CORE 4:

Contemporary Philippine Arts

from the Region
MODULE
(K-12 Education Curriculum)

This book is prepared and reviewed by lecturers of

Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela,
a Valenzuela City public school.

Department of Education
Republic of the Philippines

E. P. Bernardo
G. L. Marino
 FOREWORD

Appreciation of the broad range of art styles and various

disciplines existing in their location appreciating it through their
acquired knowledge of the elements and principles of Art is the
goal of this module. In pursuit of sound reasoning and a strong
sense of responsibility, we engage on activities that gives us the
opportunity to create outputs and evaluate the works of our peers
and their local artists pursuing excellence in the craft.

We demonstrate an understanding of the artists’ role in the

society with techniques and materials to come up with relevant
concepts to plan a production. Mostly relying in the use of the
materials existing in their home environment to produce art.

Borrowed materials (i.e., songs, stories, poems, pictures, photos, brand

names, trademarks, etc.) included in this book are owned by their respective
copyright holders. Every effort has been exerted to locate and seek permission to
use these materials from their respective copyright owners. The publisher and
authors do not represent nor claim ownership over them
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Unit 1 THE CONTEMPORARY ARTS

Lesson 1: The Characteristics of Contemporary Arts
Lesson 2: Subject Matter and Style in Contemporary Art
Lesson 3: Materials Used in Contemporary Art
Lesson 4: Skills Techniques and Production in Contemporary Arts
Unit 2 APPRECIATING CONTEMPORARY ARTS
Lesson 1:Description Applied to Contemporary Arts
Lesson 2:Interpretation and Analysis in Contemporary Arts
Unit 3 CONTEMPORARY ARTS IN THE PHILIPPINES
Lesson 1: Understanding the National Artist Award
Lesson 2: Significant Contemporary Arts and Local Artists
Unit 4 CONTEMPORARY FINE ARTS IN THE PHILIPPINE REGIONS
Lesson 1: Contemporary Painting
Lesson 2: Contemporary Sculpture
Lesson 3: Contemporary Architecture
Unit 5 CONTEMPORARY VISUAL ARTS IN THE PHILIPPINES
Lesson 1: Installation Art: New Media Art
Lesson 2: Public Art: Art in Outdoor Space
Lesson 3:Combining Art Form
Lesson 4: Photography and Digital Art: Technology-aided Art
Unit 6 CONTEMPORARY DESIGN IN ART CRAFTS
Lesson 1: From Folk Art to Contemporary Expressions
Lesson 2: Furniture Products
Lesson 3: Ceramics, Pottery, and Terracotta Art
Lesson 4: Decorative Art in Paper, Tattoo, Coffee, and Tuba
Unit 7 DIFFERENT CONTEMPORARY ART TECHNIQUES AND PERFORMANCE PRACTICES /
CONTEMPORARY PERFORMING
Lesson 1: The Art of Film: Window to Different Worlds
Lesson 2: Dance: The Power of Movemwnt
Lesson 3: Music: Complex Yet Humanizing
Lesson 4: Theatre and Performing Arts on Stage and on the Streets
UNIT 1

THE CONTEMPORARY ARTS

Lesson 1: The Characteristics of Contemporary Art

Objectives
The Unit will enable you to:

• define contemporary arts in the Philippine (CAR11/12CAP-0b-3)

• enumerate the characteristics of contemporary art
• classify various art forms found in the Philippines (CAR11/12CAP-0c-e-4)
• critique available materials and appropriate techniques (CAR11/12TPP-0c-e-12)
• apply artistic skills and techniques in the process of creation (CAR11/12AP-0f-h-
15)

I. INTRODUCTION
Art plays a huge role in enriching a nation’s cultural identity because it reflects
the ways of living, experiences, history, and traditions representing a country and its
countrymen. A culture is introduced to the world through the artists of a certain race
achieving fame in excellence of chosen craft. Arts are described as means of
expression that require imagination and/or skill in making aesthetic objects that can
be shared with other people. These objects are experiences that may exhibit what is
in the imagination of the artist or creator. These may portray ideas and emotions.
These may also be used to entertain or persuade other people. These aesthetic
objects and encounters create beauty. The arts include visual arts, architecture,
literature, music, dance, theater, and cinema or film.
LESSON 1

INTRODUCTION 1.1

Contemporary art is broad based on its art style and medium. It has hundreds of art
styles and movements. This increase in the number of styles and movements is a result
to the experimentation and the combination of different existing media to create
something that is to be considered art not usually with the intention to sell but to
express a certain feeling or impose a cause.
Strictly speaking, the term "contemporary art" refers to art made and produced by
artists living today (V. Ramirez, 2016). The art produced in this new era is mostly a
response to current events happening within the artists’ community or something he
knows about. Some of them are even based on actual experiences. These art
movements are not bound to the existing idea of beauty or aesthetics but rather
appreciated through its effect to its audience, it allows the viewer to have his own
interpretation to the meaning of the piece.
Since the early 20th century, some artists have turned away from realistic
representation and the depiction of the human figure, and have moved increasingly
towards abstraction. In New York City after World War II, the art world coined the term
"abstract expressionism" to characterize an art movement that was neither completely
abstract, nor expressionistic. Nevertheless, the movement challenged artists to place
more emphasis on the process of making art rather than the final product. Artists like
Jackson Pollock brought art-making to choreographic heights by dripping paint in grand
yet spontaneous gestures. As one critic noted, the canvas was an arena in which to
act—"what was going on in the canvas was not a picture but an event." This notion of
art as an event emerged out of the movement called abstract expressionism, which
greatly influenced the art movements that followed, and continues to inspire artists
living today.
 WHAT I KNOW

INSTRUCTIONS:
Using the Venn diagram, write the differences and similarities of Contemporary
Art and Modern Art.

Modern Contemporary
Art Art

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF CONTEMPORARY ARTS

What is Art?
1. Art is a natural human behavior - The ways and behavior of a person can be
considered art, intentional or not our actions tell our story, it describes what we see,
how we feel and what we experience.
2. Art is communication – it is through art that we express our thoughts and send
messages with or without expecting a response from our receiver/s, the audience. The
Art produced to stimulate our senses also conveys messages, responses follow and a
conversation is established.
3. Art is shared experience - While art is an expression of individual human knowledge
and experiences, its creation and perception is a process that we can go through
together. Mass viewings are made for theatre, film and television. We can admire
architectural masterpieces as we pass by buildings and eventually make use of it.
 Modern Art Contemporary Art
1860’s- 1960’s 1960’s- present
Originality is important Originality is not an issue
HR Ocampo’s painting Produced by artist living today
“The Contrast (1960’s)

Freedom and liberty to experiment with

the style

Theme/Topic

Modern and Contemporary Art Traditional

Children, women, and environment Religious and conservative

Discover

Below are the lessons and that will guide you to discover, understand and value
Contemporary Arts in the Philippine Regions, for you to evaluate how Filipino
values, beliefs, culture and way of living is reflected through their art.
It is important that we know how much you’ve learned about the topic that will
be discussed, it will help us to better assess how we can improve your learning
experience. Try to do the following activities.

What is Contemporary Art?

1. Contemporary art is not confined to the Museum. It is also found in galleries, art
schools, side streets, and public spaces like the train or bus stations, shopping
centers or parks. The contemporary art is created for exposition.

2. The Practice of selling paintings has also changed in contemporary art. The
media play an important role in this change. The museums and auctions that serve
as a marketplace for different art pieces have its online versions, buying and selling
contemporary artworks have never been this easy.
3. Many contemporary artists are self-taught and did not have formal education.
Since it is not bound to the existing rules for beauty and aesthetics nor forced to follow
art principles, anyone who has an access to a pen, a crayon or anything he can use to
create art could be considered as an artist. The beauty in this art is only realized
through interpretations.

4. Originality is not an issue in contemporary art. (Though proper credits is a no-

brainer) An artist can get another artist’s work and add to it, redesign or interpret it
using other materials.

5. The colors used are strong and the content is symbolic. Having its goal to express
emotions and movements with intensity, Contemporary art is usually identified with
symbolic visualizations and loud color combinations.

Characteristics of Contemporary Philippines Arts

Interactive- The artists create their art with the intention of getting participation
from the audience or the viewers.

Collaborative- An artist needs the help of other artists and artisans.

Process- based- The artist focuses more on the processes done to come up with a
certain artwork rather than the output.

Site- specific- The art is intended for display only to a particular place.

Innovation in art- The existing art evolves through combining it with another art-
form or through changes in its form and/or appearance. Spoken word poetry and
urban hip-hop are examples.

Using new materials- The use of traditional art materials are lessened, junk art, soap
sculptures, or coffee and light painting are examples.

Use of color- The art is further expressed through color combinations to create
illusions or impose emotions.

Newer techniques- The creation of art had wider options for creators, digital art and
animation are some of the examples.
 WHAT’S MORE!

Observe: Artworks found in the comfort of your house

Instructions: List down 5 examples of a contemporary art that you know and its
characteristics. It must qualify for these categories:

1. Art created in the Philippines

2. Art created by Filipinos
3. Can be found inside your house

Art Characteristics

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.
LESSON 2

Subject Matter and Style in Contemporary Art

WHAT I KNOW

The Teacher will show a book and will allow you to observe its book cover.
Determine what the subject matter is. After analyzing, the teacher will discuss the
content of the book and there the students will give their observations and can
compare his / her review to the actual content of the book.

The subject matter is an important part in the process of creating art, most of the
times. One cannot create an art without a story or a goal in mind. It is the first step
to his expression.

What is the difference between subject matter and theme?

Subject in the arts refers to what is it all about. If there is an image, we identify that
image and recognize how it is presented. The image may be representational or
figurative, which means the image is drawn from the world around us. If it is
abstract, non-representational or non-figurative, it does not have a recognizable
subject, such as a tree, or object. Its subject is its form and elements - its texture,
color, composition, shape or movement, among others. Themes are what connect
subjects to their social milieu or its context. There are many ways to determine the
theme of an artwork. At the most obvious and surface level, we note its initial data:

● Title
● Artist
● Medium
● Dimension

And the year it was made.

Beyond these initial data are:

● Texts
● Images
● Allusions
● Symbols
 In practice, it is difficult to separate subject matter and thematic plane. Subject
matter answers the question “What do we see, hear, smell, taste or touch?” Using our
senses is the initial step; this requires keen and diligent observation, not just of the
image, but how it is presented and if there is no image, how the formal elements are
deployed. Themes go beyond the literal, the data on the artwork and what we see at
the surface level with our sense. We move on to making sense of the work within a
larger context. Issues of power come into play, not just in the larger contexts, but in the
artworld itself. The insights that we gain and the questions we ask will result from our
own research and keen observation, but it may also be "colored" by our own lenses and
points of view. Depending on many factors, these themes can also intersect since a
single artwork can encompass and resonate with several themes, as the following
discussion will show.

“Ang iyong paksa ay kakambal ng iyong layunin sa paglikha, ang iyong bukambibig ay
ang nilalaman ng iyong puso” (Bernardo, 2020)

Styles and movements in Contemporary Art

Abstract Expressionism is a painting in which

the artist applies paint in a manner that
expresses emotions and feelings in a
spontaneous way. The figures may be heavy in
lines and color without solid mass. Abstraction
indicates a departure from reality in depiction
of imagery in art. Guide lines are used to create
an image in mind (see the photo below) the
lightness or darkness of color, strokes, images
formed through connected lines etc. are also
used.
Kinetic Art is a sculpture that moves with the
wind or is powered by a machine or
electricity.

OP Art uses lines or images repeatedly to

create an optical illusion.

Performance Art combines a variety of media

and human body to execute an artistic
theatrical expression before a live audience.
Could be in a form of dance, singing, acting
etc. it is usually performed to a select or wide
range of audiences.

Environmental Art involves the artistic

creation or manipulation of space such as
landscape or architectural design that may
enclose its audience. Earthworks, or art using
stones, leaves, trees, grass or other natural
elements are included in this category.
Minimalism has a stripped-down, pre-
fabricated look, free of details and often
with flat surface but expresses a specific
content or statement. An example is electric
wire emerging from wall that coils to form a
particular shape.

Feminist art emerges from concerns of

female artists expressed through art. It
tackles issues of identity, sexuality, gender
roles, equality, and the ways in which the
female is treated in society, among others.

Graffiti art is a drawing, inscription or

sketch done hastily on a wall or other
surface made to be seen by the public.

Body art is an art form that uses the body as

the medium or main material. It can be
painted or clothed and used to perform
artistic act in public. Tattooing and piercing
are examples of body art.

Digital Art is done with the aid of computer

to create an image or design composed of
bits and bythes. The image can be printed
on paper, tarpaulin, or other mediums.
Video art consists of images that are recorded
through a video and viewed through
television, computer or projected screen.

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED

Instructions: Create an art based on the style and movement in contemporary art,
which shows subjects that have something to do with children, women or the
environment. Draw it on the space provided below, cut and paste it in your journal.
After doing so, then answer the following questions;

1. What art style or movement have you chosen? and what are the things you have
considered upon choosing one? (list down 3 of your reasons)
2. What is your art work all about? (explain through a 3-sentence paragraph)
3. List down 5 reasons on why it should be considered a contemporary art.

Criteria Very Good (10 Good (8 points) Needs Scor

points) Improvement (6 e
points)
Content A subject A subject The subject is not
concerning women, concerning clear, the goal of
children ad women, children creation is not
environment is well ad environment is clearly
expressed. well expressed. But manifested.
better use of
symbolisms and
representations
should be
considered.
Creativity Excellent use of The message is The
representations clearly presented representations,
and symbolisms to but lacked a story symbols and
present a clear or a twist in message is
message to the presenting the unclear.
audience. ideas, the
audience didn’t
had a chance to
ponder.

Presentation The output is well The output is well The output is

maintained and maintained and done on a rush,
presented. presented. But a not maintained
proper use of nor presented
elements and well.
principles is
lacking.
LESSON 3

Materials Used in Contemporary Art

SHARE IT!

Have you created your own artwork? Can you provide a photo of it? Also
provide the materials you used and the way you used them.

ARTWORK:
Materials How did you use?
1.
2.
3.
4.

Mediums or materials are not just tangible objects which artists use to make
art; they are also bearers of ideas and knowledge from people and places that
can be translated in ways that are meaningful and understandable to audiences
encountering the work. In this lesson, examples will be drawn from performance
art, a category from the visual arts, which, like the performing arts of music,
dance, literature and theater, also integrate various mediums in a way that
stresses location, space, and process. Performance art may also involve only one
artist or a full production very similar to theater and may include one or more
sites.

