Bicol Training and Technological College, Inc.

(BTTCI)
Aguinaldo St. Bacacay, Albay
Senior High School Department
1st Semester S.Y. 2020 - 2021

Module Title and Code: Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions
Content Expert: Raymond Patrick B. Soria
Unit Number & Unit Name: Unit 3
Lesson 3: Various Contemporary Art Forms Quarter 1 – Module 3

What This Module is about

Welcome to this module!

Philippine Contemporary Arts from the Regions is intended to inspire everyone.

Below is the art works and activities in different art form. Share on the possible initiatives
and practices in doing, promoting, and preserving contemporary arts in a form of activity.
Collecting such outstanding art form may boost the artist and a great chance to put the
learnings into the world of arts. This module gives you the different art forms and a brief
overview of major themes of Philippine art history., from pre – conquest down to modern
and contemporary periods. The account put the practices are influenced by major traditions
which we can trace through our long of making and taking sense of art.

What I Need to Know

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

Research on various contemporary art forms. CAR11/12ICAP-0c-e-4

a. Identify the various contemporary art forms

b. Identify the major periods, artists and artworks of Philippine art history

c. Define contemporary art by situating these within Philippine art.

d. Illustrate local example of contemporary arts through an interview or

through a place visit.

e. Distinguish traditional, modern, and contemporary styles in the visual arts

be able to interpret these by creating a self-portrait.

How to Learn from this Module

To achieve the objectives cited above, you are to do the following:

• Take your time reading the lessons carefully.

• Follow the directions and/or instructions in the activities and exercises diligently.
• Answer all the given tests and exercise

Lesson 1 Various Contemporary Art forms

What I Need to Know

Art draws inspiration from the society and at the same time it honed by the specific
conditions that engendered its production. It is common tendency to portray the display as
cutting edge. Being contemporary implies up to date and mechanically progressed.
Basically, being present day is likened with being modern. The Gradual periods of
evolvement in Contemporary arts is additionally an excitement idea that need to be
discover.
Modern art referred to as Traditional compared to contemporary Art. Contemporary
art is the art of present, which is continuously in process and in flux. It is what we call the
art of today. The distinction of modern art and contemporary could be also a matter of
perception and reception depending on the context. This is what the module design to
distinguish the history from past to present art.

Activity 1 – Arrange and Match the words

Below are Column A and B. In column A are the scrambled words related to the
various contemporary art form. All you need to do is to arrange it to come up an answer.
Once you derive the correct words connect it to column B to its definition.
A B
1. Uidnslairt tra A. It is anything printed from raised or sunken
………………… reliefs and plane surface
2. ctlacrpila rat B. This refers to agronomy and farming

3. tra iinaccll C. It refers to medical manufacturing

4. cgarhpci atr D. It is the changing of raw materials into

some significant products

5. Ualtrulcagri tra E. For utility and practical use

 What I Know

Various Contemporary Art Form

Speaking of art, there are many words that will always pop up in our mind. When we
say forms, classifications we can name them one by one. Today, we will discuss various art
forms of contemporary arts.

1. PRACTICAL ( Utalitarian) ART . This art is intended for practical for practical use or
utility. It is the changing of raw materials for utilitarian purposes. However, they must
possess ornaments or artistic qualities to make them useful and beautiful.

2. INDUSTRIAL ARTS. It is the changing of raw materials into some significant products
for human are shell craft, bamboo crafts, leather craft, pottery making, sheet – metal
work and manufacture of automobiles, home appliances and televisions set.

3. APPLIED / HOUSEHOLD ART. It refers mostly to household arts such as flower

arrangement, interior decoration, dress making, home – making, embroidery,
cooking and others.

4. CIVIC ART. This art includes city or town planning, maintenance, and beautification of
parks. This refers to beautification to improve the standards of living.

5. COMMERCIAL ART. It involves business propaganda in the form of advertisements in

newspapers and magazines, sign painting, billboard and announcements, leaflets,
displays, poster designing, movie illustrations and many more.

6. GRAPHIC ART. It is anything printed from raised or sunken reliefs and plane surfaces.

7. AGRICULTURAL ART. (crop production), horticulture (garden or orchard cultivation),

husbandry (raising of cows, carabaos, poultry and swine) and farming.

8. BUSINESS ART. This includes merchandising, accounting, bookkeeping, typewriting,

stenography, salesmanship, and business administration.

9. FISHERY ART. It includes shallow and deep-sea fishing, fish refrigeration and culture,
net weaving.

10.MEDICAL / CLINICAL ART. It includes first aid treatments, medical manufacturing,

surgery, medical operation, rehabilitations.
Activity 2 - Classification of Arts.

Classify the following art forms. Use the legends below:

MA – medical art FA – fishery art BA – business art

AA – agricultural Art GA – graphic art PA – practical art
IA – industrial art CA – commercial art CA – civic art
PA – practical art
What’s New

From the discussion above, we learned about the different

contemporary art forms. While we review the previous lesson, it to boot basic
to be beyond any doubt that the art of the so – called past continued and
proceeds to development until the appear and are thus in that sense,
“contemporary”. This art continued to be conveyed, without a doubt in case the
conditions behind its era have as of now changed through and through. In the
discussion below, be conscious of the way the description of context is
integrated into the description of form – what art is made of and how art is
made. The relationship of material and process to the symbols and meanings of
the art forms matters how we contextualize.

Philippine Art History

I. Pre-Colonial Arts / Ethnic Art

Was there art before colonization? In

art chronicle terms, we imply art a
few times as of late the coming of the
essential colonizers as “pre -
triumph”. In expound terms, we
insinuate to it as natural the thought
that our forerunners, have been
making art without a doubt a few
times as of late colonization. It is also
described in cultural terms as “pre-colonial” as a term to use the general way of life
before colonization. Although the terms are interchangeable, it is also useful to keep
these distinctions in mind when studying the art of the past.

In Pre – colonial Philippines, arts are for ritual purposes or for everyday use. Art of
the ancient Filipinos were woven into the fabric of everyday life. They do not refer to art as
we do today. That is, as an expression of an individual, and seen largely in galleries and
concert halls. They do not distinguish forms into different categories like music, theater,
visual arts, etc. Everyday expressions were all integrated within rituals that marked
significant moments in a community’s life, like planting, harvesting, rites passage, funerary,
ceremonies, weddings, among others. (crafted from: Faludette May Datulin et. al, 2016.
Contemporary Philippine Arts of the Regions p. 15)
 Our ancestors, just like others in the world during those times, were hunter
gatherers. The forefathers hunted food and game that were shared among members of a
community in a gathering where they told stories about the hunt. They imitated the
movement of animals and prey, and the sounds that they made. But how do arts apply?

In this simple activity alone evolved ritual, music, dance, theater and yes even
literature. When they told stories about the hunt, this form of oral story telling marked the
beginnings of the literature. When they imitated movements of the animals they hunted,
this marked the early beginnings of theater or play acting. When they learned to add drum
beating and attach rhythm to their movements, they have given birth to music and dance
………..The pre- colonial peoples of the Philippines already possessed a varied and vibrant
musicale culture. The country’s indigenous cultures through the existence of ethnic musical
instruments such as pipes , flutes, zithers, drums, various string instruments like kudyapi a
three stringed guitar, the kulintang – an array bossed gongs, the gansa or flat gong, bamboo
percussion instruments, and the gong.

The following are the NATIVE DANCE forms imitated from the movements of
the animals:
1. Pangalay dance (Sulu) is mimetic of the movements of the sea birds
2. Mandaya’ Kinabua, Banog – banog (Higaonon & B’laan), and ma- manok (Bagobos in
Mindanao is imitated the movements of predatory birds.
3. Talip dance (Ifugao) that is used for courtship is mimetic of the movements of wild
fowls.
4. Inamo dance (Matigsalugs) and Kadaliwas dance (T’Boli) represent the comedic
movement of the monkey
5. Tinikling dance evocative of the movements of the crane, balancing itself on stilt –
like legs or flirting away from the clutches of bamboo traps.

Famous artworks during pre – colonial

1. Carving
 Bulul (Cordillera) a granary God that plays an important 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
 Textile weaving
a. Pis siyabit (Tausug of Sulu) a headpiece woven
b. Malong (Maranao of Lanao del Sur)
  Mat and basket weaving
a. Tepo mat (Sama of Tawi-Tawi) a double layered made of Pandan leaves.
b. Ovaloid basket (Itbayat, Batanes) a head sling made of nito or bamboo used to
carry the harvests.
c. Bubo (Ilocos region) a sturdy bamboo strips used to trap the fish.

