INTRODUCTION

Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions

Core Subject Description:

The subject covers various contemporary arts practices of the region where the school is
located.

It aims to provide students with an appreciation of a broad range of styles in the various
disciplines with consideration on their elements and principles, and engage them to an integrative
approach in studying arts.

Through this subject, students will broaden and acquire the necessary creative tools that open
opportunities in pursuing their individual career goals and aspirations.

INSTRUCTION/DELIVERY

ART

AR
(Aryan – “to join or put together”)

Artizein Arkiskein
(Greek – “to prepare”) (Greek – “to put together”)

ARS/ARTIS SKILL TECHNE

(Latin) (Greek)

Art – art is creation. Creating something new, something original and something different. Art is
life. It is creating life on a material and making inanimate objects to have llife. To create art is to give life
(Ramon Orlina-Glass Sculptor)

CONTEMPORY – Current, now, the present

Arts produce by national artist while contemporary produces by us.

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 ARTS THROUGH THE ACES
New Art
Self Forms
Expression
Fine Arts
Genuis and
Design
Craftmanship
Skill
Technique CONTEMPORARY
PERIOD
ROMANTIC
PERIOD
MODERN
PERIOD
RENAISSANCE
CHRISTIAN PERIOD
PERIOD
ROMAN
PERIOD
GREEK
PERIOD

1050 – 31BC 753-509BC 350-150AD 1400-1500 1700-1800 1800-1900 20th – 21st

Century

It is a common tendency to describe the present as “modern.” Being modern means being up to
date and technologically advanced. Often, being modern is equated with being contemporary. Art that is
new or current is also often referred to as “modern” as opposed to “traditional” or “conservative.” In
other words, in everyday parlance, the terms are interchangeable.

PHILIPPINE ART HISTORY

Pre-Colonial Arts (ETHNIC ARTS) – In Pre-colontial Philippines, arts are for rituals purposes or for
everyday use.

Before colonization, the Philippines already has its indigenous art. The ethnic art form are
primarily influenced by the geographical location and the experiences of the Filipinos, For, instance, the
dance in the country during the pre-colonial times vary depending in the area where our ancestor thrive.
In the high land, dance steps were imitations of the movements of certain animals like birds while the
choreography of the Filipinos near the sea were mimics of the movement of the fishes.

In terms of visual arts, pottery, weaving, wood carving, and metal crafting were doninant during
the pre-colonial period making use of the available materials surrounding tem. About architechture, the
early Filipinos used local materials in constructing structures since these were the materials accessible in
their area. Also, our ancestors already have their folks literature which came in the forms of folk
speeches, songs, and narratives. This folk literature verbalized their experiences. Regarding theater arts,

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tribal presentations and rituals were the early theatrical performances depicit their beliefs. In music, our
ancestors also have their indigeneous musical instruments like the bamboo flutes and brass gongs.

Spanish Era – art became the handmaiden of religion, serving to propagate the Catholic faith and thus
support the colonial order at the same time.

Spaniards tends to replace the Philippine Indegeneous arts with Western art forms. Religion and
secularization greatly influenced the art in the Philippines under the Spanish regime. The friars were the
ones supervising the practice of arts in the country with their agenda of propagating Christianity and
maintaining the power of the colonizers. in the field of literature, the literary works could be classified
into religious and secular prose and poetry. In the are of theater arts, secular and religious plays like the
“komedya” became popular. In choreography, religiuos dances commonly performed to venerate
patrons and saints. 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
architectures, stones and bricks were predominantly used in constructing building like churches, houses,
and government offices. Western Spanish influences was evident in architechture, the exterior, and
interior of the buildings were embelleshed with wood carvings or metal works with intricate decorative
designs.

American Era - 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.

American took over the country which led to the declaration of the independence on June 12,
1898. The American brought many changes in the politics, economy, education and culture of the
Philippines. In the area of 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, and the emergence of new technology
affected the way of art making in that period. Due to the technological innovations, the experimental
approaches in developing art rose above traditional art practices methodologies. New forms of
expression came which were avantgarde in nature. Modern aart continuously develops even after World
War II, which led to the contemporary way of art making today.

