QUEZON MEMORIAL INSTITUTE OF SIQUIJOR

Canal, Siquijor, Siquijor

Telephone No. 035-480-9119
Email address: [email protected]

LESSON 5
Artists and Artisans
GEN. EDUC 1
First Semester, A.Y. 2021-2022

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

1. outline the history of the emergence of artists and artisans;
2. recognize and critically discuss the function of state sponsorship in the field of arts and culture through the
National Artist Award and Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA);
3. identify and define the different individuals and groups who take on varied roles in the world of art and
culture; and
4. classify the practices of artists in terms of form, medium, and technique.

INTRODUCTION

In the advent of technology, it is remarkable what has now been made possible.

The art is one of the most significant ways in which we try to grapple with how the present unfolds. In Robert
Henri’s The Art Spirit (1923), he stated that “Art when really understood is the province of every human being. It is
simply a question of doing things, anything, well.

LET’S GET STARTED

1. What art form can you most relate to and appreciate? It may be architecture, sculpture, painting, music, literature,
film, dance, performance/theatre, and living traditions.

2. Name an artist whose works you really like.

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3. Is there a particular work of art created by him or her that you relate to and appreciate? Why?

LET’S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS

Artists have treaded a long history. Their roots can likewise be traced in one of the major milestones in human
civilization.

The impulse to create is at the core of human civilization, much like the impulses to communicate through
language. Early on, artists were embedded in the development of culture, and in turn, art was nurtured by the varying
cultures in which is existed.

The Artisan and the Guilds

Have you ever wondered why some examples of artistic and creative production have survived to this day?
Perhaps, what made the difference were the materials, medium, and the principles behind the process of their creation.
Another contributory factor is the emergence of technology and knowledge in managing and conserving all of these
objects and structures, enabling the retention of the integrity of the artwork and the intention of the artist in terms of
the design and overall aesthetic.

Craftsmen and builders in the past did not have sophisticated terminologies and principles that architects and
engineers abide by today. What they had was a sense on how materials behaved, how the environment, light, and
weather patterns affected structures, and other more intuitive principles of creation. Experimentation and luck must
not also be forgotten.

Skills qualification was needed for an apprentice to register under a particular craft guild. These guilds were
prevalent during the Middle Ages particularly during the thirteenth century, where towns had formalized groups of
artisans or craftsmen who took on a particular specialization trade: shoemakers, textile and glass workers, carpenters,
carvers, masons, armorers, and weapon-makers, among others.

A master artisan or craftsman would then open to hiring apprentices who would be under his tutelage and
instruction. In these guilds, artistry and technology flourished under one roof.

This brought the light various ways of thinking about transferring knowledge and skills by visualizing and
articulating the principles, processes, and tricks of the trade both in words and in print through manuals and
publications.

The Artist and His Studio

Before the Renaissance Period, artworks were left unsigned. Artists claiming authorship for their works by
affixing their mark onto the surfaces of their paintings were a big milestone in the history of the artist. Combined,
these resulted in a wider variety of artworks, not just in form, but more so in style and technique. The site that saw this
shift was a very personal space for the artist himself, which was the studio.

Today, artist studios have been place of interest for the public. It is interesting to see and learn where
creativity manifests itself, especially since an artist’s studio is an extension of the artist himself.
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Production Process

The process is essentially tripartite:

1. preproduction

2. production

3. postproduction

Awards and Citations

In history, support for the arts and culture is not limited to the allocation of funding or patronship. One of the
most common measures in which artists and other creative producers are given incentives and honor for their work is
through state-initiated and given awards and citations.

2 major awards given to artists in the Philippines:

1. Orden ng pambansang Alagad ng Sining (Order of National Artist)

2. Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (National Living Treasures Award)

LET’S WORK ON THIS

Answer the following questions as precisely yet as thoroughly as possible.

1. What do you think is the role of the artist in the twenty-first century society?

2. How relevant still are the awards National Artists and GAMABA, not only to the art world, but also to the Filipino
society as a whole?

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LET’S MAKE IT HAPPEN

1. Identify and select one artist. He or she may be a Filipino or foreign; and may be identified with any art form:
architecture, sculpture, painting, music, literature, film, dance, performance/theatre, and living traditions,
among others.

a) Research on him or her and select five aspects of his or her life (events, ideas, works,
awards/citations) that you think have a substantial contribution not only to the local or foreign art
scene, but also to human history.

REFERENCES:

Art Appreciation, Bernardo Nicolas Caslib Jr., Dorothea C. Garing, Jesreel Anne R. Casaul (Author-Editor)
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