Contemporary Philippine Arts 2.

Expression and Communication

from the Region - Art provides age-appropriate mediums

for emotional expression.
Lesson 1: Integrative Art as Applied to - Art creates opportunities for
Contemporary Art communication on a larger scale.
- Art facilitates understanding of new
perspectives.
WHAT IS ART?
- Art allows for knowledge-sharing with
- Art is creation. Creating something new, diverse audiences.
something original and something - Art elicits solidarity.
different
- Art is life. It is creating life on a material 3. Self and Social Analysis
and making inanimate objects to have - Community art creates the opportunity
life. To create art is to give life for people to examine the social,
according to Ramon Orlina, glass economic and political structures of their
Scupltor. society and their own roles within
- Arts produce by the national artist and society in a reflective and critical way.
contemporary to us.
- Arts in the Philippines refer to the WHAT ARE THE FUNCTIONS
various forms of the arts that have OF ART?
developed and accumulated in the
Philippines from the beginning of 1. Aesthetic Value
civilization in the country up to the 2. Relaxation and Inspiration
present era. They reflect the range of 3. Personal Expression
artistic influences on the country's
culture, including indigenous forms of
WHAT IS CONTEMPORARY ART?
the arts, and how these influences have
honed the country's arts. - It refers to current and very recent
- “Art has the power to render sorrow practice. It also refers to works of art
beautiful, make loneliness a shared made by living artists.
experience, and transform despair into
hope.” Brené Brown. - It tends to be assessed thematically and
subjectively, drawing on an expanded
WHY PEOPLE ENGAGE IN range of theoretical and practical
ART? disciplines.
1. Relationship-building
- Art builds social capital. - It can be driven by both theory and
- Art promotes positive behavior that can ideas, and is also characterized by a
increase positive social interactions. blurring of the distinction between art
- Art facilitates positive interaction with and other categories of cultural
other. experience, such as television, cinema,
 mass media, entertainment and digital a. Conceptual
technology. - Focus is on the idea, which can be either
abstract or social.

• Contemporary Performance b. Social

- current social & political topics are dealt
- hybrid work that integrates text, dance, with, often from critical perspective.
objects, music, costumes, lighting,
image, sound, sets, and vocal expression c. Expressive
into complex interactive systems. - both content & form is meaningful &
communicative. Example: "Mabining
- often non-narrative, technically rigorous, Mandirigma‟
and carefully orchestrated anarchic
chaos. They unsettle perception, demand d. Popular culture
critical engagement from audiences, - issues and aspects of popular culture are
address conceptual debates within dealt with, either by conceptualizing or
aesthetics, draw on a diverse range of criticizing.
cultural interests, and bring pleasure to
populations across the globe. e. Poetic
- content or form is poetic in nature. Ex.
ARE MODERN ART AND Ronald Ventura, 'Blind Child' 2011
CONTEMPORARY ART THE SAME?
f. Documentary
- approach is documentary or holds
• Modern Art elements of research; Ex. Opera‟ :
- Up to date Sculpture in Dance Ballet Philippines
- Technologically advanced 2016
- Modern as opposed to traditional and
conservative g. Sense related.
- total artwork, installations which are
• Contemporary Art often interactive and affect different
- Art produced by artists living today. senses.
- Always in flux, developing, evolving.
- What is contemporary today may be
Lesson 2: A Brief History of Philippine Art
traditional or modern in the coming
years.
PHILIPPINE ART HISTORY

CONTEMPORARY ARTS IN THE

PHILIPPINES • PRE-COLONIAL PERIOD
- Indigenous spiritual tradition practiced
by the people in the Philippines. Their
 practice were beliefs and cultural mores - Spaniards ruled the country, brought the
that the world is inhabited by spirits and Christian religion and was responsible
supernatural entities. for a lot of colonial and religious
buildings throughout the country.
- Historians have found out that the
"Barong Tagalog" already existed in this
era. The earliest Baro or Baro ng • AMERICA OCCUPATION
Tagalog was worn by the natives of Ma- - Public schools were built and Thomasite
I (the Philippines name before). teachers taught the American way of
life.
- Some worship specific dieties like
Bathala (supreme God for tagalog), - Filipinos became dependent and sought
Idialao as God of farming, Lalaon as out American Imported goods.
God of harvest, Balangay as God of Established civil government in the
rainbow. Others also worship the moon, Philippines, is to train Filipinos in self-
star, mountains, plants and trees government.

- In the 13th century, traders and

missionaries have introduced the religon • JAPANESE OCCUPATION
of Islam in the Philippines. - Japan attacks the Philippines. Manila
was declared an open city.10,000

• ISLAMIC COLONIAL PERIOD prisoners of war were forced to march

- Characterized by design of flowers, plant camps at Capas Tarlac. Americans lost

forms and geometric designs. It is used 60,628 men. Japanese lost 300,000 men.

in calligraphy, architecture painting and Filipinos lost 1 million men and women.

other forms of fine art.

• 70’s to CONTEMPORARY
- Mosques here in the Philippines have
- Contemporary Philippine art is the art
common architectural feature that is
produced in the present period.
similar with Southeast Asian neighbors.
Today's mosques are now structurally
- The art of the Philippines had been
patterned after the design of its Middle
influenced by almost all spheres of the
Eastern counterparts.
globe. It had the taste of Renaissance,
Baroque and Modern Periods through
• SPANISH COLONIAL PERIOD
the colonizers who arrived in the
- Doctrina Christiana, first book to be
country.
printed in the Philippines, was a prayer
book written in spanish with an
accompanying Tagalog translation.
The Most Famous Filipino Artists and
their Masterworks
 Singapore, a 55-meter bridge covered in
over 2,000 colorful circles. It was
Fernando Amorsolo (1892-1972)
completed a few months before she
- Labelled the country’s first National passed away from lung cancer in 2004.
Artist in 1972 by then President Marcos, - Alkaff bridge by Pacita Abad
Fernando Amorsolo is often known as
the ‘Grand Old Man of Philippine Art’.
The Spanish-trained realist developed a
Ang Kiukok (1935-2005)
backlighting technique, where his
colorful depictions of local people - Born to Chinese immigrants, Ang
reflect the radiance of the Philippine sun. Kiukok is the pioneer of Philippine
The figures and illuminated landscapes modern figurative expressionism.
magically glow on the canvas. Despite Rewarded as the country’s National
his deteriorating health and failing Artist in 2001, he was one of the most
eyesight, he remained prolific until the successful commercial figures on the
end, producing up to 10 paintings a local art scene from the 1960s until his
month until his death at the age of 80. death from cancer in 2005. Like
Amorsolo’s creativity defines the Amorsolo, his paintings are popular at
nation’s culture and heritage to this day. auctions and have received exceptionally
- The Fruit Gatherer’, 1950 high bids at Sotheby’s and Christie’s. He
is known for his distinct cubist and
surrealist portrayals of the crucifixion of
José Joya (1931-1995)
Christ and mother and child. However,
- A Filipino pioneer of Abstract he is acclaimed for his series of
expressionism, multi-media painter José Fishermen at Sea, which connects both
Joya uses bold and vibrant colors with a energy, faith, and the struggle of
variety of painting techniques, layering, fishermen under a vibrant crimson sun
loose impasto strokes and controlled laboring together to bring in the haul for
drips. His harmonious colors are the day.
influenced by Philippine landscapes and - ‘The Fishermen’, 1981
tropical wildlife. His mastery lies in
gestural paintings, where the paint is
Benedicto Cabrera (1942-present)
applied spontaneously on canvas,
sometimes directly out of the tube or - Fondly known as ‘BenCab’ in the
using broad strokes with brushes. Philippines, Cabrera is the best-selling
- ‘Granadean Arabesque’, 1958 commercial painter of his generation and
a prominent head of the local
contemporary art scene. He studied
Pacita Abad (1946-2004)
under José Joya at the University of the
- She is noted to have worked on more Philippines and received his degree in
than 5,000 pieces of art – her Fine Arts in 1963. His fruitful career has
masterwork being Alkaff Bridge, spanned five decades, where his
 paintings, etchings, sketches, and prints the cycles of life from birth to death.8. A
have been exhibited across Asia, Europe, country inn and café in Sagada is named
and the US. He currently resides in the after him and is worth the visit to see
chilly northern hill station of Baguio, copies of his prints and purchase
where he established his own four-level souvenirs created in Masferré’s honor.
BenCab Museum on Asin Road that - Carcass-Cornucopia’, 1987
features an eclectic selection of
indigenous artifacts, personal works, and
an overwhelming collection of paintings Roberto Chabet (1937-2013)

from contemporary Filipino artists. - Born Roberto Rodriguez, he used his

- ‘Sabel in Blue’, 2006 mother’s maiden name Chabet when he
began his career in art. He was a mentor to

Eduardo Masferré (1909-1995) many students at the University of the

Philippines, where he taught for over 30
- He is remembered for his book on the
years, and is acknowledged as the father of
People of the Philippine Cordillera
conceptual art in the Philippines. Chabet
Photographs 1934-1956, which was
initially studied architecture but his
published in 1988. A country inn and
conceptual art installations, collages, and
café in Sagada is named after him and is
sculptures in the 1960s and 70s made him a
worth the visit to see copies of his prints
rebellious figure on the local art scene. He
and purchase souvenirs created in
was the founding museum director of the
Masferré’s honor.
Cultural Center of the Philippines from
- ‘Sagada’, 1952
1967-1970, where he established the 13
Artists Awards that highlight the
Agnes Arellano (1949-present) achievements of young artists whose works
show a contemporary view of artmaking and
- Born to a family of prominent male
thinking.
architects, sculptress Agnes Arellano is
best known for her surrealist and - Roberto Chabet’s ‘Onethingafteranother’,
expressionist work in plaster, bronze and at the Mission House, Manila Biennale 2018
cold-cast marble. Her sculptures
highlight the female body and draw from
themes surrounding sexuality, religion, Napoleon Abueva (1930-2018)

and mysticism. Borrowing from the term - Noted as the Father of Modern Filipino
of poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, Agnes sculpture, Abueva attended the
attributes her work to ‘inscapes’, that University of the Philippines with Joya
assert an internal unity among various and was mentored by noted sculptor
elements in her installations and Guillermo Tolentino, at the College of
sculptures. Drawing from the tragic Fine Arts. Born in Bohol, he is also the
death of her parents and sister from a youngest National Artist awardee
house fire in 1981, her work explores appointed by then President Marcos, at
themes of creation and destruction, and the age of 46. His expertise was seen in a
 wide array of materials such as hard conditions surrounding labor, also hope
wood, abode, steel, cement, marble, and the work produced by the artist.
bronze.
- The Cross at Mt. Samat. Bataan - A traditional artist’s resources differ
completed in 1970. from an artist reared in a highly
urbanized environment like Manila. The
artist’s initiation and training in art
Lesson 3: Contexts of Art
might be different, too. For example, the
artist may have studied and trained
CONTEXT through formal schooling, or informally
through workshops or apprenticeships.
- Refers to settings, conditions,
In other cases, they may have studied art
circumstances, and occurrences affecting
by themselves.
production and reception or audience
response to an artwork. It is a set of
• Nature
background information that enables us
- Nature may be a source of inspiration
to formulate meanings about works of
and a wellspring of materials for art
art and note how context affects form.
production. We may also observe that
many of Philippine indigenous dances
- The multicultural character of the
involve the imitation of natural elements,
Philippines entails a broader
such as the waves of the waters or the
understanding of factors that determine
movement of animals – from birds to
art making such as people’s worldviews,
fishes, to snakes and fireflies, among
communal structures, and life ways. We
many others. (Ex. Tinikling)
could then hopefully avoid evaluating
different forms like oil on canvas
- While nature is regarded as a provider
paintings as superior as compared to
and as a source of inspiration, it is also
traditional indigenous forms like bulul
seen as a force that one must contend
carving or textile weaving as these two
with.
come from distinct contexts.

• Everyday Life
DIFFERENT CONTEXTS OF ART - Philippine traditional art has always
been an integral part of daily life. Its
significance lies not only in its aesthetic
• Artist's Background
appearance but also in its functionality
- The artist’s age, gender, culture,
and its value to the community that
economic conditions, social
produced it. Because traditional forms
environment, and disposition affect art
may also be used in daily private
production. The mode of production,
situations, it is experienced more
which encompasses the kind of materials
intimately, and engages many senses
accessible to the artists as well as the
simultaneously.
- The senses of touch, taste, and smell are
engaged along with the visual sense.

• Society, Politics and Economy, and

History
- The works are not always created out of
the artist’s full volition. During the
Spanish Era, Art was also employed to
advance a political agenda, as in the case
of edifices built during the Marcos
regime. However, we will also discover
how the language of art has been
employed to assert the artist’s creative
agency, to resist ideological structures,
to inspire people, as well as to initiate
change.

• Mode of Reception
- Aside from considering our personal
identity as a perceiver of art as well as
the contexts discussed above, it is also
important to note when, where, and how
art is encountered. Most often, art is
encountered via the museum; arranged
and categorized before a public for the
purpose of education and leisure.

- Affected by our level of exposure to

artforms that may be unfamiliar or have
startling or shocking images.