3. Ornamentation - representations of various ethnolinguistic groups.

a. Wearing gold jewelry (upper class Tagalog)

b. Tattooing (Visayan) it is believed to protect the individual from evil spirits, it is also
a sign of bravery and maturity.

II. ISLAMIC ERA

(13 TH Century to the Present)

How did Islam influence art

before the coming of Spanish
colonizers? Islamic is
characterized by geometric
designs and patter selecting
focus from the believers. Even
before the coming of Spanish
colonizers, Islam was already
well entrenched in Southern
Philippines. Filipino Muslims recognize that they belong to an ummah or a
community of believers. Central to the Islamic faith is the doctrine of or unity of
God. This belief emphasizes the impermanence of nature and the
incomprehensible greatness of the Divine Being.
In Islamic art we can observe how artist are influenced by the notion of the
Tawhid, we will find that the interior of mosques are covered with elaborate
patterning in the form of reliefs to draw the attention away from the concrete
object, in other words away from human forms and nature” toward the
contemplation of the divine”

Happenings during Islamic era

1. Sultanate of Sulu was established Sayyid Abbubakar
2. Qura or holy text was introduced
3. Building of religious school called Madrasah
4. Natives from Yakans , Basilan and Zamboanga were converted to Islam
5. Islamazation process In Mindanao became strong. 6. Islam became the religion
and as a way of life of people in Mindanao (Tausug, Maranao, Maguindanao,
Yakan, Samal, Badjao).
 III. SPANISH ERA
(1521 – 1898)

What kinds of art developed

during Spanish Colonization?
Art became a hand maiden of
religion, serving to propagate
the Catholic faith and thus
support the colonial order at
the same time. Religious orders
were dispatched to convert the natives to Catholicism as part of the larger project culturally
as religious art, lowland Christian art or folk art. During this period, cruciform churches
following the shape of the latin cross were built. In keeping with the prevailing, they were
characterized by grandeur, drama, and elaborate details that purposely appealed to the
emotions. The use of adobe, limestone or brick and the construction of thick buttresses or
wing like projections reinforce the church structure to make it more resistant to
earthquake. In other words, the result is a fusion of both native and European elements,
prompting some art historians to refer to the style as colonial baroque or Philippine or
tropical baroque.
Important Happenings related to art during 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 were introduced and created the first Filipino composers
named Marcelo Adonay (1848 – 1928)
 Musical form based on Catholic faith have emerge in the Pasyon – the biblical of
Christ’s passion chanted in an improvise melody
 Secular music was formed; the awit and the corridor – these were the two musical
forms based on European literature and history.
 Kundiman became a vehicle for conflict – the lyrics were that of unrequited love,
except that the love object was the Philippines who would be cleverly concealed as
beautiful woman.
 Mangyans made the baybayin script made of bamboo poles cut into smaller nodes
that are carved used to composed short poems, expressing one’s feelings and other
emotional concers.Pomp and pageantry of religious processions were introduced.
 Zarzuela was introduced, it was an opera which features singing and dancing with
prosed dialogue which allowed 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 awardeded as the most celebrated leading actress
 The first Senakulo was written in 1704 by Gaspar Aquino de Belen
  Komedya were also introduced; komedya de santo (it centers on life of Christ ) and
Secular Komedya.
 Folk dances such as carinosa, pandango, polka , dansa and rigodon, habanera, and
tango were introduced.  Visual arts, and paintings must be visual interpretation of
biblical texts center to 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

Famous Artists and their artworks during Spanish era:

Visual Arts:
1. Damian Domingo – water color albums of tipos
2. Juan Luna – Spoliarium, Espana y Filipinas
3. Felix Resurrection Hidalgo – Virgenes christianas expuestas al populacho
4. Lorenzo Guerrero - The Water Carrier
5. Simon Flores – Portrait of the Quiazon Family 6. Jose Dans – Heaven , Earth , Hell 7.
Esteban Villanueva - Basi Revolt

Miniature painters: Engraver:

