Beyond the Barrelman

Image from graciepoo

This unassuming wooden man/woman has been a classic cultural symbol in many Pilipino households.  Nestled in in the glove-like hold of its rotund armor, the figure awaits for a curious visitor to take a peek. One quick lift of the barrel and the little man inside says hello...Boing! Gotcha!

A barrel man or barrelman is a souvenir doll or statuette popular in the Philippines. The statuette usually consists of a crude male figurine carved out of wood, partially hidden inside a round wooden barrel. When the barrel is taken off, the male figure inside is revealed, sporting a prominent phallic protrusion in the lower part of the figure's anatomy.

The souvenir is fairly common in gift shops in the Philippines and is somewhat popular among tourists who may be surprised the first time they encounter the object and lift its barrel. The souvenir's origin is relatively unknown, but the figure has been referred to as an Igorot, suggesting that it may represent the mountain inhabitants of the country's early history. Although unconfirmed, it has been suggested that Ben "Dizon" Tingzon is the originator of the original barrel man.

Does the barrel man have a long cultural history, or is it last-century adaption of Pilipino woodworking skills? An upcoming event in Chicago agrees with the hypothesis that the barrelman is a basic form of cultural artwork.  The exhibit shows that Pilipino art has evolved from the basic woodcraft...or "Beyond the Barrelman" so to speak. Continue reading for more information about this Chicago-an event.

Beyond the Barrelman
Barrelman [Wikipedia]
From the Beyond the Barrelman website:

So how did we arrive at that name?

Most Filipinos recognize the ubiquitous "barrelman" figure.

As we struggled in the beginning to come up with a name for this project, one of the recurring themes that arose was the challenge to overcome certain stereotypes -- even within our own Filipino American community -- about what constitutes contemporary Filipino art. Contrary to many people's beliefs, our creativity and craftsmanship went beyond oversized carved wooden spoons, seashell vases and holiday parols -- "beyond the Barrelman."

It was a catchy title, and, more importantly, it caught the spirit of our secondary goal: increasing awareness within our communities of how far Filipinos have come in the arts.

Beyond the Barrelman
An Exhibit of Contemporary Filipino Art

September 2008
Mercury Cafe Gallery
1505 W. Chicago
Chicago, IL

info@BeyondTheBarrelman.com