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Fishermen

The painting Fishermen by Ang Kiukok depicts several fishermen struggling together to catch fish against a blue background. Through geometric shapes and vibrant colors, the artist represents the movement and drama of the scene. The painting references Christian parables and biblical themes of faith, struggle, and spiritual awakening that were important to Ang Kiukok in his own religious journey.

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Lea Bauzon Untalan
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831 views2 pages

Fishermen

The painting Fishermen by Ang Kiukok depicts several fishermen struggling together to catch fish against a blue background. Through geometric shapes and vibrant colors, the artist represents the movement and drama of the scene. The painting references Christian parables and biblical themes of faith, struggle, and spiritual awakening that were important to Ang Kiukok in his own religious journey.

Uploaded by

Lea Bauzon Untalan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Fishermen by Ang Kiukok

Describe
- The painting shows people working and struggling together to catch fish. While the background
adds an emphatic symbol of constancy and perpetual energy. The painting means to struggle is to
have hope for it exists side by side. Ang Kiukok’s painting was done in unique oil colors on a canvas
mounted on wood.

- All elements are actually visible in the artwork. Since the masterpiece is a cubist painting, shapes
are dominant in these artwork. The colors also symbolize and intensifies parts of the painting.

Analyze
Form

- The truth is we are all already familiar with these elements, when we look at The
Fishermen, by Ang Kiukok, we can identify the shapes he uses to create people and
objects, we can see the different colors he uses to bring energy to the piece, and the
different values he uses for each of those colors to create shadows. We can trace the
flowing lines that define each person, and the spaces that are created between each
person and objects. We can even identify different textures created by the paint to give
different surfaces a different “feel” to them.

Symbol

- The artist’s appropriation of geometrical shapes to portray the fishermen, their figures
absent of features or defining marks, inspires movement within the painting. In the work
the use of colors compliments the presence of the fishing net, set against the blue
background, and further emphasizes the idea of motion, subsequently intensifying the
drama of the scene. The sun painted in bright orange may also symbolize the artist’s
trust in God, a shining beacon amidst the physical and emotional battles that are the
hallmarks of human existence.

Ideas

- The present work Fishermen was created in 1992, and may be seen as a continuation of
the artist’s series that share similar naturalistic themes, notably Fishermen (1981), as
well as Fishermen Drawing Nets (1990).
- Throughout his life the Filipino artist was inspired by his Catholic faith, with many of his
paintings referencing biblical parables, and religious motifs. The work Fishermen is
evident of such themes, for the painting highlights the Christian story of Jesus and his
first disciples. As per the religious fable, Jesus asked a group of disgruntled fishermen to
throw their nets back into the ocean. To their amazement when the nets were pulled
out from the water, each one was filled with so much fish that the boat almost sank
from the weight.

Meaning

- Within the present painting, the artist embraces these religious motifs as means to
convey his absolute faith, and trust in God. The depiction of the fishermen as they
collect their haul from the ocean may be a reference to the artist’s personal journey, and
spiritual awakening. In the painting men and fish are locked in an eternal conflict
between ignorance and enlightenment, with the fish representing the latter.

Interpretation
- A faithful Catholic, Ang Kiukok’s created works referencing parables from the bible. His artworks
are reflective of his understanding for visual allegories, strong colorist tendencies, and cubist-
inspired aesthetics.

- In the present Lot Fisherman, the reference could be alluded to the parable where Jesus asks
fisherman with empty catches to cast their nets into the sea, and to their amazement the nets came
up filled with a bountiful harvest from the sea.

- Ang paints with a foundation of religiosity but approaches it through the eagle eye of his artistic
vision. Strong colors, dense geometric lines, and boxy shapes are hallmarks of his practice, with the
figure perhaps representing the artist with his deep seated conviction of faith amidst his own
spiritual journey.

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