Contemporary Arts - (Art of the present day) refers to  Victorio Edades

art made and produced by artists living today. It

mirrors contemporary culture and society. introduced modern visual art through his art
exhibition which shocked many Filipino audiences
In its most basic sense, the term contemporary art due to his different style in painting. He used dull and
refers to art-namely, painting, sculpture, dark hues, instead of using the usual bright and happy
photography, installation, performance, and video art- colors, in his work with the life of the lower sector of
produced today. the society such as laborers, and workers as his
subjects.
The Philippine is the gold mine of art. It has a variety
of many other art forms. The subjects of artworks shifted from rural to urban
themes during the American period. Modernism
The Philippine Art Covers three major traditions,
garnered a large influence after World War II. Artists
these are;
started creating proletarian art which shows the life
 Ethnic Tradition after war, social issues, and economic problems.
 Spanish Colonial Tradition
The creations of the Art Association of the
 American Colonial and contemporary
Philippines by Purita Kalaw Ledesma and the
Tradition
Philippine Art Gallery by Lydia Villanueva Arguilla
Ethnic Tradition - The location and the experiences supported the modern art movement.
of the Filipinos were the major factors in art
The Thirteen Moderns
production.

Spanish Colonial Tradition - In the Spanish period,

religion and secularization were dominant themes of  Cesar Legaspi  Cesar Legaspi
the art forms.
 Demetrio Diego  Demetrio
American Colonial and contemporary Tradition - In
Diego
 Ricarte Purugganan  Ricarte
the American period, modernism entered the field of
art wherein Filipinos started to explore different  Jose Pardo Purugganan
materials, methodologies, and techniques in  Jose Pardo
expressing themselves through non-conventional art.  Bonifacio Cristobal
 Bonifacio
The continues progress of modernism led to the  Arsenio Capili. Cristobal
development of contemporary art.
 Arsenio Capili.
The evolution of Philippine Art to create seven major
art forms.. Paris Cubism - also took its scene during this period.
It showed fragmented figures in larger planes, color
 VISUAL ARTS harmonies, and texture. Filipino cubists artist know in
 LITERATURE their times were Vicente Manansala, Romoe Tabuena
 MUSIC and Cesar Legaspi.
 THEATRE
 DANCE Abstraction - was also employed during the modern
 ARCHITECTURE period. Filipino abstractionists know during this
period included Hernando R. Ocampo, Frederico
 FILM
Aguilar Alcuaz, Constantino Bernardo, Arturo Luz,
The art meant to be perceived by sight. (Drawing, and Jose Joya.
painting, photography, sculpture, Handicrafts).

