Title  Milestone: Paint Us A Story 

1. Reinterpret a National Artist’s work through a picture depicting a 
modern interpretation 
2. Provide an explanation to your modern interpretation of an 
Amorsolo painting by talking about its message, aesthetics, and 
 Objective  influence (s) with regard to modern Filipino identity 
3. Begin manifesting grammatical accuracy and should be 
improving their extemporaneous fluency 
 
 Tools  Short bond paper, camera/phone camera, rubrics 
 
1. In  the  previous  activity,  you  learned  that  there  are  stories  behind  images  that  influence 
how you see and understand them. 
 
2. This  time,  take  a  look  at  one  of  the  iconic  Philippine  paintings  in  its  recent  history.  The 
name  of  this  painting  is  "Fruit  Pickers  Under  the  Mango  Tree"  by  Fernando  Amorsolo, the 
Philippines' first National Artist. 

Amorsolo, Fernando. Fruit Pickers Under the Mango Tree. Digital Image. Lives and Works of Filipino Ar sts. N.p., 24 July 2013. Web. 22 Apr.
2016. h p://livesandworks.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-ar sts-credo-art-for-arts-sake.html. 

Contemporary Philippine Art From The Regions |9 

 3. Take  a  few  minutes  to  look  at  the  painting.  Choose  key  elements  to  help  you  create  a 
backstory.  You  can  look  at  the  people:  their  expressions,  what  they're  doing,  how  they 
interact  with  each  other.  You  can  also  look  at  the  scenery:  location,  time  of  day.  You  can 
choose  anything  else  that  you  see  in  the  painting  that  will  help  you  gain  a  better 
understanding of what the painting means in general. 
 
4. Analyze the painting with the help of these guide questions: 
a. What  era/year  do  you  think  this  painting  is  representing?  What  parts  of  the 
painting made you think that? 
b.   What do you think are the circumstances of these people? Why have they come to 
gather?  What  about  their  demeanor  makes  them  seem  like  they  come  from  a 
particular era? 
c. Why  do  you  think  Amorsolo  chose  to  capture  a  moment  with  these  people,  doing 
what they were doing? What is their significance in shaping Filipino identity? 
 
5. After  analyzing  what  the  picture  originally  depicts,  shift  to  thinking  of  how  you  may 
re-interpret your current interpretations Here are the guide questions to help you: 
a. If  this  scene  were  to  happen  in the present day, who would these people be? What 
would they be doing? 
b. Where  would  they  be?  How  will  this  location  DIRECTLY  affect  how  the  people  are 
interacting with each other? 
c. How  will  this  new  set  of  characters  and  location  represent  the  changing  and 
emerging Filipino identity as we know it today? 
 
6. With  your  original  interpretation  and  modern  reinterpretation,  recreate  the  painting  by 
taking a photo that will display your modern reinterpretation of the painting. 
 
7. Take the following steps in order to plan on how you are going to do this milestone: 
a. Review your own back story of the painting. 
b. After  that,  reinterpret  the  painting.  If  your  back  story  of  the  painting  is  happening 
nowadays, what could it be? 
c. Once  you  have  your  modern  reinterpretation  of  the  painting, look outside and take 
a  photo  that  will  depict  your  modern  reinterpretation  or  you  may  opt to search for 
photos online. 
 
8. Print your taken photo on a short bond paper.  
 
9. Below the photo, write your modern reinterpretation of the painting. 
 
10. Use 10-15 sentences only. 
 
11. Refer to the format given below. 

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Name: 
Section: 
Milestone: 
 
 
 
 
 
(Paste or place the photo here) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(Write your explanation here) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
12. Refer to the rubric below to ace this milestone. 

Contemporary Philippine Art From The Region|11 

Visual Art  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3  Level 4 

  I AM UNABLE TO...  I AM ABLE TO...  I AM ABLE TO...  I AM ABLE TO... 

  - capture/ research  - capture/ research  - capture/ research  - capture/ research 
  an aesthetically  somewhat  a somewhat  an aesthetically 
Aesthetics  striking photo, and it  aesthetically  aesthetically  striking photo that 
(25%)  does not reinterpret  striking photo, but it  striking photo that  completely 
the given painting at  hardly reinterprets  mostly reinterprets  reinterprets the 
all.  the given painting.  the given painting.  given painting. 

  MY WRITTEN  MY WRITTEN  MY WRITTEN  MY WRITTEN 

  MODERN  MODERN  MODERN  MODERN 
  INTERPRETATION  INTERPRETATION  INTERPRETATION  INTERPRETATION 
Content  IS...  IS...  IS...  IS... 
(25%)  - not complete and  - only somewhat  - almost complete  - complete and 
not delivered clearly.  complete and not  and mostly  delivered clearly. 
always delivered  delivered clearly. 
clearly. 

  I AM UNABLE TO...  I AM ABLE TO...  I AM ABLE TO...  I AM ABLE TO... 

