CONTEMPORARY PHILIPPINE ARTS FROM THE REGION

Pg. 2 | FAQ CONTEMPORARY ART and BEING MODERN

 The first difference is Historical and Chronological.
 Modern art refers to the period that began in the 1880s and that lasted
until the 1960s. Contemporary art can be said to be the art that was
developed after the 1960s and is still emerging.
 Modern art refers to art that began in the 1880s. Contemporary art
describes the works of artists still living and creating artworks.
 Modern Art is revolutionary by its origin (anti-romanticism), while
Contemporary art is revolutionary for the freedom and magnitude of
experimentation by the artists
 Modern Art is more self-expressive, while Contemporary Art pays
attention to society, thus known for its social impact
 Modern Art is primarily made on canvases, while Contemporary Art is on
every medium that you can think of – video art, tech-enabled artworks,
object design, graphical arts
 Modern art focuses on the subjective representation of the chosen
themes, while Contemporary Art takes a strong stand on social, political
and cultural aspects of the world
Pg. 4 | FAQ What is Contemporary Art and Modern Art
 Contemporary art can be defined as art produced by artists living today.
 National artist Arturo Laz continued to produce paintings in his 90s.
Pg. 5 | Cont.
 Figure 1.2, The Contrast by HR Ocampo – was painted in the early
1960s. (1940)
 Figure 1.3, Frugal Meal by Cesar Legaspi
  National artist Victorio Edades is credited for initiating the Modern Art
movement that challenged the Neoclassic style, which was dominant at
the time he came home from studying in America before the war.
 National artists Fernando Amorsolo and Guillermo Tolentino’s artworks
were described as “conservative” art, led by Victorio Edades.
 Neoclassic Art was Familiar and Comfortable.
 Neoclassicism is academic.
 Modern art is referred as Traditional.
 Contemporary Art is the art of the Present.
Pg. 6 | Similarities and Differences between Modern Art and Contemporary Art
 Figure 1.4 shows Carlo Francisco’s depiction of Fishing as a difficult
process, “Magpupukot”, 1957
 Figure 1.5 shows Fernando Amorsolo’s depiction of fishing as calm and
placidity, “Fishing Scene”.
 Figure 1.6, shows Victorio Edades’ depiction of oppressive condition of
the underprivileged classes.
Pg. 7 | Social Realism
 Social Realism continues to influence contemporary artists.
 Imelda Cajipe-Endaya’s, “Filipina DH”, (1995) is social realist.
Pg. 8 | Cultural Overview
 The table titled “Cultural Overview”, can be seen the Contemporary
Artists Xyza Bacani and Cajipe-Endaya belong to Different Contexts.
 Xyza Bacani started exhibiting her works in Internet Platforms like Blogs
and caught the attention of the photographers.
Pg. 9 | Ibn Saud Salipyasin Ahmad
 Ibn Saud Salipyasin Ahmad from Zamboanga comes from a hybrid
mixture of Local Subanen and Traditional Maguindanao.
 Ibn Saud Salipyasin Ahmad is a contemporary artist but his cultural
context is indigenous Southeast-Asian and Philippine Muslim, his
medium is watercolor, his depictions are his culture and its traditions in
today’s changing times.
Pg. 12 | General Characteristics of Contemporary Art
 Contemporary art is distinguishable from Modern art in historical, stylistic
and cultural terms.
 Contemporary Art is site-specific, process-based, collaborative, and
interactive.
Pg. 14 & 15 | LESSON 2: A BRIEF HISTORY OF PHILIPPINE ART
1. PRE-CONQUEST
- Before the coming of the first colonizers, “pre-conquest”, In stylistic term
“indigenous”, in cultural terms “pre-colonial”
Pg, 14 & 15 | FAQ Was there Art before Colonization?
 Rituals
- Mayvanuvanua of Batanes
- Canao or Kanyaw of Cordillera Autonomous Region (Officiated by
Shaman or Mumbaki), also involves “animal sacrifice”, performed for
healing, announce the birth of a child, coming of age during wakes,
weddings, and burial ceremonies.
- In Lake Lanao in Mindanao, a Kashawing Ritual means ensuring the
abundance during rice planting and harvesting.
- In Palawan, the Tagbanwa believe that every thirteenth moon, three
goddesses descend from heaven to bless the planting of the rice.
- Kudyapi, a three stringed guitar
- Kulintang, an array of bossed gongs
- Gansa or Flat Gong, bamboo percussion
- Agong, large bossed gong

