CPAR Reviewer Traditional & Contemporary Art / GAMABA

11-Faith Pating, Nagum et al.

Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions Module 1: Art

WHAT IS ART?
Merriam-Webster, 2024
Art is the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic
objects.

Oxford Dictionary, 2024

Art is the use of the imagination to express ideas or feelings, particularly in painting, drawing or
sculpture.

Hubbard (painter) "Art is not a thing, it is a way"

Merton (writer) "Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time"
Tharp (choreographer) "Art is the only way to run away without leaving home" -
Puccini (composer) "Art is a kind of illness"
Hirst (visual artist) “Art is childish and childlike"
Reinhardt (visual art) "Art is art. Everything else is everything else"

TRADITIONAL ARTS
- This refers to artistic practices that are rooted in cultural and historical contexts, often following
established techniques, styles, and themes that have been passed down through generations.

Characteristics of Traditional Art

- Often representational or symbolic, depicting recognizable subjects such as landscapes,
portraits, or historical events.

- Utilizes mediums such as oil paint, watercolor, charcoal, sculpture, clay, etc.
CONTEMPORARY ART
- This refers to art created in the present time or within the last few decades, reflecting the
current socio- cultural context and often pushing the boundaries of traditional artistic practices.

Characteristics of Contemporary Arts

1. Diverse and Experimental
This means that contemporary art includes a wide range of styles, materials, and ideas, and
artists often push boundaries, trying new techniques and approaches to create innovative and
unique works of art.
2. Reflects a Globalized World
Contemporary art shows how the world is connected, with artists from different countries and
cultures sharing their ideas and experiences. It reflects our global community by addressing
common issues and embracing diverse perspectives from around the world.
3. Encourages Viewer Engagement and Interpretation
Contemporary art wants you to get involved! It asks you to think about what you see and how it
makes you feel. You're not just looking at a painting or sculpture; you're part of the
conversation, and your thoughts and feelings are important in understanding the artwork.

TRADITIONAL ART IN THE PHILIPPINES

- The traditional arts in the Philippines include folk architecture, maritime transport, famous
sculpture in the Philippines, weaving, carving, folk performing arts, folk (oral) literature, folk
graphic and plastic arts, ornament, pottery, and other artistic expressions of traditional culture.

- Among the most famous forms of traditional art in the Philippines is weaving. Each island
(Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao) has its own distinctive style of weaving to show the Philippine
culture.

- The First National Artist of the Philippines is Fernando Amorsolo

CONTEMPORARY ARTS IN THE PHILIPPINES

- Contemporary art in the Philippines emerged at the end of the Martial Law Period. The return
of democracy, improved political and economic conditions, and the arrival of new technologies
and free access to media contributed to the emergence of contemporary Philippine art.

- "YELLOW CONFETTI" by Benedicto Cabrera, National Artist, Visual Arts Yellow Confetti is a
dynamic and powerfully resonant work which describes the civil resistance in the Philippines
during the early to mid 1980. This period became known as "People Power" or "EDSA"; but
was also called the Yellow Revolution due to the use of yellow flags and ribbons by the
resisters.
Art During Martial Law
- During the time of Marcos, they were able to establish three institutions for the love and
support for the arts and these institutions according to them aimed to promote art and culture
for the growth and love of our land which is the Philippines. These institutions were named the
Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Philippine High School for the arts, and the National
Museum.

- Arts and culture became an instrument of political propaganda that glorified the Marcos
government. As commodities of patronage, arts, and culture did not only function as extension
of politics, they also became the representation of self. Ferdinand Marcos for example
showcased his power through arts and culture using cinema, photographs, and monumental
images like his Mount Rushmore-like bust in the mountains of Tuba and Benguet. While
Imelda Marcos focused on the accumulation and display of 'fine art' and in the process
projected herself as the nation's custodian of culture and a woman of acquired taste. Arts and
culture which aestheticized the Marcos rule. also anesthetized the personal history of the
former president and the former first lady, Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos.