Local Materials in the Philippines

Abaca belongs to Banana family. It’s fiber has natural luster with colors ranging
from pure white to ivory and dark brown. Abaca products are rope, decors,
furniture, bags and slippers. Furniture makers and designers used this material
for their works because of its durability and and availability.
Bamboo is a raw materials used in many products. It is usually used in
construction, textiles, musical instruments, weapons etc. Homes, furnitures,
bedframes, sofa-set, tables and chair in provinces are usually made in bamboo.
Some bamboo artistic products include kubing, bungkaka, tangatong, angklung,
pateteg, gabbang.
Buri is extracted from the matured leaves of the buri palm. The fiber is durable
and resistant to moisture. Some Buri artistic products are hats, baskets, bags,
memorabilia boxes, perfume tray, and other woven products.
Buntalis is a cylindrical shaped fibers. The supple ivory white strands are quite
durable, pliable and have good dyeing qualities. Some Buntalis artistic products
are shoes, desk accessories like pen holder, picture frames, place mats,
lampshades, and window blinds.
Capiz Shell is a highly asymmetrical bivalve with a characteristically thin,
translucent shell often used in handicrafts. This is usually seen on walls for decors
and even in lighting fixtures.
Coconut shell is a local material in the Philippines and can be seen everywhere.
Philippines used coconut in many artistic products, these are lamps, boxes, table
tops, chairs, household accessories and even wall treatments.
Nito is a plant belonging to the fern family that grows abundantly in the
hinterlands of Mindanao. Nito products are bags, bread tray, lampshade and
decorative jars.
Pandan is a tropical plant. It is used as raw material in creating baskets, hats,
picture frames and bags.
Raffia is a fiber extracted from unopened buri leaf in three stages. It is loom woven
into fabrics or used as wall coverings, upholstery material, folding doors and
window hanging.
Rattan belongs to the palm family. It is one of the favorite of many designers. It is
usually used in making baskets, picture frames, furniture, and other novelty items,
Zoya lounge chair, Valennzia queen size bed, Rest divan.
Santol wood is common to many Filipino backyards and farms. Santol is known for
its fruit, little did we know that it has more to offer. It is less dense than narra or
molave.

What is medium?

Medium is defined as the material, or the substance out of which a work is made.
Through these materials, the artists express and communicate feelings and ideas.
The medium also defines the nature of the art form as follows:
The sculptor uses metal, wood, stone, clay, and glass. Sculptures fall within the
category of “three-dimensional” arts because they occupy space and have volume.
Pottery is a form of sculpture. Other examples are nudes or figures such as
Guillermo Tolentino’s Oblation, ritual objects such as bulul wood carvings in the
Cordillera, or the santos or carvings of saints in Christian churches.

The architect uses wood, bamboo, bricks, stone, concrete and various building
materials. Buildings are also called “three-dimensional” arts because like
sculpture, they occupy space and have volume. However, architecture has the
added element of time, since we move into the structures.

The painter uses pigments (e.g., watercolor, oil, tempera, textile paint, acrylic, ink,
etc.) on a usually flat ground (wood, canvas, paper, stone wall such as in cave
paintings).

The printmaker uses ink printed or transferred on a surface (wood, metal plates, or
silk screen) that is in keeping with a duplicating or reproducing process. Prints and
paintings are further classified as “two-dimensional” arts, because they include the
surface or ground on which coloring substances are applied. However, while
paintings are unique and one-of-a kind, prints can be reproduced in several
predetermined editions.

The musician uses sound and instruments (including the human voice). A T’boli
chanter sings creation stories in a way that is different from a classical singer or
pop music singer influenced by the Western music scale.
The dancer uses the body and its movements. Dance is often accompanied by
music, but there are dances that do not rely on musical accompaniment to be
realized. Dance can tell stories, but at other times, they convey abstract ideas that
do not rely on a narrative.

The theatre artist integrates all the arts and uses the stage, production design,
performance elements, and script to enable the visual, musical, dance and other
aspects to come together as a whole work.

The photographer and filmmaker use the camera to record the outside world.

The filmmaker uses the cinematographic camera to record and put together
production design, sound engineering, performance, and screenplay. In digital
photography and film, the images can be assimilated into the computer, thus
eliminating the need for celluloid or negatives, processing chemicals, or print.
The writer of a novel, poetry, nonfiction and fiction uses words.

The designer, the performance artist, and the installation artist combine use of the
range of materials above.

Some artists combine indigenous materials with textile and mount these on a
painted flat surface. Paper as an art medium is also explored by artists, like Mona
Alcudia of Cebu who makes solid forms as well as transparent artworks using paper.

In outdoor sculpture, there is a lot of use of brass welded together and mounted on
concrete. Wood and glass are used for indoor sculpture. Found objects are combined
and are covered with resin.

Painting is no longer confined to canvas hung on the wall. They can also be found on
ceiling and floors. Some are done outdoors, like the Singapore Art bridge which was
painted by Batanes-born artist Pacita Abad with 250 multiple colors. Many local
artists lead a community or student in painting murals on walls to make a more
pleasant environment and to raise consciousness towards environmental projection.

In architecture, there is extensive use of glass and steel. Color combination is either
complementary or strong contrasting, such as orange and blue, red, white. Over the
years, there have been a lot of building construction, such as malls, convention
centers, business process centers, industrial parks and government service buildings.
All these demand art and contemporary artists are producing a huge body of works
not only for indoor use but for outdoor, as well.

In performance art, artist used variety of props such as rope, plastic, textile, found
objects. Paint is also used for body art. An example is Cagayan de Oro Artist Nicolas
Aca who paints his body to project an effect.

Technology has also redefined art in many ways. Some examples are: (a) light
structures and floor drawings using colored laser beans and smoke; (b) tubes hanging
on the ceiling that respond to the viewer’s movements, sound and touch; (c) a wall
climbing robot holding a paint; and (d) a pen controlled by a software program to
create certain patterns.
Because of the usefulness of new materials to art-making, artists have to upgrade
their skills and learn the use of computer programs and its applications. Welding is
also useful for fabrication and building structure. This requires physical strength and
special tools. Some materials have chemical components that are hazardous to the
health such as acid, resin, and fiberglass.
 The availability and variety of materials and the possibilities offered by
technology expand the choices of artists. This is essential to the development
of contemporary art.

LESSON 4

Skills, Techniques, and Production in Contemporary Arts

Many of our local contemporary artists are self-taught, especially those in the
fine arts, their wide imagination and ability in drawing, design and coloring are
mostly acquired through years of experience and immersion in the chosen
craft.

All of our artists, professionally trained or self-taught continue to exhibit

their value as a reflection of a country’s cultural identity and a catalyst to a
better society.

Technique is the manner in which artists use and manipulate materials to

achieve the desired formal effect, and communicate the desired concept, or
meaning, according to his or her personal style. The distinctive character or
nature of the medium determines the technique. For example: stone is
chiseled, wood is carved, clay is modeled and shaped, metal is cast, and thread
is woven. Technique involves tools and technology, ranging from the most
traditional (for example carving, silkscreen, analog photography, and
filmmaking) to the most contemporary (digital photography, digital
filmmaking, music production, industrial design, and robotics).
There are different types of techniques that artists can choose from:
• Collage- is made by adhering flat elements such as a newspaper or
magazine cut-outs, printed text, illustrations, photographs, cloth, string, etc. to
a flat surface to create a thick layer that is almost like a relief sculpture.

• Decalcomania- is the process of applying gouache to paper or

glass then transferring a reversal of that image onto canvas or other flat
materials.
• Decoupage- is done by adhering cut-outs of paper and then coating
these with one or more coats or transparent coating or varnish.
• Frottage- is the technique of rubbing with crayons on a piece of
paper which has been placed over an object or an image.
• Montage- is used for photography or film where a pictorial image is
juxtaposed or placed over lapping to make another picture or design.
• Trapunto- Painting is the technique used by Pacita Abad where her
canvases are padded, sewn, and often filled with sequence, beads, hells,
buttons, tiny mirrors, bits of glass, rickrack, swatches of precious textiles and
other things that is picked up from her travels and journeys.
• Digital Application- for art viewing is another technique. An
example was made possible by the Samsung Supports the Arts FACETS based at
Yuchengco Museum.
Contemporary art is not confined to the museum. They are also found in
galleries, art schools, side streets, and public spaces like the train or bus stations,
shopping centers or parks. Many installation artworks are intended for display is
a particular setting and for a given span of time. Then they are deconstructed
and cannot be repeated. Some artworks are posted online. This means anyone
who has access to the internet can view the artwork and actually purchase it.

DO IT YOURSELF

Individual Art Making (Modeling)

Instructions: Create a video presentation demonstrating art creations using

your assigned technique. The presentation should only last from 3-5 minutes.
Each one is assigned to a skill or technique based on the first letter of his/her
name. (the video presentation will be posted on our Facebook group)

1. A-D- Collage
2. E-H- Decalcomania
3. I- L- Decoupage
4. M- P- Frottage
5. Q- T- Montage
6. U- X- Trapunto
7. Y-Z- Digital Application
Criteria Very Good (10 Good (8 points) Needs Grad
points) Improvement (6 e
points)
General The output was Missed one of Missed more than
Instruction passed on time the one of the
and the instructions. instructions.
instructions
were followed
accordingly.

Creativity The process The process The process was

shown in the was simple and not clearly
video was clear, clearly presented and the
the steps presented. steps were quite
provided are difficult to
easy to follow understand.
and presented in
an attractive
way.
Presentation Excellent use of A simple and Needs an
technology. The clear tutorial. improvement in
editing was filming and editing
commendable. raw materials
(audio/video/graphi
cs).

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED

Directions: Read carefully the following instructions and statements. Strictly no

erasures.

True or False: Write T if the statement is true and F if false. (1 point each item)

1. The increase of number of styles and movements is a result of experimentation

and the combination of different existing media.
2. The term "contemporary art" refers to art made and produced by artists living
today.
3. Juan Luna and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo are Contemporary Artist.
4. Originality is important in contemporary art.
5. The favorite topics in contemporary art are Children, Women and Environment
6. All contemporary artist has formal education, especially in the field of fine arts
7. Kinetic Art uses lines or images repeatedly to create an optical illusion.
8. Video art is done with the aid of computer to create an image or design
composed of bits and bythes. The image can be printed on paper, tarpaulin, or
other mediums.
9. Coconut shell is a local material in the Philippines and can be seen everywhere.
Philippines used coconut in many artistic products, these are lamps, boxes, table
tops, chairs, household accessories and even wall treatments.
10. In contemporary period, the architect uses wood, bamboo, bricks, stone,
concrete and various building materials. Buildings are also called “three-
dimensional” arts because like sculpture, they occupy space and have volume.
11. Frottage is a Painting technique used by Pacita Abad where her canvases are
padded, sewn, and often filled with sequence, beads, hells, buttons, tiny mirrors,
bits of glass, rickrack, swatches of precious textiles and other things that is picks
up from her travels and journeys.
12. Trapunto is the technique of rubbing with crayons on a piece of paper which
has been placed over an object or an image.
13. Decalcomania is the process of applying gouache to paper or glass then
transferring a reversal of that image onto canvas or other flat materials.
14. Technique is the manner in which artists use and manipulate materials to
achieve the desired formal effect, and communicate the desired concept, or
meaning, according to his or her personal style.
15. In Contemporary Period Painting is no longer confined to canvas hung on the
wall. They can also be found on ceiling and floors.

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED

After doing the activities: I noticed

__________________________________________________________
A question I have is
_________________________________________________________________
I’m not sure
_________________________________________________________________
I realized
_________________________________________________________________
Reference List

Basilan, M. L. J. Ph.D. & Arguelles, R. LPT. (2018) Contemporary Philippine Arts

from The Region. Unlimited Books Library Services & Publishing Corporation.

Datuin, F. M., Paulino, R., Ramirez, E. & Marcelino, L. (2016). Contemporary

Philippine Arts from The Region. Rex Book Store Publishing Company

Panisan, W. K., Gazzingan, L. B., Samar, G. L. & Boongaling, C. C. (2016).

Contemporary Philippine Arts from The Region. Mutya Publishing House
Incorporation.

Sayseng, A. (2016). Contemporary Philippine Arts from The Region. Pasay: JFS
Publishing Services,

Veronica, R. (2016). Contemporary Philippine Arts from The Region. Vibal Group,
Incorporation.

Diamond, C. (1996). “Quest for the Elusive Self: The Role of Contemporary
Philippine Theatre in the Formation of Cultural Identity.” Retrieved from:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/1146515?seq=1
UNIT 2

APPRECIATING CONTEMPORARY ARTS

Lesson 1: Description Applied to Contemporary Arts

Objectives
The Unit will enable you to:
• study information on various contemporary arts in the Philippines
(CAR11/12CAP-0c-e-4)
• analyze the method of the description of contemporary artwork's subject matter,
medium and form
• evaluates contemporary art forms based on the elements and principles
(CAR11/12CAP-0c-e-6)

How do you describe contemporary art? How do you compliment contemporary art?
How do you appreciate contemporary artwork? How do you appreciate good
artwork? Contemporary art can be difficult for people to understand. When people
don’t understand art, they start to reject it. “We don’t see things as they are, we see
them as we are.” Be it classical or contemporary art, it is often quickly agreed that
our idea of beauty is subjective and ever-changing with time. As individuals, we are
molded by personal taste, experience and feelings. Therefore, it is a key to keep an
open mind when viewing art that is not necessarily considered “beautiful.” Rather
than critique, the goal is to understand the artwork and its context (such as historical
background, motifs, etc) in order to derive useful meaning.

The Art is not just a talent showcase, its creation is process of thinking and
moving, knowing one’s self while allowing others to know him. But how do others
appreciate someone ’s art? How does someone evaluate art?
Though contemporary art is not just appreciated through traditional aesthetic
standards, the application of certain art principles and elements could be used in
appreciating and interpreting these kind of art movement.
 WHAT I KNOW

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Read the statements carefully. Identify what is being described in the statement.
Encircle the letter of the correct answer.

1. This refers to a prolongation of a point.

a. Color c.Space
b. Line d. Value

2. This statement refers to the way the surface or objects looks as it may feel.
a. Line c. Color
b. Shape and mass d. Texture

3. This element of art refers to an area with boundaries identified or drawn

using lines.
a. Value c. Shape
b. Color d. Texture

4. This type of texture refers to the real qualities of the physical surface of an
artwork.
a. Implied texture c. Actual texture
b. Space d. Value

5. This refers to brightness and dullness of color.

a. Hue c. Saturation
b. Value d. Color
LESSON 1

Description Applied to Contemporary Arts

Describing an artwork, especially if it is in the contemporary style, requires

knowledge of art: its scope, principles and production and understanding of the
artist and the factors that affect art making. Because many contemporary artists
react to issues in the society, it also helps to know about the community and
environment in which the artist makes art (Ramirez, 2016)

There are three elements that constitute description of

contemporary art:
Subject matter is what you see that is depicted in the artwork. It may be a human
form where the figures are engaged in activity, or a combination of texture and
color. It may also be a figure made from found objects put together or assembled
into a coherent whole. It refers to the image or message being conveyed in an art
piece
Material is what the artwork is made of. It can also be a combination of objects
used in the artworks. The material refers to items used to assemble or create art,
Medium is the way materials are used
Art elements and principles refers to the physical qualities of the image. The
artists use color, lines, space and other elements to create visual images. These
are arranged into an organized manner that observes unity, harmony, rhythm, or
other principles of design in a creative way.