Modern Era – Modern era in Philippine Art began after Worldd War 2 and the granting of
Independence. Writers and artist posed the question of national identity as the main theme of various
art forms.

Contemporary Art – Philippine Contemporary Art was an offshoot of social realism brought about by
Martial Law. Arts became expression of people’s aspiration for a just, free, and soveriegn society.

Contemporary art refers to the recent and current practice of art ranging from 1970s up to the
present. It mirrors the society and culture of the present times. It uses a combination od different
methods, materials and ferent 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. Artist experimented with different materials
and methodologies and produced non-conventional artworks with a wide-range of themes.

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 If we talk in terms of Art History (refer to the aforementioned matrix), Contemporary Art can be
defined as art produced by artist living today.
The “contemporary” is therefore a fluid term, and its use can change depending on the con-
texts, in this case historical and stylistic. At times, the modern and Contemporary can be used
simultaneously or interchangeably; however, there is also danger of using them carelessly or loosely.
Thus, it is important to know the historical, and stylistic context of the terms.

F1 The Contrast by HR Ocampo F2 Frugal Meal by Cesar Legaspi

There are many artist who paint in styles associated with Modern Art. National Artist Victorio
Edades is credited for initiating the Modern Art movement that challenged the Neoclassic style, which
was dominant at the time he came home from studying in America before the war.

At that time, Modern Art was considered new and shocking; Neoclassic Art was familiar and
comfortable. Neoclassic Art is also described by art historiana like Guillermo as “academic” along with
other es-tablished styles imported from Europe via Spanish colonization. In its simplest sense
Neoclassicism is “academic” as it was and continues to be taught in schools.

Today, Modern Art is reffered to as “traditional”, compared to Contemporary Art. Contemporary

Art is the art of the present, which is continuosly in processand in flux. What is contenporary today
might become “academic” or “traditional” at some point. The styles of Modern Art for example are now
part of art school curricula and have become academic.

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Practice
Name: ________________________________________ Date: _____________________

Art Appreciation Exercise

I. Direction: Write E if the statement belongs to Ethnic Tradition, S if it belongs to Spanish
Tradition, AN if it belongs to American Colonial and Contemporary Traditions.

____________1. Filipinos developed choreographies by mimicking movements of animals.

____________2. Technological innovations affected art making resulting to non-conventioanla artworks.

____________3. Zarzuelas and operas became popular in this period.

____________4. Religion and secularization influenced all art forms.

____________5. Pottery, weaving, wood carving, and metal crafting are the forms of visual arts.

____________6. Painting and sculture were the most popular forms of visual arts.

____________7. Filipinos studied abroad and later on introduced new ideas in art making.

____________8. Avant-garde artworks entered the scene.

____________9. Bricks and stones were predominantly used in constructing buildings.

___________10. The geographical location and experiences of the Filipinos were the main factors in art
production.

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ENRICHMENT
The first difference between the contemporary and modern is historical and chronological.

Figure 1.1

The table shows a summary of the periods of Philippine Art from Pre-Conquest to the
Contemporary.

(A) (B)

(C)

(D) (E)

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EVALUATION
Name: _______________________________________ Date: _____________________

I. True or False

_____________1. The Spaniards greatly influenced the Filipinos that the arts in the country resulted to
pure Western Art.

_____________2. The piano is 1 of the instruments that spaniards introduced in the field of the
Philippine music.

_____________3. Contemporary art refers to the recent and current practices of art ranging from 1960s
up to the present.

_____________4. Folk songs, speeches, and narratives were the forms of literature in the Spanish Era
with religious ans secular contents.

_____________5. Modern Art is trotally the same with Contemporary Arts since modern and
contemporary are synonymous to each other.

_____________6. Valse, fandango, polka, and minuet are examples of theatrical performances in the
Spanish period.

_____________7. Before colonization, the Philippines already has its indigenous art.

_____________8. Modern Art refers to the practice of art in the 1860s-1960s. It was in these years that
the western world was significantly developing.

_____________9. Modern Art continuously develops even after World War II, which led to the
contemporary way of art making today.

____________10. Artist used wood carvings and metal works with intricate decorative design as
embellishments for buildings in the pre-colonial period.

II. Answer the question briefly.

1. What is contemporary? Is it the same as being modern?

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