LESSON 5: ARTISTS AND ARTISANS

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

1. identify the medium in various forms of art: visual, auditory and combined arts;
2. define an artist’s or artisan’s medium and technique; and
3. identify the national and GAMABA artists notable works and their contribution
to society.

Let’s Discuss

The art is one of the most significant ways in which we try to grapple with how
the present unfolds. In Robert Henri’s The Art Spirit (1923), he stated that “Art when
really understood is the province of every human being. It is simply a question of
doing things, anything, well. It is not an outside, extra thing. When the artist is alive in
any person, whatever his kind of work may be, he becomes an inventive, searching,
daring, self-expressing creature. He becomes interesting to other people. He
disturbs, upsets, enlightens, and he opens ways for a better understanding. Where
those who are not artists are trying to close the book he opens it, shows there are
more pages possible.” There is a gap when one continues to persist with the idea
that art is something that is detached from the every day. In what has been reduced
to a blur, it became more integral that man pursues a better understanding of the
world where he lives. One of the avenues that makes this both possible and exciting
is the engagement with art and culture.
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Let’s Get Started

Let’s Get Down to Business

One type of knowledge that fuels the twenty-first century is creativity. Artists
have treaded a long history. Their roots can likewise be traced in one of the major
milestones in human civilization. In the first episode of the video series “New Ways
of Seeing,” a project by The New York Times’ T Brand
Studio and jewelry giant Tiffany & Co., art critic Jerry
Saltz (2016) underscored the significance of not only
the discovery of the cave paintings, but also the
paintings themselves. He asserted that “these first
artists invented a way to get the three-dimensional
world into two dimensions and attach value to their
own ideas. And all of the history of art flows forth from
this invention.” He is apparently referring to the
drawings and painted images of animals, hunting
scenes, and a variety of symbolic figures created
during the Stone Age. Examples of these are
scattered all around the world, from France, Spain, Namibia, 78uustralia, and
Argentina to name a few. Of course, these works were not yet subsumed in the
highly systematized art world, let alone considered as “art.”

The impulse to create is at the core of human civilization, much like the
impulse to communicate through language. Early on, artists were embedded in the
development of culture, and in turn, art was nurtured by the varying cultures in which
it existed. The works produced varied from the prosaic to those that explored a wide
range of aesthetic possibilities. Seen every day, the interaction with these objects
was intimate in the sense that their presence was experienced in a multitude of ways
and in all of the affairs of man: ornamentations in tools and other surfaces, weaving
patterns in textiles, visual features and design/plan for architectural structures, and
ritual and burial implements, among others. Artists even created places and spaces
where communities may gather. There are numerous monuments and memorials
that are plotted over the world such as the infamous Vietnam veterans Memorial in
Washington DC. There are others like the cave paintings that have an aura of

Stonehenge
mystery like the Pyramids of Giza, or have alluded comprehension like the
Stonehenge.

The Artisan and the Guilds

Museums are packed with numerous artefacts and interesting objects from all
over the world that have survived centuries for us all to see. Magnificent structures
that are often appreciated not only for their historical significance but more so for
their aesthetic characteristics that render them unique, become tourist destination for
those who wish to explore and see the remarkable façade, interior, and even the
minutest of details up close. Perhaps what made the difference were the materials,
medium, and the principles behind the process of their creation. Another contributory
factor is the emergence of technology and knowledge in managing and conserving
all these objects and structures, enabling the retention of the integrity of the artwork
and the intention of the artist in terms of the design and overall aesthetic.

Consider the Gothic cathedrals and other mega structures that were built all
over Europe during the middle Ages. Craftsmen and builders in the past did not have
sophisticated terminologies and principle that architects and engineers abide by
today. Yet, they fulfilled overlapping rules such as draftsman, architect, engineer,
and even as the builder. What they had was a sense on how materials behaved, how
environment, light, and weather patterns affected structures, and other more intuitive
principles of creation. Experimentation and luck must not also be forgotten. Gothic
cathedrals along with other structures inspired by its architectural tenets have
survived through time, not only by their sheer durability, but more so through the
articulation of the process that they followed. An example of this would be the
Cologne Cathedral. In Germany, it is but one of the many examples of early Gothic
architecture. The account was that master mason Gerhard Ryle started the project in
1248 but was only completed roughly 600 years later, claiming the record as one of
the longest construction projects to date.