The Use of Art in Martial Law

1. State Control and Censorship
The Martial Law regime under Ferdinand Marcos imposed strict control over media and the
arts.
2. Alternative Spaces and Underground Movements
With mainstream avenues heavily censored, alternative spaces emerged as hubs for artistic
expression.
3. Art as Resistance
Despite the oppressive environment, many artists found ways to express disagreement and
resistance through their work.

Prometheus Unbound
- "Prometheus Unbound" by Ruben Cuevas was a poem published in Focus Magazine during
the Martial Law Period. Sometime later, however, Focus staff were alerted to an alarming
thing: "Prometheus Unbound" turned out to be an acrostic poem, in which the first letters of
each line, when read downwards, spelled out a message different from that of the rest of the
poem. The magazine's editor-in-chief was summoned for a reprimand by the press secretary
himself as some sources recall; the literary editor was promptly dismissed. The identity of
Ruben Cuevas was investigated who was later named Jose Maria Flores Lacaba, known
simply as Pete. And men in uniform rushed from newsstand to newsstand, pulling any
remaining copies of Focus, that Marcos-allied publication which now carried the opposition's
favorite slogan, chanted and printed alike at lighting rallies and on contraband manifestos,
"Marcos Hitler Diktador Tuta".
-
Contemporary Art as a Breaking of Norms
- Contemporary art embraces themes and subjects that employ a process of inquiry, and
statements of political, ethical, racial, economic, gender-based, and sexual nature through
image-making.

TRANSGRESSION Contemporary art is characterized by a transgression of established norms and

rules, and the rejection of established institutions, traditions, and history. It emphasizes the new,
modern, and progressive.
APPROPRIATION is the practice of creating a new work by taking a pre- existing image or work from
another like art history, context advertising, and combining borrowed images with new ones.
(Jeff Hunington)
MONTAGE is a technique of art creation by which art results from piecing together multiple and
different images, thus creating a new whole. It is a special kind of collage that is made from parts of
magazines, photographs, or other pictures that the artist puts together in a new way.
(Carnivores of Session Road by Santiago Bose)

Contemporary Art as a Critique of Society

- Everyday life and the concerns of the day are also articulated in the medium of contemporary
art, posing questions and critiques of contemporary society.

- Venues for contemporary art are no longer confined within the strict boundaries of the
museums and gallery spaces. Creative exhibition spaces are carved from existing public
spaces like parks, market places, or even abandoned buildings.

Examples
“UKAY UKAY DOME” Initiated by Kawayan de Guia (2011)
- This is an eye-catching temporary patchwork architecture of used clothing stitched and
assembled by over a hundred student volunteers, and installed in the Rose Garden of
Burnham Park. The dome is marked by communal collaboration, whose goal is to connect
people and students and make them interact to produce a work of art.

“BAMBOO THEATER” by Archi. Rosario Encarnacion Tan (2017)

- Contemporary Art is also about the creative adaptation of non-art spaces to create alternative
and unpredictable venues for displaying and performing art. Just like the 'Bamboo Theater' that
was created as an alternative open space for art and performance at the front lawn of the
Vargas Museum. The structure consisted of a bamboo framework roofed with colorful
commercial rice sacks.

“SALABA” Art Installation by Mark Ramsel Salvatus III (Daet, Camarines Sur, 2003)
- In the Bagasbas Beach International Eco-Arts Festival in 2003, the world- renowned surf
beach of Daet, Camarines Norte was transformed into an exhibition site for installations.
"SALABAY' was among the installation art exhibited in the Eco-Arts Festival. The organizers
believed that through this, poor communities within Daet and in other towns have found new
perspectives and solutions to environmental problems through immersive interaction and
learning between the artists and the community.
FUNCTIONS OF CONTEMPORARY ART
1. CONTEMPORARY ART FOR PLEASURE AND SELF EXPRESSION
Art can provide escape from everyday concerns, and fulfills an expressive function when an
artist conveys information about his or her personality, feelings or worldview.