Elements of Art
• Lines- Lines and curves are marks that span a distance between two points (or
the path of a moving point). As an element of visual art, line is the use of various
marks, outlines, and implied lines during artwork and design. A line has a width,
direction, and length. A line's width is most times called its "thickness". Lines are
sometimes called "strokes", especially when referring to lines in digital artwork.
• Shape- refers to a 2-dimensional, enclosed area. Shapes could be geometric,
such as squares, circles, triangles etc. or organic and curvaceous.
• Color- is the element of art that is produced when light, striking an object, is
reflected back to the eye.
There are three properties to color. The first is hue, which simply means the name
we give to a color (red, yellow, blue, green, etc.). The second property is intensity,
which refers to the vividness of the color. A color's intensity is sometimes referred
to as its "colorfulness", its "saturation", its "purity" or its "strength". The third and
final property of color is its value, meaning how light or dark it is. The terms
shade and tint refer to value changes in colors. In painting, shades are created by
adding black to a color, while tints are created by adding white to a color.
• Form- The form of a work is its shape, including its volume or perceived volume.
A three-dimensional artwork has depth as well as width and height. Three-
dimensional form is the basis of sculpture. However, two-dimensional artwork can
achieve the illusion of form with the use of perspective and/or shading or
modelling techniques. Formalism is the analysis of works by their form or shapes
in art history or archeology.
• Texture- another element of art, is used to describe how something feels or
looks. A small selection of examples of the descriptions of texture are furry,
bumpy, smooth, rough, soft, and hard. There are many forms of texture; the two
main forms are actual and visual. Visual texture is strictly two-dimensional and is
perceived by the eye that makes it seem like the texture. Actual texture (tactile
texture) is one not only visible, but can be felt. It rises above the surface
transitioning it from two-dimensional to three-dimensional.
• Space- is any conducive area that an artist provides for a particular purpose.
Space includes the background, foreground and middle ground, and refers to the
distances or area(s) around, between, and within things. There are two kinds of
space: negative space and positive space. Negative space is the area in between,
around, through or within an object. Positive spaces are the areas that are
occupied by an object and/or form.
• Value- Value is the degree of lightness and darkness in a color. The difference in
values is called contrast. Value can relate to shades, where a color gets darker by
adding black to it, or tints, where a color gets lighter by adding white to it. White
is considered the lightest value whereas black is the darkest. The middle value
between these extremes is also known as a half-tone, all of which can be found
on a value scale.
 Principles of art

• Harmony- Harmony in art and design is the visually satisfying effect of combining
similar, related elements. For instance: adjacent colors on the color wheel, similar
shapes etc.
• Balance- A feeling of equality in weight, attention, or attraction of the various
visual elements within the pictorial field as a means of accomplishing organic unity.
• Proportion- Proportion is the comparison of dimensions or distribution of forms. It
is the relationship in scale between one element and another, or between a whole
object and one of its parts. Differing proportions within a composition can relate to
different kinds of balance or symmetry, and can help establish visual weight and
depth.
• Dominance/ Emphasis- The principle of visual organization that suggests that
certain elements should assume more importance than others in the same
composition. It contributes to organic unity by emphasizing the fact that there is one
main feature and that other elements are subordinate to it.
• Variety- Variety is the complement to unity and harmony, and is needed to create
visual interest. Without unity and harmony, an image is chaotic and “unreadable;”
without variety it is dull and uninteresting. Good design is achieved through the
balance of unity and variety; the elements need to be alike enough so we perceive
them as belonging together and different enough to be interesting.

• Movement- Movement is the path our eyes follow when we look at a work of art,
and it is generally very important to keep a viewer’s eyes engaged in the work.
Without movement, artwork becomes stagnant. A few good strategies to evoke a
sense of movement (among many others) are using diagonal lines, placing shapes so
that the extend beyond the boundaries of the picture plane, and using changing
values.
• Rhythm- A continuance, a flow, or a feeling of movement achieved by the
repetition of regulated visual information.
LESSON 1

Interpretation and Analysis in Contemporary Arts

To be able to analyze and interpret contemporary art, we have to be aware

that there are multiple views of life, ideas, and reality that are expressed by the
artists. Some artists believe that the person is affected by language, social
relations, and the unconscious. They think they are unable to effect change.
Another group artist who call themselves “structuralists,” believe that a
phenomenon can be explained in relation to other phenomena. There are codes
and signs that underlie these phenomena so the work of the artist is to make
these visible. They strive for objectivity, coherence, and rigor supported by
science and theories. They search for universal truth and believe in unchanging
human nature.

Art analysis starts with a description of an artwork. Here, the viewer focuses on
beauty, design qualities and the value of an artwork. This is where we determine
what the features suggest and decide why the artist used these to convey
specific idea. Art interpretation is employed by the viewer after describing and
analyzing an artwork. Here, focus is on the expressive qualities, the meaning,
theme, mood, or idea communicated by the artist.

Judgement
After you have done to tedious work of describing, analyzing and interpreting
the contemporary artwork, you can now make a judgement. Is it a good
artwork? On what criteria ad evidence did you base your judgement? Based on
the criteria and evidence, what is your judgement about the quality of the
artwork?
 WHAT HAVE I LEARNED

Photo Analysis

The class will be grouped into two, where they will observe the following images:

1. Spoliarium by Juan Luna

2. The Christian Virgin expose to populace by Felix Resurrection Hidalgo
The images will be observed based on their:

a. Elements of Art

b. Principles of Art

c. The meaning and lesson behind the Picture

Criteria Very Good (25 Good (22 points) Needs Gra

points) Improvement de
(18 points)
Content The elements and 2 to 4 elements More than 4
discussion principles are well are not clearly elements are not
(Art analysis) defined and presented. clearly
presented. presented.

Content The message is An element for the The explanations

discussion well expressed. clarity of does not clearly
(Art expression is represent the art
interpretation) lacking. work.
WHAT HAVE I LEARNED

I. Directions: Choose the letter of the correct answer

1. It answers the question: What is the artwork all about

a. subject
b. subject matter
c. theme
d. topic

2. What do you call the process when the viewer focuses on the beauty, design
qualities and the value of the artwork?
a. Art analysis
b. Art interpretation
c. Judgement
d. Criticisms

3. It refers to the physical qualities of the image.

a. Elements of art
b. Principles of art
c. Elements and Principles of art
d. Aesthetic
4. It answers the question: Is it a good artwork?
a. Art analysis
b. Art interpretation
c. Judgement
d. Criticisms

5. In this process, the artist focuses on the expressive qualities of an artwork, the
meaning, theme, mood, or idea communicated by the artist.
a. Art analysis
b. Art interpretation
c. Judgement
d. Criticisms

6. It refers to a 2-dimensional, enclosed area, it could be geometric, such as squares,

circles, triangles etc. or organic and curvaceous
a. Shape
b. Form
c. Lines
d. space

7. It refers to the vividness of the color. It is sometimes referred to as its

"colorfulness", its "saturation", its "purity" or its "strength".
a. Hue
b. Intensity
c. Value
d. Texture

8. I is the path our eyes follow when we look at a work of art, and it is generally very
important to keep a viewer’s eyes engaged in the work. Without this, artwork
becomes stagnant.
a. Proportion
b. emphasis
c. Rhythm
d. Movement
9. A continuance, a flow, or a feeling of movement achieved by the repetition of
regulated visual information.
a. Proportion
b. emphasis
c. Rhythm
d. Movement

10. is the comparison of dimensions or distribution of forms. It is the relationship

in scale between one element and another, or between a whole object and one of
its parts.
a. Proportion
b. emphasis
c. Rhythm
d. Movement

WHAT HAVE I LEARNED

What I have Learned

After doing the activities: I noticed

__________________________________________________________

A question I have is
_________________________________________________________________

I’m not sure

_________________________________________________________________

I realized
_________________________________________________________________
Reference List

Basilan, M. L. J. Ph.D. & Arguelles, R. LPT. (2018) Contemporary Philippine Arts

from The Region. Unlimited Books Library Services & Publishing Corporation.

Datuin, F. M., Paulino, R., Ramirez, E. & Marcelino, L. (2016). Contemporary

Philippine Arts from The Region. Rex Book Store Publishing Company

Panisan, W. K., Gazzingan, L. B., Samar, G. L. & Boongaling, C. C. (2016).

Contemporary Philippine Arts from The Region. Mutya Publishing House
Incorporation.

Sayseng, A. (2016). Contemporary Philippine Arts from The Region. Pasay: JFS
Publishing Services,

Veronica, R. (2016). Contemporary Philippine Arts from The Region. Vibal Group,
Incorporation.
UNIT 3
CONTEMPORARY ARTS AND ARTISTS IN THE
PHILIPPINES

Lesson 1: Understanding the National Artist Award

Objectives
The Unit will enable you to:

• name famous Filipino artist in contemporary arts and identify their

contribution to contemporary arts
• explain Filipino artists' roles and identify their contribution to contemporary
arts (CAR11/12CAP-Oc-e-5)
• evaluate contemporary art forms based on its elements and principles.

In the previous lessons, we have learned that it is essential to view an

artwork in connection with its context. With that in mind, it becomes necessary to
understand the relationship of local artists and their artwork to the national scene.
This conversation is largely held by major institutions and award-giving bodies like
the National Artists Award. In this unit, we will learn about another national award
for artists who engage in particular disciplinal areas, such as the visual arts. We
might encounter some of the artists we have cited previously. In this lesson, we
look at their works more closely, especially in terms of collaboration and exchange,
as we view the National Artist Award in the spirit of the public sphere, to whom
artists and award-giving bodies are held accountable
LESSON 1

Understanding the National Artist Award

Established in 1972, the National Artist Awards (NAA) remains to be the

highest award-giving body in the Philippine art scene. Being a recipient of the
award does not just mean that your artwork is aesthetically pleasing, but rather,
that you are also a significant cultural icon in the Philippines. With that, we ask:
what is the goal of the NAA? How are the recipients selected?

Among the various institutional awards and recognition instruments, the NAA
bestows the highest form of recognition to Filipino artists for their significant
contributions in the arts and letters. It shares the same prestige as the Gawad ng
Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) and the National Scientist Award. The award is
conferred every three years through a rigorous deliberation and selection process
jointly facilitated by two major cultural offices, the National Commission for
Culture and the Arts and the Cultural Center of the Philippines. NAA was
established in 1972 under Presidential Decree No. 1001 issued by then President
Ferdinand Marcos. The first recipient was Fernando Amorsolo, who was conferred
the award posthumously. Much has changed since the institutionalization of the
award. As of this writing, the roster has included 66 awardees from seven
disciplinal areas, namely: (1) architecture, design, and allied arts (2) film and
broadcast arts (3) visual arts (4) literature (5) dance (6) music, and (7) theater. In
the history of the NAA, other categories have been considered by virtue of the
president’s prerogative, among them are historical literature and fashion design.
LESSON 2

Significant Contemporary Arts and Local Artists

Various Filipino artists have showcased their talents both local and in the global
scene. In this unit we will discuss the works of some of our well known artists which
led to their fame and recognition, where the works are located and their
inspirations in working with their masterpiece.
A good number of works by National Artists can be found in university campuses.
One such example is the University of the Philippines (UP) campus in Diliman,
Quezon City. The iconic school symbol is based on the Oblation (1935) a sculptural
work by the classically trained sculptor Guillermo Tolentino (awarded 1973)
depicting a male nude with arms outstretched as a gesture of sacrifice and
freedom. It was later cast in bronze also by Guillermo Tolentino. Tolentino is a
proponent of the academic tradition in sculpture much like Fernando Amorsolo
(awarded 1972) is in painting. Amorsolo’s romantic paintings of bucolic landscapes
and idealized portraits of prominent individuals from the Commonwealth Period
and the Second World War can be viewed at the Jorge B. Vargas Museum in UP.
Aside from monuments or statues in public spaces, as of this writing, many of
Tolentino’s works can be viewed at the National Museum. Both National Artists
served as professors at the UP School of Fine Arts and have been influential as
teachers and artists. On the other hand, Abdulmari Asia Imao’s calligraphic work
done in the ‘80s (awarded 2006) at the sculpture garden of the Vargas Museum is
one of the largest public sculptures he made. Benedicto Cabrera’s (awarded 2006)
iconic Variations of Sabel (2015) made of aluminum sheets can also be found at the
UP Theater.

Of modernist sensibilities, the painter Jose Joya (awarded 2003) and sculptor
Napoleon Abueva (awarded 1976) produced commissioned works that have
become part of the university’s visual arts heritage. Joya’s mural in the Virata
School of Business titled Barter of Panay (1978) is rendered in the Abstract
Expressionist style and consists of soft, overlapping planes of black, white, orange,
brown, and golden yellow. Without rendering human forms, the solid color palette
establishes links to the legend, referencing the trade between Datu Puti and King
Marikudo, the former bearing gold accessories to purchase the lowlands of Panay
from the latter.
Fronting the same school, Abueva’s abstract sculpture Spirit of Business (1979)
seems to be drawn from science fiction, composed of a metal disk with sharp-
looking poles jutting through it. Abueva has produced a significant number of public
sculptures for the University using various materials from wood, to stone and metal;
with themes ranging from figurative tableaus to abstract sculptures that embody the
spirit of the academic unit. Both Joya and Abueva served as faculty and deans of the
UP College of Fine Arts and taught in UP. Gaining further art studies in the United
States, the two were influenced by modernist sensibilities of the period. It is also
worth noting that in 1964, Abueva and Joya represented the Philippines in the
Venice Art Biennale, one of the oldest international art exhibitions worldwide.

Inaugurated in 1955, the Church of the Holy Sacrifice in UP Diliman is credited as the
first Catholic Church in the country to employ a circular architecture with a thin shell
dome. Complex mathematical computations along with the rising popularity of
concrete as building material enabled the sleek rounded church construction. It
departed from the rectangular configuration of most churches consisting of
structures with a transept and nave. Leandro Locsin’s (awarded 1990) architectural
vision that drew inspiration from the spirit of the times. Reminiscent of a flying
saucer, the spherical structure indicated a keen interest in space travel; and the
advancements in science and technology in the1950s.

