“simple” intervention signals market-goers to re-familiarize themselves with this

mundane, bustling place of exchange and view its potential as (a space for) art.
If museums are spaces of knowledge production, and galleries, of
consumption, auction houses and art fairs are places that specifically respond to
the market. In this context, art is regarded as a commodity and therefore potential
property and investment. Galleries provide representation for artists, exhibiting
their works and transacting with patrons or “clients” on their behalf. Art fairs are
short-term events where several galleries exhibit and sell art in one large venue,
like a park, or inside a mall or even a parking area converted into fairgrounds.
Although the market facilitates the circulation of art, it is important not to get lost
in its workings.

We might ask: Why are some art works more valued in the market as compared to others?
If we claim that art has aesthetic, educational, historical, and sociocultural values, how is it
even possible to express its equivalence only in monetary terms?

Contests and awards encourage artists to create new work, keep pursuing
their practice, and recognize outstanding artistic achievements based on certain
criteria. Like the other aforementioned examples in previous lessons such as the
GAMABA and NAA, these validate an artist’s work based on the evaluation of a
panel of experts.
In terms of Literature, the Carlos Palanca Annual Awards has been the
leading award giving body that has encouraged and acknowledged the
works of Filipino playwrights, novelists, poets and scriptwriters from film
and television for almost three decades. The Carlos Palanca Foundation,
which has sponsored this yearly harvest of literary works has also served as a
repository of contemporary Philippine literature, which is published in volume
form and may be accessed in libraries all over the country or on the web.

What are the standards by which the works are judged? What are the underlying principles
behind these standards?

Foundations and corporations helm these activities as part of their outreach

or corporate social responsibility in some cases. They reward artists and at the same
time, their image is enhanced with this gesture of support for arts and culture.
These organizations also tend to acquire works of art to build up their corporate
collection.
Television, radio, social media, and print media like magazines and newspapers
are platforms that disseminate artistic efforts and shape people’s attitudes toward
art. Knowledge imparted through these platforms is neither natural nor neutral,
but constructed according to certain leanings and ideologies. Although the range
of media channels present the promise of accessibility through its ability to reach
UNIT I: ENVIRONMENTAL SCANNING
81
 a wide audience, it often affords us a rather slim opportunity for engagement.
The popularity of the Internet and social media has revolutionized the way we
connect and communicate with others for instance but also brings up questions of
digital access and communication savvy. In contemporary art practice, community
formation and networking between local and international practitioners are
activated online. In the article “Friend Me if You Facebook”, Professor EJ Westlake,
wrote that social networking sites such as Facebook “provides a forum for
both immediate and asynchronous social interaction, creating a collaborative,
interactive, and performative text.” As we shall see in Unit 3, many institutions
and collectives have transacted, campaigned, or even ran their programs almost
exclusively on social media, strategically in this age when the world has seemingly
become smaller, and massive information exchange is immanent.
Magazine, which came out in the late 1950s such as Liwayway and its regional
counterparts Bisaya and Amiyanan published the works of regional writers who
were enjoyed by a wider target audience more comfortable reading fiction in their
mother tongue. Since the 1950s and on to the 1970s and 1980s, there has always
been an ongoing debate as to whether English or Tagalog should be the language
of Philippine literature. Arguably today, language is no longer an issue, as the rule
of thumb is any Philippine language, be it Cebuano or Hiligaynon, Waray, Bicol,
or Ilocano is just as formidable as the use of Filipino or English. This trend also
gave rise to the popularity of Filipino Komiks (comic books) and the Pinoy graphic
novel, long before it was a trend in western countries. Francisco Coching, National
Artist for the Visual Arts (awarded 2014) was one of the foremost graphic novelists
to ever create an impressive volume of work in this genre. In literature, one of the
more distinguished, contemporary Filipino writers who wrote both in English
and in her mother tongue Cebuano was Estrella D. Alfon, a fictionist, poet and
playwright who was comfortable writing in English as she was in Cebuano. She
was also one of the more renowned feminist writers of her generation. Her works
may be accessed on the Internet and in several textbooks in Philippine literature.
In lieu of costly printed publications, various writings on contemporary art can
be downloaded from the website. Planting Rice and Discussion Lab are examples
of collectives who thrive on online exchange. They initiate exhibition projects,
facilitate exchanges, and generate an online archive through their respective
websites. Working independently and with limited resources, they collaborate
with institutions and organizations in order to realize their projects beyond the
virtual spaces they populate.
Support systems affect the way art is produced, encountered, and valued. As
such, their workings are intrinsically linked with issues of access and power.

