LESSON 1: Various Contemporary Art forms and
Their Practices from the Various Regions
Contemporary Philippine Arts from the
Regions
Quarter 1 – Module 1-2:
Various Contemporary Art Forms and Their Practices
from the Various Regions
What is contemporary Art?
 Art produced at the present period in time, includes
and develops from postmodern art, which is itself a
successor to Modern art.
 Art made and produced by artist living today.
 Statement that an artist makes about life, thoughts,
ideas, beliefs, and many other things that define human
life. Simultaneously reflects the realities and values of
our society, its variety portrays the mosaic of our
cultural diversity is culture.
 Contemporary art is the art of today, produced by
artists who are living in the twenty-first century.
Contemporary art of the 21st century may combine
elements of performance, painting, sculpture, dance, and
many other media. It draws on the movements of modern
art, including minimalism and assemblage art, to create
dynamic pieces that aim to challenge the viewer and
spark thought. Many contemporary artists use their
work to comment on cultural and political issues,
including race, human rights, economic inequality, and
global conflict. As the world continues to change and
impact human life on a large scale, art continues to
experiment with new ways of reaching its audience.
Art plays a significant part in the rich cultural identity of
the Philippines. It mirrors the Filipino people, its
history, its tradition, and the country as a whole.
Diverse art forms in the different parts of the archipelago,
when integrated, will give a clear picture of what kind of
country the Philippines is and what kind of people the
Filipinos are. These art forms developed from the early
times continue to evolve up to the present. From the
ethnic tradition, it continues to progress to contemporary
art tradition.
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The 7 Major Contemporary Art Forms in the The Higantes of Angono. The “Higantes” is a sculpture
Philippines: made of paper-mache. This
paper-mache, in our native
1. Music - art form that appeals to the sense of town in Paete, Laguna calls
hearing, composed by combining notes into harmony. it “taka.” The “Higantes”
2. Literature - art form of language through the measures four to five feet in
combined use of words, creating meaning and diameter and ten to twelve
experience. feet in height. The
3. Theater - art form of performance. Dramatic text is “Higantes” represents “mag-
portrayed on stage by actors and actresses and are anak” (family) in the Filipino
enhanced by props, lights and sounds. It is a form of art culture; a father, a mother, and
in which artists use their voices and/or their bodies, the children.
often in relation to other objects, to convey artistic
expression. The “Higantes” is one of the main attraction in the
4. Film - a technological translation of theater, annual festival in Angono, Rizal in honor of St.
special effects are utilized to enhance the story telling. Clement, patron saint of the fisher folks held every 23rd of
5. Dance -art of the human form, body is used, November. This art form may have started during the
mobilized and choreographed in a specific time, form and Spanish colonial time, but, the love of family among
space. Filipinos have made this art form a part of the Filipino
6. Architecture, Designs and Allied Arts - structure tradition and a distinct Philippine contemporary arts.
that meant to be used as shelter, its art relies on the
design and purpose of the structure.
7. Visual Art – a work, such as painting, Sculpture as defined and as practiced in the Philippine
photography, or sculpture, that appeals primarily to the Contemporary arts made use of different materials like
visual sense and typically exists in permanent form. the variety of woods, metals, and stones. Some produced
creative works using plastics, jade, brass, and other
materials.
The Visual arts are art forms such as painting,
drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, The Manunggul Jar
photography, video, filmmaking, design, crafts, and It is a secondary burial jar
architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as excavated from a Neolithic
performing arts, conceptual art, textile arts also involve burial site in Tabon Caves at
aspects of visual arts as well as arts of other types. In Lipuun Point in Palawan. The
the American period, education was introduced to Manunggul Jar is widely
the Philippines. There were Filipinos who studied abroad acknowledged to be one of the
and influenced the art making in the country. Juan finest Philippine pre-colonial
Arellano, Diosdado Lorenzo, and Victorio Edades were artworks ever produced and is
among those who studied outside the Philippines. considered a masterpiece of
These three artists went back and introduced the Philippine ceramics. The two
concept of modern art in the country. prominent figures at the top
handle of its cover represent the journey of the soul to the

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afterlife. It is made from clay with some sand soil. Pottery traditions that stayed in the Philippines contemporary
stands among one of the most ancient arts in the period.
