7

1RT -ij.rD so,atiI.tTl'

B"'Al:'i:+G. G,-:illerrno
\lrhiie art res;lsts cogni-.-ive
a universa-r and fixed definition and that the most that n'ecan sa)'byway of a definition is that an is a rno,Ce and process
se'ttin5:,
of signification or conveying nreaning, rvhat is indisputable is ihat art is prociuced in specific in p:::rticular sociel.es and historical periods. As
a
Janet Wolffperspectival, errranating from an artist rvho is part of soci*-*'and who siiuates h:mself within the different productive fcrces of his socie\'.
The sanle is true f':;raesthetics which is the philosophr. of art or horo'one thinks about afi. 'I|ereis no set of aesthe:ic prir,ciples rlhich :--e good ior all n-
ren and for all time. That rvas the assumptiop of Western classical art rshich laiii c":'*'nth'canons of be;.utv which rvere advanced as universal, but it concealed
tLe many different social conterts of
rrrt. i.-':reb-r' '-:p!:':i:ir
:ss',::.ir;g the hegemony of the Western artistic tradition even over non-westei.n societies.,r.ith their
,,rvn:...aditior....
Affir,ming , litera.i:-,rre,
the cont=xtuaiist position, we thus view art, rvhether as visual arts, architecture, the traditional arts, "nrusic- theater, film,
and dance, within its social and historicai contert ro u, io be able to giasp its full meaning.
'', Arl dc:-ives iL;-mat_erials, sui,rjects, therrng5, conventions, concerns, issues, r'alues,ideolcgies, influeices, and ilspirations
fi'ont:-;s surro'=:tding
' soci;al and nafural environnrent. The images and productions of r.rt represent, recreate, or reconstmcl their reaiitl --/t:
prolic':
aad th::.s the1, proffer various ways of seeing ourseives and ihe rvorld around ds aud b1'doing sc a coi,gnitive veiricle for better
forrrralist
knowing ourselves and the rrorld. Opposite to the contextualist posiiion is the one in which the r+'orkof art is viewed in as a
reiati,:rship
separate and self-contained entity or text whiie blocking its i'othe reai rvorld. In this tbrmalist vie'ar,only the elements of the text
broug:t +-}rey
and their reiationships to cach othei are into {ocus; are not made to interact with their referents in the rtjal world. The problem
that
with this approach is it trut.t.:;tes the meanirg of art; it precludes drawing out its full meaning b1, not viewing the work within lts social
conditions of production al.d by not gi\ing valne to allusions, references, or stmbols since these are dismissed as "extra-artisi':"and :herefore
,,r'ho
outside the realm of consideration. It completely breaks off the relationship of the rtork anri tlie artist is a mernber of society and \"fio
Needl=ss
represents, wittingly or unwittingly, padicular social, class or group interests. to sa;,r, such an approach to art is not humanly fulfilling
because it does not lead to a well-rounded knoivledge arrd under=tandinrg of the w-ork o{ art.

!lode ofProduction
'iiir:
ie-ifieu an:ii .trrlirorrr-rrelri nf art
In philippine
a broarl -sen.se- !$e stridv art as Droduced within the context of national conclitions, soclal, ecolromic.
and ;,.ditical irr a particular period of history, as for instance, the second hirlf of the 19rh cer-liutJ, tl:e Dosir;ar" period to iire
6o's,o,;- the }llarcos regime- In a specific sense, we study Philippine art as produced by a particulal social group, whether by } I

falila ulban artists with a "fine arts" background, by artists in the regions as in Bacolod, Davao, or Cebu, or b1'
indigexous a.irtists belonging to a specific cultural community whicir has presen'edits artistic tradiiions from precoloniii
iime:- 'rrl