Who gets to determine the value of art? And who gets to access art in the existing platforms?

82 Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions

 As we have seen in the preceding examples, art can be presented in varied
ways. It need not conform to rigid institutional models, or only the dictates of
the media and the market. Many art projects benefit from sharing of resources
and collaborative efforts of collectives and various members of the community.
Particularly with respect to exhibitions that travel or involve multiple sites, the
TMLSS process of creation and curation are shared by people beyond the art world.
These instances signal to us that art is constantly changing. Art can be a form of
articulation critical of a wide range of issues. It can also be a form critical of itself,
and the support systems that claim to define it.

Cultural Mapping
This unit culminates with this activity. It is also a pre-production activity
which prepares us for the final project in Unit 3. Cultural mapping makes the local
culture and history more visible so that it can be utilized in new productive ways
that enable us to rediscover and respect the community better.
D-I-Y
Mechanics
1. The class members—individually or in groups—explore and identify
cultural resources and assets in their community.
2. Data Gathering Checklist
Felice P. Sta. Maria (2001) suggests the following checklist:
A. Which of the following are available to your community?
q museums
q libraries; archives
q zoos or animal sanctuaries
q individual collections of memorabilia, heirlooms, antiques
q works by National Artists or recipients of the Republic
Heritage or Manlilikhang Bayan awards
q churches, houses, office or shop buildings, outdoor statues,
theaters and other edifices
q built before 1900
q between 1901 and 1946
q designed by a National Artist
q designed or ornamented by a National Artist or any of the
first batch of Filipino architects and artists
q designed by the Daniel Burnham or William E. Parsons
q historical shrines and landmarks
q outdoor sculpture or other visual arts
q artist’s groups or art schools (including ballet academies,
piano schools, singing schools)

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83
 q fiesta committees that use statues and props
q groups that perform pasyon, komedya, panunuluyan or other
forms of traditional literature (Are the original scripts or
scores around?)
q scientific institutions or societies (including agricultural
networks, clinics)
q historical trusts or societies and clubs that would know of
documents and other objects with historical significance in
the community
B. Identify the following in your community:
q The oldest still in existence …
q building whether nipa, stone, or wood
q trees
q fields
q families to settle in the area
q animals or pets (i.e., giant sea turtles and groupers inhabit
some diving spots)
q people
q clothing and jewelry
q furniture and other home accessories
q farm tools
q musical instruments (native and foreign) and music sheets
q religious objects including non-Christian and non-Muslim
ritual objects
q museum objects and heirlooms
q Now do the same for the first of the above groupings as well
as the...
q founder of the barrio
q different artisans and tradesmen (i.e., ironsmith, goldsmith,
shoemaker, bibingka-maker, printer, photographer, hotel/
restaurant owner, baker, police officer, firefighter)
q Where was the first market, potable water well, religious
building, civic building?
q Now add the only in your community—whatever still exists,
no matter how varied:
q books
q scientific equipment
q modes of transportation
q works of art

84 Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions

 q handmade anything
q plants or animals
q types of rock and land formations
q Next try the newest of things in your community.
q Follow with a listing of the best that received recognition
(anyone or anything that has been cited by an award—
whether local or national, from a church, school, civic group,
scouting program, etc.)
q Note that in 1895, the Spanish colonial government held the
first Regional Exposition in the Philippines, and prizes were
given to everything from inventions and recipes to plants and
animals. [There was an 1887 Philippine Exposition to Spain,
too.] Someone in your community may have an ancestor
whose preserved fruit or embroidery were sent abroad as
among the best Philippine made goods 100 years ago.
q What about in recent times? Any winners?
q What are the best of things that still need recognition?
q cook
q janitor
q public servant
q hard-working farmer
q the physically strongest person in your municipality
q gardener
q street-sweeper
q teacher
q singer
q choir director
q Who in your community did something meritorious during
any war, catastrophe, or reconstruction phase?
q Does the community have a suitable system of recognition
for achievers?
q Identify if anything else significant occurred in the community
such as a significant battle, peace settlement, special
program, special parade, convention, conference, workshop.
How many members of the local community were involved
in the battle, special program, convention?
C. Who of the following important persons lived or visited your
community? When and why? Any national hero or heroine, persons
significant to the reform and revolutionary movements, World War
I, World War II, presidents, senators, saints, international religious
or artistic or political figures?

