Name: Jeofy F.

Pama March 11, 2023

Midterm Activity 1 - Art Criticism

“The Happiest Place on Earth”

“The Happiest Place on Earth'' is an acrylic on canvas painting created by Elmer Borlongan in 2017,
and it is currently being housed in the Pinto Art Museum. Elmer Borlongan is often identified with the
Social Realist movement due to his style and preference of depicting social classes. He began art
lessons when he was 11, before going to the U.P. Diliman College of Fine Arts to pursue his passion.
At the time of his graduation, the Philippines was in a chaotic state, with events such as the Mendiola
massacre and coup d'etats against the Aquinos. These events, among others, are what caused
Borlongan to dedicate his art to engaging in social awareness. He joined the activist art collective
Artista ng Bayan, or ABAY, to make art for cause-oriented groups. The following years saw Borlongan’s
rise in popularity after being one of the recipients of the Thirteen Artists Award and being a participant
of “At Home and Abroad: 20 Contemporary Filipino Artists” event. After marrying and moving from
Mandaluyong to Zambales, Borlongan’s art showed a change with the use of much lighter colors and
more rural settings.

The painting depicts a stylized Muslim wearing a dark blue hijab, holding a red container of Jollibee
fries. She sits in the center of the canvas, surrounded by a mostly black background. The title seems
to suggest that the Muslim is in the happiest place on earth thanks to the food she is holding, the
brand of the food, or what the brand may represent in the context of the Philippines. Jollibee is a
staple Filipino brand that can often be connected with happiness and success and it can be recognized
as a face of Filipino culture. With the title and meaning of the fries, one could assume that even
Muslims, who may feel out of place in a Christian country, can treat the Philippines as their “happiest
place on earth.” However, one must look into the context of when the art was made, the background
of the artist, and other cultural aspects in order to gain a clearer understanding of what the artist was
trying to portray. The use of colder colors, the Muslim’s apathetic expression, and the
disproportionate art style implies that the painting may have a more sombre meaning then originally
indicated. The Art Farts Podcast will explore these facets to find the possible deeper meaning of the
piece.

In an interview with Vim Nadera, when asked about his style, Elmer describes his art style as Figurative
Expressionism. Figurative Expressionism is an art style that employs bold color schemes, distorted and
exaggerated brushstrokes, and a recognizable modern object in order to convey a message about
modern realities as well as to express emotions in reaction to the said realities. As seen in the artwork
“The Happiest Place on Earth,” the painting employs a distortion in the face and the right hand, the
strong color schemes of blue and grey, and a recognizable modern object such as Jollibee's fries in
order to convey a message about the modern world and evoke emotions in response to that message.
The colours used in this painting are dark and cool-toned, save for the fries which is a stark contrast
to both the background and the woman. The dark tones give the woman an ominous aura, with her
painted blue hijab, clothes, and skin, which is a grey that fades into blue in some areas. The only
element of the artwork that isn’t mixed with blue is the Jollibee french fries which is painted in a way
that is true to the original. Focusing on the woman, one cannot help but notice her hands, which are
relatively too large for her small face. Her facial features are also disproportionate to one another, her
eyes set wide apart, her nose long and slightly bulbous. It looks awkward and unnatural from normal
human proportions. Scale and proportion are important aspects when it comes to creating an artefact
as they affect how the audience views it. By enlarging or minimizing a certain part, they are
subconsciously drawing the audience's attention to it. One of the conspicuous subjects seen on Elmer
Borlongan’s painting would be the Jollibee fries. In terms of the structural frame, the Jollibee fries
symbolizes nourishment since it’s a type of food that people eat in modern times and it is what gives
people satisfaction or happiness. Through a more cultural lens. Jollibee fries is one of the primary
dishes presented in the menu of Filipino fast-food restaurant, Jollibee. The fries is the sole subject that
represents a piece of Filipino culture or heritage depicted in the painting. The other evident subject
presented in the painting would be its persona. Observing from the outfit of the person and through
the cultural lens, one can assume that the persona represents a Muslim. The clothing that is most
similar to what is shown in the artwork would be of the traditional outfit of Muslims which is the Hijab.
The Hijab is a Muslim outfit the covers every part o the body except the face of the person.

The first thing to take note of are the Jollibee fries, which stand out in contrast to the darker shades
of the painting. The fries are likely a representation of Filipino culture, specifically, Filipino happiness
and success, as Jollibee is a popular Filipino brand that was able to extend internationally. Additionally,
it is a common find at many celebratory occasions. The idea of happiness with Jollibee can also be
explicitly inferred from their slogan “bida ang saya.” This may mean that wherever you eat Jollibee
will become the “happiest place on earth.” The Muslim holding the fries may represent that even a
Muslim, who’s culture discourages eating certain types of food, is able to eat comfortably with
Jollibee. However, upon closer inspection, one might notice that the Muslim’s expression does not
seem happy at all. Along with the use of darker colors, the mood seems to be pointing to a more
sombre meaning. The artwork may actually be portraying the consumerist behavior of Filipinos in
indulging in unhealthy foods or practices as a temporary escape from one’s problems in life. It can
bring temporary pleasure, but it will only give the illusion that one is in the happiest place on earth.
The reason it is specifically a Muslim holding the fries may be because the widespread religion in the
Philippines is not Islam, but Christianity. Therefore, Muslims would face greater discrimination and be
more in need of finding a “happiest place” within a own country that does not widely accept them.

“The Happiest Place on Earth” represents the Philippines and Filipino culture. Looking deeper into
the artefact, we acknowledged that the “happiness” being portrayed can only be taken at face value,
and that it is actually a narrative on the social issues of consumerism and discrimination. These
problems are still relevant today. We continue to face numerous social issues but we Filipinos are
recognized as resilient individuals, and must find a way to get through it, especially during these
trying times where numerous calamities like this pandemic have occurred. These circumstances have
challenged a lot of people to pull through. Many Filipinos are trying to survive in the face of
adversity, so we settle for temporary pleasures to enable us to escape from reality, even for a short
while.