ST.

MARY’S COLLEGE OF MARINDUQUE

Boac, Marinduque

Integrated Basic Education Department

SY 2023-2024

Contemporary Philippine Arts along the

Subject: Quarter: 1st Module No. 1
Region
Level: Grade 11 Duration: 2 weeks Days:
Topic: The Contemporary Arts

I. Objectives:

The learners should be able to…

 Identify the meaning of Contemporary art
 Describe the characteristics of contemporary art
 Identify the subject matter and different styles
 Explain how different materials are used in art-making
 Make a contemporary art work.

II. Discussion

What are the things that you may consider as an art? How will you know if it is a
contemporary art? Contemporary art just like the creation have its own beginning and history.
It is defined in the different point of view of the artist and the people who have background
knowledge when it comes to arts. The scope of contemporary art is broad; it consists of over
100 art styles and movements under its category.
In this module, you will gain knowledge about contemporary arts. This module is
divided into four lessons namely as follows:
 The Characteristics of Contemporary Arts
 Subject Matter and Style in Contemporary
 Materials used in Contemporary Arts
 Skills, techniques and Production in Contemporary Art

World War II, the time contemporary art was born.

Wherein artist’s experiments with medium and form to
make a statement. To illustrate the characteristics of the
new art trend the best example is Malliarium. It is a
collaborative work based on Juan Luna’s Spoliarium. It is
a digital work by Steve Santos, Ross Capili, Jose Tence
Ruiz, Archie Degamo, George Cabig, Heber
Fig. 1: Spoliarium (top) and Malliarum (bottom)

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Bartolome, Nelson Viterbo, and Art Suarez. This artistic interpretation was exhibited in the CCP
Little Theater lobby in September 2000.

Art has gone a long way. Art today is so different from the traditional art where artist
perfected their art by practicing “mimesis”. Mimesis is copying the model exactly as it is. After
World War II new style of art emerged and it is called Contemporary art. Contemporary artist
deliberately broke the rules of traditional art. Since 1950s, artist experimented on a variety of
techniques and different ways of expressing their emotions, perceptions,ideas, ideology and
anthing that could express art.

Additional Info Links:

Malliarium: https://www.oocities.org/cidsuarez/portfolio3.html

Some of the more than 100 styles and movement throughout

1950s to 2000s:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzxyFvo49Bg

Likewise, in the Phillipines there are also contemporary artist who did not follow
traditional ways rather they embrace the changes in contemporary artist. They are listed below:

1. Victorio Edades – was the first one to break the rules of art. He did not show natural
forms nor perspective and used boldstrokes and bright colors.
2. Carlos Botong”Fransisco and Galo Ocampo – they were influenced by Western
artist. Their painitngs shows abstraction, expressionism, and surrealism.
3. Romeo Tabuena – he painted heavy black carabao and is shown standing on thin legs
that disappear in a flat background.
4. Hernando Ocampo – used geometric forms in strong red colors overlapping with
shades of yellow to brown.
5. Vicente Manansala – painted inabstart cubism his human forms engaged in genre
such as those in his market scene.
6. Cesar Legaspi – used art as a commentary to the state of hard labor in the Philippnes.
He employed transparent cubism with a lot of flowing lines that give movement to his
human forms.

Characteristics of Contemporary Arts

What are the charcteristics of contemporary art?
1. Contemporary art is not confined to the museum. It can also be found in galleries, art
school, side streets and public places.
2. The practice of selling paintings has also changed in contemporary art. These can now
be sold online.
3. Many artists are self-taught and did not have formal education.
4. In architecture, different shapes and forms have emerged as the result of the use of
different materials.

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 5. Some contemporaary artist,employ the help of fabricator, carpenter, electricians or
welder in “constructing” their artwork through principles of physics and technology
construction.
6. Originality is not an issue in contemporary art. An example of this colorful papers to
remake a coallage portrait of Manily Monroe by Geovanni Abing.

What essential to contemporary artist is the process of art-

making. It is the movement in device that matters. The plot that is
communicated to the film viewers that is important. Given these
characteristics, it can be said that CONTEMPORARY ART is a
statement that an artist makes about life, thoughts, ideas, beliefs and
many other things that define human life

Subject Matter and Style in Contemporary Art

If the traditional arts consisted of portraits, landscapes, still life and human interest
while contemporary arts are expression of freedom, experimentation and exploration of
patterns, figures, objects and a combination of many things that are important to them. For the
contemporary artist, subject matter is boundless. It is not confined to the representations of
human figures and landscapes.
The favorite subjects in contemporary art are children, women, or the environment
for example “flora and fauna” by Juan Alcazaren. What is true about subject matter in an
artwork?

Subject matter is …
 is not easily recognized in some artwork.
 if the artwork is an experiment on technique, the subject matter is the technique
itself.
 If the art is a conceptual art, the viewer has to engage in thinking and exploring
the meaning of of the artwork.
 Some artwork are intended to make a statement about an issue so that viewer
is guided by a written explanation. An example of this artwork is Plet Bolipata’s
Cat Dolls, the subject matter combines human figure and cat head.