  - explain my  - explain my  - explain my  -explain my 
  answers, but when I  answers, but have  answers using the  answers using the 
  do, I am unable to  difficulty in using  right amount of  right amount of 
Fluency  use the right  the right amount of  words for the given  words for the 
(25%)  amount of words  words for the given  context most of  given context, 
for the given  context, as my  the time, with my  without my 
context, as my  answers are  answers only being  responses being 
answers are always  sometimes too long  too long or too  too long or too 
too long or too  or too short.  short sometimes.  short. 
short. 

  I CANNOT...  I AM ABLE TO...  I AM ABLE TO...  I AM ABLE TO... 

  - write without  - write, but with a lot  - write with some  -write with minimal 
Grammar  grammar lapses,  of grammar lapses  grammar lapses  grammar lapses 
(25%)  such that I cannot  that do not impede  that do not impede  that do not impede 
delivery my  the delivery of my  the delivery of my  the delivery of my 
intended meaning.  intended meaning.  intended meaning.  intended meaning. 

Contemporary Philippine Art From The Region|12 

 

 Title  WIKI: Contemporary Art 

 Objective  Gain an understanding of the different forms of contemporary art 

 Tools  Notebook and pen 

 
1. WIKI: Contemporary Art ​serves as a guide to answer the following questions: 
a. What is Contemporary Art? 
b. Why do I need to learn contemporary art? 
c. What does contemporary art look like? 
 
2. Access and read the W ​ IKI: Contemporary Art​. 
 
3. After  reading  the  WIKI,  answer the following questions to check how well you understood 
the concepts presented: 
a. Using your own words, explain what is contemporary art? 
b. What are the different forms of art? Briefly explain each. 
c. How is learning contemporary art help you as a Filipino? 
d. As a student, how can you show appreciation to our own contemporary art? 
e. Why is it important for you to learn and understand contemporary art? 
 
4. Answer using t​ hree (3) - five (5) sentences p​ er question only. 
 
5. Write your answers in your notebook. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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What is Contemporary Art? 
 
Contemporary means 
● happening in recent times, 
● connected to the present period, 
● belonging to the same period in time, 
● or belonging to the present. 
 
Art  is  the  different  ways  of  expressing  a  person’s  creative  skill  and  imagination  which  create  a 
particular  work/output. Usually this output is appreciated for their beauty and/or for the emotional 
pull that they draw from their audience. 
 

Contemporary Philippine Art From The Regions | 14 

Contemporary  art  is  any  visual,  auditory,  or  performing  output  produced  at  the  present  period in 
time.  The  term  also  refers  to  art  made  and  produced  by  artists  living  today.  Philippine 
contemporary art is, therefore, art that was created in the Philippines by a Filipino. 

 
Note: 
The  terms  “modern”  and  “contemporary”  are  sometimes  used  as  synonyms.  But  the  term 
“modern”  means  being  up  to  date  or  being  technologically  advanced.  Therefore,  what  is  modern 
now is also considered to be contemporary. But when it comes to art, those that are referred to as 
modern  art  specifically are works produced between the American colonial period to the Post-war 
period  in  the  Philippines.  Back  in  those  days,  the  work  created  by  our  artists  were  new  and 
shocking,  that’s  why  back  then,  it  was  also  considered  to  be  “contemporary  art”.  But 
contemporary  art is the art of the present, so what may be contemporary now, will not necessarily 
be the contemporary art of the future. 
 
 
Why do I need to learn contemporary art? 
 
A  simple  answer  would  be  because  art  (any  kind  of  art)  is  enjoyable.  It  is  easy  to  appreciate  art 
because  people  find  it  fun  or  entertaining.  For  example,  seeing  someone’s  funny  drawing  can 
make  us  laugh;  watching  a  sad  film  can  make  us  cry;  and  listening to a talented singer can leave 
us feeling amazed. 
 

Contemporary Philippine Art From The Regions | 15 

Learning what contemporary art is means that you will also be able to learn how to make 
contemporary art. Being able to create art is also enjoyable for the artist. Most artists produce art 
because it is their passion, but there are more artists out there who produce works (like songs, 
videos, paintings, poems, dances, etc) just because it makes them feel good when they do. 
Creating art is a good way to develop creativity and resourcefulness, too—qualities that are going 
to be valuable in the workplace and in your everyday life. 
 

 
 
Lastly,  a  more  practical  use  of  art  is  communication. A work of art can communicate a message, 
can  communicate  a  story.  You  can  use  art  to  be  able  to  tell  your  own  story  which  can  be 
appreciated by other people. 
 
If you want to read up more on the purpose of art, you will find further explanation here: Quora. 
LINK: https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-purpose-of-art 
 
What does it look like? 
 
A. Visual Art 
Visual arts are the creations that you can look at. This includes (but is not limited  
to) drawings, paintings, sketches, sculptures, architecture, photography,  
typography, interior design, and many others. 
 
