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Every time someone asks me what my favorite Juan Luna painting is, I always surprise them when, instead of Spolarium or La Bulaceña or an even more famous painting, I say; "Tampuhan."
and here's why-- a thread by admin a, the art hoe.
and here's why-- a thread by admin a, the art hoe.
aside from the colours that perfectly reflect the golden afternoon sun of a typical hot, Filipino afternoon or the spacing that brings emphasis to how far apart yet painfully aware the two lovers in the scene are of each other's presence, Juan Luna's "Tampuhan" captures
Filipino etiquette & culture so damn well that to a foreigner, who has never before been immersed in our culture & is viewing the painting for the first time, this painting & the act of Tampo itself would make no damn sense. BUT they would be able to feel the tension nonethless.
the closest English equivalent to Tampo that we have is "sulking" and, in a way, it works. It certainly captures the physical side of the act-- pouting, resisting affection, turning away, locking yourself in your room, etc. etc.
however, what it does not capture, is the
however, what it does not capture, is the
performative side of Tampo.
Look at the painting again-- the narrative we can glean from it through content and context is that the characters painted by Luna are in the middle of a Lover's Quarrel. however, despite that, they are not far from each other.
Look at the painting again-- the narrative we can glean from it through content and context is that the characters painted by Luna are in the middle of a Lover's Quarrel. however, despite that, they are not far from each other.
the way they hold themselves is very tense, very deliberate-- the tension is visible in the silhouette of their posture, and they may be facing away from each other, but at the same time their body language has a sort of yearning. and if you can't pick that up, then Luna
makes it fairly obvious with the way he utilizes Space.
notice how the two lovers are crowded into a corner? and how achingly asymmetrical the scene is when there is so much negative space on the right? it's a subtly charged, and we the viewers, the outsiders can feel
notice how the two lovers are crowded into a corner? and how achingly asymmetrical the scene is when there is so much negative space on the right? it's a subtly charged, and we the viewers, the outsiders can feel
the tension-- we know they are fighting. what about, we're not entirely sure. but we know they are fighting.
now, that raises a question: if they are fighting, why are they so close to each other? we can say they're sulking, but we all know that the English Sulking is often done
now, that raises a question: if they are fighting, why are they so close to each other? we can say they're sulking, but we all know that the English Sulking is often done
alone and has a kind of negative connotation to it. when you sulk, everybody else around you reserve the right to leave you to your own devices. when you sulk, you are on your own, and comfort handed to you is not dependent on your state of sulking but on the
compassion of others.
with Tampo, the one who is the reason for the Tampo in the first place has an obligation they must fulfill. when someone makes Tampo at you, you have to lambing them in an act of pagsuyo in order for them to allow you back into their good graces.
with Tampo, the one who is the reason for the Tampo in the first place has an obligation they must fulfill. when someone makes Tampo at you, you have to lambing them in an act of pagsuyo in order for them to allow you back into their good graces.
this is a part of our non-confrontational culture that Westerners don't quite understand. while in the west, if you are upset you say so, here in the Philippines (and in other parts of South East Asia) when you are upset (even if you are not the wronged party)
you must never express your hurt feelings aloud-- instead you must show that you are upset in a highly performative way, signaling to your partner (or whoever you are quarreling with) that they need to begin their suyo and make you feel better through lambing, gifts, or etc.
often you do it slowly, and forgiveness is doled out to you on the terms of the one making tampo in the first place. those are the terms of the social contract you enter the second the Tampuhan starts. breeching the contract by not acknowledging the Tampo or refusing to
perform the answering lambing and suyo may result in the deterioration of a relationship.
(disclaimer: 'di lahat ng LQ or away nadadaan sa tampuhan, ha? it's cute when it's playful but it really isn't when it's a big fight. talk to the people in your life and tell them how you feel and listen to them when they choose to talk to you and tell you how they feel.
tampo is an act that can only be considered healthy when the two people locked in it already have a good foundation of communication between them in the first place. remember that.)
in Luna's painting, we get a glimpse of that. although we do not know who is the one making tampo and who is the one making suyo, Luna managed to capture, very very well, the highly performative gesture that borders on a social dance that is the phenomenon of Tampuhan.
And that's what makes it my favorite painting of all time-- out of all of Luna's paintings, this is the one that connects me to him and everybody else in our country the most. with his other paintings, there is a sort of disconnect-- I have never been to Europe, I have
never been so lost when it came to identifying with my own nationality, I fight a revolution, but I fight it differently.
But this. This simple painted scene of two Lovers pouting at each other yet yearning for one another in the weird and complicated act of tampuhan
But this. This simple painted scene of two Lovers pouting at each other yet yearning for one another in the weird and complicated act of tampuhan
awakens something in me and a thousand other Filipinos-- we know what this is. we know what it means. we have experienced it before.
and Juan Luna himself knows what this is. he's seen it happen. it is a phenomenon that stretches over centuries and the comfort in
and Juan Luna himself knows what this is. he's seen it happen. it is a phenomenon that stretches over centuries and the comfort in
knowing it as intimately as you do & knowing that a couple thousand others know it too is a comfort that overwhelms me to the point of tears.
Juan Luna managed to capture the nuance & depth of home in this one painting, & that is why Tampuhan is my favorite Luna work.
-admin a
Juan Luna managed to capture the nuance & depth of home in this one painting, & that is why Tampuhan is my favorite Luna work.
-admin a
**may sentence na 'di ko dinagdag dito but in retrospect should have
"we know they are fighting judging by their positions away from each other. but despite that, we also know that they are in the process of forgiveness." https://twitter.com/bayaniserye/status/1091174093733261312?s=19
"we know they are fighting judging by their positions away from each other. but despite that, we also know that they are in the process of forgiveness." https://twitter.com/bayaniserye/status/1091174093733261312?s=19