1. Antonio Malantic 1. Francisco Suarez
2. Isidro Arceo 2. Nicolas Engraver
3. Dionesio de Castro 3. Laureano Atlas
4. Justiniano Assuncion 4. Felipe Sevilla
Musician – Composer: Theater artist:
1. Marcelo Adonay 1. Honorata “ Atang” dela Rama
Writers:
1. Severino Reyes - Zarzuela
2. Hermogenes Ilagan – Zarzuela
3. Gaspar Aquino de Belen - Senaku
 IV. AMERICAN ERA
(1898 – 1940) to the Post war
Republic (1946 – 1969)
What were the changes brought
about by American Colonization? How
were they differ from the religious
forms of the Spanish colonial period?
In the American regime,
commercial and advertising arts were
integrated into 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 dramatize in classroom, to facilitate the teaching of the English language. Unlike, the
Spanish, the Americans passionate thought their language through an efficient public
school system.
In less than decade, Filipino playwrights began to write plays in English.In the
beginning of the 20 th century, 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.
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 aforementioned 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.

Famous Artist during American era

1. Juan Abad – Tanikalang Ginto (Golden Chain) (1902)

2. Juan Matapang Cruz – Hindi ako Patay ( Iam Not Dead) 1903
3. Aurelio Tolentino – Kahapon , Ngayon at Bukas (Yesterday, Today and
Tomorrow
 (The above 3 artists emphasized their works a deep profound yearning for
freedom.)

V. JAPANESE ERA
(1941-1945)
Since the Japanese advocated for
the culture of East Asia,
preference was given to the
indigenous art and traditions of
the Philippines. This emphasized
their propaganda in Asia. Under
the Japanese occupation of
Manila, the Modern Art Project
would slow down in pace. Early moderns and conservatives alike continued to produce art
and even participated in KALIBAPI ( Kapisanan sa Paglingkod ng Bagong Pilipinas)
sponsored art competitions.
Nevertheless, art production once again tilted to fulfill the agenda and demands of
the new colonial order. The Japanese forces led the formation of the greater East asia Co –
Prosperity Sphere, a propaganda movement that sought to create a Pan – Asian identity
rejected Western traditions. The productions of images, texts, nd music underwent
scrutiny.
In music, the composer National Artist Felipe de Leon was said to have been
commanded to write AWIT SA PAGLIKHA NG BAGONG PILIPINAS. Declared as the anthem
specifically for the period, it conveyed allegiance to the nation reared in East Asia, where
Japan was actively asserting its political power. Genre paintings were the most widely
produced, particularly those that presented a neutral relationship between Filipinos and
the Japanese through works that showed the normality of daily living.
Famous artist and their artworks during Japanese era
1. Fernado Amorsolo (painting)
 Harvest scene, 1942
 Rice Plating, 1942
 Bombing of the Intendencia (1942)
 Ruins of Manila Cathedral (1945)
2. Sylvia La Torre (song)
 Sa kabukiran
3. Levi Celerio (composer)
 Sa Kabukiran
4. Felipe P. de Leon (composer)
 Awit sa Paglikha ng Bagong Pilipinas
5. Crispin Lopez (painting)
 Study of an Aeta (1943)
6. Diosdado Lorenzo (painting)
 Atrocities in Paco
7. Dominador Castaneda (painting)
 Doomed Family (1945)

VI. MODERN ERA

(Neo Realism, Abstraction Modern
styles)
What is Modern Art?
Modern art is quite different
from contemporary art especially
when in terms of history and styles.
Modern era in the Philippine art
began after World War 2 and the
granting independence. Writers and
Artists posed the question of national identity as the main theme of various art
forms.
It is referred to as “traditional compared to contemporary art. The styles of
modern art for example are now part of art and curricula and have become academic.
The most well- known proponent of Modern art painting is Victorio Edades whose
work were initially rejected and misunderstood but later on his modernist sensibility was
shared by several artists. In this era artists explored various mediums, techniques and
themes that were at that time considered “new”.
There was an exploration of subject matter, content, and form. Using modernists
figuration, many of the artists explored folk themes and also crafted commentaries on the
urban condition and the effects of the war.
 Modern artists do not aim to copy and idealize reality; instead, they change the
colors flatten the picture instead of creating illusions of depth, nearness and farness. They
depict what might be thought of as “ugly “and unpleasant instead of the beautiful and
pastoral.
Another strand of Modern art is abstraction. It consists of simplified forms, which
avoided mimetic representation. It is sometimes referred as nonrepresentational or non-
objective art as it emphasizes the relationship of colors, line, space or the flatness of the
canvas rather than an illusion of three dimensionality.
Modern famous artists and their artworks
 Neo Realists Artist
1. Manansala – The Beggars (1952), Tuba Drinkers (1954),
2. Legaspi – Gadgets II (1949), Bad Girls (19
3. HR Ocampo – The Contrast (1940), Genesis (1968)
4. Ramon Estella
5. Victor Oyteza
6. Romeo Tabuena