The Church is recognized as a National Historical Landmark as well as a Cultural

Treasure by the National Historical Institute (now known as the National Historical
Commission of the Philippines) and by the National Museum, respectively. It
consolidates the works of five National Artists: Locsin for architecture and four other
modernists in the visual arts, whose works are found inside the chapel. Hanging
above the circular altar positioned at the center is a double-sided crucifix carved in
hardwood by Abueva. One side of the crucifix depicts Christ crucified, while an
image of the resurrected Christ is on the other vantage point. Another work done in
the modernist style is a terrazzo floor work by Arturo Luz (awarded 1997) suggesting
flowing rivers that terminate in the altar as a whirling pattern of planar forms.
Stylistically, the use of flat and angular shapes finds resonance in the 15 Stations of
the Cross, which are murals painted by Vicente Manansala (awarded 1981) with the
assistance of Ang Kiukok (awarded 2001). Christ and characters surrounding his
passion are represented with mildly distorted figures—limbs are elongated, and
volume is suggested through solid, hard-edged shapes, lending the compositions
cubist quality.
This cutting-edge structure of the period housed a performance in 1968 led by the
equally avant-garde composer, musician, and ethnomusicologist Jose Maceda
(awarded 1997) who was eventually proclaimed National Artist for Music. Maceda’s
Pagsamba involved a hundred mixed voices, indigenous musical instruments such
as bamboo buzzers, clappers, and whistle flutes; while incorporating a prayer sung
in Tagalog. He also founded the UP Center for Ethnomusicology, where he donated
his precious collections of sound recordings, field notes, and other materials on
ethnomusicology in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. For its significance, the
Maceda Archives received recognition from the UNESCO Memory of the World.

Where to see contemporary artworks in Manila?

1. Ayala Museum- known for its permanent exhibits that explores the country’s
history, art and culture. The privately ran museum also conducts retrospective
exhibitions of local artists and contemporary art.
Address: Makati Avenue corner De La Rosa Street, Greenbelt Park, Makati City.

2. Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) Museo ng Sining - Often taken for
granted, this museum inaugurated in 1996, pays respect to the creative endeavors
of the nation. Juan Luna’s the Parisian Life that is bought by the GSIS to be
maintained and exhibited at the National Museum of Fine Arts.
Address: Government Insurance System Building, Financial Center, Pasay City.

3. Lopez Memorial Museum and Library - Museum allows access to Don Eugenio
Lopez’s personal collections of rare Filipiniana books, letters, maps, artefacts and
fine art. Included in their fine art collection are paintings by Filipino master Juan
Luna and Felix Hidalgo, by national artists such as Fernando Amorsolo, Botong
Francisco, Vicente Manansala and other known artists.
Address: Ground floor, Benpres Building Exchange Road, Pasig city.

4. Metropolitan Museum of Manila - Early in 2013, the prestigious institution

revealed that it would be taking a new strategic direction, which is to become a
world-class home for local and foreign contemporary art. Their permanent
exhibition entitled “The Philippine Contemporary: Scaling the past and the
possible”, serves as a great introduction for those who wish to familiarize
themselves with the country’s dynamic contemporary art scene.
Address: Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex, Roxas Boulevard, Manila.
5. National Museum- The institution who protects the cultural treasures of
archipelago, the national museum has large amount of collection in sketches,
paintings, sculpture, and mixed media artworks from 18th century onwards.
Address: Padre Burgos Drive, City of Manila.

6. Cultural Centres
Alliance Fancaise De Manille- Promotes French culture, diversity and intercultural
awareness.
Address: 209 Nicanor Garcia Street, Bel- Air II, Makati City.
Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) was established in 1996 to promote
various forms of art in the country. It becomes the major tourist attraction. Aside
from exhibitions, workshops and lectures, it also presents non-conventional
projects ranging from multimedia collaborations and installations to performance
art and other experimental forms.
Address: CCP Complex, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City.
Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines- The Philippine-Korean Contemporary art
exchange exhibitions. The works of prominent Korean and Filipino artist are
showcased here.
Address: 2nd Floor MANCOR Corporate Building, 32nd street, Bonifacio Global City,
Taguig.

7. Galleries
8. Art on Campuses
9. Auction houses
10. Artist-Run spaces

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED

I. True or False: Write T if the statement is true and F if false. (1 point each item)

1. Ayala Museum is known for their permanent exhibits that explores the country’s
history, art and culture, the privately ran museum also conducts retrospective
exhibitions of local artists and contemporary art.

2. Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) Museo ng Sining is inaugurated in

1998.
3. Lopez Memorial Museum and Library allows access to Don Eugenio Lopez’s
personal collections of rare Filipiniana books, letters, maps, artifacts and fine art.

4. Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) was established in 1986 to promote

various forms of art in the country and becomes the major tourist attraction. Aside
from exhibitions, workshops and lectures, it also presents non-conventional projects
ranging from multimedia collaborations and installations to performance art and
other experimental forms.

5. Alliance Fancaise De Manille promotes French culture, diversity and intercultural

awareness.

6. the Oblation is a sculptural work by the classically trained sculptor Guillermo

Tolentino depicting a male nude with arms outstretched as a gesture of sacrifice and
freedom.

7. Amorsolo’s romantic paintings of bucolic landscapes and idealized portraits of

prominent individuals from the Commonwealth Period and the Second World War
can be viewed at the Jorge B. Vargas Museum in Ateneo.

8. Joya’s mural in the Virata School of Business titled Barter of Panay (1978) is
rendered in the Abstract Expressionist style and consists of soft, overlapping planes
of black, white, orange, brown, and golden yellow.

9. Vicente Manansala founded the UP Center for Ethnomusicology.

10. Lopez Memorial Museum and Library collected paintings created by Filipino
master Juan Luna and Felix Hidalgo, by national artists such as Fernando Amorsolo,
Botong Francisco, Vicente Manansala and other known artists.
 WHAT HAVE I LEARNED

After doing the activities: I noticed

______________________________________________________

A question I have is
______________________________________________________

I’m not sure

_____________________________________________________

I realized
______________________________________________________

Reference List:

Basilan, M. L. J. Ph.D. & Arguelles, R. LPT. (2018) Contemporary Philippine Arts from
The Region. Unlimited Books Library Services & Publishing Corporation.

Datuin, F. M., Paulino, R., Ramirez, E. & Marcelino, L. (2016). Contemporary

Philippine Arts from The Region. Rex Book Store Publishing Company

Panisan, W. K., Gazzingan, L. B., Samar, G. L. & Boongaling, C. C. (2016).

Contemporary Philippine Arts from The Region. Mutya Publishing House
Incorporation.

Sayseng, A. (2016). Contemporary Philippine Arts from The Region. Pasay: JFS
Publishing Services,

Veronica, R. (2016). Contemporary Philippine Arts from The Region. Vibal Group,
Incorporation.
UNIT 4
CONTEMPORARY FINE ARTS IN THE PHILIPPINE
REGIONS

Lesson 1: Contemporary Painting

Objectives
The Unit will enable you to:
• adopt on techniques and performance practices applied to contemporary arts
(CAR11/12TPP-0c-e-10)
• identify local materials used in creating art (CAR11/12TPP-0c-e-11)
• critique available materials and appropriate techniques (CAR11/12TPP-0c-e-12)

Culture is how societies inform their lives via specific behaviors and school of
thought. Every culture and subculture determines what is "normal" or "acceptable"
to them and it is through this multilayered lens that individuals determine who they
are, who they will be, how they self-actualize, when and why. The "fine" in fine art
is meant to denote the unadulterated artistic expression, requiring no actual
function. The main purpose of fine art is to essentially add beauty to society. The
fine arts consist of painting, sculpture and Architecture. Some fine arts are in two
dimensions where the material or medium is applied to a flat surface to create an
image that can only be observed in terms of height and width. There are also three
dimensional fine arts, such as Sculpture and Architecture. This is presented in the
dimensions of height, width, and depth, occupy physical space and can be
perceived from all sides and angles.

Keeping the fine art education alive

In order for the fine art culture to continue to stretch its legs, grow, and transform,
it's essential education in the fine arts continues to be supported. Often times fine
art education and programming get the short end of the stick, despite that it has
been a main source of conversation of history from the beginning of time. Artists
and art lovers, history has emphasize what makes fine and culture all that it is and
needs to be.
The world dotes on the idea that something can exist without pretense or insecurity.
It is this inherent freedom of expression that imbues contemporary fine art and gives
it room to breathe and evolve as it does. The liberation that echoes through the
history of fine art eternally is an ought to remain, "art for art's sake".

The fine arts consist of architecture, sculpture and painting. Some fine arts are in two
dimensional where material or medium is applied to a flat surface to create an
image. This is usually hung on the wall, as in the case of painting. There are also
three dimensional fine arts, such as architecture and sculpture in ice, metal, or glass
where molding, carving, and combining materials are done to make an artwork.
Fine arts require of the artist the mastery of use of material, medium, technique and
craftsmanship.
• Material- Designates the physical elements of art, such as paint, stones,
clay, or metal
• Medium- Is a characteristic way of using materials for an artistic purpose
• Technique- Is a person way of using a medium or material
• Craftsmanship- The skill of doing what can be done in a medium and the
ability to do it.
LESSON 1

Contemporary Painting

Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid
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.

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.
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.

Painting Styles
The Style of Objective Accuracy- Creating an impression of reality through a
selective use of visual facts. Artists imitate appearance to convey moving drama
about human life.

The Artist as Selective Eye- is created by elimination of details that the eye might
see.

The artist as Detached Observer- the use of technique by the artist where the
artwork seems to have been made by a reporter who is observing a subject.

The Style of Formal Order- associated with stability and permanence. Formal
order is exhibited by its qualities: Intellectual order, Biomorphic order, and
Aesthetic order.

The Style of Emotion- Themes of emotion, feeling, romance is common feature in

painting.

The Style of Fantasy- As artists work, they discover a variety of possibilities of

achieving form and visual effects, even new worlds they have not seen before or
will never exist in the real world
 Do It Yourself

Paint an image or a scenery based on your assigned painting style. The painting
should be aligned with a theme inclined with the characteristics of Philippine
Contemporary Art.

Criteria Very Good (10 Good (8 points) Needs Gra

points) Improvement (6 de
points)
Content Assigned painting Other painting The painting
style is well styles may have style used is not
followed. been exhibited. clear.

Creativity Excellent use of The message is The

representations clearly presented representations
and symbols to but lacked a story symbols and
clearly express the or a twist in message is
message to the presenting the unclear.
audience. ideas, the
audience didn’t
had a chance to
ponder.

Presentation Well maintained Well presented Not well

and attractively but lacking in the presented.
presented. use of elements
and principles.

WHAT HAVE I LEARNED

Reflective Question: How can a Painting be best created?

LESSON 2

Contemporary Sculpture

Sculpture is an art form that requires of the artist creative use of balance, skill in
the use of materials, and physical strength. Sculpture is the branch of the visual
arts that operates in three dimensions. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable
sculptural processes originally used carving and modelling; in stones, metals,
ceramics, woods and other materials but, since Modernism, there has been an
almost complete freedom of materials and process. In contrast to painting,
sculpture has three dimensions – height, width, and depth. It is created by either
carving, modelling, or assembling parts together.
Sculpture Process

Additive Process- the material is added part by part until the form is completed.
Subtractive Process- the material is removed or carved out until the desired
form is visible.

The Four Basic Sculpture Technique

• Modeling- Modeled sculptures are created when a soft or malleable
material such as clay, is build using an armature and then shaped to create a
form.
• Carving- Involves cutting or chipping away a shape from a mass of
stone, wood, or other hard materials.
• Casting- When a sculpture is formed using terracotta clay, it is made
permanent through plaster of paris.
• Assembling- sculptor gather and put together different materials,
including found objects to create an assembled sculpture.
 DO IT YOURSELF

Clay molding (Individual Activity)

Create a clay sculpture that will represent or symbolize your FAMILY. Could be
fictional heroes, public figures etc. the sculpture will be presented in class.

Criteria Very Good (10 Good (8 points) Needs Gra

points) Improvement (6 de
points)
Content A distinct and The family is The goal of the
clear presentation clearly presented. work is unclear.
of your family
through the
sculpture.

Creativity Excellent use of The message is The

symbols and clearly presented representations
representations but lacked a story and symbols are
and the message or a twist in unclear.
is clearly presenting the
expressed. ideas, the
audience didn’t
had a chance to
ponder.

Presentation The output is well Well presented Not well

maintained and but lacking in the presented.
attractively use of elements
presented. and principles.
LESSON 3

Contemporary Architecture

Architecture is in the field of science and art. As an art, the structure is designed
creatively, which is determined by its function and purpose, the space that it will
occupy and the people who will occupy it.

The elements of art and principles of design or organization also apply to architecture.
We add two more el
ements: size and scale. Size relates the structure and its parts to the human beings
who occupy the space. Scale in architectural design relates to the proportion of an
object or space to all the other objects in it and also to the human beings and their
activities held in the structure. Pattern and ornament give artistic surfaces designed
by the structural limits, edges and corners.

Blueprint is a reproduction of a technical drawing using a contact print process on

light-sensitive sheets. Introduced by Sir John Herschel in 1842, the process allowed
rapid, and accurate, production of an unlimited number of copies. It was widely used
for over a century for the reproduction of specification drawings used in construction
and industry. The blueprint process was characterized by white lines on a blue
background, a negative of the original. The process was not able to reproduce color or
shades of grey.

Whiteprint describes a document reproduction produced by using the diazo chemical

process. It is also known as the blue-line process since the result is blue lines on a
white background. It is a contact printing process which accurately reproduces the
original in size, but cannot reproduce continuous tones or colors.

TIPS
1. Design for people.
2. Keep it simple.
3. Imagineer (Imagine like an engineer).
4. Quantitecture (quantity and architecture).
5. Be yourself.
Tools
1. Fine liners
2. Adjustable triangle
3. Water brush
4. Furniture template
5. Fan scale
6. Alcohol markers
7. Friction pen

Structural Devices
1. Post-and-lintel- is the most ancient of construction device and still enjoys widely
used today. It consists of two vertical supports bridged by a horizontal beam.
2. Cantilever- is the horizontal extension of a beam or a slab into space beyond its
supporting post.
3. Truss System- is an application of geometric fact that no angle of triangle can be
change without altering the dimensions of the side. It is a system of triangle
arranged to work like beam or lintel.
4. Arch- is used to support bridges and viaducts and in associated with large
domical and vaulted structures.
5. Dome-Cylindrical drum over a circular foundation is logical from the standpoint
of geometry and construction. But most domes structures rest on rectangular
foundations.
6. Shell Structure- are the beneficiaries of reinforced, concrete and superior
mathematical tools for calculating stresses and the strength of materials. It was
built with strength and flexibility to be “quake proof” and survived the country’s
seismic forces.
7. Solar panels- Solar panel roofing generates electricity that can provide power to
the entire building anytime of the day and night.

Styles in Contemporary Architecture

1. Biomorphic architecture- designed with patterns and shapes inspired by living

organisms, such as trees. It combines new materials such as collapsible domes with
curved metal hemisphere; shell structure made of concrete sprayed over inflated
balloons; or ribbed ceiling looking like dinosaur skeletons.

2. Environment-friendly architecture- Artist promote environmental awareness

through their creative work. To create environment-friendly structures, architects
consider factors such as energy, efficiency, the use of sustainable natural and
recycled materials.
3. Eco-art- is a kind of art that promotes environmental awareness and protection by
either depicting nature or using it as means to reflect the beauty of environment and
the importance of its preservation.

