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 Martial law
Former President Ferdinand Marcos signed Proclamation 1081, which declared martial

law throughout the Philippines, on September 21, 1972. He made the official

pronouncement on television on September 23 at 7:15 p.m. Marcos cited the

increasing threat of communism to justify the declaration.
Aside from the suspension of your right not to be held against your will without
legal basis, the right of artists to express themselves is withdrawn.
A lot of artworks were banned during the martial law -
it may be in a form of book, film, music or paintings.

 “The dictatorship fuelled the creative

expression of artists, and they sought to
expose the political, cultural and social
situation under it,”
- Emily Abrera (2012)
Sabbath of

Witches
Jaime de Guzman
Oil Canvas, 1970
 aBOUT THE ARTIST
A painter and potter, who hails from the province of
Laguna.
Known for his mural-size surrealist paintings that
are commentaries on Philippine society
Graduated from the Ateneo de San Pablo, and would
move to Manila to study economics at the Ateneo de
Manila
Travel to Mexico to study mural painting under
Jaime Arevalo masters, such as David Alfaro Siqueiros (José de
De Guzman Jesús Alfaro Siqueiros, 1896-1974)
Work with local clays and teach local communities
how to create their own pottery.
The works of Jaime de Guzman encapsulate terrifying visions in the
expressionist style. His long, abstract strokes come together to create
figures with a distorted anatomy. He examines historical narratives
through a dark surrealist lens, often as a response to post-
colonialism. They capture the imagination with folk symbols, icons,
creatures of myths and personal motifs - elements that are visible in
the skeletal figures in Sabbath of the Witches.
- Art-list.com (2020)
 meanings
Factual Conventional Subjective
A scene with
Portraying the
Indeed, it was difficult and

cruelty of martial
uncomfortable under the

skeletons devouring
Marcos administration.

law to the Filipinos

Between the citizens and the

a man squirming

who endured
administration, there were

miserably with the

hardship and
frequent problems, such as

image of Rizal 's

horrific part of their
unlawful arrests, the

continuous imprisonment

character of Elias lives, also it shows

without charges, and the

how the power over

alleged torture, assault, and

the poor other heinous mistreatments

that were likely carried out

by military officials and staff

that crossed the line

rEFERENCES
https://lakansining.wordpress.com/2020/10/23/quezon-avenue-quezon-city-the-history-and-artists-of-

the-bantayog-ng-mga-bayani/comment-page-

1/#:~:text=%201970%20Sabbath%20of%20Witches%20by%20Jaime%20de,express%20his%20hidden%20co

mmentaries%20on%20society%20and%20politics.
https://varsitarian.net/circle/20120729/martial_law_horrors_evoked_in_exhibit#:~:text=Edicio%20de%20la

%20Torre%20said%20he%20painted%20%E2%80%9CNotes,of%20the%20giant%20Marcos%20bust%20in%2

0the%20Ilocos.
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/142723-martial-law-declaration-

philippines/#:~:text=Proclamation%201081%20which%20placed%20the%20entire%20Philippines%20under

,increasing%20threat%20of%20communism%20to%20justify%20the%20declaration.
https://www.facebook.com/923328561166216/posts/artlistfeatureartist-jaime-de-guzmantitle-sabbath-of-

the-witches-1970size-617-x-/1483621948470205/
https://sway.office.com/ebMyvDz4NAYGDMeB?ref=Link

https://www.bing.com/images/search?

view=detailV2&ccid=SIB7JktB&id=592A21B3F5E5AB5BC6E413F0446F1FC8FAE810B5&thid=OIP.SIB7JktBp