-'-:' Art irs pr'rducodunder ciifferent conditions even within the >ame society rluring the same time. The urban midclle 't'.1' class ;rtist
o*trull;- iniported frorn Europe and the United States. When he finishes a series or body of work, he usuall-v
lovers and perrons.
Con'f,1'.i6nrare quite different tbr a traditional artist, such as a weaver, a potter, a woodcarver or basket maker. For
a -iong tir:ne, the traditional arts were produced to meet a local corirmunity'sritual and functional needs. 1'heywere circuis-
Ied within the members of the community at the same time that the locai ciatus alrd sultans were the first big patro,:s. It
is only in the past few decades that local entrepreneurs and tourist agents realized tl:eir commercial vaiue and brougit thesr:
local artistic productions tc the urban areas. The producers rvho live in renrote barrlos do not or cannot
-]eir.nrr:rks
bdr:g Cire ctly to the urhan nrarket but the entrepreneurs and their agents bring thesc to Manila, package tlem
into more sal,eable commodities and sell them in cornmercial centers and boutiques. While the prodr.rcers sell the works irt a
rela:ively Low price. thel'are sold much higher in the urban malls. Likewise, not to be ignored are the parlicularll-
difficdt rvorhng conditions of wear.ers and othertraditional artists. Victims of neglectr\nd prejudice, they'arecaught up in
the daily stmggle for surrival ancl are continually threateneti wth eviction from the ancestral lands by'speculators,
subdir-ision oevelopers and industrial capitalists who want to build factories usually highly pollutirrg to the imrnediate
t'nvirc"nment:they arc a'lsoaasy prey to exploitations and abuse. As for lhe producers of folk art, rvho are nrostly farntt'rs irnd i
hermca in the couni;-, side, nruch of their w,ork is seasonal, associated u'ithtorvn fiestas and produced in relation to the
a;a:icuitrral cvcies. Thu-;. it is importarrt that the works of traditional and fblk art be viewed within its social sctting to be abi,:
to knr:,r.,,and undersi.anci the difficulties and problems that involved in their pr-oduction.

Historical cnntc.fls of a-rt

1'hrr--,ughoutart history, art has been produced within different r:rodes of production or social fornrations. Arts
L rr'hic;:answered the needs of the local group were produced in prinritive cornnrunal societies, as in clans and kinship
l,groupi rtitht-rut a strong political organization. In warrior societies, arlists specialized in designing weapons, such as thc -.t k:is. -'l:itirc:ombined the e.esthetic
and functioual aspects. In plutocratic societies aitd sultanates led by rvealth-v elite
. I far:rii:,:s or gn-oups, artists catercrd to their need for status symbols and outstanding ritual objects. In the Cordilleras, the hogaSi or
ceremonial bench carved from a single tree tmnk signifies social prorninerlce. Among the Maranao in the South, an or:a;;ti:nt?l
st1'leof brassware developed to meet the neecl for lavish gitts and dowries among the eiites. The okir likexiie supplied the
ornanrerrtation of the datLr houses, as well as nrarry articles of everyday use.
 i

rrt'ith Sr:,anish colonization, a feu<ial economy

rvas instituted with the land divided into enconriendas given as
reward rrr; Spani>h ,of ai"ls o. una"iui". to haciendas or large plantations acquired br -l::]lht ^f'^l]I"^:
The Ch,r.ch ivas .j.,en iti share "onquistadores,
of large tracts of land including tl'refriar estates. The colonial
Eovernment likervtse exacled

feudal societies, as during the,European

ta-xes an6 forcec iabor;.;;i;r; r.fr"io. from the indigenJus population. In
Ntiddle Aqes an- i,
th.'ip;i;l'c"i""i"f rf,ilippines, art was producedtnderthe patronage of the Church
in the building and decorating of
Period in the

i^
and State which were ;ii*G;t,ut p".ioa in the Philippines, art wasiarnessed ";;. and Tti:^l::]]l:"1tlri
U churches" in the iarving oirui.,t, firthe iltars, *a i" tt"
were mobilized to contlibute to the
painti"g of images of Christ the:.?i'tt:

