Wall Piece 
José John Santos III
2000

Presented at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in 2000 in the show that accompanied the conferment of the prestigious 13 Artists Award, Wall Piece (and its companion sculpture Piece of Wall) highlighted the first series of works that Jose Santos III demonstrated his prowess to render solidity in the style of low-relief painting. The effect of relief work is so convincing that many have mistaken it to be carved, only to be rebuffed by the sculptural element that was juxtaposed beside it as a counterpose to the illusion. What is not so evident here is that the composition of the work is the result of the artist's fascination with mathematical proportions, especially the classic Golden Mean. When examined thoroughly, one can glean the patterns and divisions of the work to correspond to the commensurability of golden proportions, which explains the flatness and the seeming awkwardness of the figures portrayed here. The artist pursued this interest in Greek proportion laws of beauty well into the mid-2000s, until he shifted to pictorial references and subjects of nostalgia.

Medium
Oil on Canvas

Dimensions
197 x 327 cm (77.5 x 129'')