CONCEPTUALIZING CONTEMPORARY
ARTS BASED ON TECHNIQUES &
LOCAL PERFORMANCE
Filipinos are proven to be one of the most
creative and colorful people in the world. The
types of arts that are produced in different
regions, each regions has its unique
specialties or product to take pride.
Philippines is very rich in natural resources.
We can maximize the use of natural resources
even in creating arts. Arts express the artistic
feelings towards any aspect of life.
Contemporary artists found used bottles, hay,
rice stalks, plastic straw, and other recyclable
materials useful in creating artworks. A real
artists sees the beauty of art even the
peelings of garlic and corn.
They create artworks from wood, wire,
thread, rattan, metal and leaves. The real
artists sees the beauty even from the peeling
of garlic and corn.
PAHIYAS
One of the country's biggest, and most
colorful harvest festival every May 15th, along
with the harvest festivals of the towns of
Tayabas, Sariaya, Gumaca and Tiaong. These
are the Philippines best known harvest
festivals to honor San Isidro Labrador, the
patron saint of farmers. Known as the
"Pahiyas", the festival is deeply rooted in the
traditional celebration of the townsfolk in
thanksgiving for bounty harvest. Decorations
called "Kiping", leaf-shaped and multi-colored
rice paste wafers which are used to decorate
the facades of the homes along with fruits and
flowers from nature. The visual and culinary
feast has gained national and international
recognition. The Lucban town center is a
permanent facility for merchandising crafts
and delicacies including special events that
showcases the lifestyle of its environs.
SANIKULAS COOKIE MOLD
CARVINGS (PAMPANGA)
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Saniculas cookie mold carvings (Pampanga)-
This folk art is elegant and beautiful as it is a
dying art. Saniculas cookies are arrowroot
cookies that have the image of St. Nicholas
molded on it ergo the name Saniculas. St.
Nicholas is also known as "the healer" and is
the go-to saint for those who need "healing"
from illnesses. Legend say that if you consume
these cookies when one is ill, you get healed
and recover in a shorter amount of time than
it would usually take. The molds are an
exceptional piece of folk art and a rarity, if I
do say so myself. Saniculas cookie makers
would commission the carvers of these molds
with one-of-a-kind designs. They would also
have the initials of the owner monogrammed
on the molds. This is why it's so rare- it is
considered a family heirloom. The molds are
made of hardwood and are of different
shapes and sizes. They would have a carved
piece and a wooden presser.
PABALAT OR PASTILLAS
WRAPPER (BULACAN)
Pastillas wrapper cutting art (Bulacan) - When
I was a little girl, I was so fascinated by these
wrappers that I wouldn't eat the pastillas for
fear of ruining the wrappers. Of course, since
the wrapper was made out of delicate
Japanese paper, they would inevitably tear or
degrade. Even the way to make it is so
delicate that only the ones with skilled hands
and have perfect control of their motor skills
can produce the best kind.. Sadly, this too, is a
dying art. Reports say that only Lola Luz
Ocampo is the last crafts(wo)man of this art.
However, Lola Luz has made it her mission to
train and pass on her knowledge to the
younger generation in Bulacan. We hope to
see this art flourish again.
TAKA (LAGUNA)
The art of "taka" or "taka-making" is not an
exclusive Pinoy art. Paper mache and
decoupaging have been around for centuries.
In the Philippines, the first recorded or
mention of a created taka was by a woman
named Maria Bague in the 1920's. She has
wooden moulds that were covered in strips of
paper dipped in a sticky paste. She would later
paint them colorfully and presented them as
children's toys. Due to a fire though, none of
the original takas were saved. Taka making
became more popular during the American
colonization period when there was an excess
of newsprint. And because Pinoys hate
wasting anything, the people of Paete decided
to create more takas and even diversified into
different animals and not just the traditional
red horse.
PUNI OR PALM LEAF FOLDING
(BULACAN)
Another dying folk art, Puni or palm leaf
folding was intended to create artful toys for
kids. However, puni can also be used to create
woven baskets, bags and even fans! The most
common permutation of Puni art is the
palaspas we see every Holy Week. Because of
the abundance of coconut leaves, the Pinoys
have ingeniously created toys and other items
through Puni. Although fresh coconut or palm
leaves are most commonly used, the leaves
dry and crumble within a few days. It is now
more common to use leaves that are dried,
treated and dyed for strength and color.
PAGBUBURDA (LAGUNA)
Trying to "encourage" to try embroidery
when. Somehow it was a pre-requisite then
(and probably a birth right) for all women to
know basic housework and embroidery. For
teaching how to do a chain stitch and other
sewing techniques but it’s just did not have
the skill she did for pagbuburda. The art of
embroidery is happily alive and flourishing in
these towns. Although it's mostly done by
women who are wives of the farmers and
fishermen, it is not uncommon to see
fishermen and farmers who are also carefully
and delicately embroidering floral designs
during their "off season".
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CONCEPT IN INTEGRATED
ARTS PRODUCTION
COLLAGE
Collage may sometimes include magazines
and newspapers, clippings, ribbons, paints,
