NAME: Ralph Justine R.

Bucao
SECTION: BSCE221H

Camote Diggers
Carlos “Botong” Villaluz Francisco
(ANALYSIS)

DESCRIPTION:

The artwork by Carlos “Botong” Villaluz Francisco, “Camote Diggers” is a painting that used an
oil on canvas as form of medium. Base on my observation the touch of red, blue and white in the
painting symbolizes the Philippine flag. There are 2 subjects in the artwork, a old woman and a
young boy. The old woman bending on her knees using a piece of stick as an instrument to dig and
harvest camote. While the young boy uses his two hands to hold the camotes. According to art
critics the Camote Diggers was left unfinished and stored inside the studio until 1973.

ANALYSIS:

Based on my research about the artwork, and according to Ambeth Ocampo, the digging of the old
woman with a young boy beside her, which could be her son. In conclusion the artist made his
artwork through his personal experienced living in the province. The elements of the artwork, line,
color, value, etc. unified to concepts and emotion of the artist. Lastly the oil on canvas as form of
medium used effectively in this kind of artwork.

INTERPRETATION
When I saw the artwork, I immediately thought it was about the life of a Filipino family living in
the province. We know how people live in the province, they really have to work hard to feed their
families. This artwork depicts the love of a mother to her son. We have a saying that a mother can
do anything for her child. Why did the artist create this? maybe because he experienced this kind
of life in the province, every food he eats requires hard work and effort. We know that artists, they
create artworks through what they see, feel, and experienced.

JUDGEMENT
I believe that the beauty of artwork can be seen in the heart of the artist. And according to a
historian Ambeth Ocampo, the digging of the old woman with a young boy beside her, which
could be her son, is one of the proofs that the artwork worked together with a heart of an artist,
because bringing your past experienced/ present experience to painting or an art is my definition of
beauty with a heart. So the "Camote Diggers" shows a very notable technique in art, by bringing
the experienced, thoughts, feelings, in reality or in a form of art. This artwork stands for its
originality and the passion of the artist.