UNIT I: ENVIRONMENTAL SCANNING

85
 3. The class consolidates the research of the various individuals and groups
into an inventory.
4. Based on the cultural inventory by the class, start choosing a cultural
resource or asset as your art project, which you will develop throughout
the course, and will culminate in a production at the end of the course.
5. Identify the appropriate local materials and necessary presentational
techniques of your chosen contemporary art form to best promote your
chosen cultural resource. For instance, a local fiesta can be represented
by a video, poster, webpage, brochure, or by participation in the event
itself via a musical or dance performance.

1. If in your cultural mapping research you have visited a museum or gallery,

ask yourself: what was on exhibit and what was your experience like during
your visit? If you were to add another object in the exhibit that would make it
more meaningful for the museum, what would it be? Explain your answer.
PIN IT 2. If you were to create a museum, what would it be focused on? Why? Who will
be your target audience? Describe your target audience according to age,
education, class, religion, education, etc. Are you targeting the general public
or high school students like yourself, or your local government officials, or
many others that were not mentioned here? Who do you think would benefit
most from the knowledge your museum will impart? How will you go about
imparting this knowledge?
3. If you found an art organization or collective, interview its members. List down
what you would like to know about them. Inquire about the kind of work that
they do, and why they feel that their work as a collective is important. Also
consider doing interviews with the people or groups they have worked with
or who have significant exposure to their work. What challenges have their
art organization or collective encountered? You will report your findings in
class. Your teacher will map out the collectives or organizations across the
regions.
4. If you were to create an art festival in your community, how would you envision
it? Which places would you like to activate as a site of exhibitions and other
related activities? What are your considerations in making your selection? It
can be in school, in the market grounds, in a historic house, a public park,
among others. Draw a map of your exhibition-activity sites. Display it in the
classroom’s bulletin board.

86 Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions

 The cultural mapping can also include a class exposure trip to elaborate on
the support systems being discussed above. Get in touch with your local cultural or
tourism officer for more details. The following can be considered in the itinerary:
1. art festival or a multi-site exhibition
LEVEL UP 2. art fair
3. a museum, historic house
4. a library/archive
5. a gallery
6. an alternative space (or other similar venues where traditional arts are
housed, or performances staged)

Guillermo, Alice G. 1998. “Art and Society.”Humanities: Art and Society Handbook,
UP CAL Foundation & CHED.
Neo-Angono Artists Collective website. Accessed 25 April 2015 <http://www.neo-
angono.com/>
TL; DR Pananaw 6: Philippine Journal of Visual Arts. 2007, NCCA.
Southern Tagalog Exposure blog. Accessed 25 April 2015 <https://stexposure.
wordpress.com/>
Sta. Maria, Felice Prudente. “Rediscovering Assets”The Philippine Star. 01 Nov 1992.
Reprinted in A Cultural Worker’s First Manual: Essays in Appreciating the
Everyday, Anvil, 2001.
Stewart, Sue. Cultural Mapping Toolkit. N.p.: 2010 Legacies Now & Creative City
Network of Canada, n.d. Accessed 29 Sept 2014. http://www.creativecity.ca/
database/files/library/cultural_mapping_toolkit.pdf.
Sungdu-An 5: Current. 2009, NCCA and Art Studies Foundation, Inc.
UNESCO Bangkok. “Cultural Mapping.”Unesco.org. Accessed 29 Sept 2014http://
www.unescobkk.org/culture/tools-and-resources/tools-for-safeguarding-
culture/culturalmapping/.
Westlake, EJ. “Friend me if you Facebook.”the Drama Review 52:4 (T200). NYU and
MIT, 2008.

