Noell El Farol, combining archaeology and art

Friday, 27 August 2010 08:00
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Noell El Farol

Who would have taught that combining Art and Archeology is possible? Yes, everything is possible, but that idea would only come in the mind of Noell El Farol, who, clearly displays and expresses in his artworks, interpretations that is greatly inspired his archaeological excavations and tickler notebooks.

Noell, who is a full time glass and stone artist, teaches in a university, having his masters in archaeology and works as a curator in Kaida Art Gallery, still have time to work on his paintings? Truly, it is one’s passion that keeps us going.  A perfect representation and example of multi-tasking to its highest form!

Noell, who has had 5 solo exhibits held in Japan and the Philippines respectively, describes his work as his archaeological expressions.

Being an active archaeologist and an artist himself, he cannot deprive from the fact that this passion of his will definitely affect one from the other that clearly shows in his works. As with one of his artwork, he focused on the process from catching the fish, to its butchering practices, cleaning and right to the preparation of the fish as it is cooked to be a meal. He worked on the leftover catfish that they had for dinner, sun dried it and cast them. His concept on working on this art piece is the process the fish has to go through and it was clearly expressed in this artwork called “Field Notes: Butchering Practices”

Noell's Artwork entitled

Works on paper however has been his passion as well, which describes his observations written in his tickler, a small notebook where all the data is recorded as he does his excavations. The works on paper are like lab notes, and the holes surrounding it represent physical evidences during his excavations. The lab notes are white in color also representing micro shot elements, for when you look thru the microscopic lens, you don’t see much of the color but the behaviour of the elements. Noell also wanted to show the versatility of the material, that is why he tried to mix paper, metal and glass in creating this piece. It’s just like looking thru microscopic lenses; you see the capacity of the elements and its properties up close.

In Noell’s artworks, you will not see any physical signature element, but rather on the conceptual approach, it always compliments to his background in archaeology.

So how would Noell go to art when he is very passionate with archaeology? Simple, He took architecture during his college years. After graduation, he worked as an architectural draftsman by day, and studies fine arts at night. After which, he then studied advertising and had his post masteral Art education in Japan that led him to take his masters in archaeology to this time. It is clear that Science and art is his passion and his constant studying and practice of the same craft says it all.

To date, Noell had received numerous awards from the Diwa ng Sining Awardee in 1985, to being the Grand Prize Winner in the Metrobank Annual Art Competition in 1986. A Grand Prize winner at the Art Association of the Philippines Annual Competition in 1988; and the Metrobank Foundation Prize Achievement Award in Sculpture in 2009.

On top of that, Noell had also represented the Philippines in International Sculpture Symposiums in Vietnam, Russia, Korea, Japan, Dubai, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan and Hongkong.