4. Skyscrapers- are immensely tall building found in densely populated cities all over
the globe.

WHAT HAVE I LEARNED

Direction: Identify the structural devices depicted in the following pictures and a
brief description in each item. (3 points each item)

Structural Device:
Description:

Structural Device:
Description:

Structural Device:
Description:

Structural Device:
Description:
Structural Device:
Description:

Structural Device:
Description:

DO IT YOURSELF

Miniature (Individual Activity)

Construct a miniature showing your love for your academic institution, co-
students, teachers and everyone concerning your educational organization.
Follow this procedure

1. Draw your desired design for the miniature.

2. Collect the necessary materials.
3. Construct the miniature.
4. Present the miniature.
 Pamantayan sa pagmamarka
Criteria Very Good (10 Good (8 points) Needs Grad
points) Improvement (6 e
points)
Content The love for your The love for your The goal and
academic academic message is
institution, co- institution, co- unclear.
students, students,
teachers and teachers and
everyone everyone
concerning your concerning your
educational educational
organization is organization is
clearly/well expressed but
expressed. lacked in the use
of symbols and
representations.
Creativity Excellent use of The message is The
representations clearly presented representations
and symbols to but lacked a story and symbols are
clearly express or a twist in unclear.
the message. presenting the
ideas, the
audience didn’t
had a chance to
ponder.

Presentation Well maintained Well presented Not well

and attractively but lacking in the presented.
presented. use of elements
and principles.
WHAT HAVE I LEARNED

I. Directions: Choose the letter of the correct answer.

1. It is a characteristic way of using materials for an artistic purpose

a. Artistic
b. Medium
c. Technique
d. Craftsmanship

2. The skill of doing what can be done in a medium and the ability to do it.
a. Artistic
b. Medium
c. Technique
d. Craftsmanship

3. Themes of painting that depict a scene from the past. It often has a lesson
concerning national values.
a. Genre painting
b. Historical painting
c. Interior
d. Landscapes

4. Themes of painting that portrays natural scenery or urban scenes.

a. Genre painting
b. Historical painting
c. Interior
d. Landscapes

5. This refers to painting of the space inside of a part of a house or a building.

a. Genre painting
b. Historical painting
c. Interior
d. Landscapes
6. This refers to a painting portraying one or more specific individuals. This is
usually the physical characteristics of the subject and seeks to show an
understanding of that person’s character.
a. Genre painting
b. Portrait
c. Nude Painting
d. Landscapes

7. These are paintings that portray the unclothed human figure.

a. Genre painting
b. Portrait
c. Nude Painting
d. Landscapes

8. Painting style that shows impression of reality through a selective use of visual
facts. Artist imitate appearance to convey moving drama about human life.
a. The Style of objective Accuracy
b. The Style of Formal Order
c. The Style of Fantasy
d. The Style of Emotion

9. A Painting style associated with stability and permanence.

a. The Style of objective Accuracy
b. The Style of Formal Order
c. The Style of Fantasy
d. The Style of Emotion

10. A Painting style that shows possibilities of achieving form and visual effects,
even new worlds they have not seen before or will never exist in the real world
a. The Style of objective Accuracy
b. The Style of Formal Order
c. The Style of Fantasy
d. The Style of Emotion
II. True or False: Write T if the statement is true and F if false

1. Themes of emotion, feeling, romance are common features in painting

2. Carving sculptures are created when a soft or malleable material such as clay, is
built using an armature and then shaped to create a form.
3. In assembling technique, the sculptor gathers and puts together different
materials, including found objects to create an assembled sculpture.
4. Casting is formed using terracotta clay, it is made permanent through plaster of
paris.
5. Blueprint is a reproduction of a technical drawing using a contact print process
on light-sensitive sheets.
III. Matching Type: Match Column A with the correct answer on Column B, write
the correct letter on the blank provided.

Column A Column B
1. designed with patterns and shapes inspired by living a. Shell
organisms, such as trees. It combines new materials such Structure
as collapsible domes with curved metal hemisphere; shell
structure made of concrete sprayed over inflated
balloons; or ribbed ceiling looking like dinosaur skeletons.

2. A kind of art that promotes environmental awareness and b. Solar Panels

protection by either depicting nature or using it as means to
reflect the beauty of environment and the importance of its
preservation.

3. Used to support bridges and viaducts and in associated with c. Biomorphic

large domical and vaulted structures. Architecture

4. It is a cylindrical drum over a circular foundation is logical d. Skyscrapers

from the standpoint of geometry and construction. But most
domes structures rest on rectangular foundations.

5. Generates electricity that can provide power to the entire e. Arch

building anytime of the day and night.

6. It was built with strength and flexibility to be “quake proof” f. Eco Art
and survived the country’s seismic forces.
7. An application of geometric fact that no angle of triangle g. Truss System
can be changes without altering the dimensions of the side. It
is a system of triangle arranged to work like beam or lintel.

8. is the most ancient of construction device and still enjoys h. Cantilever

widely- used today. It consists of two vertical supports bridged
by a horizontal beam.

9. It is the horizontal extension of a beam or a slab into space i. Post and

beyond its supporting post. Lintel

10. Tall building found in densely populated cities all over the j. Dome
globe.

WHAT HAVE I LEARNED

After doing the activities: I noticed

______________________________________________________

A question I have is
______________________________________________________

I’m not sure

_____________________________________________________

I realized
______________________________________________________
Reference List

Basilan, M. L. J. Ph.D. & Arguelles, R. LPT. (2018) Contemporary Philippine Arts from
The Region. Unlimited Books Library Services & Publishing Corporation.

Datuin, F. M., Paulino, R., Ramirez, E. & Marcelino, L. (2016). Contemporary

Philippine Arts from The Region. Rex Book Store Publishing Company

Panisan, W. K., Gazzingan, L. B., Samar, G. L. & Boongaling, C. C. (2016).

Contemporary Philippine Arts from The Region. Mutya Publishing House
Incorporation.

Sayseng, A. (2016). Contemporary Philippine Arts from The Region. Pasay: JFS
Publishing Services,

Veronica, R. (2016). Contemporary Philippine Arts from The Region. Vibal Group,
Incorporation.
UNIT
5 CONTEMPORARY VISUAL ARTS IN THE
PHILIPPINES

Objectives
The Unit will enable you to:
• describe each contemporary visual art
• create a collage about the trending issue of the country using indigenous
materials

Fine arts require formal studies and training in the execution of art
and manipulation of medium. As such, they are appreciated for their aesthetics
and are subjected to refined judgment. There are also applied arts that serve
practical fiction and are therefore judged according to how they serve the
function for which they are created. Visual art is another group of art genres is
seen by the eye and perceived by the mind.

The term “visual arts” encompasses a wide range of forms created by

Filipinos. It ranges from Western-influenced visual art forms to works created by
folk and indigenous people. Traditionally, these visual art forms include painting,
sculpture, and architecture. However, there are other functional visual art forms
in the country that need to be appreciated as well. Some of these forms include
advertising art, basketry, metal craft, mat weaving, pottery, and textile weaving.
LESSON 1

Installation Art: New Media Art

What is Installation art?

•New genre of Contemporary Art practiced by an increasing number of post-modernist artist.
•Resulting arrangement of material and space comprises the “artwork”
•An installation may engage several of the viewer’s senses including touch, sound, and smell,
as well as vision.
•A form of conceptual art, a genre in which “ideas” and “impact” are regarded as being more
important than the quality of a finished product or “work of art”.
•Allows us to experience the “artwork” and perhaps even rethink our attitude and values.
•Remember: An installation is a purely temporary work of art, unless it is photographed or
documented in some way, there will be no evidence of its existence.

History of Installation Art

•Developed in the 20th century

•It has its origins in the 1960s but grew to greater prominence during the subsequent
decade
•The environment of the work becomes part of the artistic experience when it comes
to installation art.
•During 1960s and 1970s, many artists viewed Installation Art as a means to create
non collectible art
•Styles of the 1980s, however, emphasized more lavish displays.
•The term “installation art” began to use in 1970s

What are the characteristics of Installation Art?

• Mixed media
• Some uses audio and video components
• Mostly site-specific
• Time - based media
• Incorporates found objects
 LESSON 1

Installation Art: New Media Art

Types of Installation Art

Environmental Installation Art- Connection to the

environment

Technology – Aided Installation Art- Installation art

which consists of an installation art piece on which
light, video or film is projected in.

Performance Installation Art- Theatre and dance,

lights, sound, performance.

Conceptual Installation Art- Places emphasis on

idea or concept rather than tangible art object. It
follows the notion that art should examine its
own nature. Example: Rainbow Serpent
Installation Art.

Interactive Installation Art- Interact with the

installation piece.

What makes Installation Art different from other art?

It is a complete unified experience, rather than a display of separate,
individual artworks. The focus on how the viewer experiences the work and the
desire to provide an intense experience for them is dominant theme in installation
art.
LESSON 2

Public Art: Art in Outdoor Space

What is Public art?

Public art is a reflection of how we see the world – the artist’s response to our time and place
combined with our own sense of who we are.
A public artwork is an artwork in any medium, planned and executed outside a gallery context
and intended specifically for exhibition within public space.
Public spaces are generally open and accessible to all. They can be indoors – such as foyers,
atriums, airports or shopping centres – or outdoors – such as forecourts, parks, squares,
freeways or plazas.
Public art is not an art “form.” Its size can be huge or small. It can tower fifty feet high or call
attention to the paving beneath your feet. Its shape can be abstract or realistic (or both), and it
may be cast, carved, built, assembled, or painted. It can be site-specific or stand in contrast to
its surroundings.
What distinguishes public art is the unique association of how it is made, where it is, and what it
means. Public art can express community values, enhance our environment, transform a
landscape, heighten our awareness, or question our assumptions. Placed in public sites, this art
is there for everyone, a form of collective community expression.

What is the “art” of public art?

As our society and its modes of expression evolve, so will our definitions
of public art. Materials and methods change to reflect our contemporary culture. The
process, guided by professional expertise and public involvement, should seek out the
most imaginative and productive affinity between artist and community. Likewise,
artists must bring to the work their artistic integrity, creativity, and skill. What is
needed is a commitment to invention, boldness, and cooperation – not compromise.
LESSON 2

Public Art: Art in Outdoor Space

WHY IS PUBLIC ART IMPORTANT TO COMMUNITIES?

Public art instills meaning—a greater sense of identity and understandings of where
we live, work, and visit—creating memorable experiences for all. It humanizes the
built environment, provides an intersection between past, present, and future, and
can help communities thrive.

Types of Public Art

1. Community-based art
Refers to artistic activity based in community setting. Works of this type can be any
medium such as found objects, objects from the nature like logs or leaves that are
found in the community for as long they engage the members of the community in
interaction or dialogue with the artist.
Often, community art is based on economically deprived areas and is done with
community- oriented grassroots approach. Members of the local community can
come close together to express the concerns or issues through an artistic process,
sometimes this may involve professional artists or actors. These artistic communal
processes act as a catalyst to trigger events or changes within a community or even at
a national or international level.
LESSON 2

Public Art: Art in Outdoor Space

2. Land Art Includes monumental earthworks that interact with the nature and
environment. Reg Yuson’s specific gravity is an awesome display of balance and
engineering ingenuity. It is a suspended boulder fountain that highlights the
connection between the audience as a mobile participant and their primordial affinity
to gravity

3. Architectural Art decorates the façade, or

orchard or enclosed concrete structure where
large number of people converge. It forms part
of an architectural structure or compound.

4. Municipal Art is typically located in square plaza or in front of government

buildings, Law courts, airports, public museums or academic institutions. The purpose
of this type of public art is to instill patriotism and nationalism among the community
members. It also serves as a historical landmark to educate the young and inform
visitors and tourists.

5. Commemorative Monuments are sculpture whether individual or group of people

who are honored for heroism or for participation in historic events.
LESSON 2

Public Art: Art in Outdoor Space

6. . Designed based Public Art Is decorative and usually located in parks or commercial
centers. The design or theme matches the buildings and its surroundings to achieve
unity because the artwork is viewed in relation to its natural man made surroundings.
Contemporary artists who engage in this type of public art design their artworks
considering its interaction with sunlight and wind and its position in it harmony with
its surrounding.

7. Campaign Inspired Public Art promotes an idea by making visible reminders to the
public. An example is the Boysen KNOxOUT Project: EDSA Series on the San Lorenzo
Wall between Ayala and Pasay Road, Makati by Jose Tence Ruiz; the pylons and
parapets of the MRT on Ortigas, Pasig by B+C; the Aurora Cubao underpass, Quezon
city by Tapio Snellman; and under the southbound flyover on tramo, Pasay by Erika
Tan. Boysen is a paint company that promotes a revolutionary air-cleaning paint that
turns toxic air pollutants into a harmless residue that washes out the rain.

8. Performance-based public artworks can include dance, theatre, music and other
live actions in public space. Because performance-based artworks involve live
performers they are always temporary. These artworks are often devised in response
to the unique features of a public space, and these responses can be expressed using:
choreography (for dancers), direction (for actors), or musical scores (for sound).
LESSON 2

Public Art: Art in Outdoor Space

9. Sound Based- Sound can form a component of a public artwork, such as in a

performance alongside dance, or an artwork might be exclusively sonic. Some
examples of the ways in which sound can be used in public artwork are as a broadcast,
soundscape, voice, or musical performance.

10. Digital
Examples of digital public artworks include video played on an outdoor screen, or
computer-generated imagery (CGI) projected directly onto the surface of a building.
Some artists specialize in using a CGI technique called light mapping, which allows
light projections to be tailored to the architectural features of a particular building
LESSON 3

Combining Art Form/ Mixed Media Art

Mixed media is a term used to describe artworks composed from a combination of

different media or materials. For example, you can add sculpture to your painting, or draw
on top of photography prints. Mixed media is all about breaking the boundaries between
different art forms.

Difference between Mixed Media Art and Multi-Media Art

Mixed media art differs from multimedia art, in that mixed media only incorporates
the use of various forms of visual art mediums. While the multi-media art is more diverse
than mixed media because it includes every form of visual art, other “arts”.
The main type of mixed media artwork is collage, but other types include three dimenional
(3D) sculpture, installation art and other interactive art.

1. Collage- a popular technique that often uses mixed media.

Collage comes from the french word “coller” which means “to
glue”.

2. Assemblage- has three-dimensional elements projecting out

of the base.

Purpose of Mixed Media Art

It allows artists to continue to push the boundaries of art through the use of
non-traditional media.
LESSON 3

Combining Art Form/ Mixed Media Art

Examples of Early Mixed Media Art

Mosaic Frescoes Manuscript

Cubist Movement
• The Cubist art movement began in Europe during the early years of the 20th century.
• Picasso and Braque known as the fathers of Cubism.
Mixed Media in the 21st century
• Mixed media is now an accessible art form for both professional and amateur artists.