large boci. of coionial ."ligioi" aJ produce,t in the couritry. Entire town populations-
came uncier strict ecclesiastical
building ..}f chur.:hes in te"rms of material and labor. art wtrlctr was in.raiiably religious
was a greai demand for
supen'isi"onso tiat no pu!ur-o. t eretical elements could enter. At the same time, ihere church
Much of the
ornameniation .11 the form of wood antl .,on" Sold una silverwork, fine tertiles and embroideries'
bythe Church'
"nttingr, The arts and culture of this period
country'sr+,ealtl in the for of art and ornamentationirnr"a""u*rlated

by the colonizers'
l,, ere nial=rial er=, essions of the religious ideologl brought over
ln the :econd half of the "rgtt centuri, the Piilippines was opened to international trade through
cash crop
relations of production
agricultu;e. a -"."rrrtli" .up;iai.t ..ono*y Uu..a on agti",rttur-e b_qs.an to appear although
rernained basica$, t"rraul *itli peasants still iargely iied to"ttre iand. Th'iso"* -orr.y econorny.led
to the grouth of the
such as-sugar,.tobacco, copra, hemp, etc'
ilush-adc, ilass consistinl ollandlord. *ho .oru".J"d ricelands to export crops
abroad ir.r F'uropervith the
.,rith their new .^.ealth, tfi.i guir.a access to higher education, first irManila and then opening
,:f the S*ez carJ. rhe1, ;i,iiiil;i. t.r,uy-nu,u"uio-*[i.ri tt "v firrnished with amenities imported fron.r Europe. Ex.ngse.d
portraits in the rniniaturist
style which ceiebrateci their
abroad i,) Europ€an culture, they conrmisslon"a urtirls io doiheir

and household setting'\Vith the

economic prosper-ity by rendering the rich d".o.uti"" details of theii costume, accessories
still lifes, and genre, the ilustrados soon
secularization or art which allow-ed new subjects sueh as portraits, landscapes,
replaced the Chu-ch in t}le patronage of the arts' the
While this enhanced
The Anerican Colonial period saw the expansion of trade, commerce, and indlstry.
percentage of the country persisted in feudal
capitalist sector of the econom-v in the cities, p;-i;ir.ly Manila, u lu.g.
uf the Philippines. was founded
relations.. The p"ublic school system was established atl ovcr the country andthe Ur;iversity
units of the universit," instituted
in the fir.st decade of American colonial rule. The school of Fine Arts, one of the first
packaging products'.Illustrations
courses * com:nercial art to meet the n""a, of ttrJr,"*.ntpo..tio". foi advertising and
pori..r brochures
for scho,cl books, publications, and cornmercaf weie i ireat demand. During this time the firsI tourist
AmorsJo art patrons and the artists
appearerd, along rvith J.rarir featuring ru.,ari,af"s and geri. Ferirando of the
Amorsollo Scho..j catered to the tastes of tn" uJ p"utronr for rural idylls. Americarl.colonization e*"ri*n brouglit-into art
like any
rhe iderdogv in consonance with the capitalist r;r;; thai art is a corr,modiq'whichis packaged anci marketed
o*rer product. Philippine
exhibit at the
irr i9:-3. i:icdemisrn r..a.s introduced into th+ cDur^try with Victorio Eiiacles'homecoming
tt of the Philipoiner'
colunrblan cluh- efteriii. *rr, utr, tn. rounaing oi ririiippioo Art Gallery and theAt Assoiiation
"
the support sls.m for art, especially .rroae*i.t u'.t,*". rria drro utong with
the broadening of the base of art
lovers arri
war'
oo'sund
that carie with massive protest-s against the vietnam

in the various arts'

patrons- The rise of poflli"uf ionsci6usness in tir. zo's

tbe ecoaomic crisis, and the u.S. bases creatJ u

period
"fi*"t" of politicai ferment thai was reflected themes in the visual arts'

includirg paintuag, music, and theater. This saw the emergence-of social and political a
during the projects
trend that was aed by iire Social Realists. Ii";.;;;;; b;ldft #;; Y:.t",ry::?1and the cuitural
and paironage of Irrelda Marcos stirnulated catering to interior designers'
the art nrarket and Incouraged art
public
Relations nf production: artist and art'the artist and
relations of production which includes, in the production of
of
lovers and collectors. At the economic bise, the relations production
An arEist works wrthin a society's