2. CONTEMPORARY ART AS REMEMBRANCE

As the word itself suggests, remembrance is something done as an aid to memory.

3. CONTEMPORARY ART AS PROFESSION

Art has economic value and gains currency in a network of exchange.

4. CONTEMPORARY ART AS COMMENTARY

Artists who fulfill our need for commentary often speak in a language easy to understand; they
view art's primary goal as communication between artist and viewer by means of subject
matter.

5. CONTEMPORARY ART IN SPIRITUALITY

Artists may create art to express spiritual beliefs about the destiny of life controlled by the force
of a higher power.

6. CONTEMPORARY ART FOR PERSUASION

Art has the power to spur political change and social change, or modify the behavior and
thinking of people.
 Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions Module 2: GAMABA

WHAT IS GAMABA?
- Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) is another term for the National Living Treasures
Award
- Established in April 1992 through the Republic Act 7355 or otherwise known as ‘Manlilikha ng
Bayan Act’
- This award is conferred to Filipino artists who practice preservation and promotion of the
nation’s traditional arts.
- As envisioned in RA 7355, “Manlilikha ng Bayan” shall mean a citizen engaged in any
traditional art uniquely Filipino whose distinctive skills have reached such a high level of
technical and artistic excellence and have been passed on to and widely practiced by the
present generation in his/her community with the same degree of technical and artistic
competence.

To become a Manlilikha ng Bayan, an individual or group candidate must:

- Possess a mastery of tools and materials needed for the traditional, folk art and be a maker of
works of extraordinary technical quality;
- Have consistently produced works of superior quality over significant period;
- Have engaged in a traditional and folk art which has been in existence and documented for at
least fifty (50) years;
- Command respect and inspire admiration of the country with his character and integrity;
- Must have transferred and/or willing to transfer to other members of the community the skills in
the traditional and folk arts for which the community has become nationally known.
- However, a candidate who, due to age or infirmity, has left him/her/them incapable of teaching
further his/her/their craft, may still be recognized provided that he/she/they must possess the
qualifications as enumerated above.

The categories are, but not limited to, the following categories of traditional folk arts:
- Graphic and plastic arts
- Ornament
- Textile or fiber arts
- Pottery.
- Ethnomedicine
- Folk architecture
- Maritime transport
- Weaving
- Carving
- Performing arts
- Literature
AD HOC PANEL OF EXPERTS
- To ensure a fair selection of potential awardees, the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan Executive
Council shall be assisted by an Ad Hoc Panel of Expert consisting of experts in the traditional
and folk arts categories. The names of those selected to become members of the Ad Hoc
Panel of Expert shall be submitted to the NCCA Board of Commissioners for proper
designation. The term of the members shall expire upon completion of the search and
selection process.
- Victorino “Ino” Mapa Manalo - current National Commission for Culture and the Arts
Chairman

BENEFITS AND PRIVILEGES OF AWARDEES

For the INDIVIDUAL AWARDEE:
- The rank and title of Manlilikha ng Bayan, as proclaimed by the President of the Philippines in
accordance with Executive Order No. 236 or Honors Code of the Philippines;
- The GAMABA gold-plated medallion minted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and
citation;
- A lifetime emolument and materials and physical benefits comparable in value to those
received by the highest officers of the land such as:
- A minimum cash award of Two Hundred Thousand Pesos (Php 200,000.00), net of
taxes.
- A minimum lifetime personal monthly stipend of Fifty Thousand Pesos (Php
50,000.00).
- Medical and hospitalization benefits not exceeding Php 750,000.00 per year.
- A state funeral, the arrangements for and the expenses of which shall be borne by the
Government, upon the death of the Manlilikha ng Bayan; and
- A place of honor, in line with protocol precedence, in state functions, national commemoration
ceremonies and all other cultural presentations.