The Philippine Visual Art Triumvirate Introduces
Modernism in Painting / concept of modern art.
 Galo Ocampo
 Carlos Francisco
Sculputure - the art of making three-dimensional
pieces.
Napoleon Abueva became famous for his modern
works in sculpture using different materials like the
variety of wood, metals, and stones. To produce
unique sculptures, Abueva combined these materials.
Other Filipino sculptors followed in his modernism,
produced creative works made of plastics, jade, brass
and other materials.
Nestor Leynes - social realist artist, created the Bigas
Artwork.
The effects that make a painting distinctly Leynes,
are his perfection of detail and the sense of being
more real than real.
In the field of poetry during the contemporary period,
publication of young poets to campus journals
emerged.
“Bagay” – a kind of poetry w/c uses colloquial
language and is built on concrete images w/c tend to
describe experiences. Example of Bagay poetry is the
Valediction sa Hillcrest written by Rolando Tinio w/c
employs Taglish.
Classical music was mostly played during the early
America period due to the influence of the European,
until 1950s. In the 1960s avant-garde music emerged.
This time the Philippine music evolved a
combination of classical and traditional or ethnic
music.
Theater music gradually declined because of the
introduction of radio, film and other entertainment
technology. However, the rondallas or the string
bands remained even up to the present
Other relevant events during this period were; the
Manila sound in which western derived with English
lyrics but with pure Filipino spirit.
Original Pilipino Music/ OPM a purely Filipino
music composed and sung by Filipino music artists.
And alternative music which was influenced by folk
balladeers. This sprouted out protest that included
Filipino values, political and environmental concerns
and other societal themes.
At present different music exists. It includes pop
music, rock music, OPM, indigenous music, jazz
music, rap music, ethnic rock music and many other
forms of music.
THEATER - integrates spoken dialogue, acting with
body movements and facial expressions, literary
elements (e.g. plot), design (e.g. costume, theater
space, props), and music to create a whole
production.
Vaudeville or stage show was introduced by the
American during the early period of its colonization;
however it was composed mainly of songs, dances
and skits. During the Japanese period short
melodrama was included in the vaudeville. Philippine
theater was Americanized, Shakespearean plays and
other western contemporary classics paved in because
of the educational system established by the
American.
Filipino theater artists started to experiment on
traditional theater forms like sarswela, komedya, and
sinakulo. Theater directors like National Artists
Lamberto Avellana, Severino Montano and Wilfredo
M. Guerrero significantly contributed in the progress
of the Philippine theater.
Filipino theater artists started to experiment on
traditional theater forms like sarswela, komedya, and
sinakulo. Theater directors like National Artists
Lamberto Avellana, Severino Montano and Wilfredo
M. Guerrero significantly contributed in the progress
of the Philippine theater.
The Sarswela is a play with songs and de Q usually
written in prose, containing from one five acts,
depicting the vagaries of romant among idealized
Filipino characters, and ofta incorporating
contemporary social, politica A economic or cultural
issues for relevance interest.
The Senakulo is a traditional Filipino dramatization
of the life and times of Jesus Christ.
DANCE
Utilizes the artist's body movements, facial
expressions, as well as presence to produce a piece. It
is usually accompanied by music.
Vaudeville or bodabil dancing was introduced by the
American during the early period of its colonization.
Dances like tap dancing, clog, buck-and wing, and
skirt dancing were among the dances performed in
the show.
The European period introduced the classical ballet
and among those Filipino dancers who were
influenced was: Remedios de Oteyza and Leonor
Orosa. They later became instructors and taught other
Filipino dancers.
Modern dance followed which was a revolutionary in
nature and does not conform to the rules of classical
ballet. Modern dance deals with a mixture of wide
range of dances, Western and Asian dances,
traditional dances, and other experimental dances. 45
Folk and social dances - followed the rise of modern
dance. Francisca Reyes Aquino published research on
folk dances w/c influenced many Filipino dancers.
The Bureau of Education integrated folk dance and
developed Filipino adaptations of European &
American dances like the valse, rigaudon, polka,
fandango, jota, etc.
ARCHITECTURE
Is the art and science of designing and planning
structures, such as buildings and houses.
The Philippine architecture adopted the modern
Western architectural style while taking into
consideration the physical and socio-cultural situation
of the country during the American Colonial and
Contemporary Period.
It was characterized as simple, rational and
functional. In the early 20th century the young
Filipinos who studied in American universities and
institutes went back to the country and brought
changes in the Philippine architecture.
Among the Filipino architects were Juan Arellano,
Carlos Barreto and Antonio Toledo. These Filipinos
introduced the neo classic style in building structures.
They tend to revive the classic architecture.
One of the structures built during this period was the
Metropolitan Theater. Arellano designed the theater
and experimented with romanticism. Decorative
motifs incorporating native plants and variety of
colors we employed in the building.
"Tsalet" was developed in the early 20th century. It is
a type of house on stilts with a front porch made of
wood and concrete. It was also in this period when
steel was used in building as a protection for
calamities like earthquakes.
FILM
In 1897, the Philippine film industry started by the
foreign businessmen. The first feature film shown in
Manila was presented by the Swiss entrepreneurs.
Philippine film became popular in 1912 when
foreigners Edward Gross and Harry Brown produced
film about the life of Dr. Jose Rizal. This paved the
way to filmmaking in the country
JOSE NEPOMUCENO – father of Philippine
Movies, was the first Filipino to produce a film.
Among his films, “Dalagang Bukid”
Philippine film industry during this time cannot level
with the quality of American movies due to outdated
technology and limited budget. The only edge of the
Philippine film industry was movies that portrayed
the lives of the Filipinos and used Tagalog as its
language.
Theater forms like the sinakulo, sarswela, and
komedya influenced the succeeding film productions.
Philippine literature was another source of movie
themes. Adaptations of works of Francisco Baltazar’s
Florante at Laura and Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere
and El Filibusterismo were made into movies.
After the World War II movie production resumed
and replaced the stage shows that were present during
1942. Garrison 13 and Dugo ng Bayan were films
produced that contained war stories and heroism. In
1950’s Philippine started to regain and flourished.