the audience or- public of art consisting of art one * put.or7n"u".let on the other hand; in a feudal system'
it
involv-e labor o.:-worker/producer, on h""d,;;;;,iui -Witt'in rvhich
peasint
involves Church or landlord, on one hand, and the "th";js,-;;;;: the capitalist system in a
-on product, is regarded primarill'as
everything is commodifiable, art, which is., [lra'"ipi"duct,.that an artistic potentral'
**sy6,.dity to
and investment
'o. ano ii. iuru" reckoned in terms of mirket value
uorgiii-u,i ,ora'inthe ma"ket
it unr*Lrc particular consumer need
Its desir-abilia- as a commodity is measur.o uy ttr.-J"g.ee in which needs'such as the
Ilowever, the rvork of art'since it is
roluult-.1*;.*i"rt, r". otnu*.,itution'
for star,as s,nbols, for social imenities, ror
of life and realitl" goes
not pure decoration b;i;; r"f,i.f. fo..onr.yi,ig"fi;;;;;lr.;, and emotions, in faci'a vision
be1'ond feelings, values, attitudes, atmospheres
H'Jt*'yJ;ilI.".t. to convey meaning which is a complex of ideas, when he/she holds an
that is it .orgt artiitrc form'
thro,gl his w,r..k. He/she has a view if life and-reality "*pressJ . h"nes that the buyer is
exhibit in a gailery, he avails of it as d. '-t'l'",fot
providing ,'p-i"t't;"""f ti'otl'g'*o'ts

