawa, walang opposition.

    Caparas’ award is for Visual Art and Film. In the film industry, there seem to be little opposition (oh, there’s a short article by Leo Martinez of the film industry, mainly saying that their original nominee was rejected in favor of Conde and Caparas, but that’s it).

    Now, isn’t it scary to think that Caparas might have been given the same treatment as Manosa and Moreno, had not Gerry voiced out the issue that Caparas is not a visual artist. After all who knew he did not draw the komiks for which he was given the award, except the people in the industry he is involved in. Now everybody knows, and I can’t believe he’s out there showing a portfolio of his murals kuno. Nakakapanghilakbot. Pero parang nakakaawa din, dahil wala man lang pumansin sa mga ipinapakita niya.

  7. Gerry Alanguilan on August 9th, 2009 5:35 am

    As an architect myself fully aware of Mañosa’s accomplishments I actually don’t have a problem with him becoming a National Artist for architecture, as long as he went through the rigid selection process. It turns out he didn’t, and that’s just too bad. He’s very much qualified for it because most important of all, he’s an architect, he’s got a respectably body of work behind him, and he’s very well respected within the Architecture industry. That’s probably why you don’t see the United Architects of the Philippines going up in arms.

  8. JP Cuison on August 9th, 2009 8:54 am

    Napanood ko rin yung interview niya sa Startalk. Nakakaasar kasi dapat objective yung mga hosts habang nag-iinterview pero hindi. Naalala ko pa sinabi ni Lolit “di ba merong ipinangalan sa’yo na street sa Pasig….basta kaming tatlo dito naniniwala na Karapatdapat ka…, di ba isang karangalan yun”. Regardless kasi kung pinangalan sa kanya ang buong barangay o hindi ang issue is VIRTUAL ARTIST ba si Carlo J. Caparas or Atleast siya ba ang nag-illustrate ng mga Komiks na ikinasikat niya.

    Medyo nawala rin yung respeto kay ricky Lo dahil dito, isama mo pa yung naging article niya sa Dyaryo na “Carlo J. Caparas national artist? Why not”. Kesyo raw maraming natulungan sa industriya etc. e di naman yung ang issue e!

    Hay nakow!!

    Kitakits na lang mamaya sa Comic-Con :-)

    -JP Cuison

  9. ella on August 9th, 2009 9:01 am

    Salamat, salamat, salamat sa ginawa mong sharing. Nawa’y mas malinawagan ang mga tao kung bakit, bukod sa mga napaka-pangit nyang mga pelikula, hindi karapat-dapat na National Artist si Carlos Caparas for Visual Arts.

  10. Ed on August 9th, 2009 10:43 am

    I just laughed when I saw the YouTube video, Caparas brought his old drawings. I was like “what the hell is he doing?” Feeling sobrang api sya kaya nya ginagawa ang lahat para ma-prove na karapat-dapat sya as National Artist.

    I stopped watching coz I can’t stand his defensive commentaries…can’t laugh enough for his words.

  11. Jay Amar on August 9th, 2009 10:45 am

    Sa tingin ko, sarado na ang issue tungkol sa qualification ni Caparas para sa NA for Visual Arts. Hindi talaga siya qualified, at kahit idisplay pa niya ang mga ‘drowing’ niya sa Luneta, walang papansin niyan. Kumbaga, wala talagang artistic merit kung gagawing basehan ang mga ‘drowing’ niya. Drowing talaga.

    Mayroon kasi tayong innate, o likas na sense ng kung ano ang maganda/masining at ano ang hindi. Minsan, kahit anong elaborate ng likha mo, kung wala talagang sining, kahit grade 1 hindi iyan magugustuhan. Kumbaga sa kotse, kahit sinong makakita ng Ferrari, matutulala dahil maganda at masining ang pagkakagawa, kumpara sa isang Toyota Corolla na tinadtad ng stickers.

    At dahil nga sang-ayon naman tayong lahat na hindi talaga maituturing na Pambansang Alagad ng Sining iyang si Caparas base sa kwalipikasyon, siguro ang tanging resort na lang natin ay ibase ito sa asal niya nitong mga nakaraang araw.

    Wala akong kilalang TUNAY na alagad ng Sining na kapit-tuko sa kahit anong gawad. Kaya nga alagad ng Sining, dahil ang Sining ang pinagsisilbihan mo, hindi ang sarili mo. Minsan pa nga, ayaw nilang tumanggap ng award dahil sa paniniwalang hindi sila karapat-dapat.

    Wala akong kilalang TUNAY na alagad ng Sining na kailangang ipagmayabang ang mga likha niya. Lahat ng magagaling na artista sa Pilipinas, kapag pinupuri, sinasabing ginagawa lamang nila ang kanilang kakayahan, kundi man magpasalamat ng may hiya pa.

    At higit sa lahat:
    Wala akong kilalang TUNAY na alagad ng Sining na mapagmataas.

    Di bale nang hindi siya kasama sa orihinal na huling listahan ng pagpipilian, di bale nang hindi siya ang gumuhit sa likha niya, di bale nang mali ang kategorya na ibinilang siya. Lahat ng iyan, walang kapantay sa inasal niya.

    Hindi niya sana ginawang palusot ang antas sa buhay, dahil maraming National Artist ang nagsimulang dukha. Hindi rin niya sana ginawang dahilan ang panig niya sa pulitika, dahil higit lalong nakita kung saan nagmula ang kasamaang ito.