Example: 

Contemporary Philippine Art From The Regions | 16 

 
 
B. Movement Art 
Movement arts are dances—and when we say “dance”, we mean purposefully  
selected sequences of body movements. There are 3 significant terms that make  
up that definition: 
● Body movements - Dances are made up of actions using the body. 
● Purposefully  selected  -  The  actions  that  are  chosen  have  a  specific 
purpose because they contribute to telling the “story” of the dance. 
● Sequences  -  These  chosen actions come in a particular order which is also 
relevant to the narrative of the dance. 
● Movement  art  falls  under  performance  art  because  it  is  usually  presented 
to an audience. 
 
Example: 
 
 

Watch  this  contemporary  piece  performed  on  the  TV  show  So  You  Think  You Can Dance by Billy 
Bell and Kathryn McCormick. 
 
C. Musical Arts 
Musical arts produce songs that use sound and silence. The sounds (and the  

Contemporary Philippine Art From The Regions | 17 

 silences) can come from voices or from instruments. Songs are also able to  
convey emotions, stories, or specific messages. 
 
Musical art can also be considered as performance art. When music is created  
with the intention of having it performed in front of an audience, it may become a  
theatrical experience—meaning, the artist won’t be thinking about the sounds or  
the music only, rather, s/he would also take into consideration how the songs  
would be shown or acted out in front of people. For example, when your favorite  
OPM band holds a concert, their overall performance (the singing, how they play  
their instruments, and how they move around on stage) is musical art. 
 
Example: 
Listen to this c
​ over of Uptown Funk by The Sons of Pitches. 
 
D. Cinematic Art 
Cinematic art engages the sight and hearing of audiences through an audiovisual  
experience. This usually comes in the form of films, videos, and the like. 
 
Cinematic art is able to integrate other art forms; for example, a movie has visual  
aspects (the imagery, the background, settings, how the characters look like etc),  
has music in it (as background music or as an actual part of the narrative), and  
has movement in it (such as dances, or such as the way the actors will be moving  
around one another in scenes). 
 
Example: 
Watch this short film entitled F​ east ​to see an example of cinematic art. 
 
Additional Resources 
 
National Commission for Culture and the Arts 
This  is the official website of our country's National Commission for Culture and the Arts. You can 
stay  updated  on what our local artists are doing here, as well as on any government-led programs 
and events on the promotion and preservation of the Philippine arts and culture. 
 
Cited Resources 
 
Images in this WIKI were taken from (in order of appearance): 
 

Contemporary Philippine Art From The Regions | 18 

 Justina. "Famous Paintings Updated With 21st-Century Gadgets." B ​ ored Panda​. 2014. Web. 
18 Mar. 2016. 
<​http://www.boredpanda.com/famous-paintings-iphone-apple-art-x-smart-kim-dong-kyu/​>. 
 
"16 Of The Most Famous Cats On The Internet." E ​ arth Porm​. 2014. Web. 18 Mar. 2016. 
<​http://www.earthporm.com/16-famous-cats-internet/​>. 
 
Siocon, Janice. "Photo by Janice Siocon." P ​ hotobucket​. Web. 18 Mar. 2016. 
<​http://s809.photobucket.com/user/nicesioc/media/194575648.jpg.html​>. 
 
Mcsicaa. "....sa kambas ng lipunan......" ​Mcsicaa​. 29 Aug. 2010. Web. 18 Mar. 2016. 
<​http://mcsicaa.blogspot.com/2010_08_01_archive.html​>. 
 
Natasha. "How To…talk to Children about Art." ​Wear & Where​. 23 Apr. 2014. Web. 18 Mar. 
2016. <​http://wearandwhere.co.uk/how-to-talk-to-children-about-art/​>. 
 
Lebowitz, Shana. "Psychologists Just Debunked the Idea That You Have to Find the Perfect 
Job Fit to Be Happy at Work." ​Business Insider​. Business Insider, Inc, 21 Aug. 2015. Web. 22 
Mar. 2016. 
<​http://www.businessinsider.com/passion-for-work-is-achieved-two-ways-2015-8​>. 
 
"University of Toronto." V​ isual Art​. 2011. Web. 23 Mar. 2016. 
<http://www.arts.utoronto.ca/art.htm>.  
 
"Full Dance and Fitness." ​CLUB FAMA DANCE​. Web. 23 Mar. 2016. 
<http://clubfamadancepaginaw.wix.com/clubfamadance#!full-dance-and-fitness/c1v8s>.  
 
"Annual Concert of Philippine Dances and Music Continues to Honor Founder's Legacy on 
October 27 and 28, 2012 at the Joan Kroc Theater." ​The US Asian Post Online Newspaper​. 1 
Oct. 2012. Web. 23 Mar. 2016. 
<​http://www.usasianpost.com/annual-concert-of-philippine-dances-and-music-continues-t
o-honor-founders-legacy-on-october-27-and-28-2012-at-the-joan-kroc-theater/​>. 
 
"Dance." C​ entral Library Arts Division Rochester New York​. Web. 23 Mar. 2016. 
<https://artsdivision.wordpress.com/recreation/dance/>.  
 

Contemporary Philippine Art From The Regions | 19