Author: Puzzled Owl

We are a business consultancy with an emphasis on writing, public relations and project management. More details soon!

[GMA News Online] Art review: Elmer Borlongan and the art of the daily grind

Puzzled OwlLeave a comment
Image from GMA News Online
Image from GMA News Online

Patricia Calzo Vega writes about the local art scene for GMA News Online.

Many of these vignettes were witnessed in transit, as he went about his daily routine: freelancing as an illustrator for publications, conducting painting workshops for street children and prison inmates, making the rounds of exhibits and art events.

Despite the summary nature of his observations, Borlongan’s paintings tease out the hidden emotional depths of his subjects: the fear and determination propelling a female office worker home, after pulling a late-night shift; the anxious optimism of bettors in line for lottery tickets, the blessed sleep of a carinderia owner after an honest day’s toil.

Precise shades of human expression rendered in the slightly distorted forms that is his trademark: the more disconcerting the distortions, the more resonant the emotions portrayed. Experts laud this as a prime example of the neo-figurative movement in Philippine art, a revival of formalism succeeding a period of abstract expressionism, but with a touch of social realism.

Read the full article here.

[8List] 8 Side Effects of Adapting ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ into a Movie

Puzzled OwlLeave a comment
Image from 8list
Image from 8List

Film adaptations of bestselling books are great for discussions of popular culture. For 8List, Patricia Calzo Vega wrote about The Fault in Our Stars:

So it comes as no surprise that TFIOS is one of the most anticipated movies of 2014. Like teen movies before it, it’s about becoming the best person you can be, experiencing love for the first time, and dealing with the curveballs life throws at you. Unlike previous teen blockbusters, there’s nothing magical, supernatural, or herculean about its characters. They’re just a bunch of crazy kids who just happen to have “a touch of cancer.”

Book-to-film adaptations are notoriously difficult to navigate: staying true to the book may mean missing out on the added depth and dimension that an expanded movie universe can bring, while too many deviations from the story may alienate its original audience.  Case in point: the movie tagline, “One sick love story,” was removed in later posters after Nerdfighters complained that it did not capture the essence of the story.

Read the full article here.

[Homegrown] Let’s Lead Girls Across The Stars

Puzzled OwlLeave a comment

hands-typing-4In March 2014, Homegrown.ph launched a micro-site called Pinay Power, a special project for Women’s Month. Regina Layug Rosero wrote an essay discussing about young girls and their lack of interest in the sciences. Are they not interested or are we assuming they’re not interested? 

Here’s an excerpt:

Where are the women?

Of all the female artists, writers and dancers in the world, who knows how many of them could also have been brilliant mathematicians or expert app developers? Why is it that girls are encouraged to pursue the arts, but we don’t think they might be interested in the sciences? We see so many girls taking music or art lessons, but why aren’t there more girls in those robotics competitions or game dev events? Where are the computer clubs or woodworking classes in girls’ schools? Why aren’t we telling our girls that they can also be programmers, electrical engineers or architects? Why is it normal for guys to be engineers or scientists, but female engineers are still a novelty?