Example of Mixed Media Art in the Philippines

Jonathan Benitez: Mixed Media Collage Art and
Environmental Art
“My art narrates the relationship between man and
nature, his fragility and impermanence.”
- Jonathan Benitez

With the belief that the artist must train not only his eye but also
his soul. “I am a believer of new theories and disciplines in art.”
His strong obsession with figures and how they are affected by
economic turmoil, poverty, corruption, globalization, natural calamities,
and environmental serves as an inspiration for his work.
LESSON 3

Combining Art Form/ Mixed Media Art

Example of Mixed Media Art around the world

Pablo Picasso's "Still Life with Chair Caning", is a

form of early "collage" art or "synthetic cubism" because
it incorporates materials other than paint such as cloth,
rope, etc. in order to portray the idea of the painting.
The oval shaped painting depicts a series of objects: a
two o' clock, a knife cutting a lemon, a napkin, a wine
glass, the word "JOU" meaning "play" or "daily" (as in
newspaper) in French, a pipe, a chair canning, a table,
and the whole scene is enclosed by a rope.
 LESSON 4

Photography and Digital Art: Technology-aided Art

PHOTOGRAPHY

• is the art of capturing light with a camera, usually via a digital sensor or film, to
create an image.
• With the right camera equipment, you can even photograph wavelengths of light
invisible to the human eye, including UV, infrared, and radio.
• The first permanent photograph was captured in 1826 (some sources say 1827) by
Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in France. It shows the roof of a building lit by the sun.

CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY

• is an era which encompasses many genres.

• Any photograph taken from the year 1980 onwards

DIFFERENT TYPES OF CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY

Nature Photography
- Photography enables us to view landscapes, places and objects
that we may never encounter in our lifetime.
-Contrast in beautiful things by Bett Ramirez

Photography that predicts reality

- Photography can be present reality in its true form. If words can
describe a scene, Photography has the power it show it.
-Erwin Mascarina’s photograph shows the public transportation,
Habal-Habal or more commonly known as “Skylab”
-The Family that Travels Together -by Jimmy Hilario
LESSON 4

Photography and Digital Art: Technology-aided Art

Photographic alteration
PHOTOGRAPHY
- Photography can also offer an illusion and this challenges the
standpoint of fidelity of appearance. According to Feldman, “an
illusion of objectivity and factual authenticity that establishes
photography, (including digital art) as the most powerful instrument
of information and education the world has ever seen.
-Lorenzo Gabutina’s Portrait of Nicolas Aca

Photojournalism
-Type of photo used in journalism. There are photos that
accompany narratives in the newspapers, magazines, and digital
media to give the reader a view of persons, places and event.
Pope Francis in Tacloban by Johannes Eisele

Mobile Photography- Taking pictures using mobile phone.

DIGITAL ART

Is an art form that uses digital technology as an essential part of creative or

presentation process.

• Cartoon shows on television shows in TV and lately in movies with digital

intervention.
• Can be posted online through the Internet and distributed electronically in a split of
a second and can be viewed by anyone who is hooked to cyberspace.
LESSON 4

Photography and Digital Art: Technology-aided Art

DIFFERENT TYPES OF DIGITAL ART

PHOTOGRAPHY

A. Electronic-aided Digital Art- uses electronics in the process or presentation of the

artwork.
-Digital art was raised a step higher by Yuchengco Museum in collaboration with
Samsung Electronics, Philippines, a leading Korean electronics company, when they
collaborated with artists on an exhibition of art with the intervention of technology.
B. Non-figurative digital art- disregard figures and any semblance to nature, naturalism and
realism. They use geometric shapes, lines, spaces, movement or color in their composition.
-Ed Conscolluela articulates what his non-figurative digital artwork means in his
Artist’s Statement.
C. Fantasy digital art- involves many figures, landscapes, objects and other images that are
not seen in the real world. They create worlds, universe, imaginary creatures that transports
the viewer to another world that seem without borders. They take inspiration from myths,
legends, fantasy stories or create their own visual narrative.
D. Digital art as design- satisfies the demand for digital art for the business and commercial
industry, leisure and recreation, airline and shipping industry, and communication and
media. Contemporary digital art design is popular with people from urban places. The
designs are easily spread and shared electronically since they are in digital form.
Art Appreciation
• As with any visual art, to appreciate photography and digital art, the viewer has to
understand their qualities.
• knowledge of the elements of art and organization of design
• Quality and Content are again used to guide in appreciating photography and digital
art.
• Quality of artwork- form, materials and technique employed in the art production
process.
• Content of artwork- analyze the human and social conditions that may have shape the
thinking of the artist an influenced his/her style.
 What Have I Learned

I. True or False: Write T if the statement is true and F if false.

1. Abstract Art takes subject from reality and nature but the artists present them in
ways different from the way they are seen in everyday life.
2. The visual art forms are: Installation art, Public art, Mixed media art, Photography
and Digital art.
3. The main purpose of visual art is to express content and make a statement to the
public such as community art, installation art, and mixed media art.
4. An example of community art is when artist come together to promote
environmental awareness and involve the community through a workshop on nature
and ecology.
5. Installation art is an art form consisting of three-dimensional works that are often
site-specific and designed to transform interior or exterior spaces to achieve an effect.
6. After exhibition for a relatively brief period, installation art is usually dismantled, in
some cases, burned.
7. Installation art was dominated by monuments to heroes and religious landmarks.
8. Public art is a communal process that can enhance the artist’s creativity.
9. The purpose of Community- based art is to instill patriotism and nationalism
among the community members.
10. Municipal Art are sculptures, whether individual or group of people who are
honored for heroism or for participation in historic events.
11. Public art refers to an artwork that is made from a combination of mediums or
materials. It can be a combination of photograph, painting, or stones embedded on
wood.
12. Collage is an artistic composition of materials and objects pasted over a flat
surface and is usually hung on the wall.
13. Assemblage is an artistic composition by putting objects together and combing
them in new context.
14. Mixed media art is the most accessible and manipulated art form used by billions
of people around the globe.
15. Digital art is an art form uses digital technology as an essential part of the creative
or presentation process.
 What I Have Learned
II. Direction: Choose the letter of the correct answer
1. Installation Art consists of an installation art piece on which light, video or film is projected.
a. Technology-aided installation art
b. Environmental installation art
c. Conceptual installation art
d. Interactive installation art
2. Installation art places emphasis on an idea or concept rather that in tangible art object.
a. Technology-aided installation art
b. Environmental installation art
c. Conceptual installation art
d. Interactive installation art
3. Installation art that allows the viewer to touch, walk in or through, and listen to the
installation piece.
a. Technology-aided installation art
b. Environmental installation art
c. Conceptual installation art
d. Interactive installation art
4. Installation art encompasses ecological concerns and is a celebration of artist’s connection
with the beauty of nature, the natural world and environment
a. Technology-aided installation art
b. Environmental installation art
c. Conceptual installation art
d. Interactive installation art
5. A type of Public art that is typically located in squares, plaza or in front of government
building, law courts, airports, public museum, or academic institutions.
a. Municipal art
b. Commemorative monuments
c. Architectural art
d. Campaign inspired public art
 What I Have Learned

6. These are sculptures, whether individual or group of people who are honored for heroism
for participation in historic events.
a. Municipal art
b. Commemorative monuments
c. Architectural art
d. campaign inspired public art
7. Public art that decorated façade, orchard, or enclosed concrete structure where large
number of people converge.
a. Municipal art
b. Commemorative monuments
c. Architectural art
d. campaign inspired public art
8. This public art promotes an idea by making visible reminders to the public.
a. Municipal art
b. Commemorative monuments
c. Architectural art
d. campaign inspired public art
9. Photographs that enable us to view landscapes, places and objects that we may never
encounter in our lifetime.
a. Nature Photography
b. Photography and reality
c. Photographic alteration
d. Photojournalism
10. Photography can also present its true form. If words can describe a scene, photography
has the power to show it.
a. Nature Photography
b. Photography and reality
c. Photographic alteration
d. Photojournalism
 What I Have Learned
11. Photography that offers illusions and this challenges the standpoint of fidelity of appearance.
a. Nature Photography
b. Photography and reality
c. Photographic alteration
d. Photojournalism
12. This type of photography accompanies narratives in the newspaper, magazines, and digital
media to give the reader a view of persons, places and events.
a. Nature Photography
b. Photography and reality
c. Photographic alteration
d. Photojournalism
13. Artists who engage in this digital art disregard figures and any semblance to nature,
naturalism and realism.
a. Electronic-aided digital art
b. Non-figurative digital art
c. Fantasy digital art
d. Digital art as design
14. This type of digital art shows landscapes, objects, and other things that are note seen in the
real world.
a. Electronic-aided digital art
b. Non-figurative digital art
c. Fantasy digital art
d. Digital art as design
15. A digital art was raised a step higher by Yuchengco Museum in collaboration with Samsung
Electronics, Philippines, a leading Korean electronics company.
a. Electronic-aided digital art
b. Non-figurative digital art
c. Fantasy digital art
d. Digital art as design
What have I Learned
After doing the activities: I noticed___________________________________________
A question I have is _______________________________________________________
I’m not sure _____________________________________________________________
I realized _______________________________________________________________

Reference List
Basilan, M. L. J. Ph.D. & Arguelles, R. LPT. (2018) Contemporary Philippine Arts from The
Region. Unlimited Books Library Services & Publishing Corporation.
Datuin, F. M., Paulino, R., Ramirez, E. & Marcelino, L. (2016). Contemporary Philippine Arts
from The Region. Rex Book Store Publishing Company
Panisan, W. K., Gazzingan, L. B., Samar, G. L. & Boongaling, C. C. (2016). Contemporary
Philippine Arts from The Region. Mutya Publishing House Incorporation.
Veronica, R. (2016). Contemporary Philippine Arts from The Region. Vibal Group,
Incorporation.
UNIT
6
CONTEMPORARY DESIGN IN ART CRAFTS

Objectives
The Unit will enable you to:
• Apply artistic skills and techniques in the process of creation (CAR11/12AP-Of-h-
15)
• Creates the intended final product using appropriate materials for the best
possible output (CAR11/12AP-Of-h-16)
• Determine the contemporary qualities of folk-art based art crafts
• Examine the form and function of contemporary furniture

Contemporary crafts in the Philippine regions take the form of bags, mats,
textiles, baskets, footwear, ceramic, pot, clay pottery, jewelry, metalwork, to name
some.
It requires putting together different materials from Pandan (seagrass), coconut
leaves, abaca buri (palm), pina, shell, or bamboo.
Folk arts in the different regions have evolved as they have been influenced
globalization, new technique aided by technology, global aesthetic, and market
demand. For example, banig, is made from Pandan or sea grass and were traditionally
woven into sleeping mats in its natural color. Today different types of banig are
produced in different colors and are designed with flowers, birds, landscapes, or
geometric shape. Aside from sleeping mats, they are also made into bags, wall decors,
and throw pillow case.
LESSON 1

From Folk Art to Contemporary Expressions

FOLK ART
PHOTOGRAPHY
- A kind of art originating from the common people of a particular place.
- It usually reflects their traditions and culture.
- The products commonly use traditional materials.

A. Woven products: Textile, Fabrics and Clothing

- With the use of modern technology, fashion designers have developed unique textures of
our local products and used it for comfort and style.
- Modern fashion designers have created variations of the original Barong so that it is also
worn by women.
- The Fashion & Design Council of the Philippines (FDCP) redesigned the Barong Tagalog and
Baro’t Saya for use in more modern, contemporary times.
- Fashion shows now challenges the designers to use native products in a creative way.
BARGE RAMOS
- He is both a designer and a writer.
- His designs are a recreation of the traditional Filipino clothing (Barong Tagalog)

B. Bags and Accessories

- Ilocos abel fabric designed with geometric patterns are both fashionable and useful.
- In Bacolod, pandan leaves are woven and tied with cow leader to make bags of export
quality.
- In Bicol, rattan and other types of wood are used as bag handles.
- In Tacloban, banig can be used as little purses.
- For the accessories, the ethnic groups in Mindanao and the Ifugaos uses Ikat.
LESSON 1

From Folk Art to Contemporary Expressions

- Ikat is a style of weaving that uses dyeing process before the threads are woven to create a
PHOTOGRAPHY
pattern or a design.
- Pearls are abundant in the southern part of the country and these make good accessories.
- In the northern part of the country, natural materials are used in making accessories.
(Stone, rocks, woods, sticks, animal bones, shells)

C. Footwear

- Indigenous materials are used. (Beads, crochet, rattan, woven fabric) They are strong and
attractive.
- Abaca sandals in Laguna are decorated with beads.
- In Bohol, they have sandals made from buri. They are thin and light made for indoors.

D. HOME-USE PRODUCTS

- Aside from woven products, local art crafts can be appreciated also in home-use products
such as pillow cases, bottle and candle holders, mats and many more
- These are made from Banig, Abaca, Rapia, Pandan leaves, cow leather from different
regions and local provinces in the Philippines.

E. LAMPSHADE

- Philippines has been exporting handicrafts for 40 years

- Bamboo lanterns, the famous Capiz lanterns from San Fernando, Pampanga which is the
lantern capital of the Philippines and hanging lampshade pendants.
- It can also be made up of buri and abaca.
- Maria Vinecraft Inc. of Davao City makes lampshades from the amlong vine.
- Bacolod artist Anita Feria uses ceramics and paints these to make a ceiling lamp
LESSON 1

From Folk Art to Contemporary Expressions

F. DECORS

- From fibers and threads to colors and prints, weaving speaks so much about the Philippine
culture.
- Aside from preserving history, the country’s weaves are also promising products that bring
attention to indigenous communities via the international design and lifestyle stage.
- Tapestries (wall decors) are made of woven fabric. These are common in Ilocos and Baguio
City.
- Patrick Gabutina’s creative decors are made of driftwood, dried grasses, and dried flowers
assembled with sinamay.

