Dennis Garcia’s art exhibit and Max Soliven’s biography

Just perfect after the long holidays are two events next week: Rakenrol, the first art exhibit of Dennis Garcia and the launching of the book “Maximo V. Soliven: The Man and the Journalist” by Nelson Navarro.

Rakenrol will be open on November 8 at 6 p.m and will run until Nov. 22 at the Galerie One Workshop, Suite 324, LRI Design Plaza, Nicanor Garcia St., Bel Air II, Makati City.

Rakenrol will showcase another facet of the genius that is Dennis Garcia.

We all know Dennis as the musician. He was part of the trailblazing Pinoy pop-rock band of the 70’s -“Hotdog”- that delighted us with such hits “Bongga Ka ’Day”, “Annie Batungbakal” and the iconic,” Manila, Manila”.

Dennis went into advertising after Hotdog members went their separate ways. He did stints in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur,Singapore, Jakarta and Guam. Every now and then Hotdog members would get together for SRO reunion concerts in Manila.

Dennis is active in New Media, sharing gems for the mind with Facebook friends. He has a blog “Chubibo” where political irreverence has become an art. He writes a Friday column in the country’s number one tabloid, Abante.

Rakenrol, Dennis wrote, is part of his bucket list.

He said he learned to paint around two years ago (with a Dutch artist in Bali, Indonesia) using his hands/fingers as a brush. “I know of no other way to do it.” He said.

Dennis explained his being a late bloomer in painting as the effect of having known or worked with the best artists the country has produced. “I was intimidated,” he confessed.

“ When I was a 17-year old copy writer at Philippine Advertising Counselors in the 70s, my partner/Art Director was the legendary artist Romulo Olazo (who’d sketch me day in and day out – sketches that I never bothered to collect and save – How stupid!). My officemates were J. Elizalde Navarro, Edwin Wilwayco and Cris Cruz. “

Dennis said he was inspired by Beatle Paul McCartney’s who also went into painting. He started with paintings as gifts on birthdays of his family members.

For Rakenrol, Dennis said he has been working on the pieces since last year. “These are mostly acrylic paintings over giclee prints (images I shot and manipulated on the computer, then printed on canvas). I was inspired by the witty work of graffiti artist Banksy and the undiscovered gems on canvas by Sir Paul (McCartney).”

Dennis said, “As the exhibit’s name hints, the paintings will revolve around music and band musicians. It also features Pinoys from the past – whose temperaments – make it quite likely that they would have become “rockers” – if they were still young… and alive today.”

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They don’t make journalists like Max Soliven anymore.

One of the co-founders of the two largest newspapers in the country today- Philippine Daily Inquirer and the Philippine Star (where he served as publisher until his death) – Soliven, wielded influence on presidents.

His daughter, Sara, sent me excerpts from the chapter on the Oakwood mutiny where Soliven was part of the five-man panel that negotiated for a peaceful ending with the young military rebels lead by now Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV.

The book said Soliven was drafted by Gloria Arroyo upon the request of the mutineers.

Navarro wrote: “Max would write the inside story of what had led the reformist soldiers to mutiny, an armed protest that had luckily ended with a peaceful solution. At issue was what happened to the $1 billion fund that President Estrada had turned over to AFP chief-of-staff General Angelo Reyes, by then Arroyo’s Secretary of Defense.

“The soldiers alleged that the three armed services (Army, Navy and Air Force) only received P50 million each; some P850 million had not been accounted for. In Max’s column, he mentions a secret “retirement” bonus of P150 million that had allegedly gone to an unnamed retiring general.

“Within weeks in August, Max would cry foul over the government’s unexpected move to charge Trillanes and company with mutiny before a civilian, instead of a court martial as agreed upon. They would be charged with a non-bailable crime, meaning they would be jailed indefinitely. Max pointedly accused Arroyo of “double cross” and reneging on a solemn promise to the soldiers.

“This sensitive point would become a constant source of irritation between Max and the President who couldn’t keep her word. “What could Gloria say?” says Arthur Lopez to whom Max poured out his disappointments with the President. “Privately, she took much abuse from Max. She claimed that she had no choice but to go along with the generals who insisted on jailing the reformist soldiers.”

Maximo V. Soliven: The Man and the Journalist is published by La Solidaridad.

Sara is inviting journalists and friends of Max to the launch on November 10, 2011 (Thursday), 11- 2 pm at The Manila Peninsula Hotel’s Rigodon Ballroom.

Sara wrote, “It is a very interesting book with many insights and details that makes the reader understand or realize why certain events happened in our country during the lifespan of my father from the 1930’s to 2006.”