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87
 UNIT II
STREAMING
Unit I scanned the landscape of contemporary art and provided the historical,
cultural and stylistic contexts of art. In this unit, we zero in on the experience of art
directly as the art encounter progresses or unfolds. As the unit title “Streaming”
suggests, experiencing art is akin to what we do when we “stream” a material
(video or film, still images or even articles) directly from the Internet in real time
as opposed to downloading the data and storing it to our computer. When we
stream, we look, feel, hear at the work before us closely, and return again and again
to some parts or the whole while we are at the site of the work, which can be virtual,
recorded, live or actual. In the process we hone our senses and our ability to sense
and make sense of the work of art. Lesson 7 guides us to what the works are made
of or their materials, and how these materials are transformed through various
techniques specific to the art form, such as carving for sculpture, for example.
Lesson 8 calls our attention to the expressive elements, and our psycho-physical
responses to color, texture, shape, and composition, among others. Lesson 9 leads
us to go beyond surface appearances and literal meanings, encouraging us to
reflect on larger themes, such as identity and heroism. The Unit culminates with
the refining of two activities we started in Unit 1: Cultural Map, which entails actual
field work and the Creation story, which entails actual creative work leading to the
actual production in Unit III.

LESSON 7: MEDIUMS AND TECHNIQUES

At the end of this lesson, you are expected to:

• explain the meaning of “medium”(material) and “technique”(ways of handling
material) as important components of form through actual and hands-on
activities;
• determine the meaning conveyed by the art by understanding how an
QUEST artwork is made, put together and organized; and how it is produced,
received (consumed) and experienced through focused group discussions
and individual reflections;
• appreciate how artists differ from one another in their choice of materials
and techniques of handling those materials through actual exposure trips to
selected artists’communities, studios, or workshops;
• give examples of how contemporary artists invent and explore new media
and techniques, thereby expanding the range of artistic resources ; and
• create an artwork that demonstrates knowledge of form as a process of
transformation requiring skill, imagination, knowledge of contemporary
material and techniques, and competence in technique.

88 Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions

 FLAG

sensing
CHAT ROOM
making sense
Classification according to
How Art Is Experienced
directly experienced
spatial (static)
time-based
recorded
virtual
Classification of Art Forms
According to Medium
practical
environmental
pictorial
auditory
narrative
dramatic
musical
Combined Arts
simulacrum
hyperreal

In this lesson, we will learn that artists’ choice of material and the manner
by which they use these materials are at the heart of making art, and that these
involve process and transformation. For example, artists transform clay into pottery,
as well as stone into a statue, or bamboo into a nipa hut, and sound into music.
Attention to mediums and techniques involves all our senses (sensing), which
THREAD enable us to understand or make sense of a work of art; mediums and techniques
are not neutral or incidental but are part of the meaning of the work. They also
determine, to a very large extent, the ways in which we experience and respond to
the artwork. In contemporary art, medium has become increasingly independent
of conventions; artists explore and invent new mediums and techniques, thereby
expanding the range of artistic resources.