Philippines.

“Bayanihan” is a masterpiece
The Bohol Blood Compact Sculpture of Carlos “Botong” Francisco. It
The sculpture was made by the National Artist, Napoleon depicted the resilience of the
Abueva, a Boholano himself. This Sikatuna-Legaspi blood Filipino people in times of
compact is considered as the First Treaty of Friendship need, adversity, and disaster. It
between two different races, religions, cultures and showed the true character of
civilizations. It was a treaty of friendship based on respect the Philippine folks as a
and equality. This event is commonly known as distinct human race.
“Sandugo”. Today, tourists can reach and view Bohol
Blood Compact site in Barangay Bool, Tagbilaran City,
Bohol, Philippines. This particular site was made in Another one of Carlos “Botong” Francisco great artwork is
honor of a very important event in the Philippine history “The Filipino Struggles Through History” that has recently
done between Miguel Lopez de Legazpi of Spain and Rajah been unveiled for public viewing, after four years of
Sikatuna of Bohol. restoration. This artworks, hailed him the “greatest
muralist” of our country.
“Painting is the practice of applying pigment suspended
in a carrier (or medium) and a binding agent (a glue) to a Mural is any piece of artwork
surface (support) such as paper, canvass, or wall. painted or applied directly on
Painting is also used to express spiritual motifs and a wall, ceiling or other
ideas; sites of this kind of painting range from artwork permanent surfaces. A
depicting mythological figures on pottery to The Sistine distinguishing characteristic
Chapel and to the human body itself. of mural painting is that the
architectural elements of the
In the history of painting in the Philippines, Fernando given space are harmoniously
Amorsolo y Cueto was one of the most important artists. incorporated into the picture.
Amorsolo was a portraitist and painter of rural Philippine
landscapes. He is popularly known for his craftsmanship The Decorative arts are arts or crafts whose object is the
and mastery in the use of light. design and manufacture of objects that are both beautiful
and functional. It includes interior design, but not
usually architecture.
“Bigas” is an artwork of Nestor
Leynes. Magic realism refers to the
style in a painting showing minute Cloth weaving - One of the most valuable living traditions
details of the subjects and that are still preserved until this day is the cloth weaving.
highlighting their texture and color. Beginning in the pre-colonial era, the art of cloth weaving,
Genre painting is showing the lives particularly of the Cordillera tribes in the North, still lives
of town folks, legends, and notwithstanding the threat of the more practical
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production of fabrics today. The natives practice evident in the pictures of our great ancestors in our
blackstrap loom to create blankets and pieces of clothing. history. Even then, it is presumed that jewelry making in
the country already exists. The use of gold or
silver in the forms of earrings, bracelets, rings, brooches,
T'nalak, a deep brown necklaces, tie pins, pendants, and cuff links.
abaca-based cloth tie-
dyed with intricate
designs. T'nalak, is a The Philippine architecture adopted the modern western
weaving tradition of the architectural style while taking into consideration of the
T'boli people of South physical and socio-cultural situation of the country. The
Cotabato, Philippines. Philippine architecture was characterized as simple,
One of the best Filipino rational, and functional in the early 20 th century of the
craftsmanship that lives young Filipinos who studied in American universities and
until this present-day. institutes were back
The traditional female weavers are known as dream to the country and
weavers, because the pattern of the t'nalak cloth are brought changes in
inspired by their dreams. the Philippine
architecture. Among
them were: Juan
The Piña cloth is also Arellano, Carlos
created through looms Barreto, and Antonio
everywhere in the Toledo. And one of
province of Antique. It the structures built
is a fine and elegant during this period
handwoven fabric that was the Metropolitan
is produced from the Theater.
fibers of pineapple
plants. It is commonly In the American Colonial and Contemporary Period, the
used in the wellknown Philippine architecture adopted the modern Western
Barong Tagalog, the architectural style while taking into consideration the
traditional Philippine clothes physical and socio-cultural situation of the country.
for Filipino men. Barong The Philippine architecture was characterized as
Tagalog has become a simple, rational, and functional.
popular formal attire not only
in the Philippines but even The “tsalet” is a type of
across different regions. house developed in the
Jewelry making is another early 2oth century
demonstration of the skilled designed with a front
craftsmanship of Filipinos porch made of wood and
that dates back during the concrete. During this
precolonial period. This is
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time, steel was used in buildings as protection for
calamities like earthquake.