is conrnrercially
of ar1 and

contrary-, a
one rvho will slare and appreciate his/her interpretation of life and society. the
''''inter bv
of
m,tir-aied if .e/she deliberately caters to the tastes collectors ,ri uti'.tt
,,a ii-ti.rl t'"rkis cleterrnined
n'ho
no independent coircepis to convey
consideration,* of saleability. As such, the pai.,te. i',as but is a n.rere technician
skillful\ renders current taites and fashions or creates them' , L, rL:^ i^ L^.., +[.a n, positions hinrself in
But ri:ere is ,.et a deeper issue in tn" Ji.t;, .elationship with society. This is how the artist
he/Je ;;t;iil himself/heiseH *itt, tt'r"basic producers and n'orkcrswhich
the relations of production. on one hand, '*uyir.u*" ciass of patrorrs and financiers-
t unJ, h" elite
constift.rte the large majority or, on the oth". the inilrests of the for inshnce'takc
tlis cla.ss affinries r'"il;;;;ih-rsh frir rr;j;;;;,h;;es, attd content in general'The social rerrli"ts'
;.ti;i; sfrecialize in doing
up soci;at and s.oritical issues affecting th. ro.e. ;roj';;-y,ffii;;;,h;; idealized portraits of ruling
class wonten.
 Support S]-sterns of the Arts
For ar-t to fiourish in a socielv, it needs a support s)'stem.Art is produced ar,d disseminated through institutions
.,rhich
and b'odies constitute its support system. Arnong these are the academe, community organizations, the museums.
g;ellsdgs-
the cultural organizations, religious entities, mass niedia, and the art market. Of these, institutions which have to
do w-rth educating ard raising public consciousness and knorvledge of art are the academe and the museum network. All
aspe(as of art are learned from the academe and the museum in its thematic exhibits: art theory and practice, art history.
aesthetics, and criticism. Comnrunity organizations, cultural organizations, religious entities, and the mass media sen'eto
i broarien the base ot art appreciation in society. Galleries, and art dealers, along with the recent entry in Asia of the big
aucticn hou-:es Christie's-andSotheby's,*uk" rp the art market. Government cultural institutions and prc,grams o1
\r patro"nage, aiso forrn part of the support s).stem, but. as in the case of Imelda I'{arcos,may be used lbr government image-
buik.l:.a g and propaganda.
Malll'actiweinstitutions and bodies are Manila-based; others, while centered in Manila have national netrr'orks,
and :--till othe:s are ETrssrocts instituticns rvhich mal be linl:ed tc non-government organizations.
Mode of Reception
The social cortexts of reception
Art is produced and received in a wide range of social contexts. The audience or public of a society ma-v- be quite
uneven. This unewenness is due to several factors. The first is social class and the disparilv of educational and cultural
oppo.tunities. Thepovertyof;rlargepartofthepopulationisdrretothecxploitationofworkers,peasants,andempioyees
- by c':,rporationsand other elites. Many do not have the leisure to enjoy and to study art bui engage in other ibrrns o[ diver<ion.
The second has to do with the differences betlveen urban and rurai, particularly in occupations and rreeds. People in
urban ceot3rs have a wider exposure to other cultures irr terms of education and cultural exchange and thus can interact with the
cultures. lhere is a greater concentration of schools, galleries, museums, and publications in the city. People in the n:ral ar s are
mainly engaged in agricultural work, their lives revolving around planting and harvesting and tie many parffu:ular chorcs that go with
these. The folk arts that they traditionally produce aie related to their occupations: baskets
as co.otainers for agricultural produce of different kinds, pottery as vessels for indigenous liquor, bamboo traps for fishing,
weaprons for hunting. These are likewise folk arts that revolve around the fiestas, the paper mache tako of Paete, the a --
pastf,les lrrrapperc of San Miguel de Mayumo,lhe kiping of Lucban and Sariaya, the porol of San Fernando, Pampanga.
Folk rheater, such as lhe kome.dya and sarstuelo, is performed in the town plaza during fiestas. The Pasyon is still surg
durlrg the l-entcn s€ason.
Thirdly, one cannot fail to recognize the pluralistic character in Philipine society that arises fronr the rnany
cuitr.i:'aicornrnuni;:ies ail over iire ccuntry isiih ti:.ii specif.c thor:gh cfter, interrelatcd, culturai and artistir forms and
, erpr:ssicns- The r-a:'icuscultr..ral ccmmuniiies that are grouped in the Cordiileras. such as the Ifirgao, Eontoc. Kalitrga,
erc- the Mangran of l\{indoro, the T'buliof Cotabato, and t}le many Musiim communities, the Maranao, ilagintianao '.'i'
Because
i llinganoo, anfl the Taosug of Sulu were people who resisted the onslaught of Spanish and American colonization.
give an idea of
of this, ther- have p.e."*6d their ancient culture, including rituals and arts and their lMng traditions us
iI precolonial art and its forms which the Philippines shared with the rest of Southeast A,sia. The arts of these different
'
cultr:ral communities contribute tu and enrich our national culture.
r,'itha
',. ethnic
Because of the distinct contributions of the urban aad the rural, the folk, and the cultural coi;rmunities
Philippine culture has a rich and broad range. There have been exchanges among the diffelent
painters as
-
gro*4r.; folk art and the living ethnic traditions have become familiar in the urban context. Liltewise, regional those of Bacoiod. Iloilo,
and Cebu have ey}libited and interacted with artists in Manila.
an Ifugao
These exchanges, hon ever, have not been entirely without problems. For one, the exhibit of a textile ci bulu.t- in a gallery o., ,iu.".r*
Ideally,
removes it from its originai context and easily leads to a p.urely formalist appraisal. these works should be vierved in their original sites, aid regional
are indisputable
museums are to be supported, but there gain-< in exhibiting them in otlrer conteis in order to familiarize the larger Philippine snciety with
productions of that these
the Filiploos in differe-nt ethnic contexts, and even abroad to show the fulI range of our art. However, it is important
- with books and
- cx[ibits be accotnpanied by edrrcationa] material such as texts, videos, and documentation, along pubiications on the subject, so that the art is
their-belief
resituated in its setting of the people who produce it along with
strongcharacter,
systems, mlths and rituals, and common occupations. This information should also include updates- on the.problems
The goal of
encc'unteredb1,the ethnic groups and their struggles against exploitation, nrilitarization, and landgrabbing. slch information is to invo"lve
ways by
more Filipinor in espouiing the causes of the indigenous Filipinos and seeking
which these varictrs groups can be enrporvered to change their conditions'
allied to
-i Gther factois *hi.h huu" led to a distorted reception ofthe traditional arts in urban contexts is business tounsm w,hich feeds
s-vstcrr