UNIT II: STREAMING

89
 FAQ What is medium?
Medium is defined as the material, or the substance out of which a work is
made. Through these materials, the artists express and communicate feelings and
ideas.
The medium also defines the nature of the art form as follows:
The sculptor uses metal, wood, stone, clay, and glass. Sculptures fall within
the category of “three-dimensional” arts because they occupy space and have
volume. Pottery is a form of sculpture. Other examples are nudes or figures such
as Guillermo Tolentino’s Oblation, ritual objects such as bulul woodcarvings in the
Cordillera, or the santos or carvings of saints in Christian churches.
The architect uses wood, bamboo, bricks, stone, concrete and various
building materials. Buildings are also called “three-dimensional” arts because like
sculpture, they occupy space and have volume. However, architecture has the
added element of time, since we move into the structures.
The painter uses pigments (e.g., watercolor, oil, tempera, textile paint, acrylic,
ink, etc.) on a usually flat ground (wood, canvas, paper, stone wall such as in cave
paintings).
The printmaker uses ink printed or transferred on a surface (wood, metal
plates, or silk screen) that is in keeping with a duplicating or reproducing process.
Prints and paintings are further classified as “two-dimensional” arts, because they
include the surface or ground on which coloring substances are applied. However,
while paintings are unique and one-of-a kind, prints can be reproduced in several
pre-determined editions.
The musician uses sound and instruments (including the human voice),
while the dancer uses the body. A T’boli chanter sings creation stories in a way that
is different from a classical singer or pop music singer influenced by the Western
music scale.
The dancer uses the body and its movements. Dance is often accompanied
by music, but there are dances that do not rely on musical accompaniment to be
realized. Dance can tell stories, but at other times, they convey abstract ideas that
do not rely on a narrative.
The theater artist integrates all the arts and uses the stage, production
design, performance elements, and script to enable the visual, musical, dance and
other aspects to come together as a whole work.
The photographer and filmmaker use the camera to record the outside
world. The filmmaker uses the cinematographic camera to record and put
together production design, sound engineering, performance, and screenplay. In
digital photography and film, the images can be assimilated into the computer,
thus eliminating the need for celluloid or negatives, processing chemicals, or print.
The writer of a novel, poetry, nonfiction and fiction uses words. The
Designer, the performance artist, and the installation artist combine use of
the range of materials above.

90 Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions

 On the basis of medium, the arts can be classified as practical, environmental,
pictorial, auditory, narrative, dramatic, and musical. The musical arts include
music, poetry (those that have perceptible rhythm and can be sung or danced
to), and dance that is accompanied by music. The practical arts have immediate
use for everyday and business life such as design, architecture, and furniture.
environmental arts occupy space and change in its meaning and function
depending on their categories including architecture, sculpture, and site-specific
works such as installations and public art.
Pictorial works include painting, drawing, graphics, and stage and
production design (lighting, dress, props, and set). Works that are staged and
performed are considered Dramatic and they include drama, performance art,
or music and dance. If they are based on stories, the art forms are classified as
narrative and they include drama, novel, fiction, nonfiction, music, and dance.
As we have learned in Unit 1, all these art forms can be integrated and
result in Combined arts, such as design, mixed media, photography, film, video,
performance art, theater productions, and installations.
For example, a ritual involves the use of a sculpture such as a bulul, a dance,
music, and production design that involves the wearing of textile, jewelry, and a
circular design where lighting can be as simple as a torch or sulo. In such settings,
we do not sit separately from the stage, like what happens in regular auditoriums
or theaters. When sitting or standing in a circle with lead chanters, dancers, and
musicians, everyone is encouraged to dance and participate. In our own ways,
we become part of the community and the creative process, as active “artists”
ourselves, rather than just audiences or spectators. The arts in such settings are
integrated and cannot be separated into distinct forms; art is collectively consumed
and created.
On the other hand, the UP Chapel cited in Lesson 5 of Unit 1 is made out
of works made by individual National Artists practicing in the various arts. The
architecture is by Leandro Locsin; the crucifix is by Napoleon Abueva; the floor
mosaic by Arturo Luz, and the Stations of the Cross are by Vicente Manansala who
was assisted by Ang Kiukok. In 1968, the chapel was the site of a performance
created by another National Artist, Jose Maceda. His piece combined indigenous
voices, and instruments, and a prayer sung in Tagalog.

FAQ What is technique?

Technique is the manner in which artists use and manipulate materials
to achieve the desired formal effect, and communicate the desired concept, or
meaning, according to his or her personal style (modern, Neoclassic, etc). The
distinctive character or nature of the medium determines the technique. For
example stone is chiseled, wood is carved, clay is modeled and shaped, metal is
cast, and thread is woven.
Technique involves tools and technology, ranging from the most traditional
(for example carving, silkscreen, analog photography, and filmmaking) to the
most contemporary (digital photography, digital filmmaking, music production,
industrial design, and robotics).