bits of colored or handmade papers, portions
of other artwork or texts, photographs, and
other found objects, glued to a piece of paper
or canvas.
GRAFFITI
Are writings or drawings that have been
scribbled, scratched, or painted illicitly on a
wall or other surface, often in a public space.
Graffiti range from simple written words to
elaborate wall paintings.
Graffiti may express underlying social and
political messages, and a whole genre of
artistic expression based on spray paint graffiti
styles.
A form of visual communication, usually
illegal, involving the unauthorized marking of
public space by an individual or group.
Although the common image of graffiti is a
stylistic symbol or phrase spray-painted on a
wall by a member of a street gang, some
graffiti is not gang-related.
LAND-ART
Earthworks or earth movement in which
landscape and the work of art are inextricably
linked. It is also an art form that is created in
nature, using natural materials such as soil,
rock, organic media and water which
introduced materials such as concrete, metal,
asphalt, or mineral pigments.
DIGITAL ARTS
Is an artistic work or practice that uses digital
technology as an essential part of the creative
or presentation process.
Digital Art is a term applied to contemporary
art that uses the method of mass production
or digital media.
MIXED- MEDIA
•In visual art, refers to an artwork in the
making of which more than one medium has
been employed. It refers to a work of visual
art that combines various
traditionally distinct visual art media.
The term mixed media art is a broad definition
that covers many arts and crafts, including
collage, assemblage, altered objects, including
books and boxes, handmade greeting cards,
journalling, and bookmaking
This includes paints, papers and board of all
descriptions, glues, buttons, fabrics, found
objects, photos, metal bits, fibers things from
nature, inks, pencils, crayons, markers, pastels
and polymer clays, to name a few.
PRINTMAKING
Is the process of making artwork by painting,
normally on paper. Prints are created by
transforming ink from a matrix of through a
prepared screen to a sheet of paper or other
material.
PRODUCTION PLANNING
Most artworks we know are paintings,
sculptures and music composition. Art is
manifested in different forms, in singing,
dancing, and acting and could be seen in day
to day lives. There are different procedures
and concepts that is needed and it not
something new to what artist do in producing
an artwork.
SUBJECT
According to Sandagan and Sayseng (2016),
subject refers to anything that represented in
an artwork. It can be an object, person
scenery, colors and etc. even though subject
can be the center of an art some
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masterpiece do not have subjects.
When we are talking about subject, there are
two types of arts. Arts that have subject are
called Representational or Objective Arts.
These arts present stories, images,
representations, symbols, etc. Examples are
graphic arts, literature, sculpture, painting,
and theater arts.
While art works without subjects are called
Non-Representational or Non-Objective Arts.
These arts attract straight through the senses.
Examples are musical arrangement,
architecture, weaving and other functional
art.
MEDIUM
Medium refers to the materials used in an
artwork. It is the instrument of every artist to
convey message in an artistic manner. It can
be colors and brushers for a painter; sounds
for a musician; movements of the body for an
actress or dancer; it can also be the words for
every writer; wood or clay for a sculptor.
When creating an art, it does not mean an
artist should have the expensive medium for
creating a masterpiece, it can be anything
available. As long as it can conveys the artists’
message it can be used.
FORM
Form refers to the physical characteristics of
an art. It is about the utilization
of the elements of art such as line, shape,
form, space, color, value, and texture. And
these elements are arranged based on the
principles of design in creating masterpiece.
After understanding the concepts artists
considered in creating art, you are now ready
to leap to a bigger step of producing an art
production. According to Quipper (2018),
there are 4Ms to consider:
1. METHOD
Methods refers to the framework of the
production. It provides the skeletal plan that
will serves as the guide for the whole
production. It contains the objectives or
goals, material, procedures, manpower
assignment, target date of finish.
Objectives or goals are the expected output
or result of the production. Objectives must
be SMART; specific, measurable, attainable,
relevant, and time bound.
Title or name of Production
- refers to the name of productions. The name
of the production should be the one to catch
the audience’s attention Title or name of
Production refers to the name of productions.
The name of the production should be the
one to catch the audience’s attention.
Target Audience
- refers to the group that is the primary target
of the production. will use to execute your
production. It can be physical space or an
Procedures
- are the activities that need to be done.
Venue or Platform
refers to the space you will use to execute
your production. It can be physical space or an
online platform.
Date of Implementation or Target date of
Finish
-is the expected of production’s launching
date.
2. Materials
- refers to the artwork presented on a
production such as the script on a drama,
music and lyrics, or choreography. It is the
center of the production that consists the
