Scribd
Upload
134 views4 pages

Lesson 1 Readings

This document discusses the development of contemporary Philippine arts from different regions. It outlines three major art traditions in the Philippines: the Ethnic Tradition representing pre-colonial indigenous arts, the Spanish Colonial Tradition which introduced Western art forms, and the American Colonial and Contemporary Traditions. Contemporary art refers to art practices from the 1970s to present that reflect modern society and transcend traditional methods through new ideas, materials, and techniques. Contemporary arts in the Philippines are significant as they mirror the culture and ideas of present-day society through non-conventional artworks.

Uploaded by

Angel Rose Narcena
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
134 views4 pages

Lesson 1 Readings

This document discusses the development of contemporary Philippine arts from different regions. It outlines three major art traditions in the Philippines: the Ethnic Tradition representing pre-colonial indigenous arts, the Spanish Colonial Tradition which introduced Western art forms, and the American Colonial and Contemporary Traditions. Contemporary art refers to art practices from the 1970s to present that reflect modern society and transcend traditional methods through new ideas, materials, and techniques. Contemporary arts in the Philippines are significant as they mirror the culture and ideas of present-day society through non-conventional artworks.

Uploaded by

Angel Rose Narcena
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

CONTEMPORARY PHILIPPINE

ARTS FROM THE REGION

Lesson 1
INTEGRATIVE ART AS APPLIED TO CONTEMPORARY ART
First Edition, 2020

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this lesson you will be able to:

a. Researches on various contemporary


art forms, techniques and performance
practices.
b. Describes various contemporary art
forms and their practices from the
various regions.

Art plays a significant part in the rich cultural identity of the


Philippines. It mirrors the Filipino people, its history, its tradition, and the
country. Diverse art forms in the different parts of the archipelago, when
integrated. Will give a clear picture of what kind of country the Philippines is
and what kind of people the Filipinos are. These art forms developed from
the early times continue to evolve up to the present. From the ethnic
tradition, it continues to progress to contemporary art tradition.

As a Filipino, one should have the knowledge of the different forms of


art in the Philippines to fully grasp its identity as a nation and to completely
embrace oneself as a citizen of the country.

ii
The development of Philippine Art comes in three major traditions. These are the
Ethnic Tradition, Spanish Colonial Tradition, and the American Colonial and
Contemporary Traditions. Before colonization, the Philippines already has its
indigenous art. The ethnic art forms are primarily influenced by the geographical
location and the experiences of the Filipinos. For instance, the dances in the
country during the pre-colonial times vary depending on the area where our
ancestors thrive. In the highlands, dance steps were imitations of the movements of
certain animals like birds. In terms of visual arts, pottery, weaving, wood
carving, and metal crafting were dominant during the pre-colonial period
making use of the available materials surrounding them. About
architecture, the early Filipinos used local material such as anahaw,
bamboo, cogon, cane, rattan, and other light materials in constructing
structures since these were the materials accessible in their area. Also, our
ancestors already have their folk literature which came in the forms of folk
speeches, songs, and narratives. This folk literature verbalized their
experiences. Regarding theater arts, tribal presentations and rituals were
the early theatrical performances depicting their beliefs. In music our
ancestors also have their indigenous musical instruments like the bamboo
flutes and brass gongs.

Then came the Spaniards who tend to replace the Philippine


indigenous arts with Western art forms. Religion and secularization greedy
influenced the art in the Philippines under the Spanish regime. The friars
were the ones supervising the practices of arts in the country with their
agenda of propagating Christianity and maintaining the power o0f
colonizers. In the field of literature, the literary works could classify into
religious and secular prose and poetry. In the area of theater arts, secular
and religious plays like the “komedya” became popular. In choreography,
religious dances commonly performed to venerate patrons and saints
proliferated.

There were also secular dances performed in social function like


the valse, fandango, polka, and minuet, among others. In music, the
Spaniards introduced the piano, and other Western instruments. Bands and
orchestra multiplied as the zarzuelas and operas became prevalent. In visual
arts, Spaniards introduced painting and sculpture which mostly depicted
religious subject matters. In architecture, stones and bricks were
predominantly used in constructing buildings like churches, houses, and
government offices. Western Spanish influence was evident in architecture,
the exterior, and interior of the buildings were embellished with wood
carvings or metal works with intricate decorative designs. However, despite
the strong influence of the Spaniards, the arts in the country did not result

iii
in a pure Western art but a mix of Western and indigenous art. Filipino
artists still put Filipino touches on their art pieces. After more than 300
years of Spanish colonization, the Americans took over the country which
led to the declaration of the independence on June12, 1898. The American
brought about many changes in the politics, economy, education and
culture of the Philippines.

In the area education, there are Filipinos who went abroad to


study, some studied under the tutelage of the American educators, and
some learned through observation and personal experiences. Those who
went abroad to study came back to the country carrying the concept of
modern art. Modern art refers to the practice of art in the 1860s-1960s. It
was during these years that the western world was significantly developing.
The urbanization, consumerism, rise of the middle class, change in the political
system, secularization, and the emergence of new technology affected the way of art
in the period. Due to the technological innovations, the experimental approaches in
developing art rose above traditional art practices and methodologies. New forms of
expression came which were avant-garde in nature. Modern art continuously
develops even after World War II, which led to the contemporary way of art making
today. Contemporary art refers to the recent and current practice of art ranging
from the 1970’s up to the present. It mirrors the society and culture of the present
times. It uses a combination of different methods, materials, and ideas that
transcend the traditional way of art making. All Philippine art forms had a
different twist as the American way of life became a part of lives of the
Filipinos. The art forms and art practices in the country broadened. Artists
experimented with different materials and methodologies and produced non-
conventional artworks with a wide range of themes.

1. Can you now distinguish the difference between the different art
traditions?
2. Do you already know what contemporary art is?
3. What is the significance of Contemporary Arts in the Philippines?

The Three Traditions in the development of Philippine Art:


 Ethnic Tradition
 Spanish Tradition
 American Colonial and Contemporary Traditions.

Contemporary Art

iv
Refers to the recent and current practice of art ranging from the 1970’s up
to the present. It mirrors the society and ideas that transcend the traditional
way of art making.

In the Ethnic Tradition, the location and the experiences of the Filipinos
were the major factors in art production. In the Spanish period, religion
and secularization were the dominant themes of the art forms. In the
American period, modernism entered the field of art wherein Filipinos
started to explore different materials, methodologies, and techniques in
expressing themselves through non-conventional art. The continuous
progress of modernism led to the development of contemporary art.

You might also like