1970 / Lithography / 19.6 x 17.9 cm / Artist: Virgilio Aviado / Cultural Center of the Philippines collection

This is one of Aviado’s graphic works that manifest his attempt to reconcile three opposing artistic concerns: innovative exploration of purist printmaking techniques, an idiosyncrasy for traditional Western iconography, and a conscious search for relevance.

Here the artist delights at demonstrating all the graphic effects in black and white. The simple line work reveals adeptness at drawing. Various effects of light and dark, impressions of blots, fingerprints, dots, stipples, and stains enrich the surface with tonal and textural nuances that make this lithograph appear like an etching and aquatint print. The peace sign, a popular symbol of the 1970s, is repeatedly drawn as texture background to the hand.

The artist also pays homage to Michelangelo by appropriating the figures of The Creation of Adam in diminutive version. Alluding to Western masters was a typical predilection of Aviado, a result of his European sojourn during the period.

The central image of a military terrorist flaunting his uzi was a censorable image in 1970, a period of escalating protests against the Marcos regime prior to the declaration of martial law.

Although Aviado does relatively small works, his prints are most exemplary for the artist’s constancy at perfecting delicate print artistry and for his professionalism in producing limited editions.