In his latest one-man exhibit, Lawrence Borsoto goes out of the box and completes his new set of works without a working title in mind. He simply calls the exhibit, Nihil Obstat. “It is about having no obstacle,” he explains. “I have been flirting with this idea for a long time. I put down the wall of an encompassing theme, and, in the process, I became free to do and paint what I fancy.”By taking this route, Borsoto is able to explore his capabilities and boundaries as an artist without being constrained to one idea. A piece titled “Hallowed Staircase,” which was done during his stay in Cubao, was not originally meant to be part of the show, recalls Borsoto. Its unique aesthetic quality, however, probably made him change his mind and include it at the last minute.Then, there is “Attack of the 4th Dimension,” in which Borsoto decided to retouch what was already a finished painting, superimposing additional elements into the composition. “Somehow, I felt fear, of ruining an already finished painting.” Yet he did not allow such apprehension to stop him. In the end, he appreciated the value of taking risks to improve on what was already there, to see the big picture in the journey rather than the destination. “Even if the risk did not pay off, I was ready to justify my action,” says Borsoto.”The bottom line is that the process outweighs the value of the finished product.”
