CONTEMPORARY

VISUAL ARTS
CONTEMPORARY VISUAL ARTS
 PAINTING
 SCULPTURE
 POTTERY
 CARVING
 WEAVING
 METALWORK
 COLLAGE
 ASSEMBLAGE
 PERFORMANCE ART
 INSTALLATION ART
 In the previous lesson, we learned that art
can come in many forms. In the case of
visual arts we learned that it can be
classified into three, namely fine arts,
decorative arts and contemporary art
forms.
 At present, Filipino artists are more
connected with each other. They share
tips, techniques and processes with others
through videos and tutorials. Artists
exhibit their works and create groups and
communities through social media
accounts to communicate their advocacies.
1. PAINTING
 Painting may be defined as a two-dimensional
form of art that showcases artistic expression
created on a flat surface. Images are made by
applying pigment on a prepared surface using
typically one or a combination of the following
tools: brush, palette knife, spray, finger, etc.
 There are a number of medium used for

painting and other two-dimensional work.

These include oil, acrylic, watercolor, poster
color, pastel, ink, etc.
 The media are applied on a surface such as

canvas, paper, wood, cardboard, etc.

PAINTING THEMES
 RELIGIOUS THEMES
 HISTORICAL THEMES
 PORTRAITURE
 STILL LIFE
 LANDSCAPES
 NUDE
 GENRES
RELIGIOUS THEMES
 Religiousthemes were the primary
subject for the artworks during the
Spanish colonial times. In the
present, many religious-themed
paintings can be seen in the murals
of many churches an in paintings
with social commentaries like that
of Joey Velasco (1967-2010) and
Renato Habulan (b. 1953)
RELIGIOUS THEME
HISTORICAL THEMES
 Historicalthemes can be seen in the
works of Angono, Rizal native Carlos
“Botong” V. Francisco (1912-1969)
whose masterpiece Filipino Struggles
through History depicts Manila’s
historical events. This mural is
displayed in the Manila City Hall.
Other historical-themed works include
Blood Compact, First Mass in
Limasawa, etc.
HISTORICAL THEME
PORTRAITURE
 Portraiture paintings are used to
commemorate personalities and are
seen in many formal institutions such as
government offices.
 One of the most ubiquitous portraiture

paintings seen in the Philippines are the

official portraiture of Philippine
presidents. The latest as of writing is
the official portrait of President Rodrigo
Duterte by Davao artists Daryl de Leon
Descallar (b. 1963).
Portraiture of Pres. Rodrigo R. Duterte
made by Daryl Descallar
STILL LIFE
 Still life is a work of art that portrays
inanimate objects. It was traditionally
composed of a basket or bowl of fruits and
flowers in vases on the table.
 More contemporary artists who were
notable still life artists were the Filipino-
Chinese Ang Kiukok (1931-2005) and the
cubist and Kapampangan artist Vicente
Manansala (1910-1981) who created still
life paintings that feature items and
ingredients one would find in a typical
Filipino kitchen.
STILL LIFE
LANDSCAPES
 Landscapes depict the beauty of the
outdoors. It can be that of the natural
environment such as the countryside
and other rural scenery, including
seascapes which focuses on the imagery
of bodies of water. Some landscapes
highlight the hustle and bustle of the
city streets and scenes through urban
landscapes.
LANDSCAPES
NUDE
 Nude, as a subject of painting in the
Philippines, was rare before the
twentieth century but has since been
an accepted and popular subject in
Philippine contemporary visual arts.
Early contemporary nudes can be seen
in the works of Fernando Amorsolo
(1892-1972) and his characteristic
Dalagang Bukid.
NUDE THEME
GENRES
 Genres are paintings whose
themes showcase people doing
everyday activities and chores.
Earliest examples of this type in
Philippine history is the Boxer
Codex (1590), which illustrated
the different social classes and
attires of the different inhabitants
of the country at the time.
GENRES
 Most contemporary artists do not
limit themselves to a particular
theme. They will experiment and
venture to other subjects to better
express themselves. The same
can be said to their styles and
techniques.
 Activity
 Create a painting that is inspired by
your chosen painting. It should be
rendered on a ¼ size illustration
board. Prepare to provide the
following information:
Title
Meaning of the painting
Details from the researched painting
incorporated in your work
2. SCULPTURES
Sculptures are artworks that
are three-dimensional. The
classifications of sculptures
are traditionally divided into
two, namely, Free-standing
and Relief.
FREE STANDING
 Free Standing sculptures, also
known as in the round, are
sculptures that are raise
independently in its given
space. It can be often
observed from all points of
view.
RELIEFS
 Reliefs are sculptures that are raised
from a background. Depending on the
figure’s distance from the background, it
can be also classified into bas-relief and
high-relief. Bas-reliefs or low-reliefs are
reliefs that are slightly protruding from
their background, while high-reliefs are
reliefs that are prominently raised
against their background, giving the
sculpture more dimensionality.
 Sculptures are made by either adding or
subtracting materials. Subtraction is used in
carving, while addition is seen in sculpting
techniques like molding, casting and welding.
 The Philippines has a sculptural tradition dating