There are different art movements and style when it comes to contemporary arts, they
are follows:

1. Abstract Expressionism – is a painting style in which the artist applies paint in a manner
that expresses emotions and feelings in spontaneous way.
2. Kinetic - is a sculpture that moves with the wind or is powered by a machine or electricity.
3. Op art – uses lines and images repeatedly to create an optcal illusion.
4. Performance art –combines a variety of media and the human body to execute an artistic
theatrical expression before a live show.
5. Environment art- involves the artistic creation or manipulation of space such as
landscape and architectural design that may enclose its audiences.

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 6. Feminist art – emerged from concerns of female artist expressed through art. They tackle
issues of identity, sexuality, gender roles, equality and the ways in which the female is
treated in society.
7. Minimalism – had a stripped-down, pre- fabricated look, free of details and often with flat
surface but expresses a specific content or statement.
8. Video art – consists images that are recorded through a video and viewed through
television, computer or projection screen.
9. Graffiti art – is a drawing, inscriptionor sketch done hastily on a wall or other surface
made to be seen by the public.
10. Post modern art – carries modern styles to extreme practices, often expressing an idea
through mix of materials such as found objects welded together.
11. Body art –is an art form that uses the body as the meduim or main material.
12. Digital art – is done with the aid of computer to create an image or design composed of
bits and bytes. It can be printed on paper.

Some art styles progress through the decade and have influenced artist throughout the
globe. The table below are the list of some of the art movements and styles grouped by the
decades they have known they have flourished.

1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s

Abstract Abstract Body art Electronic art Arte The Kitsch
Expresssionis Expressionis invention
m m
Color Field Color field Environment Environment Body art Renewabl
art art e energy
sculpture
Fantastic Computer art Feminist art Graffiti art Bio art Street Art
realism
Conceptual Installation art Live art Cyberarts Videogam
art e art
Happenings Postminimalis Postmodern Digital art
m art
Kinetic art Video art Neo- Hyperrelis
conceptualize m
d art
Light and Pattern and Neo- Internet art
space decoration expresionism
Minimalism Neo pop New media
Art
Neo-dada Sound art
Op art Video
installation
Performnce
art

In Philippines:
 There is a dominance of abstraction, expressionism, social realism and mixed media
art
 Traces of western influence are visible.
 Communty and environmental arts are gaining popularity
MS. TRISHIA MAE M. LADERAS CPAR11-Q1-M1 Page 4 of 6
  Artist collaborative in art- makng and conduct workshops
 Interactive art making is practiced
 Visul art is combined with performance art to express statement about issues.
 Film and theartre performances have expanded.
 Music are fusioned of different styles.

‘Although the trend in contemporary art is one of explorative use of new

materials aided by technology, its content does not leave out human
elements, concern, issues and things of high value to human beings’

Materials Used In Contemporary Art

Contemporary artist feel free to experiment with materials and use technology to explore
possibilities. Contemporary artist salvage materials that can be recycled and made into creative
forms like the following examples below: (you may search and google this)

Example 1 : Chime Halo – hnaging bamboo chimes that create sounda when blows by the
wind done by Cavite artist Impy Pilapil
Example 2 : “Project Belonging” by Laguna Artist Alfredo and Isabel Aquizilian – they used
objcets, clothes, perosnal accessories and many other things and compress them into cube
shape.
Example 3 : In abroad, the couple artist collected hundreds of slippers used in by inmates
in Singapore Changi prison and made these into artwork in the form of wings that stand on
metal support.
Example 4: Usage of indigenous materiasl with textile and mount these on a paintes flat
suface. Paper as art of meduim by Mona Alcudia of Cebu.

The availability and variety of materials and possibilities

offered by technology expand the choice of artist. This is essential
to the development of contemporary art. (You may search for
different materials used in contemporary art on the internet)

Skills, Techniques and Production in Contemporary Art

Many contemporary artists are self-taught. They develop their talents and skills by a
studying on their own, by interaction with artists, exploring materials to be used and
through learning.

There are different types of techniques that an artist choose from such as follows:

1. Collage – made by adhering flat elements to create thick layer that is almost like a
relief sculpture.
2. Decalcomania – process of applying gouache to paper or glass then transferring a
reversal of image onto canvass.
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 3. Decoupage – done by adhering cut-outs of papers and then coating these with coat
of varnish.
4. Frottage – technique by rubbing with crayon on a piece of paper which has been
placed over an object.
5. Montage – is used for photography or film where pictorial image is juxtaposed or
placed overlapping to make another picture or design.
6. Trapunto – painting is the technique used by Pacita Abad where her canvases are
sewn with precious textiles.
7. Digital Application – for art viewing is another technique.

You have now completed

Module 1. Congratulations!

III. References

a. Printed books
 Contemporary Philippine Arts form the Regions by Veronica E. Ramirez

b. Online Resources
 Fig 1: https://www.oocities.org/cidsuarez/eartwork.jpg
 https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/5J0A7nvtr_UtLoQHtq6EB_IKQXG_yM
KqBPDG0kRNjVKG8f68i5zGSq3qfdKBjbXrjsQFP3x1M_wS9nm_pW4hrvUm4E
YiLnvzZ_T2h-lJknhuc3s-1Q
 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/38/%27Spoliarium%2
7_by_Juan_Luna.jpg/220px-%27Spoliarium%27_by_Juan_Luna.jpg
 https://www.oocities.org/cidsuarez/portfolio3.html
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjhXohLgJ6M
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzxyFvo49Bg
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osL_GEz27hQ

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