The Cologne Cathedral between ca. 1890 and ca. 1900, Koin, Germany

What is meant here is a kind of formalization of craft education in which

regulation was set in place. Here, skills qualification was needed for an apprentice to
register under a particular craft guild. These guilds were prevalent during the middle
Ages particularly during the thirteenth to fifteenth century, where towns had
formalized groups of artisans of craftsmen who took on a particulate specialization or
trade :shoemakers, textile, and glass workers, carpenters, carves, masons,
armorers, and weapon-makers, among others. Here, the practice of artist was not
grounded on the idea of individual capacities of success; rather, in the commitment
to work together as a collective. Guilds were a type of social fellowship, an
association structured with rules, customs, rights, and responsibilities. With a lifetime
commitment to a particular trade, an artisan develops immense skills and expertise
in his craft.

A master artisan or craftsman would then be open to hiring apprentices who

would be under his tutelage and instruction. In these guilds, artistry and technology
flourished under one roof. In the context of the cathedral construction site, the
master mason oversaw the work by numerous men of varying artistic proclivities and
skills, from the smiths (metal work), carpenters, carriers, and glaziers(stained glass
artists), among others.

Four Crowned Saints

Orsanmichele, Florence

This brought to light various ways of thinking about transferring knowledge

and skills by visualizing and articulating the principles, processes, and tricks of the
trade both in words and in print through manuals and publications were done
cheaply and did not have the same thoroughness as with handbooks manuals of
biblical proportions. Aside from funds, another hurdle was the
fact that some of the knowledge that went into production
was difficult to put into words. This can be attested in a way
that often, we find ourselves at a loss when tasked with
explaining a particular step or process in something that we
created.
In the visual arts, an example of an artist strongly
influenced by this was Albrecht Durer. Born in 1471, his
father was goldsmith; that is why he also apprenticed as
such. Later on, he shifted to the visual arts. During that time,
it was customary to travel after completing an apprenticeship
to gather more experience and knowledge elsewhere. His life was ripe with travels,
fame, and fortune. One of the biggest credits to his practice was his dedication and
interest in scholarship with his attendance to a close friend’s meetings of artists and
scholars. He also published quite a number of books and treatises including those
that talked about practical skills as an artist which would be useful to other artisans
and craftsmen who dared to read it.

Although the timeline is a bit skewed, the culture of artisans became

prevalent in the Philippines as well, particularly during the Spanish colonial period.
Formerly done with the spirit of the communal and the everyday, patronship
changed the way art was perceived. This was both the case for religious and secular
art, wherein the existence of artisans proved to be of immense use. It was through
mimesis or copying that artisans first learned to depict religious images and scenes.
Friars, being non-artists themselves, provided the references that artists could use.
During the propagation of the faith, Spanish friars commissioned a lot of artisans to
carve, paint, and engrave images for churches and public sites. Each locality had a
characterizing style or feature in the way their depictions were different from those of
Rizal on in Laguna. Like other baroque churches the benefitted from the talents of
artists, Spanish colonial churches were also lined with frescos and ceiling paintings,
with a number of them undergoing restoration in the early 1900s. Project Ki same is
a collective endeavor amongst enthusiasts,
engagement, and appreciation of surviving ceiling
paintings in more than 60 churches in the
Philippines. Technology and heritage
conservation occupied a substantial part of this
project.

One example of a Spanish architecture

that has been documented is the church of the
most Holy Trinity in Loay, Bohol. Built in 1822, the
ceiling paintings were rendered trompe I’oeil style
depicting biblical scenes. In 2003, It became a National Historical Landmark. It was
therefore unfortunate that this church was one of those heavily damaged during the
devastating earthquake that rattled Bohol in 2013. The only section of the structure
that remained erected was the bell tower. Although it is but a fragment of the real
thing, the photos taken by project Ki same were able to document the beauty of the
ceiling paintings prior to its destruction.

One key example that illustrated the systematization of art instruction--- a

combination of sorts of the guild and the art school – was the establishment Damian
Domingo of the Academia de Dibujo . Known as the best tipos Del pais painter, this
school specialized in teaching the miniaturismo style of painting along with the tenets
of classical European painting. Eventually, other schools emerged teaching other
genres such as bodegones (still life) and paisajes (landscape).