 Abstractionist Artist
1. Constancio Abenardo
2. Lee Aguinaldo
3. Jose Joya
4. Fernando Zobel
5. Arturo Luz – Street Musicians (1952)
6. Nina Saguil - Cargadores (1951)

 Modern Architectural structures:

1. Church of Holy Sacrifice (1955)

2. Church of the Risen Lord
3. Chapel of Saint Joseph the worker

VII. CONTEMPORARY ART

What is contemporary art? Is it
similar to Modern art? What are the
general characteristics of
contemporary art?
Contemporary art is much
different from Modern art as it said
earlier modern art is referred
“traditional” compared to
 contemporary art. How would that be? An example is the work of Fernando Amorsolo,
he painted his painting “Harvest Scene in 1942. At that time, the painting was
considered contemporary. Today, we refer to that work as an example of Modern art
produced during Japanese era. But some of the artists continue to produce work ‘til
today and in that sense their works can be describe as contemporary by virtue of being
of the present.
What contemporary really is? Contemporary art is an art of today produced by
artists living of today. It is a fluid term, and its use can change depending on the context.
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 sovereign society.
Artists use mixed media. Their artworks are site specific, process - based and
they integrate various art forms. Contemporary art has the following characteristics;
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
Contemporary art is distinguishable from Modern art in historical, stylistic, and cultural
terms.

WHAT IS IT

Important Happenings during the rise of Contemporary ART

 Many cultural projects ensued amid the backdrop of poverty and volatile social
conditions under the leadership Of Ferdinand Marcos and Imelda Marcos in 1965
 Martial Law was Declared on September 21, 1972
 New Society or Bagong Lipunan was built by Marcos in which the main focus is to
rebirth the lost civilization and aspiration to modernization and development in
which the main vision is to combine the fine arts, architecture, architecture, interior
design, tourism, convention city building, engineering , urban planning, health and
among many others through an art and culture program.

Summary

Contemporary arts comprise of many art forms in which each of each having a
unique class and ideology; Practical art, industrial arts, applied / household arts, civic arts,
commercial art, agricultural art, Business art, fishery art, medical / clinical art, culinary art
and performing art. In the Philippine art history, since Filipinos were influenced by different
colonizers, it gave us an opportunity to learn many art forms during the different eras.
 Ethnic era emphases on the integral life
 Islamic era focuses on geometric designs
 Spanish era teaches us about faith and catechism
 American era emphases on secular forms of arts
 Japanese era focuses on Orientalizing
 Modern era teaches us about national identity and
 Contemporary era teaches us about social realism.

Our forefathers and artists might experience bumpy and cranky along their journey
on these eras but nevertheless it inspired and motivated them to pursue their passion in
arts, thus it gives us a clear explanation how and why we have the so called –
CONTEMPORARY ARTS.

POST – TEST

MULTIPLE Choice. Select the letter of the best answer from among the given choices.

1. It is the changing of raw materials into some significant products

A. Industrial art C. Graphic Art
B. Practical art D. Commercial Art
2. Pis siyabit is an example of __________.
A. ornamentation C. weaving
B. tatooo D.Carving
3. A period in which focuses on idyllic sceneries and secular forms of arts
A. Modern era C. Contemporary era
B. American era D. Pre – colonial era
4. He is one of the abstractionist artists.
A. Fernando Amorsolo C. Juan Luna
B. Romeo Tabuena D. Arturo Luz
5. It is an art of today produced by artists living of today.
A. Modern era C. Contemporary era
B. American era D. Pre – colonial era
6. This art use for or utility, changing of raw materials for utilitarian purposes.
A. Industrial art C. Graphic Art
B. Practical art D. Commercial Art
7. He wrote the national anthem during the Japanese period entitled Awit sa
Paglikha ng Bagong Pilipinas
A. Julian Felipe C. Marcelo Adonay
B. Felipe de Leon D. Ryan Cayabyab
8. An era focuses on geometric and design.
A. Islamic era C. Modern era
B. American era D. Pre – colonial era