Born in Manila, the Philippines, in 1942, Ben Cabrera (commonly known as 'Bencab') studied at the College of Fine Arts, University of the Philippines, from 1959 to 1963. His robust, expressionist approach to figurative compositions and their social-realist cast links him with the early twentieth century mural tradition, especially with Mexican artist Diego Rivera, and the graphic works of German artist Kathe Kollwitz.
The politically oppressed and those who are socially disadvantaged feature as a leit-motif in many of Bencab's images. The deployment of his figures is often articulated geometrically by squares and rectangles. At the time of producing his etchings on the theme 'Escape artist', Bencab was a long-term resident of London and an admirer of the Anglo-American artist RB Kitaj, whose canvases include fragmented images inseparable from texts.
Printed off his own etching press, Escape artist I and II relate to a series of studies based on fellow expatriates. They include his friends, painters Aro Soriano and Virgilio ('Pandy') Aviado, and filmmaker Eric de Guia. The 'anonymous' prisoner portrayed in chains is at once a political captive, but also resembles the roaming pavement entertainer commonly found in London's West End.(1)
1. Reyes, Cid. Ben Cabrera: Etchings 1970-1980 [produced by Tito Roy and Francesco Navarro], 1980, p.13.
Ben Cabrera, better known as Bencab, is highly regarded for both his expressionist approach to Social Realism and as one of the founders of the influential Baguio Arts Guild (in 1987). The politically oppressed and socially disadvantaged are common subjects in Bencab’s imagery, often framed geometrically by squares and rectangles. At the time he produced these etchings, Bencab was a long-term resident of London, during a period of self-imposed exile from the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos in which his work took a decidedly political turn. He came under the influence of the American-born artist RB Kitaj, whose canvases hold fragmented visual elements together with the use of cohesive narrative content. Printed off Bencab’s own etching press,
Escape artist I and
II relate to a series of studies based on fellow expatriates, including painters Aro Soriano and Virgilio ‘Pandy’ Aviado, and filmmaker Eric de Guia. The prisoner in chains represents anonymous political captives, but also recalls a street performer the artist encountered in London’s West End.