long before the arrival of the first colonizers.

We have long been casting metal, molding clay
and carving stone and wood to create various
sculptural pieces.
Examples:
1. The Panolongs of the Torogan
2. The Sunduk or the grave markers of the
Badjao
3. The Bulul, Ifugao Rice God
The Panolong of the Torogan
The Sunduk or the grave markers of
the Badjao
The Bulul, Ifugao Rice God
 Contemporary sculpture in the Philippines
can also depict the different themes used
in paintings and drawings. It can also be
classified into two styles: the
academic/classical and modern.

 Classical style follows the aesthetics of the

ancients Greeks and Romans as taught by
the European art academies, while Modern
style is often abstracted and is not as
particular about the realistic portrayal or
representation of figures compared to the
classical style.
 Solomon Saprid
Tikbalang; Mother and Child
DECORATIVE ARTS AND CRAFTS

POTTERY
CARVING
WEAVING
METALWORK
 The decorative arts and crafts of the
contemporary times stem from the
traditional indigenous crafts found
throughout the country. Some of you
might wonder why these traditional and
indigenous products and process are
included in a discussion about
contemporary art. As defined earlier
contemporary art are artworks produced
in the present. And these artworks are
an important source of inspiration to
present and future Filipino artists.
3. POTTERY
 Pottery is the art and craft of making pots
and other wares using clay or mud. Pottery
tradition in the country has survived for
centuries. Early pottery artifacts have shown
the skills and artistry of our pottery makers.
They made everyday items such as food
containers and water vessels, and some are
created for formal and ritualistic purposes as
burial jars or as figurative mementos.
 In contemporary time, studio pottery is quite

popular.
 Studiopottery is a handmade one
of a kind ceramic that is sought
after by collectors. Studio pottery
come in many forms such as
functional items like cookware
and tableware, but many present
day ceramic artists venture in
more sculptural pieces. A notable
artist of studio pottery is Ugu
Bigyan of Tiaong, Quezon
Ugu Bigyan of Tiaong, Quezon
4. CARVING
 Carving is the art of manipulating and
creating objects by subtracting and
shaping solid material such as wood
and stone. Filipinos are excellent
carvers. This is perhaps due to our
long history with the art. Many
traditional arts and crafts in the
country are products of carving.
Sarimanok and the Naga
5. WEAVING
 Weaving is the art of
interlacing threads or fibers to
create textile, fabric or other
similar products. Philippine
textiles are often made from
indigenous plants such as
pina, abaca, maguey and
cotton.
WEAVING
6. METALWORK
 Metalwork is the art of creating