4
on the arts of the cultural comntunities. ',Veknow, for instance, that within the'I'bolibeli.-f the i nolalr 'rteaveshoulcl not be arbitrarily crrt
rvhich ntrtst be
and if its must be cut that there are ritualistic obsetvances satisfied. But once ir the hands ofentrepieneurs, they are ruthlesslv cut to
Likeuisc,
be made into all sorts ofaccessories. a re!:e1t developnrent in the globalist trend is the coinmissioning ofrveavers by foreign-based
to do single- their quotas,
corporations hued t'nalakrviihout the tradltional ikot designs. Since the weavers'time and energy are spent on meeting
the d,ay ma-\-not be far offwhen their ikat weave will disappear.
in the example of
Tourism and the sending of cqltural entertainers abroad also often leads to distortions as cultr:ral dancers wearing Ifugao
authentic
blinkets in Japan. For the problem, as we all know, is that they do,not sho*'case Ifugao dance-s but do iru"fr d.b"."d forms of exotica citering to
io a,
pmrient tastes. A wide educ,ational c?r,rpaign apf,neciate tlrese liring traditions and to instill respect for them cin be-conducted in schools and public for
althoug,h this

, nraterial culture.
" *iil ,l*oy,t go against business interests which comntodifies and debases even the finest examples of our
 , into account the social relationships of class, gender,
Art and social relationships .- ta.kes
In the productio., necessarily
ofart, one these
race- chnici:r',religion, "oi1.""ption of art is not complete if it is not viewed in the Iight of
The
factoc-s. Alt is not a'ninno.eit p*",1""
"ra p"fltl*iU"fl"f. if,L "ra".rto"ain!
U"t contain-s
ideologies whicti are perspectival and interest-linked'
n'orkand horv
and neutral

element of ciia.ss unde.lies-th" t;1",,;i;i;;i;;;"g" aspirations- of the large

and exists in thJ inherent ideoiogical contents of the
it is situateC uithin the relations of p.oarrctio, l?T.o.i"tj. Do-9s i,t align with the interests and
be
majo*-ity orr-ith the self-perpetuatiog i.rt"."ri", oiifr" ..oro.ni. elite? Liklewise, the understanding of art should infused
i-- tt-itl-g.;J.r=*r-i-tlU.r* ln tte anatys;i of i*^ges and art discourses. Production and reception here comes to the fore'The The
rvomen's
|
;;;;;il'=;;;;;'*d it. ut"."oqfins or g.id.i;a.. rr"t long j;;;
been prejudicial to the development of art'
pointed out'the imagery or art
II ffiffi;-"i.,.j"i';;#J:ffi:iJ'#i:hffiXj;;i;;;;,;
p.*rippo."* i *ut" gaze, taro"rs male iniereSts and perspectives, and
perpetuates the subordination
;h;;, ;' ;"g" t'u'
3f,l]"1]]."1 __^*:-.^_
' philip;i"*:;."t,
Rac=u1a"itl"iJi;;;;;;;;i""i*"i,iu"ieckonedwittr. wniteracemaynotseemtotakemuchprominence
'tlh]l:
i i.,
il' l"#;;#;L;';;;fiil';;e;;ilili;h;il;t"
n enie.s in the form ot:racirl h;'
attitrrdes which n'ereingraineci by centuries.of mle b, t"l"-lf".it:
increasingly"r,alorized fair complexions associated
with the
prhileged .*i*r"., as well as in advertisL-"rt" *tri"t invariably haie mestiza models. At the base'this leads to
a
 distortion of our national identity as a people.
In ,our country, both race and ethnicity have given rile to prejudices, overt and-covert, conscious and
cclonizers: the prejudice
subcrrmscious. Again these preju<iiciai attitudes-#re instiiied by'the Spanish and -{merican
rnembers of the national
; against natn-e dark .ti.,-,-ti,.'p."ludiceagainst the non-Chriitian and non-Westernized
poprdation- But these prejudices have *ort?J against our interests as a people. and the long alrd
continuing process of
prejudices
:/ iecolonizati.m and libeiatioo involves the breakdown of these for a trulv just society.
interestlinl<ed and
Ref:gious and political betief are aiso iactors that piay-a part i-n art. tsut again, these are
"Religion, seFe the status
perspectival as lfuked to big social institutions, is noi a nlutral aspqct of people's lives. It may
quo, ev'ensupport autho;itarian and right-*ing in the case of the erstwhile Mindanao vigilante groups rvhich
with grassroots
loiu...ir'"r