During the Marcos era, there had been construction of
expressways, convention centers, hospitals, hotels, malls,
high-rise buildings, amusement centers, etc. All these
comes with technological advancements like escalators,
elevators, air-conditioning systems, computers, etc.
In the regional set up, residential houses, churches,
public markets, business space tend to imitate the
architectural styles in the urban. Also, eco-cultural
tourism was introduced. Theme parks and resorts were
developed in tourist spots like Palawan, Davao, Bohol,
Batangas, etc. Given cultural heritage preservation,
heritage towns like Vigan, Intramuros, Dapitan, etc. were
given attention.
Literature is any body or collection of written work. More
restrictively, literature refers to writing considered to be
an art form or any single writing deemed to have artistic
or intellectual value, and sometimes deploys language in
ways that differ from ordinary usage.
Literature in the contemporary period has oscillated
between personal expression and social commentary. In
vernacular poetry, the two tendencies can be seen at
work.
In the field of poetry during the contemporary period,
publication of young poets to campus journals
emerged.
“Bagay” is a form of poetry that uses colloquial language
and is built on concrete images which tend to describe
tendencies. The “Bagay” movement were group of young
poets that emerged during the contemporary period in the
publications of campus journals. Poets Jose F. Lacaba,
Rolando Tinio, Bienvenido Lumbera, Antonio Samsaon,
and Edmundo Martinez started this the Bagay movement.
Valediction sa Hillcrest by Rolando S. Tinio was a poem
about a person having a dilemma to decide between two
places, Tondo and New York and how it affects his whole
being.
Amado V. Hernandez introduced another form of poetry
inserting national consciousness to bagay poetry through
his work “Ang Bayang Malaya.” The poem “Ang Bayang
Malaya” is a long narrative piece about a peasant leader.
Oppression and fighting for human rights are the main
themes of this piece. In the succeeding poems developed
by Filipino poets, the influence of Amado V. Hernandez
was evident. Social protest and social realism became the
theme of the poems. Protest poetry proliferated.
In the 21st century, a modern poetry from unknown
writers use tagalog language and become popular in the
social media, it is called “spoken word poetry.”
Spoken word is a poetic performance art that is word-
based. It is an oral art that focuses on the aesthetics of
word play such as intonation and voice inflection.
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During the early American period, the music of the
country is mostly classical due to the influence of the
European. It was in the 1960 that avant-garde music
emerged into a combination of classical, traditional or
ethnic music. As time goes by the introduction of radio,
film, and other entertainment technology. The theatre
music gradually declined, however the rondallas or the
string band remain even up to the present.
During the early American period, the music of the
country was mostly classical due to the influence of the
European. This kind of music continued flourishing until
the 1950’s. It was in the 1960s that avant-garde music
emerged. The Philippine music at the time evolved
into a combination of classical and traditional or
ethnic music.
Philippine music continuously evolved, and Pinoy Pop or
Filipino pop music took place. Pinoy pop covers different
forms like jazz, dance hits, folksong, revival, rock and roll,
rap, etc. With the development of Pinoy pop, Manila
sound was born. This music is Western-derived with
English lyrics but with pure Filipino spirit. Later on the
Original Pilipino Music (OPM) became popular.
The OPM was followed by another form of popular music
called “alternative music” influenced by folk balladeers.
This type of music sprouted out of protest that later on
included themes like Filipino values, political and
environmental concerns, and other societal themes.
Some examples of alternative music are: Freddie Aguilar’s
“Anak,” Herbert Bautistas “Tayo’y Mga Pinoy,” and
Florante De Leon’s “Ako ay Pilipino.”
In the establishment of Cultural Center of the Philippines
(CCP) Filipino music as well as Filipino artists were given
importance.
There were provincial councils established which preserve
the traditional music and innovate Philippine music.
Indigenous music continuously thrives and spread in
different localities. Local composers continuously create
vernacular songs. Moreover, local festivals like the Las
Pinas Bamboo organ was established.
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing
art that uses live performers, typically actors or actresses,
to present the experience of a real or imagined event
before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage.