G. MASKS

- In the Visayas and Mindanao, the uses of masks were influenced by the Sanskrit epic
traditions.
- In modern times, masks are used to convey particular messages in festivals and theater
practices it is a both sign of disguise and hope, of pretension and dream.
- In the past, many tribes believed that it held magical powers to drive off evil spirit or for the
dwelling of ancestral spirits. Contemporary artists make masks for decorative purposes.
- MasKara Festival
o Celebrated on the weekend nearest to the 19th of October each year in the city of
Bacolod in the province of Negros Occidental.
o Started in 1980 to add color and happiness to the city’s celebration of its Charter
Day anniversary.
o The festival has become the biggest annual tourism event not only of Bacolod, but
the entire province as well.
o Came from the words mass (multitude, many) and kara (from the Spanish word
cara or face)
LESSON 1

From Folk Art to Contemporary Expressions

Do It Yourself

Personalized Face Mask Creation

General Instruction:
Design and assemble your own personalized washable face mask using the
contemporary artistic materials present in your household.
Aesthetic – 20 pts
Uniqueness - 10 pts
Cleanliness – 10 pts
Usability – 10 pts
LESSON 2

Furniture Products

CONTEMPORARY FURNITURE
• Invoke the styles and trends
• Opposed to traditional furniture designs
• It has classic appeal or other design styles through the ages.
• Aesthetics Design

CONTEMPORARY FURNITURE IN THE PHILIPPINES

• Philippines ranks as one of the world’s best producers of fine furniture

• Furniture industry manufactures affordable products of exquisite craftsmanship
• Contemporary furniture design are usually found in Cebu, Davao and Pampanga,
Isabela and Ilocos

TRADITIONAL CONTEMPORARY
MODERN FURNITURE
FURNITURE FURNITURE
• features state of the
• offers elegance and • features woods and
romance art materials, glass
earthier elements
and metal
• the styles call for • black, white and
• browns, golds,
ornate furnishing with bold and saturated
turquoise and earthier
elaborate carving colors
tones are popular
• subtle and urban in
modern colors
its appeal
LESSON 2

Furniture Products
CHARACTERISTIC OF CONTEMPORARY FURNITURE
• Simple and Clean Lines
• Square-edged Chairs and Couches
• Natural Material and Textures
CONTEMPORARY COLORS
• neutrals, blacks and whites.
QUALITIES OF CONTEMPORARY FURNITURE
• Form and function
• Technology
• New Materials
• Measurements
MODULAR FURNITURE
• pre-made or ready-made furniture
• easy to install and dismantle
HOME FURNITURE
• Wood and abaca can be combined to make good home furniture

FAMOUS FILIPINO FURNITURE DESIGNERS

ITO KISH
• a stint as a visual merchandiser
• Work: Gregoria Lounge
LESSON 2

Furniture Products

VITO SELMA
• made him tuck a number of accomplishments in the field of industrial design under
his belt.
• Work: Elemental

KENNETH KOBONGPUE
• earned international awards and recognition because of his masterful way of
integrating nature
• Work: Papillion Swing

NICCOLO JOSE
• Filipino visual artist and self-taught woodworker

MARIA ERIKA MASALONGA

• her entry Solace rocking chair won first place in 2011.
• Work: Solace Rocking Chair

NILO NAVAL
• designer of oversized furniture.
• Work: Abaca Rope Lounge Chair
LESSON 3

Ceramics, Pottery, and Terracotta Art

CERAMIC

• Raw materials for ceramic include clay, kaolinate, aluminum oxide, silicon
carbide, tungsten carbide, and certain pure elements.
• It is hardened by heating to high temperatures.
• “Keramikos” comes from the word keramos means “potter’s clay”.

HISTORY OF CERAMIC ART

• Venus of Dolní Věstonice is from a small prehistoric settlement, near Brno, in
Czech Republic.
• Most traditional ceramic products were made from clay, shaped and subjected
to heat, and tableware and decorative ceramics are generally made this way.
• Cultures especially noted for ceramics include the Chinese, Cretan, Greek,
Persian, Mayan, Japanese, and Korean cultures, as well as the modern Western cultures.

TYPES OF CERAMICS
CLAY PRODUCTS
• Clay is the basic and most important material in this type.
• It can easily catch fire.
• Higher density is achieved through an increase in vitrification and also through
increasing fire temperature and finer original particle size.
REFRACTORY
• Ceramic can resist higher temperatures and that is why they also used as
refractories.
• They can also resist high stress.
• For best refractors ceramics made of pure oxide is used.
LESSON 3

Ceramics, Pottery, and Terracotta Art

INDUSTRIALLY USED CERAMICS

• The abrasive material is also hard in nature and can wear resistance which is
very important.
• Along with the toughness is also required as they do not get shatter while
grinding.
• Some ceramics like graphite are good conductors while others have a high
resistivity which can also be used in heating materials.

POTTERY

• Pottery happens when there is a formation of vessels and other objects with
clay or ceramic materials that is harden and results to a durable form when it is put on a
high temperature
• They have no harmful materials when using the pottery bowl as for interacting
with the food. But it can only take a few space and not store as conveniently as plastic
bowls.

HISTORY OF POTTERY

• It is the oldest known body of pottery and the clay was an abundant resource in
the region. Early pots were built by stacking rings of clay, which were then smoothed out
and fired in a hole in the ground, under a bonfire. The Greeks were credited with making
pottery an art form, although at the time, potters were still known as craftsmen.
• This was simply a moveable platform that allowed them to turn the pot as they
worked, instead of having to get up and walk around it.
• It made it possible to work quickly and reproduce the same design. The
invention of electricity brought us the motorized potter's wheel that we know today.
• Porcelain were created from white kaolin clay combined with ground granite,
which was fired at extremely high temperatures. It was very expensive to transport, so
potters in West Asia invented lead glazes to mimic the look of porcelain.
LESSON 3

Ceramics, Pottery, and Terracotta Art

• Larger pieces of burial jars were said to have appeared during this age and
the evidence were unearthed in Palawan.
• 1950's found earthenware pottery lead by Dr. Wilhelm Solhiem II.
• The evidence of pottery way back metal age were found in archaeology sites
in Cebu by archaeologists from the University of San Carlos.
• Most potters in Europe and Asia were using fast wheel.
• 1950’s found earthenware pottery lead by Dr. Wilhem Solhiem II.
• A Filipino Ceramic Artist, Pablo Capati, debuted his solo ceramic exhibit
titled “Interplay” at the One East Asia Gallery in Singapore, the Department of Foreign
Affairs announced in a release issued Saturday.

TYPES OF POTTERY

• Earthenware is one of the oldest used in pottery. After firing the body
porous and opaque and depending on the raw materials used will be the colored from
white to buff to red. Its composition is made from surface shales and clay, 25% ball clay,
32% quartz and 15% feldspar. Its temperature range is fired at a low temperature
between 1840F to 2030F. It uses in many different items which includes cooking stove, all
shapes and sizes of jars and trays.
• Stoneware is plastic and often gray when moist. Their fired colors range
through light grey and buff, to medium grey to brown. It depends on how they were fired.
Its composition is finer clay than earthenware clay. Highly impure with iron, calcium and
feldspar due to which they require a higher temperature. Its temperature is higher than
earthenware 2130F to 2300F. It often used in decorative and foodware purposes.
• Porcelainware have lower plasticity than many other clays. Its commonly
used kaolin with a little feldspar. The color of unfired porcelain clay can be anything from
white to cream, while bone china clay is white. After firing they are both white. They are
typically fired at temperatures between 1200 to 1450 degrees Celsius, a little higher than
stoneware.
LESSON 3

Ceramics, Pottery, and Terracotta Art

TERRACOTTA

• It is used to make flower pots, often used for pipes, bricks, and sculptures.
• Terracotta or baked earth, is the art of creating glazed or unglazed porous
earthen, figurines, and other decorative materials from clay.

HISTORY OF TERRACOTTA ART

• Those figurines have been excavated from various sites of Indus Valley
Civilization like Birhana, Mehrgarh, Mjendaro, and in many more.
• These seals also depict the apparels, hair, styles, ornaments, as well
religious beliefs of people.
• The ancient used pressure of their hands o painstakingly give shape to each
terracotta item but with increase in the type of uses and demand moulds were made to
start mass production.
CERAMIC VS. TERRACOTTA
• Ceramic cookwares are ideal for cooking.
• It is not easily available in the market.
• Terracotta cookware is difficult to clean because the food remains in the
pores.
CERAMIC V.S POTTERY
• Like what mentioned in the beginning, ceramic can be made up by other
materials.
• Pottery cannot be made by other materials
• Ceramics is smoother because of the new techniques of molding being used
in it.
• Pottery is rough because of the old fashion ways it is created.
LESSON 4

Decorative Art in Paper, Tattoo, Coffee, and Tuba

2. Coffee Painting – is a decorative art that uses brown powder coffee as a substitute for
paint. Mixing various quantities of coffee powder with water can create contrasting shades
of brown.
Sunshine Plata – a Batangueña artist that mastered the use of coffee as a substitute for oil
paint. Her first piece using coffee painting was a painting of her alma mater, University of
Santo Tomas. By the age of 28 she had a total of 32 coffee paintings of whimsical images
inspired by her dreams.
3. Tuba Art – is a decorative art using coconut wine or Lambanog as substitute for paint.
Dante Enage – is a Tacloban-based visual artist that mastered the use of tuba as a medium
paying tribute to Leo Villafor which is Leyte’s great tuba artist. He chose tuba as a medium
of painting to promote Warayon culture.
4. Soil art - can be painted on when put on canvas using adhesive
Adelfa Kinuyog - from the Talaandig community in Bukidnon Province, Mindanao. Her
artwork uses perspective to show depth. She was influenced by artist Salima Saway to do
soil painting. Most of her artworks are about their community to promote their culture and
traditions. The Busy Mother is one of her artwork which means the mother shows that she
is weaving while her baby sleeps, at present, nowadays women on the tribe still do weaving
even though busy to do house chores.
5. Tattoo Art - form of body modification where a pigment is inserted into a skin to change
its color permanently. Traditional decorative body art popular in the Northern Region.
For Kalinga, there are four major designs:
- The imitation of woven garment silup
- The tinago, image of a well-muscled man etched on the chest
- The pongo, bracelet motif rendered as a single line of stars and grass
- The native dog, man’s bestfriend for Bontoc, tattoo designs include:
- Tinat- araw (stars)
- Inal-alam (grass)
- Ginay-gayaman (centipede)
- Teytey (ladder)
- Taklag, series of geometric markings as mark of true warrior
LESSON 3

Ceramics, Pottery, and Terracotta Art

Different ways of administering tattooing

- Benguet Ibaloi used thick soot and juice from wild plants pricked into the skin using
thorn of citrus plant.
- Bontocs used needles that were set into a carabao horn to make a wound, then ink
made of resinous soot is rubbed into the wound. (Cimatu, n.d.)
Jean Pierre Lao (Dyani) - tattoo artist who spearheaded the Philippine Tattoo
Movement. Lao’s tattoo designs are rowboat, dragon, and other symbolic figures
Janer Santos – Ilocos Norte artist who is heavily engaged in tattoo art and business.
His designs are contemporary interpretations of mermaid, angel, Koi fish, and tribal
motifs and his workshop is at Tattoo de Iloco.

Art Appreciation- In any visual art, the viewer has to understand the qualities of
decorative art in paper, coffee, tuba, and soil to be able to appreciate it.
Contemporary decorative artists consider form and function (or no function) in their
art craft.
Guide to Appreciation of Decorative Art
Form- describe the dominant elements of art (e.g.: color, shape, texture)
Function- what purpose does it serve? (Decorative or practical)

If it is decorative, what are its physical qualities?

If it is serve as practical purpose, can it serve this purpose well, given its form and
designs
What have I Learned
After doing the activities: I noticed___________________________________________
A question I have is _______________________________________________________
I’m not sure _____________________________________________________________
I realized _______________________________________________________________

Reference List
Basilan, M. L. J. Ph.D. & Arguelles, R. LPT. (2018) Contemporary Philippine Arts from The
Region. Unlimited Books Library Services & Publishing Corporation.
Datuin, F. M., Paulino, R., Ramirez, E. & Marcelino, L. (2016). Contemporary Philippine Arts
from The Region. Rex Book Store Publishing Company
Panisan, W. K., Gazzingan, L. B., Samar, G. L. & Boongaling, C. C. (2016). Contemporary
Philippine Arts from The Region. Mutya Publishing House Incorporation.
Veronica, R. (2016). Contemporary Philippine Arts from The Region. Vibal Group,
Incorporation.
UNIT
7 DIFFERENT CONTEMPORARY ART
TECHNIQUES AND PERFORMANCE PRACTICES /
CONTEMPORARY PERFORMING

The Unit will enable you to:

• conceptualize contemporary art based on techniques and performance practices
in their locality (CAR11/12AP-Of-h-14)
• apply artistic skills and techniques in the process of creation (CAR11/12AP-Of-h-
15)
• Incorporate contemporary characteristic to one’s creation with attention to detail
(CAR11/12AP-Of-h-16)
• Create intended final product using appropriate materials for the best possible
output (CAR11/12AP-Of-h-17)

In this unit, you will put theory into practice as you create your own artistic
production. Here, you will learn how to work with your peers to put up a grand production.
Further, you will learn that the theoretical concepts we discussed in the previous units can
be integrated and synced into a tangible production. Lastly, this unit will discuss techniques
and steps necessary in the production process.

Performing arts involve a performer (usually a person) undertaking certain

actions and movements usually accompanied by sound in a particular space and time for
an audience. What sets performing arts apart from other art forms is how it uses the
human body as part of its medium and its dependency on time and space. Moreover,
performing arts is defined by its interdisciplinarity and how it integrates various art forms.
There are three kinds of performing art forms classified according to the material used.
LESSON 1

The Art of Film: A Window to Different Worlds

Some of the generalized purposes of art is to entertain and express

meanings and emotions. In the modern world today, the entertainment industry has
no geographical boundaries. Films produced in different parts of the world reach their
target audiences even in the remotest parts of the planet earth.

The film industry is faced with a lot of challenges. It is characterized by a

lack of quality films from its post studio years in the 1960s up to the years after the fall
of Marcos’s regime. Due to the lack incentives that could have been the solution to
quality control and economic stability for the film industry, Hollywood films and other
foreign films, accessible through cable television, were preferred over local films. As
the result, independent filmmakers emerged so as not to be tied down by the
economic, thematic, and technical constraints of the industry, working outside it and
experimenting with the medium.

Films tend to serve different purposes and often target a particular set of
audiences. For instance, animations are more likely to be associated with children. As
such, most animation productions aim to entertain children who are film enthusiasts.
For enthusiasts who enjoy humor, producers in the film industry meet their
entertainment desires through comedy. Since art is seen as a platform to relive past
events, Film can be used to showcase such previous events. In this light, a film genre
such as epic serves the purpose of ensuring that enthusiasts interested in reliving
stories of the past are entertained. There is also a group of film enthusiasts whose
interest is on information regarding various topical issues. As such, they can derive their
entertainment from documentaries. Movies, on the other hand, serves the needs of film
enthusiasts who are accustomed to attending cinemas to watch the latest blockbusters
movies.

platform to provide entertainment, art can rely on films to ensure

enthusiasts across the world continue to appreciate art in different forms.
LESSON 1

The Art of Film: A Window to Different Worlds

SIGNS OF THE ARRIVAL OF NEW WAVE

1. On-the-move camera technique

2. The use of informal everyday language
3. The unreserved manner of dealing with sex
4. The rebellious approach towards the social convention and institutions

New breed Filipino directors

A new breed of Filipino directors were brave enough to direct films

that portrayed revolt, labor unionism, social ostracism, and class division. These
were Lino Brocka, Peque Gallaga, Ishmael Bernal, Celso Ad Castillo, and Marilou
Diaz Abaya.
Lino Brocka
❖ One of the most influential and significant film makers in
Philippine cinema history.
❖ Founded the organization Concerned Artists of the
Philippines, dedicated in helping artists address issues
confronting the country.
❖ Used conventional love triangles, rape and violent
action.

