Sophiah Rachelle Loi P.

Ugaddan Sec19 November 10, 2018

MIDTERM EXAM

Sanguine Menagerie

The painting’s central theme revolves around the idea of positive captivity of the standards in our

society. Sanguine is the paradox of seeing the positive in the negative and menagerie shows the

uniqueness and variety of different personality of people around us. It targets the cultural side of

one’s personality and its perception to beauty. Each element has its distinction in portraying such

theme.

The woman having her eyes closed by a man signifies how patriarchal beauty is seen. It shows

how definition of beauty is dictated by man and not entirely by herself. On the other hand since

this is a painting full of paradox, this can also show positivism by denoting that the reason why

the man covers the eyes of the woman is for her not to see how society would criticize her because

she may not be conforming to their standards and ways. The covered woman is somehow placed

in pedestal as shown in an image of her with a steel bar support below her body. Society often

judges our personality and beauty in accordance with its standards and sometimes we are placed

in a such position where the eyes of the many becomes a single judgment that is clearly defined

by the standards. The color of the background suggests power and sensuality. This points out that

men show dominance and complete control over women. In the perception of beauty, men often

dictate the way how women should present themselves and because of the patriarchal society,

women lose sight of it. It embellishes in general how culture dictates beauty. Moreover the

background may also depict passion and lust. The woman with red cup in one hand and the

touching of the fingers might suggest how we as a species lust for physical attention from one
another and how we lust to survive even when we are blinded. The person on the right seems to

shelter the one close to them when they experience jealousy towards one’s success and attention.

Society shows us that jealousy towards someone is inevitable, may it be in the form of wealth,

health or career. The redness of the person touching the woman's finger and the one looking away

from her might be an indication of how humans get red with envy when confronted with someone

else’s beauty. The red sea like floor where the person touching fingers with the woman stands

might suggest that when faced with the unreachable we become lost in a sea of doubt. The masked

man portrays the society’s anonymity which sometimes blinds us in how we portray our

uniqueness and most importantly, defeats the purpose of our essence in the society.

This painting teaches us to let go of trying to attain the superficial, penultimate, physical idea of

beauty rather accept the flaws behind beauty especially the beauty unseen. Society is just a factor

of one’s captivity but if we look to it in the right perspective, we can turn something from a melting

pot of different personalities into a single being emanating beauty.

Super

The second painting by Kiko Escora depicts the idea of consumerism in our industry. Our

consumption of goods is function of our culture. The current economic system shows a perpetual

growth in branding and in captivating as many consumers to appreciate a product. Consumerism

is a roller coaster ride thus the title oscillate. It moves back and forth, affecting the perpetual

economic growth and more importantly its consumers.

The logo “Super” symbolizes the heart of consumerism- the brands. The brands play a vital role

in the society in keeping the economic industry growing. The painting shows the negative effect

to it in our society. An element depicting a the position of the body suggest we fall and stumble

trying to accomplish that which is perceived as a status symbol in our society, leaving us exposed

and fragile striving for our goal to achieve that which is portrayed as hype or in other words ''the

cool thing to have''. The red jacket might symbolize how we will stop at nothing trying to grasp

that which we desire to have, even if others might have suffered for it. Because of the upscaling

modern economy, people wants and needs grow more along the years. Materials become one of

the trend in our society. Thus making the society more materialistic and breeds discontentment. In

a way we try to achieve the goal of having the next best thing to show it off to others, in the hopes

of impressing them with our material possessions and wealth; thus ultimately failing and falling

into a trap set by our society. The element of blue heels denotes feminity. Women embodies one

of the largest rising global market and major driving force in the economy. The lack of face can

be interpreted as a way of showing, we lose ourselves trying to achieve status in our society. It

inculcated the practice of jealousy towards what other people have and focusing on being more

discontented with our own lives. It also depicted how one can meet our own demise by constantly

comparing ourselves with other people. This may also be a factor on how consumerism affected
the society in this digital age.

The red jacket might symbolize how we will stop at nothing trying to grasp that which we desire

to have, even if others might have suffered for it. Consumerism affected the culture in our

society that makes us insensitive such that we would do anything to get the things we wanted

even if it takes on stepping in someone’s foot. Because we don’t realize it doesn’t only hurt them

but also us in the process.

The painting teaches us to be less materialistic and to be more contented of what we have in life.

As the saying goes, live within your means. It is truly important to not only equate your happiness

in physical material things but rather focus in living a life worth remembering of good intangible

things.