The Artist and His Studio

Moving back to Europe, the big shift that propelled the evolution of the pivotal role of
the artist in the arts started during the Middle Ages up to the Renaissance period.
Most pivotal developments included the transformation of the craftsman to an artist
or an independent artist; the widespread patronization of secular art (alongside the
continuous production of works with religious subjects); and the assertion of
cognition, the will, and individuality. Before the Renaissance Period, artworks were
left unsigned. Artists claiming authorship for their works by affixing their mark onto
the surfaces of their paintings were a big milestone in the history of the artist.
Combined, these resulted in a wider variety of artworks, not just in form, but more so
in style and technique. The site that saw this shift was a very personal space for the
artist himself, which is the studio.
 Today, artist studios have been a place of
interest for the public. It is interesting to see and
learn where creativity manifests itself, especially
since an artist’s studio is an extension of the artist
himself. The studio model dates back from the
Renaissance. Therein, artists flexed their
relationship with their patron as a site where
negotiations and works were made. There were
those whose work stations were segmented into
two, the studiolo and the bottega; the latter is where
the work usually happened. Apprentices studied
under masters, assisting with menial tasks or the
preparation of the painting surfaces. In the
seventeenth century, these demarcations became
lose, eventually merging together. This was especially true with artists who explored
oil painting techniques whose long process can be described by cycles of mixing,
layering, and drying of paint. This format remained throughout the latter part of the
1800s.

In France, on the other hand, academies and art salons became popular as
they did not only support the production of art but also the discourse around them.
Criticism and analysis were highlighted and integral aspects of art engagement and
therefore the display of the artworks through official art salons was sought for. To be
included in the exhibition was deemed an honor, especially since it did not take a
while before it was considered an arbiter of standards and taste.The beginnings of
Industrial Revolution had an interesting ramification for artists. A compendium of
events released the artists from the limitations that affected the way in which they
produced their works. These included the availability and portability of materials (i.e.,
foldable easels and paint in tubes) and the reliance on the wealthy patrons to place a
commission. More painters enjoyed painting on their own behalf, creating works they
wanted to create. It was during this time that a host of styles developed side-by-side,
allowing artists to fully grasp the potential of artistic license, with minimal (to no)
consideration for the prevailing tastes and stylistic preferences. During the latter part
of the 1800s, artists began to question the merits of stringent artistic training and
education, but it was during the 1900s that art was truly liberated from the traditions
of the past. Perhaps, it was then that artists found
freedom to articulate their distinct aesthetic way of
creative production.

Other Players in the World of Art

The terrain in which the artist traverses is

becoming increasingly complex. In the last century,
some of the roles that have been existent since the
beginning of art history have been properly dealt
with—ascribed with a name--- and legitimized into a sophisticated network of
relationships and exchanges. This network is what we call the art world.

In Howard S. Becker’s Art Worlds (1982), he asserted that ‘’ all artistic work,
like all human activity, involves the joint activity of a number, often a large number,
of people. Through their cooperation, the artwork we eventually see or hear comes
to be and continues to be. The work always shows signs of that cooperation. The
forms of cooperation may be ephemeral, but often become more or less routine;
producing patterns of collective activity we can call an art world. The existence of art
worlds, as well as the way their existence affects both the production and
consumption of artworks, suggests a sociological approach to the arts. It is not an
approach that produces aesthetics judgements; although that is a task many
sociologists of art have set for themselves. “There is an assumption that an artist
works in solitary; that the only time the external world is allowed in would be when
the work is displayed and when in circulation. This would necessitate the seemingly
central position that the artist enjoys in the grand scheme of art experience. Although
a popular opinion still, it has considerably, waned, with the emergence of another art
player as a super power---the curator.

But the task at hand is not to christen a

specific group of people in the art world as its
focus. What must be recognized is that, as
Becker contented, there are numerous people
who either work in consent dissension, and in
doing so, continuously (re)-define, (in) validate,
maintain (or boyish), reproduce, and circulate
the ‘’cultural category of art, and to produce the
consent of the entire society in the legitimacy of
the art world’ authority to do so’’ (Irvine, 2013).
The terrain where art is distributed is a global
network comprised of individuals, groups, and
institutions such as school, museums, galleries, art spaces, auction houses, and
other commercial market platforms, and professions. The last aspect is very
important because this implies that the art world does not only rely on ideas,
sentiments, and aesthetic values, but also on skills that are professionalized,
stratified, and more importantly, monetized. An example of a multi-level platform ,
where different players in what we call an art world can engage, interact ,and flex
their art muscles, is the international art fair like the Art Basel in Hong Kong.