For the GROUP AWARDEE:

- The rank and title of Manlilikha ng Bayan, as proclaimed by the President of the Philippines in
accordance with Executive Order No. 236 or Honors Code of the Philippines;
- The GAMABA plaque for the group;
- A one-time award of Two Hundred Thousand Pesos (Php 200,000.00), net of taxes;
- The group shall designate its leader who will represent and attend events and functions on
behalf of the group. The said representative will also have a place of honor, in line with
protocol precedence, in state functions, national commemoration ceremonies and all other
cultural presentations.
GAMABA LOGO

The Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan logo is a stylized representation

of the human form used in traditional cloth. Below the motif is
‘Manlilikha ng Bayan’ written in ancient Filipino script extensively
used throughout the Philippines at the time of Western contact in the
sixteenth century.

AWARDEES

SAMAON SULAIMAN - AWARDED IN 1993 - MUSICIAN (1953-2011)

- He has achieved the highest level of excellence in the art of kutyapi playing. He has merited
the highest honors for his exemplary artistry and dedication to his chosen instrument, and his
unwavering commitment to the music of kudyapi at a time when this instrument no longer
exists in many parts of Mindanao.

MASINO INTARAY - AWARDED IN 1993 - MUSICIAN AND STORYTELLER (1943-2013)

- He was a Pala’wan musician, storyteller, epic chanter, and master of rites from Makagwa
Valley in Palawan. He masterfully rendered traditional music such as kulilal (songs) and bagit
(vocal music). He was highly respected for being knowledgeable of many tultul (epics),
sudsungit (narratives), and tuturan (myths of origin and heritage teachings). He had such great
memory, passion and stamina that he was able to chant magical tales of ancestors for several
consecutive rights.

GINAW BILOG - AWARDED IN 1993 - ARTIST AND POET (1953-2003)

- He is a Hanunoo Mangyan poet from Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro. He was a master of
ambahan, a poetic literary form composed of seven-syllable lines conveying picturesque,
metaphoric messages. His most treasured ambahans were those he inherited from his father
and grandfather, which inspired his own poetic creations. As culture master, he was able to
establish a School of Living Tradition in his home village.

LANG DULAY - AWARDED IN 1998 - T’NALAK WEAVER (1928-2015)

- She was a T’boli weaver of t’nalak, from Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. She created and wove
over a hundred designs such, and through her delicate designs, she commemorated the lives
of her people. She symbolically bequeathed her woven mantle to one of her granddaughters,
Noemi Dulay, as apparent successor to her weaving prowess.
SALINTA MONON - AWARDED IN 1998 - ABACA/IKAT/INABAL WEAVER (1920-2009)
- She was a Tagabawa Bagobo weaver of textiles from Bansalan, Davao Del Sur. She dedicated
her life to weaving, even as she raised a family with six children, and had to help her husband
in farming. Salinta had built a solid reputation for her outstanding designs and quality weaving.
Soon she could command her own good price. But it takes her three to four months to finish a
fabric (3.4 m x .42 m) or one abaca tube skirt each month.

DARHATA SAWABI - AWARDED IN 2004 - PIS SYABIT WEAVER (d.2005)

- She was a Tausug weaver of pis syabit, the traditional handwoven head cover. Her bold,
contrasting colors, evenness of weave, and faithfulness to traditional designs were her artistic
achievements. She taught the other women of her community to weave, and the weavers she
trained have also become teachers of the craft.

HAJA AMINA APPI - AWARDED IN 2004 - SAMA MAT WEAVER (1925-2013)

- She was a Sama mat weaver from Tawi-Tawi. Her impressive originality can be seen in the
way she executed traditional Sulu designs into distinctive designs of ukkil or naga. In one of
her most outstanding mats, she repetitively wove the lateral crab shape into an
ascending-descending progression. She also made recurring boat shapes suggestive of the
rhythms of the graceful Pangalay, and curvilinear patterns inspired by the wild waters
surrounding the Sulu archipelago.

NOTE: The DAYAW documentaries might also be included in the exam, according to the PDF sent.

GODSPEED!
J.E.P & S.D.B.N