harniassed indigenous folk beliefs towaids un .*" and militant conservatism. This came into conflict
""*t Christian
religious organizations of a liberative goul, as in the theolory of stmgg-le that beccme popular amung the-Basic
as
r- Co#rruniti& of the 7o'sand 8o's.Tf,is came with the im"portant rJalization by the progressive clerry that the Bible
I disceurse &]ntai;;;'*ai.rfpotential that could be drawn out in support of
people;s cau."*.
^re
such section is the

i },i;;#;"ii" *t i"r, theme a number oi social realists made a seriei ifter the Aquino assassination.
The Magnificant,

I iro,i=uer, wH appropriated by Mrs. Aquino in her political campaign'

"""- "'
I erTri"rioriucal belief, there is no-doubt tirat it backs eith"er privileged interests or
dominant ideologies backed bv

i p"..o=.i.r.il"*Jaf *:y grorrps an.l the opp*iti*A il*ologies alrva,.'sitrivrng to win greater popylal l"lfST 1|T: n]o"'
',r--
i:;;;;;f;;;. iadirecily these ccmpetinip"uti""r poiitions in ttiri.nse th-ey ha"e-undeiif ir,gllnl$ r"'ithp'iiiticai
i
- alii *':r;olomjcinierest for s*cial ccnsen'atisinor c-hange' "tiJ
Art and Saial Transforaation and that derives from vision and interpretation.of life and reality is not a
ArE that conve),s meaning of

pul"iirg; it is not *"." orriurrt"otation the li,es and colors

the artist's

;.t";";ty m a*ilng of t"&;ili

-r

me-ue demcsstration
be
rvhirh are par-t o{ a larger scheme of interior d"r6-}-?r:.ilx*pp6int"a houses; it is not a -mcre -paltry commodity to
bcwht and sold and measured by its *ark"t_rJie; it is not inere part-of a fashionable lifesti'leof press releases and
fron the vitality.of peopie'slives'
cor:ktails. snch art woufa a"i.ut tf* r^reaning of art because'it is al.ienated
ef society, it is also an ag,en[
B{ircause art is not neutral and derives its-er"rgies from the dynamism and conflicts
sympathies- with one or the other pole of the
of change- As it tacides social and political tfr.-u., lf.f;o*s its affinities.and
and unmediated, but it may be the
productive relations. Its approach to these tnu#"r *"v ,oi necessariiy le alrect
derelopmeut of a social or political the*. in-se.rerul *J.rc. or in a body of work which takes
up different aspects'Its

approach may be a.u*uj. ;l;; k"y, ."", *brt;;;;phi;ii;;t"d ;"J highi.v cemplex with lavers of
allusions and svrnbois'
cf the most irith poliiical issues, as..Picasso did in Guernica or
Th,rougho*t the history of art, some -L*l.uur" works deal

Mayoor in his
ri".p or-t"uton breeds monsters" agai;rst the background of
Francisco Gova did in rres de
the Napoleronic invasion of Spain. Art as an ug.rii or roliur
change
"";;;;;;-rh. wili always be the challenge for serious artists
because

part in the making of history towards a

they want to affirm ttre *af-iofe of art in sociiry and social translormation und it.
at the preseni'
5,,..an and -just order which still eludes our Srasp