A curator, on the other hand, is one of the most elusive of roles to pin down.
Institutional curators are typically affiliated with museums and galleries , while
independent or freelance curators have the leeway to move around various
projects, platforms , and art spaces in a multiplicity of terms . Generally, the role of
the curator is more of the interpretation and development of the artwork(s) or the
collection(s) through establishing the significance, relationship, and relevance of
these materials---in isolation and/or as part of a wider narrative. Some of the roles
expected of curators are the ability to research and write, as an arbiter of design and
layout, and deciding for the display and hanging of materials for exhibition.

If curators are the hardest to define, it is buyers and collectors who are
probably the easiest to qualify. Often they are construed as one and the same, but
separately taken, buyers are those who initially assess and survey the artwork that
collectors are interested in. It is their role to oversee the sale of the artwork, on
behalf of the collector who may either be too busy or who would rather keep his
identity hidden. Formerly ascribed with the term ‘’patron,’’ buyers and collectors are
those who acquire and purchase artworks for a variety of reasons: for the
appreciation and enjoyment of art ; for the scholarship and education opportunity it
may provide ( donors of study collections); for safeguard and preservation of their
posterity; for investment; for communicating a way of life /lifestyle; among others.

In addition, art dealers are those whose direct hand is in the distribution and
circulation of the artworks through a variety of means, such as direct sales, through
galleries, and the more recent player in the Philippines, auction houses. The
knowledge and insight that art dealers are expected to have include a specialization
in art form, style , medium, or period; market trends; and even the interrelationships
of other key players in the art world who will benefit from the circulation and
distribution of the artwork (or artist) he promotes.

As the art world is seen as a socio-economic network, it is important to note

the major difference between museums and galleries. These are the main
institutions that display, distribute, and circulate different artworks; however, they
behave in different ways. The most substantial demarcation that separates one from
the other is the ethics that admonishes museums from entering into the more market
aspect of the art world. What this means is that museums should involve themselves
in the sale of artworks. The predominant role that museums are mandated to fulfil
is the display of artworks for the education of the public and the appreciation of
these objects only, both in isolation or as part of a collection and a wider narrative
rendered possible by its inclusion in exhibitions or informed by museum
programming (i.e. Lectures, workshops, screenings, etc.).

Medium and Technique

Medium is one of the aspects of art that directly correlates with its composition
and presumed finality of the artwork. It is mode of expression in which the concept,
idea, or message is conveyed. It maybe concrete or tangible, such as paintings,
sculptures, monuments, and structures; or it may be ephemeral or something
transient, such as a track (recording of sound), a film, or a performance.

A chosen a medium must not be expected to yield the same results. Giving
two different artist the same exact material and the general qualifier of “painting” the
end product will still vary minimally or in an exponential scale. This is where
technique comes in, as it is the reason why art history is described by a seemingly
limitless example of works of art. The technique of the artwork shows the level of
familiarity with the medium being manipulated. It alludes to the necessity of
additional tools of implements (e.g., hammer and chisel may come in handy for
sculptors), or consideration of time (e.g., behavior or different kind of paint especially
in drying time requirements), and the specificity of the site of creation (e.g., indoor or
outdoor production requirements).
Engagement with Art

The defining roles and nature of exhibitions have had an interesting evolution,
changing alongside the demands of the society that purports to partake in its display.
In Anna Cline’s The Evolving Role of the Exhibition and Its Impacts on Art and
Culture (2012), she wrote the “exhibitions act as the catalyst of art and ideas to the
public;’ they represent a way of displaying and contextualizing art that makes it
relevant and accessible to contemporary audiences. The art exhibitions, by its
nature, holds a mirror up to society, reflecting its interest and concerns while at the
same time challenging its ideologies and preconceptions. Keeping art relevant to
society and to a diverse audience at any given point in history is one of the main
goals of the art exhibition and one of the reasons it is so important to the history art.”
Therefore, it is apparent that exhibitions are not only of import to artist who rely on its
being, but more so to the varied audiences who get see them.

In Paula Morin cola’s What Makes a Great Exhibition? (2006), it reads that
“exhibitions are strategically located at the nexus where artist, their work, the arts
institution, and many different publics intersect. “Exhibitions create an opportunity in
which the different roles in the art world get to meet, interact, and even enter into a
discussion.

