7

1RT -ij.rD so,atiI.tTl'

B"' Al:'i:+ G. G,-:illerrno

\lrhiie art res;lsts a universa-r and fixed definition and that the most that n'e can sa)'by way of a definition is that an is a
cogni-.-ive rno,Ce and process of signification or conveying nreaning, rvhat is indisputable is ihat art is prociuced in specific
se'ttin5:, in p:::rticular sociel.es and historical periods. As Janet Wolffperspectival, errranating from an artist rvho is part of
a soci*-*'and who siiuates h:mself within the different productive fcrces of his socie\'.

The sanle is true f':;r aesthetics which is the philosophr. of art or horo' one thinks about afi. 'I|ere is no set of
aesthe:ic prir,ciples rlhich :--e good ior all n-ren and for all time. That rvas the assumptiop of Western classical art rshich
laiii c":'*'n th' canons of be;.utv which rvere advanced as universal, but it concealed tLe many different social conterts of
rrrt. i.-':reb-r' '-:p!:':i:ir :ss',:: .ir;g the hegemony of the Western artistic tradition even over non-westei.n societies.,r.ith their
,,rvn:...aditior....

Affir,ming the cont=xtuaiist position, we thus view art, rvhether as visual arts, architecture, the traditional arts,
--/t:
, "nrusic- litera.i:-,rre, theater, film, and dance, within its social and historicai contert ro u, io be able to giasp its full meaning.
'' , Arl dc:-ives iL;-mat_erials, sui,rjects, therrng5, conventions, concerns, issues, r'alues, ideolcgies, influeices, and ilspirations
' fi'ont :-;s soci;al and nafural environnrent. The images and productions of r.rt represent, recreate, or reconstmcl their
surro'=:tding reaiitl aad th::.s the1, proffer various ways of seeing ourseives and ihe rvorld around ds aud b1' doing sc
prolic': a coi,gnitive veiricle for better knowing ourselves and the rrorld. Opposite to the contextualist posiiion is the
forrrralist one in which the r+'ork of art is viewed in as a separate and self-contained entity or text whiie blocking its
reiati,:rship i'o the reai rvorld. In this tbrmalist vie'ar, only the elements of the text and their reiationships to cach othei are
broug:t into {ocus; +-}rey are not made to interact with their referents in the rtjal world. The problem with this approach is
that it trut.t.:;tes the meanirg of art; it precludes drawing out its full meaning b1, not viewing the work within lts social
conditions of production al.d by not gi\ing valne to allusions, references, or stmbols since these are dismissed as "extra-
artisi':" and :herefore outside the realm of consideration. It completely breaks off the relationship of the rtork anri tlie
artist ,,r'ho is a mernber of society and \"fio represents, wittingly or unwittingly, padicular social, class or group interests.
Needl=ss to sa;,r, such an approach to art is not humanly fulfilling because it does not lead to a well-rounded knoivledge arrd
under=tandinrg of the w-ork o{ art.

!lode ofProduction
'iiir: ie-ifieu an:ii .trrlirorrr-rrelri nf art
In a broarl -sen.se- !$e stridv philippine art as Droduced within the context of national conclitions, soclal, ecolromic. I

and ;,.ditical irr a particular period of history, as for instance, the second hirlf of the 19rh cer-liutJ, tl:e Dosir;ar" period to iire
6o's, o,;- the }llarcos regime- In a specific sense, we study Philippine art as produced by a particulal social group, whether 'rrl
by }falila ulban artists with a "fine arts" background, by artists in the regions as in Bacolod, Davao, or Cebu, or b1'
indigexous a.irtists belonging to a specific cultural community whicir has presen'ed its artistic tradiiions from precoloniii
iime:-
-'-:' Art irs pr'rducod under ciifferent conditions even within the >ame society rluring the same time. The urban midclle
t'.1 class ;rtist o*trull;- iniported frorn Europe and the United States. When he finishes a series or body of work, he usuall-v
' '
lovers and perrons.
Con'f,1'.i6nr are quite different tbr a traditional artist, such as a weaver, a potter, a woodcarver or basket maker.
For a -iong tir:ne, the traditional arts were produced to meet a local corirmunity's ritual and functional needs. 1'hey were
circuis-Ied within the members of the community at the same time that the locai ciatus alrd sultans were the first big
patro,:s. It is only in the past few decades that local entrepreneurs and tourist agents realized tl:eir commercial vaiue and
brougit thesr: local artistic productions tc the urban areas. The producers rvho live in renrote barrlos do not or cannot
bdr:g -]eir.nrr:rks Cire ctly to the urhan nrarket but the entrepreneurs and their agents bring thesc to Manila, package tlem
into more sal,eable commodities and sell them in cornmercial centers and boutiques. While the prodr.rcers sell the works irt
a rela:ively Low price. thel' are sold much higher in the urban malls. Likewise, not to be ignored are the parlicularll-
difficdt rvorhng conditions of wear.ers and othertraditional artists. Victims of neglectr\nd prejudice, they'are caught up
in the daily stmggle for surrival ancl are continually threateneti wth eviction from the ancestral lands by' speculators,
subdir-ision oevelopers and industrial capitalists who want to build factories usually highly pollutirrg to the imrnediate
t'nvirc"nment: they arc a'lso aasy prey to exploitations and abuse. As for lhe producers of folk art, rvho are nrostly farntt'rs
irnd i hermca in the couni;-, side, nruch of their w,ork is seasonal, associated u'ith torvn fiestas and produced in relation to
the a;a:icuitrral cvcies. Thu-;. it is importarrt that the works of traditional and fblk art be viewed within its social sctting to
be abi,: to knr:,r.,,and undersi.anci the difficulties and problems that involved in their pr-oduction.

Historical cnntc.fls of a-rt

1'hrr--,ughout art history, art has been produced within different r:rodes of production or social fornrations. Arts
L rr'hic;: answered the needs of the local group were produced in prinritive cornnrunal societies, as in clans and kinship
l, groupi rtitht-rut a strong political organization. In warrior societies, arlists specialized in designing weapons, such as thc
-.t k:is. -'l:itir c:ombined the e.esthetic and functioual aspects. In plutocratic societies aitd sultanates led by rvealth-v elite
.I far:rii:,:s or gn-oups, artists catercrd to their need for status symbols and outstanding ritual objects. In the Cordilleras, the
hogaSi or ceremonial bench carved from a single tree tmnk signifies social prorninerlce. Among the Maranao in the South,
an or:a;;ti:nt?l st1'le of brassware developed to meet the neecl for lavish gitts and dowries among the eiites. The okir
likexiie supplied the ornanrerrtation of the datLr houses, as well as nrarry articles of everyday use.
 i

rrt'ith Sr:,anish colonization, a feu<ial economy rvas instituted with the land divided into enconriendas given as
reward rrr; Spani>h ,of ai"ls o. una"iui". to haciendas or large plantations acquired br -l::]lht ^f'^l]I"^:
likervtse exacled
of large tracts of land including tl're friar estates. The colonial Eovernment
The Ch,r.ch ivas .j.,en iti share "onquistadores,
the,European
ta-xes an6 forcec iabor;.;;i;r; r.fr"io. from the indigenJus population. In feudal societies, as during of the Church
producedtnderthe patronage
Ntiddle Aqes an- i, th.'ip;i;l'c"i""i"f Period in the rf,ilippines, art was
and State which were ;ii*G;t,ut p".ioa in the Philippines, art wasiarnessed in thethe:.?i'tt: building and decorating of
i^
churches" in the iarving";;. oirui.,t, firthe iltars, *a i" tt" painti"g of images of Christ and Tti:^l::]]l:"1tlri
U to the
large boci. of coionial ."ligioi" aJ produce,t in the couritry. Entire town populations- were mobilized to contlibute
building ..}f chur.:hes in te"rms of material and labor. art wtrlctr was in.raiiably religious came uncier strict ecclesiastical
greai demand for church
supen'isi"on so tiat no pu!ur-o. t eretical elements could enter. At the same time, ihere was a
Sold una silverwork, fine tertiles and embroideries'
Much of the
ornameniation .11 the form of wood antl .,on"
country's r+,ealtl in the for of art and "nttingr,
ornamentationirnr"a""u*rlated bythe Church' The arts and culture of this period
l,, ere nial=rial er=, essions of the religious ideologl brought over by the colonizers'
"rgtt
ln the :econd half of the centuri, the Piilippines was opened to international trade through cash crop
agricultu;e. a -"."rrrtli" .up;iai.t ..ono*y Uu..a on agti",rttur-e b_qs.an to appear although relations of
production
t"rraul *itli still iargely iied to"ttre iand. Th'is o"* -orr.y econorny.led to the grouth of the
rernained basica$, peasants
copra, hemp, etc'
ilush-adc, ilass consistinl ollandlord. *ho .oru".J"d ricelands to export crops such as-sugar,.tobacco,
.,rith their new .^.ealth, tfi.i guir.a access to higher education, first irManila and then abroad ir.r F'urope rvith the opening
,:f the S*ez carJ. rhe1, ;i,iiiil;i. t.r,uy-nu,u"uio-*[i.ri tt firrnished with amenities imported fron.r Europe. Ex.ngse.d
abroad i,) Europ€an culture, they conrmisslon"a urtirls io "v
doiheir portraits in the rniniaturist style which ceiebrateci their
economic prosper-ity by rendering the rich d".o.uti"" details of theii costume, accessories and household setting' \Vith the
genre, the ilustrados soon
secularization or art which allow-ed new subjects sueh as portraits, landscapes, still lifes, and
replaced the Chu-ch in t}le patronage of the arts'
The Anerican Colonial period saw the expansion of trade, commerce, and indlstry. While
this enhanced the
sector of the in the cities, p;-i;ir.ly Manila, u lu.g. percentage of the country persisted in feudal
capitalist econom-v
the Philippines. was founded
relations.. The p"ublic school system was established atl ovcr the country andthe Ur;iversity uf
the first units of the universit," instituted
in the fir.st decade of American colonial rule. The school of Fine Arts, one of
products'.Illustrations
ttrJr,"*.ntpo..tio". foi advertising and packaging
courses * com:nercial art to meet the n""a, of
the firsI tourist brochures
for scho,cl books, publications, and cornmercaf pori..r weie i ireat demand. During this time
patrons and the artists of the
appearerd, along rvith J.rarir featuring ru.,ari,af"s and geri. Ferirando AmorsJo art
brouglit-into art
Amorsollo Scho..j catered to the tastes of tn" e*"ri*n uJ p"utronr for rural idylls. Americarl.colonizationmarketed like any
packaged anci
rhe iderdogv in consonance with the capitalist r;r;; thai art is a corr,modiq'which is
o*rer product. at the Philippine
irr i9:-3. i:icdemisrn r..a.s introduced into th+ cDur^try with Victorio Eiiacles'homecoming exhibit
ririiippioo Art and theAt Assoiiation of the Philipoiner'
colunrblan cluh- efteriii. *rr, utr, tn. rounaing oi tt Gallery
" of the base of art lovers arri
the support sls.m for art, especially .rroae*i.t u'.t, *". rria drro utong with the broadening against the vietnam war'
patrons- The rise of poflli"uf ionsci6usness in tir. oo's und zo's that carie with massive
protest-s
was reflected in the various arts'
tbe ecoaomic crisis, and the u.S. bases creatJ u "fi*"t" of politicai ferment thaipolitical themes in the visual arts' a
and
includirg paintuag, music, and theater. This period saw the emergence-of social
trend that was aed by iire Social Realists. Ii";.;;;;; b;ldft #;; during the Y:.t",ry::?1and the cuitural projects
art catering to interior designers'
and paironage of Irrelda Marcos stirnulated the art nrarket and Incouraged

Relations nf production: artist and public in the production of art' the artist and
An arEist works wrthin a society's relations of production which includes,
At the economic bise, the relations of production
the audience or- public of art consisting of art lovers and collectors. hand; in a feudal system' it
involv-e labor o.:-worker/producer, on one h""d,;;;;,iui * put.or7n"u".let on the
-Witt'in other
peasint the the capitalist system in rvhich
involves Church or landlord, on one hand, and -on "th";-;;;;:
js, product, is regarded primarill'as a
artistic
everything is commodifiable, art, which is., [lra'"ipi"duct,.that
an
of mirket value and investment potentral'
**sy6,.dity to 'o. uorgiii-u,i ,ora'in the ma"ket ano ii. iuru" reckoned in termsparticular consumer needs' such as the need
Its desir-abilia- as a commodity is measur.o uy ttr.-J"g.ee in which it unr*Lrc
the rvork of art' since it is
for star,as s,nbols, for social imenities, ror roluult-.1*;.*i"rt, r". otnu*.,itution'
Ilowever,
in faci' a vision of life and realitl" goes
not pure decoration b;i;; r"f,i.f. fo..onr.yi,ig"fi;;;;;lr.;, and emotions,
be1'ond attitudes, atmospheres
H'Jt*'yJ;ilI.".t. to convey meaning which is a complex of ideas, feelings, values, when he/she holds an
thro,gl his w,r..k. He/she has a view if life and-reality that is it .orgt artiitrc form' .
"*pressJ of ar1 and h"nes that the buyer is
exhibit in a gailery, he avails of it as providing ,'p-i"t't;"""f '-t'l'",fot ti'otl'g'*o'ts
d. the contrary-, a is conrnrercially
one rvho will slare and appreciate his/her interpretation of life and society. ''''inter
to the of collectors ,ri uti'.tt ,,a ii-ti.rl t'"rk is cleterrnined bv
m,tir-aied if .e/she deliberately caters tastes
to convey but is a n.rere technician n'ho
consideration,* of saleability. As such, the pai.,te. i',as no independent coircepis
skillful\ renders current taites and fashions or creates them' , L, rL:^
This i^ is L^..,
how +[.a n,
the artist positions hinrself in
But ri:ere is ,.et a deeper issue in tn" Ji.t;, .elationship with society. and n'orkcrs which
the relations of production. on one hand, he/Je ;;t;iil himself/heiseH *itt, tt'r" basic producers
h"
'*uyir.u*" the inilrests of the elite ciass of patrorrs and financiers-
constift.rte the large majority or, on the oth". t unJ,
for inshnce' takc
tlis cla.ss affinries r'"il;;;;ih-rsh frir rr;j;;;;,h;;es, attd content in general' The social rerrli"ts'
;.ti;i; sfrecialize in doing idealized portraits of ruling
up soci;at and s.oritical issues affecting th. ro.e. ;roj';;-y, ffii;;;,h;;
class wonten.
r

Support S]-sterns of the Arts

For ar-t to fiourish in a socielv, it needs a support s)'stem. Art is produced ar,d disseminated through institutions
and b'odies .,rhich constitute its support system. Arnong these are the academe, community organizations, the museums.
the g;ellsdgs- cultural organizations, religious entities, mass niedia, and the art market. Of these, institutions which have to
do w-rth educating ard raising public consciousness and knorvledge of art are the academe and the museum network. All
aspe(as of art are learned from the academe and the museum in its thematic exhibits: art theory and practice, art history.
aesthetics, and criticism. Comnrunity organizations, cultural organizations, religious entities, and the mass media sen'e to
broarien the base ot art appreciation in society. Galleries, and art dealers, along with the recent entry in Asia of the big
i aucticn hou-:es Christie's-and Sotheby's, *uk" rp the art market. Government cultural institutions and prc,grams o1
\r patro"nage, aiso forrn part of the support s).stem, but. as in the case of Imelda I'{arcos, may be used lbr government image-
buik.l:.a g and propaganda.
Malll'actiwe institutions and bodies are Manila-based; others, while centered in Manila have national netrr'orks,
and :--till othe:s are ETrssrocts instituticns rvhich mal be linl:ed tc non-government organizations.

Mode of Reception
The social cortexts of reception
Art is produced and received in a wide range of social contexts. The audience or public of a society ma-v- be quite
uneven. This unewenness is due to several factors. The first is social class and the disparilv of educational and cultural
oppo.tunities. Thepovertyof;rlargepartofthepopulationisdrretothecxploitationofworkers,peasants,andempioyees
by c':,rporations and other elites. Many do not have the leisure to enjoy and to study art bui engage in other ibrrns o[
-- diver<ion.
The second has to do with the differences betlveen urban and rurai, particularly in occupations and rreeds. People
in urban ceot3rs have a wider exposure to other cultures irr terms of education and cultural exchange and thus can interact
with the cultures. lhere is a greater concentration of schools, galleries, museums, and publications in the city. People in
the n:ral ar s are mainly engaged in agricultural work, their lives revolving around planting and harvesting and tie many
parffu:ular chorcs that go with these. The folk arts that they traditionally produce aie related to their occupations: baskets
as co.otainers for agricultural produce of different kinds, pottery as vessels for indigenous liquor, bamboo traps for fishing,
weaprons for hunting. These are likewise folk arts that revolve around the fiestas, the paper mache tako of Paete, the a --
pastf,les lrrrapperc of San Miguel de Mayumo,lhe kiping of Lucban and Sariaya, the porol of San Fernando, Pampanga.
Folk rheater, such as lhe kome.dya and sarstuelo, is performed in the town plaza during fiestas. The Pasyon is still surg
durlrg the l-entcn s€ason.
Thirdly, one cannot fail to recognize the pluralistic character in Philipine society that arises fronr the rnany
cuitr.i:'ai cornrnuni;:ies ail over iire ccuntry isiih ti:.ii specif.c thor:gh cfter, interrelatcd, culturai and artistir forms and
erpr:ssicns- The r-a:'icus cultr..ral ccmmuniiies that are grouped in the Cordiileras. such as the Ifirgao, Eontoc. Kalitrga,
, erc- the Mangran of l\{indoro, the T'buli of Cotabato, and t}le many Musiim communities, the Maranao, ilagintianao '.'i'
i llinganoo, anfl the Taosug of Sulu were people who resisted the onslaught of Spanish and American colonization. Because
iI of this, ther- have p.e."*6d their ancient culture, including rituals and arts and their lMng traditions give us an idea of
art and its forms which the Philippines shared with the rest of Southeast A,sia. The arts of these different
' precolonial
cultr:ral communities contribute tu and enrich our national culture.
Because of the distinct contributions of the urban aad the rural, the folk, and the cultural coi;rmunities r,'ith a
',. strong ethnic character, Philippine culture has a rich and broad range. There have been exchanges among the diffelent
- gro*4r.; folk art and the living ethnic traditions have become familiar in the urban context. Liltewise, regional painters as
those of Bacoiod. Iloilo, and Cebu have ey}libited and interacted with artists in Manila.
These exchanges, hon ever, have not been entirely without problems. For one, the exhibit of a textile ci an Ifugao
bulu.t- in a gallery o., ,iu.".r* removes it from its originai context and easily leads to a p.urely formalist appraisal. Ideally,
these works should be vierved in their original sites, aid regional museums are to be supported, but there are indisputable
gain-< in exhibiting them in otlrer conteis in order to familiarize the larger Philippine snciety with the productions of
Filiploos in differe-nt ethnic contexts, and even abroad to show the fulI range of our art. However, it is important that these
- cx[ibits be accotnpanied by edrrcationa] material such as texts, videos, and documentation, along with books and
- pubiications on the subject, so that the art is resituated in its setting of the people who produce it along with their-belief
systems, mlths and rituals, and common occupations. This information should also include updates- on the.problems
encc'untered b1,the ethnic groups and their struggles against exploitation, nrilitarization, and landgrabbing. The goal of
slch information is to invo"lve more Filipinor in espouiing the causes of the indigenous Filipinos and seeking ways by
-i which these varictrs groups can be enrporvered to change their conditions'
4 Gther factois *hi.h huu" led to a distorted reception ofthe traditional arts in urban contexts is business allied to
tounsm w,hich feeds on the arts of the cultural comntunities. ',Ve know, for instance, that within the'I'boli beli.-f s-vstcrr
the i nolalr 'rteave shoulcl not be arbitrarily crrt and if its must be cut that there are ritualistic obsetvances rvhich ntrtst be
satisfied. But once ir the hands ofentrepieneurs, they are ruthlesslv cut to be made into all sorts ofaccessories. Likeuisc,
a re!:e1t developnrent in the globalist trend is the coinmissioning ofrveavers by foreign-based corporations to do single-
hued t'nalak rviihout the tradltional ikot designs. Since the weavers'time and energy are spent on meeting their quotas,
the d,ay ma-\-not be far offwhen their ikat weave will disappear.
Tourism and the sending of cqltural entertainers abroad also often leads to distortions as in the example of
cultr:ral dancers wearing Ifugao blinkets in Japan. For the problem, as we all know, is that they do,not sho*'case authentic
Ifugao dance-s but do iru"fr d.b"."d forms of exotica citering to pmrient tastes. A wide educ,ational c?r,rpaign io
apf,neciate tlrese liring traditions and to instill respect for them cin be-conducted in schools and public for a, althoug,h this
, " *iil ,l*oy,t go against business interests which comntodifies and debases even the finest examples of our nraterial culture.
 Art and social relationships .- , gender,
In the productio., ofart, one necessarily ta.kes into account the social relationships of class,
race- chnici:r', religion, "oi1.""ption
p"fltl*iU"fl"f. if,L of art is not complete if it is not viewed in the Iight of these
"ra and neutral p*",1""
factoc-s. Alt is not a'n inno.eit "ra".rto"ain!
U"t contain-s ideologies whicti are perspectival and interest-linked' The
element of ciia.ss unde.lies-th" t;1",,;i;i;;i;;;"g" and exists in thJ inherent ideoiogical contents of the n'ork and horv
it is situateC uithin the relations of p.oarrctio, l?T.o.i"tj. Do-9s i,t align with the interests and aspirations- of the large
majo*-ity orr-ith the self-perpetuatiog i.rt"."ri", oiifr" ..oro.ni. elite? Liklewise, the understanding of art should be infused
i-- tt-itl-g.;J.r=*r-i-tlU.r* ln tte anatys;i of i*^ges and art discourses. Production and reception here comes to the fore' The
it. ut"."oqfins or g.id.i;a.. rr"t long been prejudicial to the development of rvomen's art' The
| ;;;;;il'=;;;;;'*d
I ffi:iJ'#i: hffiXj;;i;;;;,; ;h;;, ;'
j;;; ;"g"
I ffiffi;-"i.,.j"i';;#J:
t'u' pointed out' the imagery or art
p.*rippo."* i *ut" gaze, taro"rs male iniereSts and perspectives, and perpetuates the subordination 3f,l]"1]]."1 __^*:-.^_
' Rac=u1a"itl"iJi;;;;;;;;i""i*"i,iu"ieckonedwittr. wniteracemaynotseemtotakemuchprominence 'tlh]l: t"l"-lf".it:
i i., philip;i"*:;."t, n enie.s in the form ot:racirl attitrrdes which n'ere ingraineci by centuries.of mle b,
il' l"#;;#;L;';;;fiil';;e;;ilili;h;il;t" h;'increasingly"r,alorized fair complexions associated with the
prhileged .*i*r"., as well as in advertisL-"rt" *tri"t invariably haie mestiza models. At the base' this leads to a
distortion of our national identity as a people.
In ,our country, both race and ethnicity have given rile to prejudices, overt and-covert, conscious and
subcrrmscious. Again these preju<iiciai attitudes-#re instiiied by' the Spanish and -{merican cclonizers: the
prejudice
against natn-e dark .ti.,-,-ti,.'p."ludice against the non-Chriitian and non-Westernized rnembers of the national
; poprdation- But these prejudices have *ort?J against our interests as a people. and the long alrd continuing process of
:/ iecolonizati.m and libeiatioo involves the breakdown of these prejudices for a trulv just society.
and
Ref:gious and political betief are aiso iactors that piay-a part i-n art. tsut again, these are interestlinl<ed
"Religion,
as lfuked to big social institutions, is noi a nlutral aspqct of people's lives. It may seFe
perspectival the status
quo, ev'en support autho;itarian and right-*ing loiu...ir'"r in the case of the erstwhile Mindanao vigilante groups
rvhich
harniassed indigenous folk beliefs towaids un .*" and militant conservatism. This came into conflict with grassroots
""*t Christian
religious organizations of a liberative goul, as in the theolory of stmgg-le that beccme popular amung the-Basic
Co#rruniti& of the 7o's and 8o's. Tf,is came with the im"portant rJalization by the progressive clerry that the Bible as
r- section is the
I disceurse &]ntai;;;'*ai.rf potential that could be drawn out in support of people;s cau."*. ^re such
i },i;;#;"ii" *t i"r, theme a number oi social realists made a seriei ifter the Aquino assassination. The Magnificant,
I iro,i=uer, wH appropriated by Mrs. Aquino in her political campaign'
"""- "' erTri"rioriucal backed bv
I belief, there is no-doubt tirat it backs eith"er privileged interests or dominant ideologies
n]o"'
i',r-- p"..o=.i.r.il"*Jaf *:y grorrps an.l the opp*iti*A il*ologies alrva,.'s itrivrng to win greater popylal l"lfST 1|T: r"'ith p'iiiticai
i:;;;;;f;;;. iadirecily these ccmpetinip"uti""r poiitions in ttiri.nse th-ey ha"e-undeiif ir,gllnl$
- alii *':r;olomjc inierest for s*cial ccnsen'atisin or c-hange' "tiJ
i