    Kung mayroon mang isang bahid ng kwalipikasyon na maari siyang maging National Artist, nabura ito sa kagaspangan ng kanyang ugali at kasakiman sa titulo na aangkinin niya kahit may bahid ng pagdududa.

    Wala sa karakter niya ang pagiging isang TUNAY na Alagad ng Sining ng Republika ng Pilipinas. Isa siyang malaking kahihiyan sa Inang Sining.

    —
    As for Mañosa and Moreno, they were not scrutinized because their works speak for themselves. Their names might not have been on the original list, but they were spared because they deserved it somehow (despite the process still being wrong).
    I hope this issue will not be forgotten, and that by June 2010 this grave error will be corrected.

  12. Markus on August 9th, 2009 10:50 am

    So he can draw.. and FEW people knew about it until he became a “NATIONAL Artist”..

    How odd.

  13. Gohlico on August 9th, 2009 11:32 am

    I can draw too therefore I’m National Artist material.

    Seriously, there is something wrong with that man.

  14. auggie on August 9th, 2009 2:06 pm

    Rod,

    Very embarassing talaga itong si Cecil. Nang tinanong siya ng isang Reporter na noong panahon daw ni Almario as head din ng NCCA eh, na nominate din si Almario as NA, pero ni-refuse daw ni Almario, as a matter of DELICADEZA, kasi, nakaupo pa siya sa pwesto, pangit tingnan. Ang sagot ni Cecil : That’s Almario, not me. Ano ang implications ng sagot niya ? na disenteng tao si Almario, at siya eh Hustler ? takot siyang maghintay at baka hindi ma-nominate kung wala na si GMA ?

  15. Jose Mari Lee on August 9th, 2009 4:53 pm

    I CAN DRAW!

    Really!
    Kaya pala Leandro Martinez who was the editor of Pablo S. Gomez that time, REJECTED Caparas’ illustrations, that’s why he pursued scriptwriting.
    Thanks to Tony Tenorio for giving him the “break.”

    Now, I heard him over DZRH saying that he can draw Celeste Legaspi ANYTIME. That he became too busy with 800 novels hence, he didn’t draw all his novels. His justification is getting ridiculous every second. What a farce.

  16. jim on August 10th, 2009 7:31 am

    that is just so darn pathetic.

  17. Kapihan ni Qroon on August 10th, 2009 8:38 am

    May aasahan ba kayong objectivity sa showbiz talk shows? :) They are there talk about private lives of actors/actresses and celebrities at hindi yung objective reporting.

    And mukhang dadaanin pa sa legal procedure!

    http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090809-219427/Palace-looks-to-SC-to-settle-National-Artist

    Hindi mo alam kung maiinis ka o matatawa na lang sa mga pangyayari.

  18. Gerry Alanguilan on August 10th, 2009 9:16 am

    If we lose our objectivity, and join these people in their gutter of subjectivity we will lose. We may end up not getting what we want, but it’s a victory nevertheless to see people not lose their spirit in fighting for what’s right.

  19. angie on August 10th, 2009 3:53 pm

    it hurts to know that my tax will be going to the pockets of that man who can hardly form a rational thought in his head. sigh.

    c’mon! having a street named after you doesn’t make you an artist! so national artist na rin ang kaimito at kamias? at providing jobs? may separate award for enterprenuers. but then, there are hundreds more deserving of it, i bet.

    how pathetic is it that an alleged National Artist has to prove himself to be one. kakainit ng ulo.

  20. Gerry Alanguilan on August 10th, 2009 4:05 pm

    Angie… you provide a point that has not fully occurred to me until now. The money. How much is he getting? 100 thousand pesos, plus pension, medical and life insurance?

    And all that money will come from US. From the tax money I’m paying every month. This is truly and utterly intolerable.

  21. auggie on August 10th, 2009 4:40 pm

    Siguro dapat i-boycott ang pagbayad ng buwis, hanggang hindi ibinabalik ng dalawang ito ang kanilang awards. Why should we pay for their upkeep ? Give me one good reason.

  22. Retro Manila on August 10th, 2009 7:41 pm

    People will now look at the National Artists’ Award in a different light–something not very flattering.

  23. Carlo P on August 11th, 2009 4:24 pm

    My fingers can dance… pwede ako National Artist for theatre arts

  24. Carlo J. Caparas is a National Artist (Lord, Have Mercy!) : Komikero Comics Journal on August 14th, 2009 10:00 am

    [...] Carlo J. Caparas: “I Can Draw!” [...]

  25. rene on August 26th, 2009 7:08 pm

    elow..kuya gus2 ko poh sana n maging illustrator sa comis kaso poh d ko alam address at lugar kung san poh un studio sa komiks sana poh pakisend n lng poh sa FS ko poh…..

  26. rene on August 26th, 2009 7:09 pm

    mr_mad49@yahoo.com

  27. Gerry Alanguilan on August 26th, 2009 8:17 pm

    Rene, pasensya na lang ha? Hindi ko kasi maintindihan ang sinasabi mo. Payo ko lang sa iyo, kung ikaw ay seryoso sa kagustuhan mong maging isang professional sa komiks, mainam na sanayin mo ang sarili mong magsulat ng maayos. Hindi ka naman siguro ganyan magsulat pag mag-aaply ka ng trabaho diba? At least nakuha ko sa mensahe mo na interesado ka maging illustrator. Pero yung iba hindi ko na makuha.