Contemporary Art Techniques and Performance Practices

Each region has its unique specialties or products to take pride of like. Arts express artistic feelings toward any aspect of
life. The local materials that are available in the locality help us hone and enhance our skills and talents in producing
works of arts that can give us pride and popularity.

There are art forms which seem to be dying because the younger generations do not seem to have an interest in
learning about them.

SANIKULAS COOKIE MOLD CARVINGS (PAMPANGA)

These Sanikulas Cookies are arrowroot cookies that have the image of St. Nicholas molded on its ergo the name
Sanikulas. St. Nicholas is also known as "The Healer'' from illnesses. Legend says that if you consume these cookies when
you are ill, you get healed and recover in a shorter amount of time than it would usually take.

PABALOT OR PASTILLAS WRAPPER CUTTING ART (BULACAN)

The wrapper was made out of delicate Japanese paper. The way to make it is so delicate that only the ones with skilled
hands and perfect control of their motor skills can produce the best kind.

TAKA (LAGUNA)

The art of "Taka" or "Taka - Making" is not an exclusive Pinoy art. Paper Mache has been around the centuries. In the
Philippines, the first recorded or mention of a created "Taka" was by a woman named Maria Bangue in the 1920's. She
has wooden molds that were covered with strips of paper clipped in the sticky paste. She would later paint them
carefully and present them as children's toys. Due to fire, none of the original takas were saved. Taka making became
more popular during the American colonization period when there was an excess of newsprint. And because Pinoy hates
wasting anything, the people of Paete decided to create more Takas and even diversified into different animals, not just
the traditional horse.

PAGBUBURDA (TAAL, LUMBAN, LAGUNA)

The art of embroidering is happily alive and flourishing in the towns. Although it's mostly done by the women who are
wives of the farmers and fisherman, it is not uncommon to see fishermen and farmers who are also carefully and
delicately embroidered floral designs during their "Off-Season."

SINGKABAN OR BAMBOO ART

A fairly type of Philippine folk art, Singkaban is the art of shaving bamboo into artful creations that can be used as décor
for arches or the home. Skilled craftsmen patiently shave off the bamboo, layer by layer, to create curls and delicate
twirls of their bamboo. Singkaban is usually a celebration of art. Singkaban craftsmen create these gregariously designed
bamboo arches for fiestas, weddings, and other celebrations that in- volve the entire community. Perhaps, it is our sense
of "Bayanihan" that inspires their art form ensuring that art is appreciated and is accessible to everyone in the
community and their guests.

PUNI OR PALM LEAF FOLDING (BULACAN)

Puni or palm leaf folding was intended to create artful toys for kids. However, puni can also be used to create woven
baskets, bags, and even fans. The most common presentation of Puni art is the "Palaspas" we see every Holy Week.
Because of the abundance of coconut leaves, the Pinoys have ingeniously created toys and other items through Puni.
Although fresh coconut leaves are most commonly used, the leaves dry and crumble within the few days. It is more
common to use leaves that are dried, treated and dyed for strength and color. These countless artworks showcase not
only the creativity of Filipinos but most especially their ingenuity.

TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUES TO CONTEMPORARY ARTS

A. PAINTING
1. MANUNGGUL JAR

Early Filipinos painting can be in red chip (clay mixed with water) designs embellished on the ritual pottery of the
Philippine such as the acclaimed “MANUNGGUL JAR” which is an example of a burial jar.

2. PINTADOS or PAINTED PEOPLE

Another occurrence of painting is manifested in the tattoo tradition of early Filipinos who are now referred to as the
PINTADOS or the "PAINTED PEOPLE" of Visayas. Various designs referring flora and facing with heavenly bodies decorate
their bodies various colored pigmentation.

3. NAGA DRAGONS

Some of the most elaborate painting done by early Filipinos that survive to the present are manifested among the arts.
and architecture of the Maranao, who are well-known for the "NAGA DRAGONS" and the "SARIMANOK CRAVED" and
painted in the beautiful Panolong of their Torongans or King's house. Among the early modernist painters such as
Damian Domingo, Juan Luna, Felix

B. INDIGENOUS ARTS
INDIGENOUS PHILIPPINE ARTS is art made by the indigenous peoples of the Philippines. It includes works in raw
materials such as extract from trees, fruits, and vegetables.

1. BINAKOL

This is an example of intricate woven fabrics of the Itneg people which features designs that incorporate optical illusions
woven fabric of the Gadang people usually bright red tones. Their weaving can also be identified by beaded
ornamentation. The fiber is dyed by a method called “Ikat”, “Ikat” fibers are woven into cloth with geometric patterns
depicting human, animal, and plant leaves.

2. SARIMANOK

represents a fowl with wings, feathered tail and a head decorated with ornaments.

3. HAGABI

A traditional Ifugao chair called "HAGABI" which symbolizes his status as a citizen in their community. It depicts the
wealth and power of the own in who is called “KADANAGYAN”. The cahir is made of Narra or Ipil-Ipil, and the original
design is called “GINULDING-GULDING,” meaning like a goat-like head. At present Hagabi may have different shapes on
one end which is called “NGIWI,” is like the head of an animal with an elongated nose and two big ears.