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91
 Figure 7.1. Filipino Struggles Through History (1963) by Carlos Francisco (left) and Bonifacio
Monument by Guillermo Tolentino (right)

For example, the mural Filipino Struggles Through History (1963) by National
Artist Carlos Francisco depicts Andres Bonifacio leading the Revolution. It takes
advantage of line and color to communicate dynamism and intense passion, in
the expressionist modern style. The Bonifacio Monument by another National
Artist, Guillermo Tolentino, on the other hand, makes use of carving to come up
with work that has mass and volume, enabling him to depict the scene realistically
capturing a moment of stillness when Bonifacio stands reflectively on a scene of
death, but with grace and dignity befitting a leader in the Neoclassic style.

FAQ How is art experienced and consumed?

Art is considered an “artifact,” when it is directly experienced and perceived.
It can be spatial and static or unmoving (e.g., a painting or building, or a novel) or
time-based and in motion (e.g., a live theater production, mobile sculpture).
When we experience a work indirectly or through a medium like film or
video, we describe it as a “recorded” or documented artwork. Examples include
a documentation of a performance, a photograph of a painting, a DVD or CD of a
film or musical piece, or a novel read from an electronic tablet, such as an IPad or
Android and through an application such as Kindle.
We call a work a time-based artifact or performance if we receive or perceive
it live or directly in real time. Examples are live plays, live performance art, and
installation. A time-based artifact is recorded, and we watch it in real time but
not at the site of production. Examples are a documented play, film, exhibit, or an
ad generally watched through an electronic medium (computer, TV monitor, big
movie screen).

92 Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions

 Figure 7.2

For example, we access and experience the work of the artist Pablo Biglang-
Awa from an Internet site. Drawing ideas and inspiration from the work of the
late Conceptual artist Roberto Chabet, the artist gives us instructions on how to
make a boat installation by clicking the link http://vimeo.com/32026842, and how
to create an installation project from simulated gestures of sitting, lying down,
walking, sitting through the link http://vimeo.com/32026893. As each video
progresses, animated images are unreeled, allowing us to perceive glimpses or
ideas of the finished work as we view these on our monitors. The work was shown
at the Lopez Museum in 2012.

Figure 7.3

In another element of an exhibition called Dime a Dozen, 2007 at the Lopez

Museum, monitors were provided so that visitors could interact with Rizal through
an account. They could add Rizal as friend, leave a message or upload a picture or
video. The idea was to make Rizal more accessible and less intimidating with the
use of electronic technology.

UNIT II: STREAMING

93
 Interactivity is also stressed in one of Gerry Tan’s installation of a time record
system, where visitors are requested to punch “in” and “out”—like what employees
do with the bundy clock—to record the length of time they spent viewing the
exhibition.

FAQ How have contemporary artists expanded the range of medium and
techniques they utilize?
As explained in Lesson 1 of the previous unit, contemporary artists are
producing artworks that are more process-based, site-specific, interactive, and
collaborative.
For example, Mark Salvatus’ Secret Garden 2, 2010 is created purposefully
for a small room at the Vargas Museum. It is an example of a site-specific work,
which refers to works in which location or space is crucial to the artist’s intended
meaning and experience of the work by the audience. It is interactive; one has
to peek, but not fully enter the space, to get but a glimpse of what appears to
be a “secret garden,” as the title implies. In other words, the work is meaningless
without the collaboration of an actively participating audience.
To understand the work, one has to have more information about its
collaborative process. The artist worked with inmates of a jail in his home province
of Quezon in Southern Luzon. Together, they fashioned the so-called garden from
plastic spoons, forks and other implements –a clandestine process that took place
in defiance of prison rules. In this sense, the secret process remains a secret, even
for the audience who cannot fully see the garden –a frustrating experience for
some, but one that could also be enlightening, especially if one realizes how the
prisoners and the artist created something new, creative and to a certain extent,
empowering.
The interactivity of games is also a core element in the early work of Ikoy
Ricio, who printed a set of trump cards that had images of Philippine car wrecks,
complete with body count, and other information related to accidents instead of
the car statistics that normal trump cards have printed on them. The cards were
installed on a table with matching chairs on which visitors were invited to settle
in to “play” the morbid game that also essentially made fun of the commercial
worship of speed and material excess.

Figure 7.4. Maria Taniguchi, Untitled (Mirrors)

94 Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions