Module 2: VARIOUS CONTEMPORARY ART FORMS

Various Contemporary Art Forms

As it is known now, contemporary art is more about the artist's creative

and critical self-expression. Culture can contribute to developing new
artworks, which can instill new perspectives in art enthusiasts and viewers.
As contemporary artists labor in a globally oriented, culturally diverse, and
technologically progressing environment, their art has evolved into a dynamic
combination of materials, processes, concepts, and subjects that continue the
boundary-pushing that began in the twentieth century.
Furthermore, contemporary art is part of a larger cultural discourse
about more comprehensive contextual frameworks, including personal and
cultural identity, family, community, and nationality. These concerns are
portrayed artistically and in a unique way through numerous contemporary
art forms.
This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful
opportunities for guided and independent learning at your own pace and time.

• Researches on various contemporary art forms.

• Describes various contemporary art forms and their practices from
the various regions.

How are the contemporary artist

contributing in the fields of arts from old
age up to present?

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There has been an emergence of numerous styles of art during the

transition from Modernism to Postmodernism. There were four sorts of visual
arts back in the day: paintings, sculpture, drawing, and printmaking. One
could assert that these were simpler times than today. New varieties of art
evolved when visual artists combined technology breakthroughs and new
ways of thinking as a result of Postmodernism stretched the boundaries of
established art forms, redefining what art may be.
In this generation, the different types of contemporary art include
painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, collage, digital art/collage,
photography, video art, installation art, land art, intervention art, and
performance art.
It is a spoonful, but many of the varieties of art are interconnected, and
it is frequently tricky where one type ends and the other begins since they are
so intertwined. Then there are mixtures, such as a performance-based
sculpture, a public intervention in land art, or a collage-based painter.

VARIOUS CONTEMPORARY ART FORMS

1. Painting
Painting has been declared dead several
times in art history, most notably in
Douglas Crimp's seminal article The End of
Painting. On the other hand, painting is
not going away and has been one of the
most relevant creative genres.
Painting falls into two categories:
abstraction on one end of the spectrum
and representational painting on the other.
Gerhard Richter, Abstraktes Bild, 2015.
Today, both forms of painting – or a
combination of the two – are current and relevant. Consider Gerhard
Richter, who transitions from pure abstraction to photorealistic paintings,
or the use of ancient master techniques in the most contemporary way.

2. Sculpture
The sculpture is a three-dimensional art form that
is most commonly practiced with marble, wood,
copper, or bronze. These classic materials are still the
most commonly utilized by contemporary sculptors
today. However, with recent technical advancements,
there are more possibilities as new materials and
techniques are used by contemporary artists in their
constant desire for experimentation and new routes to
explore. As a result, sculptures composed of
plexiglass, epoxy, wax, steel, or even electronic and
kinetic components may be encountered. Hilario's "Birds in my Ear, Spectre
on My Shoulder"

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One must also consider the fine boundary that exists between
contemporary sculpture and installation art. A sculpture can frequently
be interpreted as an installation and vice versa. Both are three-
dimensional works of art constructed from a variety of materials. However,
when ready-mades are used or when the sculpture takes in and forms its
environment, it is most typically seen as an installation.

3. Drawing
Art begins when the artist draws a RICHARD LEWER Lewis Street, 2010
Charcoal on wall
mark on paper with his pencil. It serves
as the foundation for a person's visual
education. Drawing as the foundation of
the artist's trait has slightly altered since
Modernism liberated art from academic
conventions. It is no longer customary for
an artist to be a well-educated designer.
One could argue that this is a negative
trend that reduces drawing to a trivial vocation. However, it appears that
the contrary is true.

4. Collage
Collage is the artistic act of assembling
various forms, materials, or pictures. It
has been an artistic practice in Europe
since the 1500s, but it has never been
recognized as a tangible art form. However,
with the advent of Modern Art, collage
blossomed as an art form during the
twentieth century. Consider how collage
was used in 'high art' movements such as
Cubism, Dadaism, and Surrealism. As a Most Girls (2009)
result, collage has emerged as an effective form of contemporary art.

5. Digital Art
With the advent of digital arts and software such as Photoshop, a new
digital collage style evolved. Computer collage is the process of creating a
new image from old photos or photography using digital software.
Although technologies like Photoshop and Paintbox have been around
for a long, digital collage has only recently been recognized as an actual
genre of high art.

6. Installation Art
Installation artworks are three-
dimensional works of art consisting of
one or more items in a space or as the
space itself. They are strongly associated
with the art movement of Conceptual Art.
The use of ready-mades is a prevalent
practice in installation art. Installation Photo by Adrian N on Unsplash

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art may be defined as a contemporary type of sculpture in which various

materials are employed unorthodox to differentiate it from the traditional
sculpture.

7. Land Art or Intervention Art

A landscape artist serves as a land art
artist when remodeling an environment.
Land art, often known as earth art, is art
created directly in the landscape by
sculpting the land into earthworks or
building structures from natural
materials such as pebbles or twigs.
In the same way that Land Art involves
the artist intervening in a specific
environment, Intervention Art involves the
artist prevailing in a specific environment.
Whereas Land Art takes place in a
landscape or natural environment,
(public) intervention art occurs in an
urban setting. The artist makes the era's
inhabitants aware of their surroundings
by producing a significant or tiny
intervention.

8. Performance Art
Performance art developed in the 1960s and 1970s and has remained
a dominant art genre to this day. There is no object in performance art;
instead, a happening is the artwork itself.
Performance art is distinguished by its transient nature and is closely
associated with the performance arts such as theater and dance. The artist
takes on the role of choreographer or performer.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PHILIPPINE ARTS

Ethnic Tradition

During the pre-colonial period, art styles were inspired mainly by

geographical regions and Filipino practices. The majority of their artworks
were animist or community-based in nature. Early Filipino dance steps were
imitations of animal motions such as birds for people who resided in the
highlands, while those who lived near the coast mimicked sea creature
movements. Tattooing was considered an art form during this period. It was
used as a combat award for killing an enemy during a conflict and was created
using wood or charcoal tints. During this time, the visual arts were dominated
by wood carving, weaving, and pottery. In their architecture, they used
indigenous materials such as anahaw, bamboo, cogon, and rattan. Their
literature was devoid of epics, myths, riddles, and proverbs. The music's
content ranged from fighting to rowing, courtship, and reaping. Their singing

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was accompanied by instruments such as bamboo flutes and brass gongs.

Early theatrical presentations presenting their life values were ethnic
performances and ceremonials on the subject and notion of theater arts.

The following are the native dance forms imitated from the movements of the
animals:
1. Pangalay dance (Sulu) - is mimetic movements of the sea birds
2. Mandaya’ Kinabua, Banog – banog (Higaonon & B’laan), and ma- manok
(Bagobos in Mindanao) are imitated predatory birds' movements.
3. Talip dance (Ifugao) - is used for courtship is mimetic of the movements
of wild fowls.
4. Tinikling dance - evocative of the crane's movements, balancing itself on
stilt – like legs or flirting away from the clutches of bamboo traps.

Famous Artworks During Pre – Colonial

1. Carving
• Bulul (Cordillera) is a granary God that plays a vital role in rituals
• Hagabi (Ifugao) a wooden bench
• Santos / sculptures of saints (Laguna and Pampanga)
• Okir (Tausug / Samal / Badjao) mythical sarimanok, the naga or
serpent.
• Manunggul Jar discovered at Manunggul cave of Palawan
2. Weaving
• Pis siyabit (Tausug of Sulu) a headpiece
• Malong (Maranao of Lanao del Sur)
3. Mat and basket weaving
• Tepo mat (Sama of Tawi-Tawi), a double-layered made Pandan leaves.
• Ovaloid basket (Itbayat, Batanes) head sling made of nito or bamboo
used to carry the harvests.
• Bubo (Ilocos region), a sturdy bamboo strips used to trap the fish.
4. Ornamentation - representations of various ethnolinguistic groups.
• Wearing gold jewelry (upper-class Tagalog)
• Tattooing (Visayan) is believed to protect the individual from evil
spirits. It is also a sign of bravery and maturity.

Spanish Colonial Tradition

The Spaniards prohibited certain early Filipino traditions. Written

traditions were burned because they were thought to be bad deeds. During
this time, religion, devotion, and secularization were critical concepts in the
arts. Moreover, art became a handmaiden of religion, assisting to spread the
Catholic faith while also supporting the colonial rule. Religious orders were
deployed to convert the indigenous to Catholicism as part of a larger cultural
mission known as religious art, lowland Christian art, or folk art.
Furthermore, cruciform churches in the shape of the Latin cross were
constructed. They were distinguished by grandeur, drama, and ornate
embellishments that purposefully appealed to the emotions. The use of adobe,

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limestone, or brick and the construction of massive buttresses or wing-like

extensions strengthen the church structure and make it more earthquake
resistant. In other words, the outcome is a combination of native and
European elements, causing some art historians to call the style colonial
baroque, Philippine baroque, or tropical baroque.

Important Events happened related to art during the Spanish Era

• Chinese artisans were engaged in making icons or saints made in
wood or ivory.
• Colonial churches were built.
• Western musical instruments were introduced, pipe organ, violin,
guitar, and piano.
• Catholic liturgical music was introduced in 1742
• Choral music to boys was introduced and created by the first Filipino
composers named Marcelo Adonay (1848 – 1928)
• Musical form based on Catholic faith has emerged in the Pasyon – the
biblical of Christ’s passion chanted in an improvised melody.
• Secular music was formed; the awit and the corridor were the two
musical forms based on European literature and history.
• Kundiman became a vehicle for conflict – the lyrics were unrequited
love.
• Mangyans made the baybayin script made of bamboo poles cut into
smaller nodes carved to compose short poems, expressing one’s
feelings and other emotional concerns.
• Zarzuela was introduced; it was an opera that features singing and
dancing with prosed dialogue, allowing the story to be carried out in a
song.
• Severino Reyes and Hermogenes Ilagan were awarded as the most
distinguished playwrights as they wrote zarzuela in Tagalog.
• Honorata “Atang” dela Rama was awarded as the most celebrated
leading actress.
• Komedya were also introduced; komedya de Santo and Secular
Komedya.
• Folk dances such as carinosa, pandango, polka, dansa and rigodon,
habanera, and tango were introduced.
• Visual arts and paintings must be a visual interpretation of biblical
texts center on Catholic devotion ex. Heaven Earth and Hell by Jose
Dans (1850)
• Reprographic art of printmaking was introduced. Doctrina Christiana
is an example, the first printed book in the Philippines compiling song
lyrics, commandments, sacraments, and other catechetical material.
• Juan Luna (Spolarium) won gold medals and Felix Resurrection
Hidalgo (Virgenes christianas expuestas al populacho) won silver
medals.

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American Colonial and Contemporary Traditions

When Americans came to the archipelago, they brought changes in

education, culture, and the arts. Filipinos received formal education. Those
who were sent to study abroad returned with an understanding of
contemporary art. Thus, technological advancements have surpassed the
conventional methods of creating art.
In the American regime, commercial and advertising arts were
integrated into the fine arts curriculum. Moreover, Americans favored idyllic
sceneries and secular forms of arts. Because the lingua franca of this period
was English, poems and stories from books were dramatized in the classroom
to facilitate the teaching of the English language. Unlike the Spanish, the
Americans passionately taught their language through an efficient public
school system. In less than a decade, Filipino playwrights began to write plays
in English. At the beginning of the 20th century, a new urban pattern that
responded to the secular goals of education, health, and governance was
imposed. The new patrons of the arts included the Americans who engaged in
governance and education, business, and tourism.
The demand for artists who could do illustrations in textbooks or
graphic design to product labels thus emerged. The inclination towards genre,
still life and portrait paintings persisted. Art forms evolved, allowing artists to
explore new materials and approaches. As a result, artists developed
unconventional works on a variety of subjects. Contemporary Philippine
architecture is concerned with urban planning, economic zones, and
regionalism.
Landscapes on the other hand, became cherished as travel souvenirs,
especially those that captured the exotic qualities of Philippine terrain. In
1909, a year after the establishment of the University of the Philippines, its
School of Fine Arts was opened. It also offered a course on commercial design
to fulfill the demand. For some time, the academic (a term referring to the
kind of art was influenced by European academies) tradition of painting and
sculpture in the manner of Amorsolo and Tolentino prevailed in the art scene.

Characteristics of Contemporary art:

a. Collaborative / participative
b. Interactive
c. Process - oriented (meaning that there is less emphasis on the finished
product and a single author or creator. There is a wide range of
strategies, media and techniques)
d. Site specific (they cannot be experienced in the same way if we remove
from their original place. Contemporary art is distinguishable from
Modern art in historical, stylistic, and cultural terms.

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References:
Cabaruan, Windel N. (2020). Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions Worksheet.
DepEd Cagayan Valley.
Bhandari, Shirin. (2018). The 10 Most Filipino Artists and their Masterworks. Culture Trip.
https://theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/articles/the-10-most-famous-filipino-
artists-and-their-masterworks/
Bird’s in my Ear. [Picture]. (2009). Joel Vega 18 th Moon.
https://joel7663.wordpress.com/tag/contemporary-philippine-sculpture/
Collage. [Picture]. (2009). Artes delas Filipinas.
http://www.artesdelasfilipinas.com/archives/110/dina-gadia-s-assembling-
collage-of-contemporary-art
Delagrange, J. (2021, June 18). Different Types of Contemporary Arts. Contemporary Arts
Issues. https://tinyurl.com/v2c56w5r
Dubai Land Art. [Picture]. (2010).
https://landscapeiskouzoupis.wordpress.com/2010/04/22/dubai-artificial-
islands/

Module Author/Curator: Mrs. Ryanah Ness I. Lalog

Template & Layout Designer: Mrs. Ryanah Ness I. Lalog

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