and manipulating metal to

create various items such as
jewelry, weapons, etc. Based
on archaeological records and
recovered articrafts, the
Filipinos were skilled
metalworkers.
METALWORK
 Itis good that many of our
traditional decorative arts and
crafts are still made today.
Demands from local and foreign
patrons have kept it alive. But
continuous efforts and patronage
have to be made to make sure
these ethnic traditions survive for
future generations to experience
and appreciate.
CONTEMPORARY ART FORMS
COLLAGE
ASSEMBLAGE
MOBILE
PERFORMANCE ART
INSTALLATION ART
CONTEMPORARY ART FORMS
 Many contemporary art forms cannot
be easily classified and categorized
following the traditional definitions.
Some contemporary art forms blur the
distinctions between the disciplines
and genres. Some are products of
new technological advancements and
cannot be categorized using the
outdated definitions, hence the need
to classify them under their own
heading as contemporary art forms.
7. COLLAGE
 Collage is the method of combining
printed images with other flat media and
pasted on a canvas or board. This
contemporary art method first came
about in the early 1900s as part of the
experimentation of the cubists Picasso
and Braque. They made use of cutouts of
newspaper that were pasted onto their
paintings. Collages create great variety
of texture and color not found in
traditional painting.
COLLAGE
COLLAGE
8. ASSEMBLAGE
 Assemblage is a term used by French
artist Jean Dubuffet in 1952 to describe
a series of artworks made from paper
collages, wood scraps, and other found
objects. Although it started with small
scale pieces, recent development in
this contemporary art form has
included larger objects and discards.
Assemblages often blur the distinction
between painting and sculpture.
ASSEMBLAGE
ASSEMBLAGE
9. MOBILE
 The Mobile is a sculptural work that is
suspended from the ceiling or a
protruding base. It is typically made
with a number of balancing rods
dangling in different lengths carrying
one or more elements. This was
pioneered by the American artist
Alexander Calder. The Mobile is an
example of a kinetic sculpture since it
is moving due to its interaction with
the wind.
MOBILE
MOBILE
10. PERFORMANCE ART
 Performance art is a mix of visual arts
and performing arts. The medium used
in performance art is the artist himself,
and the artwork is the acting and the
movements of the artist. Music and
sound are often incorporated in the
performance. Words and dialogues are
not given so much focus compared to
the movements. A performance, to be
considered performance art, should be
done in front of a live audience.
PERFORMANCE ART
PERFORMANCE ART
11. INSTALLATION ART
 Installation
art is a form of contemporary
art that involves the arrangement of
objects in a given space. It incorporates
different materials that may include
traditional sculptural materials such as
wood, metal and different objects as well
as technology based mediums such as
light, sound, videos and digital media
among many others. It can be designed
to be very simple or very complex.
INSTALLATION ART
INSTALLATION ART
INSTALLATION ART
REVIEW
 Paintings are two-dimensional form of art that
showcase artistic expression created on a flat
surface.
 Portraiture painting is used to commemorate

personalities and is seen in many formal

institutions such as government offices.
 Still life is a work of art that portrays inanimate

objects.
 Landscape paintings depict the beauty of the

outdoors. It can be that of the natural

environment such as the countryside or the sea;
it can also include rural scenery and urban
landscape.
REVIEW
 Genres are paintings with themes that
showcase people doing everyday activities and
chores.
 Sculptures are artworks that are three-
dimensional. The classification of sculpture is
traditionally divided into two, namely: free-
standing and relief.
 Free-standing sculptures also known as “ in the

round” are sculptures that is raised

independently in its given space.
 Relief are sculptures that are raised from a

background.
REVIEW
 Classical art is an artwork that follows the
aesthetics of the ancient Greeks and Romans.
 Modern style is often abstracted and is not as
particular about the realistic portrayal or
representation compared to the classical style.
 Decorative arts and crafts of the contemporary
times stems from the tradition indigenous crafts
found throughout the country.
 Pottery is the art and craft of making pots and
other wares using clay or mud.
 Carving is the art of manipulating and creating
objects by subtracting and shaping solid material
such as wood and stone.
 REVIEW
 Weaving is the art of interlacing threads or fibers
to create fabric or other similar products.
 Metalwork is the art of creating and manipulating
metal to create various items such as jewerly,
weapons, etc.
 Contemporary art forms cannot be easily
classified and categorized following the
traditional definitions. Some contemporary art
forms blur the distinctions between the
disciplines and genres.
 Installation art is a form of contemporary art that
involves the arrangement of objects in a given
space.
REVIEW
 Collage is the method of combining printed
images with other flat media and pasted on a
canvass or illustration board.
 Assemblage is a term used by French artist Jean

Dubuffet in 1952 to describe a series of

artworks made from paper collages, wood
scraps and other found objects.
 Mobile is a sculptural work that is suspended

from the ceiling or a protruding base.

 Performance art is a mix of visual arts and
performing arts.