 Native Dance Forms

- Pangalay of Cebu, mimetic of movement of seabirds
- Mandayas’kinabua
- Banog-banog of Higaonon and B’laan Communities
- Man-Manok of Bagobos of Mindanao, imitates movement of
Predatory Birds
- Talip Dance of Ifugaos, used in courtship and mimetic of
movements of wild fowls
- Inamong of Matigsalugs
 - Kadaliwas Dance of T’boli’s, represents comedic movements of
monkeys
- Tinikling, a popular Tagalog Folk Dance, evocative of the
movements of the crane from bamboo traps
 Carving
- People of the Cordillera carve the Bulul, a granary God that plays
an important role in rituals.
- Ifugaos produces Hagabi, a wooden bench that marks the
socioeconomic status of the owner.
- Christainized communities in Laguna and Pampanga are known for
carving Santos or sculptures of saints as well as other wooden
sculptures of secular or non-religious orientation.
- Paete, Laguna is recognized for its Carving Tradition
- In Betis, Pampanga remains active despite the challenges posed
on Contemporary Practice.
- In Southern Philippines, curvilinear decorations called Okir are
employed in wood carving,
- Sensuous figures sometimes painted in primary colors are follow
the basic designs of the Mythical Sarimanok, Naga or Serpent and
the Pako Rabong or Fern
- Elaborate Okir designs can also be found in the Panolong or
Protruding beams of the sultan’s house called the Torogan.
- Grave markes are called as sunduk.
- Some of the most ancient forms are made of terracotta.
- The Manunggul Jar, discovered at Manunggul Cave, Lipuun Point,
Palawan is dated to the late Neolithic Period. It is a secondary
burial vessel, where buried and exhumed bones are placed.
- Other forms of pottery remain in use are the Palayok (for cooking),
Banga & Tapayan (For fermenting food), Pagbuburnay (Vigan).

 Weaving
- According to Respicio, textile weaving has a long history that
Philippine ethnolinguistic groups have a rich textile weaving
tradition.
- A backstrap loom or pedal loom is used to weave designs that hold
special meaning for a particular cultural group.
 - Examples of Woven Textiles include the Pis Siyabit, a headpiece
woven by the Tausug of Sulu
- Malong with exquisite tapestry panels called Langkit woven by the
Maranao of Lanao Del Sur
- Bubo, sturdy bamboo strips woven to create fish traps
- Boxer Codex, featured representations of various ethnolinguistic
groups.
- Islas de los Pintados, are Visayans that are fully covered in tattoo

Pg. 18 & Pg. 19 | Jewelry

- A special technique of metal casting is called the Lost Wax or Cire Perdue
Process which involves the use of moulds filled with liquefied metal that
eventually hardens.
- Other vessels, the brass Kendi (a vessel used for pouring liquids) and
Gadur (container with a tapered top, round body and, flared base) are
used in ceremonies and cherished as status symbols or as heirloom
pieces.

Pg. 19 | FAQ Islam Influences art before Spanish Colonizers

2. Islamic Colonial (13th century to the Present)
- Quran, Holy Book
Pg. 20 | Main Beliefs of Islam
1. Ummah – Community of Believers
2. Tahwid – Unity of God, central to the Islamic Faith

- According to Prof. Abraham Sakili, we can then relate this with two
aspects of reality, (1) The object perceived by the ordinary sense,
(2) and the other, Sense of Nothingness, a space or a void empty
of all things; to evoke that God is above and beyond all things.

3. Spanish Colonial Period (1521-1898)

Pg. 21 | FAQ What kinds of art were developed during Spanish Colonization?
 - Lowland Christians, inhabitants in the Central part of the Island
- In Colonial Churches, Santos are displayed in a decorative altar
niched called Retablo.
- Retablo, the town’s patron saint.
- Via crucis, important inclusion in colonial churches which are
presented either as a series of 14 paintings or relief sculptures
depicting Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection.
Pg. 22 | FAQ What kinds of art were developed during Spanish Colonization?
- Relleves, carved figurative protrusions
- Plateria, organic designs of hammered silver