The performers may communicate this experience to the
audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song,
music, and dance. Elements of art, such as painted
scenery and stagecraft such as lighting are used to
enhance the physicality, presence and immediacy of the
experience.
In the Philippines, the American introduced the “bodabil”
or stage show, however during that time it was composed
mainly of songs, dances and skits. It was only during the
Japanese period when “bodabil” included short
melodrama.
Another presentational style of stage plays highlights
discussion of social ideas since realistic portrayal is
prohibited during the Marcos regime. This style made use
of dance, song, and mime to summon the ideas from the
audience. An example of this is the “Theater of the
Oppression” by Augusto Boal. The documentary style
followed which tend to discuss historical events “Mayo-A-
Beinte Uno” of Al Santos.
During the first years of the American period, vaudeville
or bodabil dancing became popular. Bodabil is a kind
of stage show introduced by the American Dances like
buck-and-wing, tap dancing, clog, skirt dancing were
among the dances being performed in the show.
Philippine dance has played a tremendous role in Filipino
culture. From one of the oldest dated dances called the
Tinikling, to other folkloric dances such as the
Pandanggo, Cariñosa, and Subli, and even to more
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modern-day dances like the ballet, it is no doubt that
dance in the Philippine setting has integrated itself in
society over the course of many years and is significantly
imbedded in culture. Each of these dances originated in a
unique way and serve a certain purpose, showcasing how
diverse Philippine dances are.
Tinikling is a traditional Philippine folk dance which
originated during the Spanish colonial era. The dance
involves two people beating, tapping, and sliding bamboo
poles on the ground and against each other in
coordination with one or more dancers who step over and
in between the poles in a dance.
Cariñosa is a Philippine dance of colonial era origin from
the Maria Clara suite of Philippine folk dances, where the
fan or handkerchief plays an instrumental role as it
places the couple in romance scenario.
Film industry in the Philippines started in 1897
through the initiatives of foreign businessmen. Swiss
entrepreneurs were the first to feature film shows in
Manila. The Film became popular in 1912 when
foreigner Edward Gross and Harry Brown produced the
film about the life of Dr. Jose Rizal. This started
filmmaking in the country and each art forms have
significant developments in the contemporary period.
The artists thirst for innovation, the social, economic,
and political environment, and the emerging new
technologies are among the factors arts in that
influenced the development of
these contemporary art forms.
There was a regional initiative taken to develop and
promote the contemporary arts in the Philippines like the
establishment of art groups and conduct of different art
fairs, workshops.
LESSON 2: Painting
PAINTING
Painting refers to the process of applying color on a flat
surface. Forms can be created using a wide variety of
materials such as watercolor, acrylic, ink, oil, pastel, and
charcoal. Surfaces for painting include wood, canvas,
cardboard, and paper. Painting is considered two-
dimensional, meaning it only has height and width.
FORMS OF PAINTING:
 Easel Painting
The easel painting is perhaps the most
common.form.of.painting which involves applying color to
a board…or .canvas that is.fixed on an upright support
called an easel. These are.... meant to.be framed and
hanged on a wall after creating them.
 Murals
A mural is described as a huge wall-sized painting.used..
to impart messages to the public. A new form
of.mural.which is a portable mural, was developed in
order.to prevent the mural from being erased from the
wall.which was.created.by using.. bold strokes in
applying.bright colors on.pieces of cheesecloth\or canvas.
 Telon Painting
A telon is describes as a backdrop or background.for.. the
stage which are used for komedya, sarswela,
and.sinakulo,.the popular forms of theater in the country.
 Jeepney and Calesa Painting
The calesa is typically painted using one color.
The.borders of the calesa are decorated with
geometric.patterns,. repetitive patterns, and/or thin lines.
Jeepney painting evolved from calesa painting.
In.a.typical jeepney, a logo, number, or painting is
covered.near.. the driver’s seat, as well as near the seats
adjacent.to it.
 Collage
This refers to a form of painting that involves.combine.
images in a single artwork. This entails cutting.and
pasting.. materials such as paper, fabric, tin foil
and.other relatively flat.materials onto a board or canvas.