concept that is expressed through art.
3. MACHINE
Machine refers to the mediums, machinery,
tools, or equipment to be used in a
production. On a theater production
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machines are the physical materials such as
stage lighting, sound systems, or any technical
medium.
4. MANPOWER
Manpower refers to the team of people
assigned to a specific role. It can be the
director, producers, choreographers, dancers,
artist, or crew. Because of them the whole
process of creating the production can be fun
and it will be easier to accomplish.
SUMMARY
1. Subject refers to anything that is
represented in an artwork.
2. Subject can be the center of an art but
some masterpieces do not have subjects.
3. Representational or objective arts are
present in stories, images etc. and examples
are graphic arts, literature, painting etc.
4. Non-representational or non-objective arts
are the arts that attracts straight through the
senses and examples are musical
arrangement, weaving and other functional
art.
5. Medium refers to the materials used in an
artwork. It is the instrument of every artist to
convey their message to the audience
6. Form refers to the physical characteristics
of an art. artists show it by utilization of
elements of arts.
7. Methods refers to the framework of the
production. It contains the objectives,
material, procedures, manpower, target date
of finish
8. Objectives are the expected output of the
production It must be SMART; specific,
measurable, attainable, relevant and time
bound
9. Title refers to the name of the production
that will catch the audience attention.
10.Target Audience refers to the group that is
the primary target of the production
11.Procedures are the activities that is needed
to be done
12.Venue or Platform refers to the space you
will be using for the whole production that
could be physical and online platform
13.Materials refers to the artwork presented
on a production such as the script, music and
lyrics, choreography that is the center of the
production and consist of the concept artist
want to express
14.Machine refers to the mediums,
machinery, tools or equipment to be used in
production,
15.Manpower refers to the team of people
involved in the production that is assigned to
different roles.
CRITIQUING VERSUS
CRITICIZING
Critique is taken from the Greek kritike
tekhne, which means "the critical art“. It is
somewhat of a formal word that typically
refers to careful judgment. It refers to the
detailed analysis and assessment of
something. On the other hand, criticism refers
to sharp or severe disapproval of something,
generally based on perceived faults or errors.
It is judging with disapproval. It is negative in
nature.
CRITIQUING
- Thought more than felt Concerned with the
process of creating art
- Considered the artist’s technique
- More objective than subjective
CRITICIZING
- Felt more than thought
- Concerned with what is perceived through
the senses
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- Considered the artist as good or not good
- More subjective than objective
CRITIQUING AVAILABLE ART
MATERIALS
In using available art materials, they have to
undergo evaluation for them to be deemed
really useful. The usefulness of these art
materials is dependent on certain factors.
Each art material has to be examined in
certain ways. Some of the basic
considerations in critiquing available art
materials are availability, accessibility, and
affordability.
AVAILABILITY
An art material has to be obtainable, ready for
use, at hand. Simply put, the art material
exists or is physically present for the artist to
use. It is already there; this is the quality of
being able to be used or obtained.
ACCESSIBILITY
An art material has to be within the artist’s
reach, easily acquired without much effort or
difficulty for the artist. It is the quality of being
acquired or used easily.
AFFORDABILITY
An art material has to be within the financial
capacity of the artist to be purchased or
bought. The artist can bear or meet the
expense of acquiring the needed art material.
Though a cheap good quality art material is
good but an art material acquired for free is
still the best.
Critiquing Appropriate Art
Technique
Art Technique is the manner and ability by
which an artist employs the technical skills of
a particular art. It is the means, process or
methods of using art materials in a manner
that the artist wants to use in order to create
an artwork. It is also important to assess art
technique that is going to be used in creating
an artwork. Some of the considerations in
critiquing the appropriate art technique are
appropriateness, mastery and practicality.

APPROPRIATENESS

The manner by which the artist is going to

apply in creating an artwork should be suited
to the kind of art materials that will be used
as well as suited to the kind of art technique.

MASTERY
It is expected that the artist is skilled and
highly knowledgeable of the art technique.
The right art materials are there and the
suited art technique is appropriate to the art
form but if the artist is not adept with the use
of the specific technique to be applied, the
outcome might run contrary to what is
expected.

PRACTICALITY
Art technique should be functional and
sensible for the objectives or purpose

set by the artist for the creation of the

artwork. Practicality makes the art technique
truly appropriate when it is indeed useful for
the artist and when it is understandably fit for
the kind of art materials and for the conceived
artwork.