One of the most common platforms to engage with the art is through
exhibitions either at museums or galleries. Nowadays, there are other exhibition
spaces that have opened up for artist to showcase their works. Exhibitions may be
long-term or permanent hangs, or it may be temporary or periodically changing. An
artist has may have a solo exhibition or may be included in a two-person showing or
even a group exhibition.

Aside from exhibitions, other opportunities for art engagement transpire in the
classroom (instruction); studio visits; lectures, workshops, and other events that
augment the exhibitions (programs); auction sales; art fairs, biennials, and triennials;
and other larger showing of not only artworks but also where art personalities can
flex their influence and authority. Publications are also a good way to introduce the
artwork the artwork and open it up for appreciation, critique, and analysis.

Awards and Citations

In history, support for the arts and culture is not limited to the allocation of
funding or patronship. One of the most common measures in which artist and other
creative producers are given incentives and honor for their work is through state-
initiated and given awards and citations. The two major awards given to artist in the
Philippines are the Order ng Pambansang Alagad ng Sining (Order of National
Artist) and Gawad sa Manililika ng Bayan (National Living Treasures Awards).

The conferment of the Order of National Artist is the “highest

national recognition given to Filipino individuals who have made
significant contributions to the development of Philippine arts;
namely, music, dance, theater, visuals arts, literature, film,
broadcast arts, and architecture and allied arts. The order is jointly
administered by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts
(NCCA) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and conferred by the
President of the Philippines upon recommendation by both institutions” (NCCA,
2015). The very first recipient of this award was painter Fernando Amorsolo, who
was touted as the “Grand Old Man of Philippine Art.” He was the sole awardee in the
year 1972, a National Artist for Visuals Arts.

At present, there are 66 awardees of this prestigious honor across different art
forms. Some of them were given the award posthumously, while others were
fortunate enough to receive the award themselves. Some of the honors and privilege
that a national artist awardee receives are the following: (1) the rank and title, as
proclaimed by the President of the Philippines; (2) a medallion or insignia and a
citation that will be read during the conferment; (3) cash awards and a host of
benefits (monthly) life pension, medical, and hospitalization benefits, life insurance
coverage); (4) a state funeral and burial at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani (Heroes’
Cemetery ); and (5) a place of honor or designated area during national state
functions, along with recognition or acknowledgement at cultural events. The most
recent conferment was in 2016.

The Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan or the National Living Treasures Award

was createdin1992 under the Republic Act No.7355. Also under the jurisdiction of
the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the NCCA (2015)
“through the search for the finest traditional artist of the land, adopts a program that
will ensure the transfer of their skills to others and undertakes measures to promote
a genuine appreciation of and instill pride among our people about the genius of the
Manlilikha ng Bayan.” It was first conferred to three outstanding artists in music and
poetry back in 1993. They are Ginaw Bilog, a master of the Ambahan poetry; Masino
Intaray, a master of various traditional music instruments of the Palawan people; and
Samoan Sulaiman, a master of the kutyapi and other instruments.

The recipients of the GAMABA are sought under the qualification of a

“Manlilikha ng Bayan” who is a ‘citizen engaged in any traditional art uniquely Filipino
whose distinctive skills have reached such as high level of technical and artistic
excellence and have been passed on to and widely practiced by the present
generations in his/her community with the same degree technical and artistic
competence” (NCCA2015). This artists’ practice may fall under the following
categories; folk, architecture, maritime transport, weaving, carving, performing arts,
literature, graphic and plastic arts, ornament, textile or fiber art, pottery and other
artistic expressions of traditional culture.
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W Some of the incentives accorded to the awardee are the following: (1) a
specially designed gold medallion; (2) an initial grant of $100,000 and a$10,000
monthly stipend for life (this was later increased to $14,000); (3) benefits such as a
maximum cumulative amount of $750,000 medical and hospitalization benefits; and
(4) funeral assistance or tribute fit for a National Living Treasure.

The evolution of the artist throughout history is one of the most interesting
progressions in the affairs of man. From the banalities of the works he created to
assist and inform the every day, he was caught in the midst of prevailing and
shifting ideologies, and utilized the power of creativity and imagination in attempt to
grapple with the world around him. There is much responsibility and expectation
ascribed to artists. As Woodrow Wilson (1913) relates, “You are not here to make a
living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater
vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world,
and you impoverish yourself if you forget that errand.”

Let’s Wrap It Up

Let’s Work On These Questions