C. ISLAMIC ART
1. OKIR

This kind of art has two main artistic styles: carved-line woodcarving and metal working called “OKIR” and geometric
tapestries

2. MALONG

The most popular of the “Malong” style is the land cap which is either dominantly red, yellow, green, blue, or violet

3. BAGOBO

The “BAGOBO” are proud people with proto-Malayan features and have ornate traditions in weaponry and other metal
arts.
4. KAMPILAN

“KAMPILAN” is a weapon made by Muslim Filipinos.

D. KUT-KUT ART
“KUT-KUT” is an exotic Philippine art form based on early century techniques "Sgraffito", encaustic and layering. The
merging of this ancient styles produces a unique artwork characterized by delicate swirling interweaved lines, multi-
layered texture and an illusion of three-dimensional space.

E. PERFORMING ARTS
The early music of the Philippines featured a mixture of indigenous Islamic and a variety of Asian sounds. Spanish
settlers and Filipinos played a variety of musical instruments, including flutes, guitar, ukulele, violin, trumps, and drums.
They performed songs and dances to celebrate festive occasions

Philippine folk dances include tinikling and cariñosa. In the southern region of Mindanao, “Singkil” is a popular dance
showcasing the story of prince and princess in the forest. Bamboo exploits every position of these clashing poles.

F. ARCHITECTURE
The Spaniards introduced stones as housing and building materials. Contemporary Architecture has a distinctively
western style although Pre-Hispanic housing is still common in rural areas. American style suburban gated communities
are popular in the cities, including Manila and the surrounding provinces. Islamic and often Asian architecture are
depicted on buildings such as Mosque and Temples.

CONTEMPORARY ART PRODUCTION

Techniques and production go simultaneously.

Some artists learn by interaction with other artists or studying on their own by going around, visiting places to get ideas
on what they would want to create.

Careful planning of techniques and designs is done.

COLLAGE
-are the techniques of an art production primarily used in the visual arts, where the artwork is made from an assemblage
of different forms, thus creating a new whole.

-may sometimes include magazine and newspaper clippings, ribbons, paints, bits of colored or handmade papers,
portions of other artwork or texts, photographs, and other found objects, glued to apiece if paper or canvas.

DECOLLAGE
-came from the french word “decollage" in english means “take-off” or “to become unglued” or “to become unstuck.”

-is the opposite of collage; instead of an image being built up all or parts of existing images, are created by cutting,
treating away or otherwise removing pieces of an original image.

-similar technique is the lacerated poster, a poster in which one has been placed over another or others, and the top
poster or posters have been ripped, revealing to a greater or lesser degree the poster or posters underneath.
GRAFFITI
• Are writing or drawings that have been scribbled, scratched, or painted illicitly on a wall or other
surface, often in a public space. Graffiti range from simple written words to elaborate wall paintings.

• May express underlying social and political messages, and a whole genre of artistic expression based in
spray paint graffiti styles.

• An example of this is the Singapore art bridge just beside the Oxford hotel where the writer stayed in
their visit to Singapore. It is said to be painted by a Batanes-born artist.

LAND ART
• Earthworks or earth artists is an art movement in which landscape and the work of art are inextricably
linked.

• It is also an art form that is created in nature, using natural materials such as soil, rock (bed rock,
boulders, stones), organic media (logs, branches, leaves), and water which introduced materials such as
concrete, metal asphalt, or mineral pigments.

• Sculpture is not placed in the landscape rather, the landscape is the means of their creation.

• Often earth moving equipment is involved. The works frequently exist in the open, located well away
from civilization, left to change and erode under natural conditions.

DIGITAL ART
• The term digital artist is used to describe an artist who makes use of digital technologies in the
production of art. Digital Art, is a term applied to contemporary art that uses the method of mass
production or digital media.

• it an artistic work or practice that uses digital technology as an essential part of the creative or
presentation process. It is placed under the larger umbrella termed new media art.

• The techniques of digital art are used extensively by the mainstream media in advertisements and by
film-makers to produce visual effects. Both digital and traditional artists use many sources of electronic
information and programs to create their work.

MIXED-MEDIA
• In visual art, it refers to artwork in the making of which more than one medium has been employed. It
refers to a work of visual art that combines various traditionally distinct visual art media.

• When creating a painted or photographed work using mixed media, it is important to choose the layers
carefully and allow enough dying time between the layers to ensure the final work will have structural
integrity. If many different media are used, it is equally important to choose a sturdy foundation upon
which the different layers are imposed.

Many effects can be achieved by using mixed-media. Found objects can be used in conjunction with the traditional to
attain a wide range of self-expression

PRINT MAKING
• Is the process of making artworks by painting, normally in the paper.

• Prints are created by transforming ink from a matrix or through a prepared screen to a sheet of paper or
other material.

• Common types of matrices include; metal plates, usually copper or zinc, or polymer plates for engraving
or etching; stone aluminum or polymer for lithography; blocks of wood for wood crafts and wood
engravings; linoleum for linocuts. Screens made of silk or synthetic fabrics are used for the screen
printing process.