Digital Canvass: The Art of Printing

by: BJ David
Photos by BJ David
Eastwood City photo courtesy of Gallery 7
2007-06-15

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“An artist is someone who produces things that people don't need to have but that he, for some reason, thinks it would be a good idea to give them.”
- Andy Warhol

COLORFUL STATEMENT. Art is many things. Art could be you.

Art is an idea, an identity, a gift.

Art is many things. It can be expressed in so many ways. Art evolves.

Time and technology have contributed much to the evolution of art. One of the most exciting tools in the last century was the computer, and it has spawned a whole new field of art called Digital Art.

Digital Art has been around for some time but its impact on the Art industry has garnered mixed reactions from artists. Followers of traditional art are mostly insulted by the mere consideration of digital art as an art form, while the modern artists are more open to the idea of this new medium that is somewhat an extension of Andy Warhol’s Pop Art revolution of the 1960s.

Promoting digital art has mostly been limited to advertising, garments, and web-development, making it seem like a "disposable" art form, a mere novelty.

However, Digital Art is strongly gaining ground in being accepted as a legitimate art form. Some of its strongest supporters are the folks at Gallery 7.

Gallery 7 Digital Studios is an establishment that offers personalized art services and uses Digital Art as its primary medium. From the pictures that you provide them, they can make works of art in the form of photo-collages, photo-mosaics, custom vector-art and other digital art styles.

The products provided by Gallery 7 are gifts that are very unique. Much like art, in which every piece is as matchless as its maker.

Small Beginnings

Gallery 7 is owned and operated by the husband-and-wife team of Enrico Gaw and Bing Bernardo-Gaw, with Enrico handling the Marketing and Operations and Bing handling the Art Direction.

GOING BIG. The photo-mosaic mural at Eastwood Cinemas is just one of Gallery 7's big projects.

Enrico relates that the idea of Gallery 7 started when he and Bing got married. They loved taking photos of each other and their baby. And Bing would make collages out of these photos and send it to their friends and family overseas.

The recipients of the pictures were awe-struck when they saw the collages and asked who made them. They were all surprised to find out that it was Bing’s work and, eventually, asked her if she could do the same for their pictures.

This triggered the idea to formalize their hobby into a business. They started their home-based operations in 2005, when their primary services were producing photo-mosaics and photo-collages. After a year of prosperous business, they eventually acquired a space at the ground floor of Oasis Manila in San Juan and a stall at Shangri-La Plaza Mall.

They’ve also done large scale photo-mosaics, most notable of which is the wallpaper of the Eastwood Cinemas in Eastwood City, Libis.

Currently, they produce their bread-and-butter photo-mosaics and photo-collages along with their digital art renderings of pictures using vectors and pop art.

For Art’s Sake

FEISTY FACADE. The striking colors of Gallery 7 in Shangri-La Plaza Mall can't help but scream for attention.

Gallery 7’s products and services are very new in the market but they are already gaining a lot of attention.

In this writer’s own observation, people couldn't help but notice the colorful artworks of Gallery 7 at the Shangri-La Mall. They are enticed to come in and look at the pieces.

Each artwork ranges from as low as Php1,990 to as high as Php13,000 depending on the size and complexity.

Most of the pieces are printed on Artists Canvass. Gallery 7 did some research on a method where they could print and laminate the artwork so they could count as Archival Prints – meaning that they could last for at least 50 years, unlike the usual tarpaulin and poster prints which last for only a year or so. But they also offer printing on other materials such as Fine Art Paper, Photo Paper, Sticker Paper and Cloth.

PHOTO GOES POP. A showcase of what Gallery 7 can do to your pictures.

Aside from the colorful and eye-catching digital art prints that they produce, Enrico says, “we want this to become a venue that promotes digital art.” In fact, Gallery 7 also offers printing services for digital artists who wish to put their works on Artist Canvass.

“We believe that this kind of art is something people can relate to very well,” says Enrico.

Art Is For Everyone

'HOL-ED UP. A Warhol-inspired piece from a Warhol inspired gallery.

Andy Warhol is obviously the biggest influence of Gallery 7, which also follows that it lives by Warhol’s notion that art is for everyone. Art is not just limited to the view of high-brow art critics that discern every last paint daub on the canvass. Art can also be appreciated by the average person because it is inherent for human beings to have a level of appreciation for anything that is beautiful. And, of course, what could be more beautiful to you than your face or the face of your loved ones, transformed into a piece of art that you can call your own?

For other inquiries on their services, you may visit Gallery 7 at the 4th Level of the Shangri-La Plaza Mall or at the ground floor of the Oasis Manila Building at 169 Aurora Blvd., San Juan, Metro Manila. You may also call 727-1983 or visit their website.

If you have any comments and suggestions, you may send them to info@hotoccasions.com. We'd love to hear from you.

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