Art and Saial Transforaation and reality is not a

-r the artist's vision and interpretation.of life
ArE that conve),s meaning and that derives from
pul"iirg; it is not *"." orriurrt"otation the li,es and
colors of
me-ue demcsstration of t"&;ili ;.t";";ty m a*ilng
commodity to be
rvhirh are par-t o{ a larger scheme of interior d"r6-}-?r:.ilx*pp6int"a houses; it is not a -mcre -paltrypress releases and
its *ark"t_rJie; it is not inere part-of a fashionable lifesti'le of
bcwht and sold and measured by
peopie's lives'
cor:ktails. snch art woufa a"i.ut tf* r^reaning of art because'it is al.ienated fron the vitality.of
B{ircause art is not neutral and derives its-er"rgies from the dynamism and
conflicts ef society, it is also an ag,en[
sympathies- with one or the other pole of the
of change- As it tacides social and political tfr.-u., lf.f;o*s its affinities.and
productive relations. Its approach to these tnu#"r *"v ,oi necessariiy le alrect and unmediated, but it may be the
*J.rc. or in of work which takes up different aspects' Its
derelopmeut of a social or political the*. in-se.rerul a body
with lavers of allusions and svrnbois'
approach may be a.u*uj. ;l;; k"y, ."", *brt;;;;phi;ii;;t"d ;"J highi.v cemplex
most works deal irith poliiical issues, as..Picasso did in Guernica or
Th,rougho*t the history of art, some cf the -L*l.uur" agai;rst the background of
Francisco Gova did in rres de Mayoor in his ri".p or-t"uton breeds monsters"
"";;;;;;-rh.
the Napoleronic invasion of Spain. Art as an ug.rii or roliur change wili always be
the challenge for serious artists because
translormation und it. part in the making of history towards a
they want to affirm ttre *af-iofe of art in sociiry and social
5,,..an and -just order which still eludes our Srasp at the preseni'