Peque Gallaga
❖ One of the pioneers in Experimental Cinema of the
Philippines.

❖ Director of some horror movies like the famous

Shake, Rattle and Roll 1, 2, 3, 4.
LESSON 1

The Art of Film: A Window to Different Worlds

Ishmael Bernal
❖ A Manila film maker.
❖ Noted for his melodramas, particularly with
feminist and moral issues.
❖ Awarded CMMA Best Director Award (1993) and
the Bronze Hugo Award in the Chicago International
Film Festival (1983) for the movie Himala.

Celso Ad Castillo

Marilou Diaz Abaya

❖ multi-awarded film director.
❖ The founder and president of the Marilou Diaz-
Abaya Film Institute and Art Center.
❖ The 2001 Laureate of the Fukuoka Prize for Culture
and the Arts in Japan.
❖ Recipient of British Film Institute Award and dozens
of local awards

Directors of the New Wave

❖ The directors of the New Wave either “tended towards exposing relevant social
topics or hybridizing Filipino topics with Western techniques”.

❖ They are also called “alternative film makers”. Alternative or independent film
makers are products of film schools were students are expose to art films
without “the compromises of commercial film making”.
LESSON 1

The Art of Film: A Window to Different Worlds

Raymond Red
❖ One of the first Filipino to receive a Rotterdam
Hubert Bals Memorial grant, and the first and so far
only filipino to have won the prestigious Palm d’Or
award at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival for his short
film Anino.

Nick De Ocampo
❖ In his practice of nonfiction documentary films and
short films, Filmed Revolutions Happen Refrains in a
Song (1987), “s post- mertem on the people power
revolution of 1986”, and a Legacy of Violence
(1990), which contributed “a view of the history of
the country”.

Brillante Mendoza Lav Diaz Gil Portes

(San Fernando, (Maguindanao) (Quezon)
Pampanga

Erik Matti Maryo J. Delos Reyes

(Bacolod City) (Bohol)
LESSON 2

DANCE: The Power of Movement

Dance in the Philippine regions is dominated by the new creative interpretations

of traditional and folkdances which are performed by members of the community during
festivals. Contemporary dance is a performing art that involves rhythmic body movement
within a given space, choreographed based on musical beat. It is performed either by dance
performers in front of an audience or by everyone on the dance floor. It is an expression of
idea or emotion, releasing energy, or simply taking delight in music and the dance movement
itself. Contemporary dance trends in the Philippines have strong Western influences. (twist,
hustle, swing, hiphop, lambada, etc.)

Well-known figures in Philippine Dance

ALICE GARCIA REYES

▪ A multi talented dancer, choreographer and artistic director.
▪ Established the Alice Reyes Modern Dance Company with dancers from the
Bayanihan Dance Company, UE Dance Troupe and Dance Theater Philippines.
▪ The Mother of Contemporary Dance.

LISA TERESITA PACHECO MACUJA ELIZALDE

▪ Founder of Ballet Manila
▪ A Prima Ballerina of Kirov Ballet in Russia

DOUGLAS NIERRAS
▪ The most prominent jazz dancer

Contemporary Dancing Styles

• Disco Dancing – a dance style popularized during the 1970s. It is usually

associated with John Travolta’s dance style in the movie Saturday Night
Fever.
• Hiphop – originated in America, refers to street dance styles such as
breaking, locking and popping. It differs from other dance styles in that
it is often freestyle or improvisation.
LESSON 2

DANCE: The Power of Movement

TOP 10 DANCE CRAZE IN THE PHILIPPINES

1. NOBODY DANCE » popularized by the Korean group of 5 girls: the Wonder Girls.

2. SPAGHETTI DANCE » made popular by the Sexbomb Dancers in 2003.

3. CHOCOLATE DANCE » a dance craze by the Soul Control Duo that became famous
through GMA-7’s reality based talent search, Starstruck.

4. PAPAYA DANCE » started by Pilipinas: Game KNB? TV Host Edu Manzano in 2007

5. SHALALA LALA DANCE » a dance floor hit in the 1990s through the group
Dreamhouse.

6. OTSO-OTSO DANCE » popularized by comedian Bayani Agbayani in 2003.

7. ASEREJE DANCE » introduced by the Spanish pop group Las Ketchup.

8. ALWAYS DANCE » popularized by Wowie de Guzman with his eight-man dance

group, Universal Motion Dancers in the early 1990s.

9. SHAKE BODY DANCER DANCE » popularized by Maricel Soriano during the 1980’s.

10. MACARENA DANCE » made popular by the Spanish Music Duo, Los Del Rio.
LESSON 3

MUSIC: Complex Yet Humanizing

The power of music goes beyond words. It can penetrate thinking, change
our mood, stimulate ideas, create space around man or affect us in a positive or negative
way.
We respond to music physically, emotionally and intellectually as it affects our brain
functions, moods, disposition, our character and thinking.

Contemporary Philippine Music of the 2000s is characterized by its use of

new genres such as OPM, Pop, Emo, Post-Hardcore, and Post-Rock. It is characterized by
improvisation, making use of instruments not normally used in a European orchestra
such as gongs and bamboo. Due to technological advancements and globalization,
contemporary Philippine music made use of musical pyrotechnics, complex chord
structures and sound effectsbased ambience noticeably different from OPM. Baroque-
like features had a second coming in the form of pyrotechnics and experimental
characteristics.

CONTEMPORARY FILIPINO MUSIC COMPOSERS

GEORGE MASANGCAY CANSECO

• A music composer from Cavite and a nationally acclaimed composer who has written
songs that brought many Filipino singers fame.
• Elected President of the Filipino Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, Inc. in
1973.

RAYMUNDO CIPRIANO POJANTE “RYAN” CAYABYAB

• Has composed music for fulllength ballets, theater musicals, chorale pieces,
orchestral pieces, commercial recordings of popular music, film scores and television
specials.
• His top compositions include (Kumukutikutitap, Kay Ganda ng ating Musika, Pasko na
Sinta ko)
LESSON 3

MUSIC: Complex Yet Humanizing

3. FRANCISCO FELICIANO
• Produced more than 30 major works that include operas and music dramas.
• He also composed hundreds of liturgical pieces, mass settings, hymns, and songs
for worship

Pinoy rock, Pop and OPM flourished in the 1970s and to this date, are the
most popular music forms in the Philippines. They are usually acoustic or folk in ballad
form, promoting nationalism, possessing easylistening chord progression and written in
Filipino, English or Taglish.

FAMOUS CONTEMPORARY MUSIC SINGERS

Freddie Aquilar- His debut record, Anak was translated to many languages in Asia and
Europe.

Apo Hiking Society- Ateneo de Manila graduates: Danny Javier, Buboy Garovillo and Jim
Paredes

Gary Valenciano- Won the Awit Award for “Best Male Performer” 11 times.

Tessie Alfonso- better known as “Sampaguita” was a Pop rock singer

Mike Hanopol- a rock singer, guitarist and recording artist and a member of the Juan dela
Cruz Band.

Maria Socorro-“KUH” LEDESMA was the 1st Filipino singer to become a recipient of the
Salem Music Awards in London in March 1989.

Sharon Cuneta-Pangilinan- Famous for singing, movie theme songs and love songs

Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga-Chien- An international singer and a Tony Award
winning Filipino singer and performer.
LESSON 3

MUSIC: Complex Yet Humanizing

CONTEMPORARY MUSIC IN THE DIFFERENT REGIONS

PAROKYA NI EDGAR (NCR, Manila) known for their rock compositions, experimenting
with different genres from rock and pop rock to funk and rap.

ERASERHEADS Ely Buendia was a member of this band (Naga, Camarines Sur)

RIVERMAYA (NCR) one of the several bands that led the alternative rock movement in the
Philippines.

ORANGE AND LEMONS (Bulacan) a pinoy rock band that delved in OPM, alternative rock
and indie pop. Their hit song Pinoy Ako is the theme song of TV series Pinoy Big Brother.

SOUTH BORDER (Davao) an RNB band specializing in the soul, neo-soul and pinoy pop.

SCULPTURAL ASSEMBLAGE AS SOUND ART LIRIO SALVADOR is best known for his
sculptural assemblage turned musical instrument called Sandata. He utilize materials that
are for everyday use such as bowls, stainless steel pipes, utensils and bicycle gears to
make musical instruments that make raw sounds. A member of the band, Elemento.

Do It Yourself

1. Choose any translation of the song “ANAK” into different language.

2. 2. Be prepared to perform it in class by singing its original tune.
LESSON 4
Theatre and Performance Arts on Stage and on the
Streets

There are three kinds of performing art forms classified

according to the material used.

1. Auditory for music, which has the following elements:

a. Rhythm - movement, fluctuation, or variation marked by the regular recurrence or
natural flow of related elements
b. Pitch - highness or lowness of sound
c. Melody - a rhythmic succession of single tones organized as an aesthetic whole
d. Musical Notations - the act, process, method, or an instance of representing by a
system or set of marks, signs, figures, or characters used in music
e. Harmony - the combination of simultaneous musical notes in a chord
f. Timbre - the perceived sound quality of a musical tone which sets it apart from other
tones. This may be described as soft, rough, hoarse, cold, and other similar adjectives.

2. Kinesthetic for dance, which has the following elements:

a. Human body - the body is the center of the performance activity. It performs the
actions and movements necessary to the piece. With that, it is considered to be the
main medium in performing arts.
b. Arrangement or pattern - the movements and steps which enable the performers to
perform in an organized manner.
c. Time and space - performing arts depend highly on time and space. The other
elements must all come together to complement the available and selected time and
space.

3. Dramatics for theatre, which has the following elements:

a. Stage direction - instructions indicating movement, blockings or positions, and other
nuances in the performers’ speaking, movement, and acting
b. Narratology - the narrative structure of the piece
c. Scenic design - the artistic design that creates the background or scene to complement
the performances
LESSON 4
Theatre and Performance Arts on Stage and on the
Streets

Performing arts include performance art, theater, dance and music, were artists perform
in front of an audience.

It may be on stage, on the street or other spaces that reflects human life and different
patterns of human behavior.

There are two types of performing arts.

1. PERFORMANCE ART

❑ use the basic elements of time, space, the performer’s body and the
audience.
❑ the act can take place anywhere at any length of time.
❑ purpose is not to entertain but to convey a message in a dramatic sense.
❑ does not depict a set of fictitious character following a script.
❑ the performance may be a satire or a commentary, a position on an issue.
An example is Sam Penaso’s visual art performance at Manila Doctors Hospital on
March 28, 2015 in celebration of Earth Hour.

2. THEATER ARTS

❑ employs a specific language that applies to visual and auditory elements,

media, techniques and conventions.
❑ elements are varied and complex and may include the physical presence of
the actors, the colors and shapes of the costumes and scenery, sound and
music, drama, and the ideas and emotions express by the playwright.
LESSON 4
Theatre and Performance Arts on Stage and on the
Streets

Objectives refer to the goals you have for your production. Objectives have to be
identified before starting the production process. These will define what your production
has to achieve in order to be considered as successful. Objectives must be written in
infinitives (to + verb) and it must be SMART or specific, measurable, attainable, relevant,
and time bound.
● Specific - use concrete action verbs as opposed to abstract ones (i.e. the verb you
use should suggest specific actions on how to go about it)
● Measurable - identify quantifiable metrics
● Attainable - ensure that it is realistic and it can be attained given your resources
● Relevant - the objectives set must have significant impact to the production when
achieved
● Time bound - identify specific points in time (or time period) when you have to
meet a certain objective

For example, consider the objective: to raise awareness on the subject matter of the play.
This objective is not SMART. First off, it is not clear as to how a “raised awareness” will be
measured (through an evaluation sheet, a survey, etc) nor is it clear as to what the subject
matter is (people may interpret a play differently). Further, it did not provide metrics so its
attainability is not knowable and is not time-bound.
A suggested revision may be: to raise awareness by 50% on breast cancer measured through
a post-event survey distributed at the end of the play. This objective meets all of the criteria
mentioned above.
After the implementation stage, your team should have an evaluation period. During then,
discuss the good and the bad parts of the production, and check what you have achieved
side by side with your objectives to see how much of the production is a success.
LESSON 4
Theatre and Performance Arts on Stage and on the
Streets

ELEMENTS OF DRAMATIC THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE

1. PLOT – refers to the arrangement of events which has a beginning, middle

and end.

2. CHARACTER – the principal material of the performance, the central focus

of the plot.

3. THOUGHT – refers to the main idea or concept that the characters

dramatized.

4. LANGUAGE OR DICTION – the expression of meaning through the use of

words.

5. SONG OR MUSIC – refers to the speaking, dancing and singing part in the
performance, which includes sound of actors’ voices, incidental songs and
background music and instrumental accompaniment.

6. SPECTACLE – pertains to the visual elements of production that include

characters’ movement and spatial relation, lightings, settings, costumes
and props.

7. DIRECTOR – puts together a variety of elements so that the audience can

sit and view a coherent theater performance.

8. PLAYWRIGHT – writes the story in a dramatic format.

9. THEATER SPACE – usually set on stage.

LESSON 4
Theatre and Performance Arts on Stage and on the
Streets

BASIC THATER STAGES

1. PROSCENIUM (picture frame stage) –

the action takes place behind the
proscenium opening or frame. In this
type of stage, the seats in the
auditorium face the stage like the seats
in a movie theater facing the screen.

2. ARENA (circle stage) – may either be raised a

few feet above the floor with seats rising
from the floor level or it may be on the floor
with seats raised on levels around it.

3. THRUST STAGE – with three-quarter seating

arranged in a semi-circle that encloses the
stage protruding the center.

4. CREATED AND FOUND – stage space can be

any kind of structure that maintains its
original architectural elements intact such as
warehouses, gyms, etc.
LESSON 4
Theatre and Performance Arts on Stage and on the
Streets

Parts of the Stage

A 2-week online workshop between students and teachers is expected to be held in this
unit. The facebook group shall be used as a medium for the presentation of classes and
outputs.
By the end of the workshop, the students are expected to present a recital in showcase of
their acquired learnings the teachers will prepare a grading criteria based on the process
undergone by the workshoppers. It will be given to the students 3 days prior to the recital

What have I Learned

After doing the activities: I noticed___________________________________________
A question I have is _______________________________________________________
I’m not sure _____________________________________________________________
I realized _______________________________________________________________

Reference List
Basilan, M. L. J. Ph.D. & Arguelles, R. LPT. (2018) Contemporary Philippine Arts from The
Region. Unlimited Books Library Services & Publishing Corporation.
Datuin, F. M., Paulino, R., Ramirez, E. & Marcelino, L. (2016). Contemporary Philippine Arts
from The Region. Rex Book Store Publishing Company
Panisan, W. K., Gazzingan, L. B., Samar, G. L. & Boongaling, C. C. (2016). Contemporary
Philippine Arts from The Region. Mutya Publishing House Incorporation.
Veronica, R. (2016). Contemporary Philippine Arts from The Region. Vibal Group,
Incorporation.