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THEMES OF PAINTING:
 Genre Painting
Genre painting portrays people in daily activities. During..
the contemporary period, genre painting took.several..
directions. One of these new approaches is folk.genre,
which.. mainly focuses on the everyday activities.of .the
folk. Another.. approach is using the style of cubism.in
depicting folk or.. urban.subjects. On the other hand,
folk-naive is another style.. wherein it uses a lot of color
.and spontaneity.
 Historical Painting
The historical painting depicts a scene from the past. It
often has a lesson concerning national values.
 Interiors
This refers to painting of the space inside of a part of a
house or a building. This usually reveals the social class
of the family living in that particular house, as well as the
traits of the people living in it.
 Landscapes
These painting portrays natural scenery or urban scenes.
Mixed media is now used in creating landscape paintings.
Closely related to landscapes are seascapes, which focus
on large bodies of water, particularly the ocean or the sea.
 Portraits
This refers to a painting portraying one or more specific
individuals. This usually portrays the physical
characteristics of the subject and seeks to show an
understanding of that person’s character.
 Nudes
These are paintings that portray the unclothed human
figure. Nowadays, a wide variety of materials and styles
can be used in painting nudes. Nude painting sessions
are conducted in galleries.
 Religious Painting
Common subjects of religious painting includes a
lone.religious image, lives of the saints, and scenes
based.from..the.Scriptures like the Nativity scene, and
the.Station.of the.. Cross.
 Still Life
This refers to a painting that depicts natural or man-
made objects that form a composition in a natural
setting. A lot of styles can be used by artists in painting,
ranging from Baroque and Rococo, to impressionism,
expressionism, and abstract.
Neo-realism involves creating representational figures that
also look abstract;
hyperrealism or magic realism, the subject is painted in a
highly realistic way that it resembles a photograph;
and social realism entails creating paintings that depicts
socioeconomic and political problems.
Activity 1: Fill in the blanks with the correct answer.
1. This is an attraction that represents “mag-anak”
during the parade of a festival in Angono, Rizal in honor
of St. Clement.
2. What is the purpose of Manunggul jar excavated in
Tabon Cave Lipuun Point, Palawan?
3. It is a sculpture of a treaty based on respect and
equality between Miguel Lopez de Legazpi of Spain and
Rajah Sikatuna of Bohol.
4. In the history of painting, he was one of the most
important artists as portraitist of rural Philippine
landscapes.
5. It is a masterpiece of Carlos “Botong” Francisco that
depicted the resilience of the Filipino people in times of
adversity.
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6. “The Filipino Struggles Through History” has recently like he did in his artwork entitled,
been ___________(8)_______________.
unveiled for public viewing, after four years of restoration.
Who made this artwork? The decorative arts are arts or crafts whose object is the
design and manufacture of objects that are both beautiful
7. It is a deep brown abaca-based cloth tie-dyed with and functional. One of the best Filipino crafts that lives
intricate until this present-day is the ________(9)_________weaving
designs produced by female weavers of the T’boli people of tradition of the T’boli people of South Cotabato. Also, in
South Cotabato. the province of Antique, they created
_________(10)___________, a fine and elegant handwoven
8. It is an artwork of Nestor Leynes with his style in fabric that is produced from the fibers of pineapple. This
painting showing minute details of the subjects and kind of cloth is the material used for our well-known
highlighting their texture and color. __________(11)__________, the traditional Philippine clothes
for Filipino men.
9. It is a fine and elegant handwoven fabric that is
produced from the fibers of pineapple plants. Jewelry making is another demonstration of the skilled
craftsmanship of Filipinos. They
10. It is a demonstration of the skilled craftsmanship of made use of _______(12)__________ or
Filipinos with use of gold or silver in the forms of ________(13)_________ in the forms of earrings, bracelets,
earrings, bracelets, rings, and brooches. rings, brooches, necklaces, tie pins, pendants, and cuff
Activity 2: Reflect on the richness of contemporary art links;
forms and practices in the various regions in the
Philippines. From our traditional “Bahay Kubo”, the Philippine
architecture had adopted the modern western
The _________(1)___________ is a sculpture made of paper- architectural style taking into consideration of the
mache. It measures four to five feet in diameter and ten to physical and sociocultural situation of the country. The
twelve feet in height. It represents ________(2)_________, ________(14)__________ is one type of house designed with
(family) in the Filipino culture. It is one of the attraction a front porch made of wood and concrete; steel was used
in the annual festival of ________(3)_________, Rizal in in the buildings as protection for calamities like
honor of St. Clement, patron saint of fiher folks. This art earthquake.
form may have started during the ________(4)____________
colonial period, but, the love of _________(5)_________ have In Philippine literature, Amado V. Hernandez introduced
made this art form part of the Filipino another form of poetry inserting national consciousness
__________(6)________. to bagay poetry through his work “Ang Bayang Malaya.”
The poem is a long narrative piece about a
_____(15)________leader fighting for human rights, the
In the history of painting in the Philippines, main themes of this piece.
_____________(7)______________ was one of the most
important artist portraitist and painter of rural Philippine
landsscapes. Another painter, Nestor Leynes, used magic
realism in painting showing minute details of the subject
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Performance Task 1: Using your creativity skill, be able about a peasant leader fighting for
poetry
to craft/innovate your own creative face mask. Have it human rights.
posted on our group page. 12. A collection of written work
deemed to have artistic or
intellectual value, and sometimes L. Taka
deploys language in ways that differ
Summative Test 1: Direction: Choose the letter of your from ordinary usage.
answer in Column B that corresponds to the item in 13. It is one of the structures built
Column A. when young Filipinos who studied in
M. Theater
Column A Column B America came back and brought
1. A type of house designed with a changes to our architecture.
A. Ang Bayang
front porch made of wood and 14. The traditional Filipino clothing
Malaya
concrete. for men commonly made of Pina N. Tinikling
2. A folk dance with two people cloth.
beating, bamboo poles on the ground 15. It is the material used to make O. Tsalet
B. Alternative
in coordination with one or more the sculpture of Higantes as it called
music
dancers who step over and in in our native town in Paete, Laguna. P. Tula
between the poles.
3. A dance of colonial era in Maria
Clara suit where the fan or C. Barong
handkerchief places the couple in Tagalog Multiple Choices: Read the statements carefully. Identify
romance scenario. what is being described in the statement.
4. A stage show that composed
D. Bodabil 1. This refers to a painting that shows an arrangement of
mainly of songs, dances and skits.
5. A Western-derived music with objects such as fruits and flowers in a natural setting.
English lyrics but with pure Filipino E. Carinosa a. Interiors c. Nudes
spirit. b. Still life d. Landscapes
6. A collaborative performing art that 2. This refers to painting that is applied on a wall or a
F. Literature large permanent surface.
uses live performers.
7. The acronym OPM stands for… G. Manila sound a. Mural c. Historical painting
8. Anak, Tayo’y Mga Pinoy, and Ako H. Metropolitan b. Genre painting d. Religious painting
ay Pilipino are examples of… Theater 3. This painting depicts scenes from ordinary life.
9. A Filipino music that covers a. Still life c. Genre painting
different forms like jazz, dance hits, I. Original b. Interiors d. Landscapes
folksong, revival, rock and roll, rap, Pilipino Music 4. This refers to a painting of the space inside of a part of
etc. a house or a building.
10. A poetic performance art that is a. Landscapes c. Interiors
wordbased; oral art that focuses on J. Pinoy pop b. Portraits d. Still life
the aesthetics of word play. 5. This refers to a painting that is finished on a portable
upright support.
11. A long narrative piece of poem K. Spoken word
a. Telon painting c. Genre painting
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 b. Historical painting d. Easel painting
6. This is a painting that involves cutting and pasting
relatively flat materials onto a board or canvas.
a. Religious painting c. Portrait
b. Collage d. Landscapes

7. A painting portraying the crucifixion of Jesus Christ is

an example of this theme of painting.

a. Interiors c. Historical painting

b. Nudes d. Religious painting
8. A painting portraying the execution of Jose Rizal in
Bagumbayan is an example of this theme of painting.
a. Historical painting c. Murals
b. Easel painting d. Telon painting
9. A painting featuring the physical characteristics of
Jose Blanco is an example of this theme of painting.
a. Still life c. Portrait
b. Interiors d. Landscapes
10.This refers to a style of painting that resembles more a
photograph than a painting.
a. Hyperrealism c. Portraits
b. Photograph d. Still life

Adapted by:

Dr. Jamilla K. Marcellana

Subject Teacher

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