LVN Pictures, Sampaguita Pictures Inc., Lebran and
Premiere were considered as the Big Four most
prominent film studios.
Film awards were instituted like the Maria Clara
Award and the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and
Sciences (FAMAS). Filipino movies, directors and
producers not just locally but internationally like
Gerardo De Leon’s “Ifugao”, and Lamberto
Avellana’s “Anak Dalita”.
ART or SINING
Art or “Sining” is defined as the different manners of
expressing human skills and imagination in the
creation of aesthetic conditions, objects and
presentations. Art is not confined only to what is
seen. Art involves the use of all the physical senses in
order to appreciate it.
Philippines has diverse art forms from its different
regions. These diverse art forms, when integrated,
give a clear picture of how abundant the culture and
tradition of the Philippines is.
It continues to evolve up to the present and progress
to contemporary art tradition.
As a Filipino, we should have the knowledge about
the different art forms in the Philippines to fully
understand the culture, tradition, and nation’s
identity;
Ethnic Tradition
Art forms are primarily influenced by the
geographical location and the experiences of the
Filipinos. In this time, the purpose of arts is integral
to life. Arts reflected the pagan beliefs and practices,
everyday activity such as fishing and farming, and
specific decorative art pattern to the community.
Angono Petroglyphs -The Angono Petroglyphs is
situated in Binangonan, Rizal. It was discovered by
the National Artist, Carlos “Botong” Francisco, in
1965.
There are 127 human and animal figures engraved on
the rock wall and dated back to circa late Neolithic.
Manunggul jar is found in Manunggul Cave, Lipuun
Point, Palawan in the early 1960s. Manunggul jar is a
burial jar which signifies the belief of early Filipino
in life after death.
The Banga or pot dance is a performance of Kalinga
of the Mountain Province of the Philippines. This
dance shows the elegant grace of Igorot tribe and the
skill and strength of women.
Spanish Colonial Tradition
Art forms were primarily influenced by religion and
secularization. In this time, Spaniards used arts to
propagate the Catholic faith.
Langit, lupa, at Impyerno by Josef Luciano Dans This
wall painting by Josef Luciano Dans will be found in
St. James the Apostle Church in Paete, Laguna. This
painting was dated 1850 and depicts the heaven,
crucifixion of Christ; earth, Adan and Eve; and hell,
sinners with different transgressions.
St. Paul Metropolitan Cathedral St. Paul Metropolitan
Cathedral is located in Burgos, Vigan City, Ilocos
Sur. The original structure was built in 1574 and
replaced as a church in 1641. The cathedral follows a
Baroque architectural design.
American Colonial and Contemporary Arts
Traditions
Modern Art Modern art refers to the practice of art
from 1860s to 1960s. the main theme of art works in
this time is national identity.
The Making of the Philippine Flag by Fernando
Amorsolo This painting was made by Fernando
Amorsolo, “Grand Old Man of Philippine Art” and
born in Manila. It shows reminder of traditions and
customs of the Filipino.
Bayanihan by Carlos “Botong” Francisco was born in
Ango, Rizal. This painting by him was dated in 1962.
This mural painting of Carlos “Botong” Francisco
shows the Filipino’s bayanihan tradition.
Elements of Arts
1. Space -pertains to emptiness which may either be
positive space or negative space.
Positive space refers to a part which is enclosed in a
shape, while negative space refers to the opposite part
which the shape is enclosing.
2. Line ~ is a series of connected points. It may come
in two characteristics: form – curved, dotted, or
broken lines; and direction – vertical, horizontal, or
diagonal lines.
Different types of lines may convey different
meanings. For example, a horizontal line usually
suggests calmness, vertical lines may convey
strength, diagonal lines create an impression of
action, curved lines create an expression of gradual
change.
3. Shape and Form - Shape is an area that is enclosed
by a line or lines. Shapes are two dimensional figures
with height and width.
There are different kinds of shapes and these are
geometric shapes (triangle, squares, rectangle, etc.),
organic shapes (shapes found in nature, e.g. shape of
a leaf or cloud), abstract shapes (asymmetrical and
free flowing shapes).
4. Color In visual arts, color is associated with the
natural phenomenon in our environment.
Scientifically, when a light passes through a prism it
will produce different hues of different wavelengths.
These colors may pertain to lightness, darkness,
coolness, or warmth.
5. Value In visual arts, value is considered a property
of a color which pertains to its lightness or darkness.
6. Texture In visual arts, texture is the element that
appeals to our sense of feel on things, rough, smooth,
bumpy, or slippery. It pertains to the surface of an art
piece.
PRINCIPLES OF ARTS
1. Proportion ~ refers to the relationship of the size of
elements in a body of art. For example, when
drawing a human standing beside a house, it is
important to ensure that the size of the human is
proportional to the size of the house.
2. Harmony In visual arts, harmony is the unity of the
artwork, specifically about the arrangement of the
related elements.
3. Variety In other terms, variety may be referred to
as diversity. This means adding multiple, different
elements to break the monotony of an artwork and
make it more interesting.
4. Movement In arts, movement is the illusion of
motion in a painting, sculpture design, or in a piece of
art.
5. Rhythm ~ This refers to the repetition of certain
elements to produce a pattern. In visual arts, repeated
design elements may create a certain flow and may
lead the viewer’s eyes.
6. Balance refers to the even and equal distribution
of elements
7. Emphasis is a principle which may refer to the
greater impact given on a certain
These elements and principles of arts are essential to
understand the meaning of a piece of art clearly and
deeply.
In relation to that, diverse art forms in the
Philippines convey its meanings through the elements
and principles present to them.
So, as we described some art forms from the various
regions through the development of Philippine arts,
let’s use the elements and principles of arts to
understand it.
CONTEMPORARY ART FORMS
Various art forms are known from the different
regions or island groups of the Philippines; generally,
from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Through these
various art forms, we tend to picture out the different
practices of Filipinos from the different regions that,
when integrated, describe what the Philippines is.
The Philippine Contemporary Art can be classified
into seven major art forms. These are painting,
sculpture, architecture, film, literature, music and
theater, and dance.
Knowing these classifications will guide us in
identifying and exploring different contemporary art
forms from the regions of the Philippines.
seven major art forms
 Painting the expression of ideas and emotions,
with the creation of certain aesthetic qualities, in
a two-dimensional visual language.
The elements of this language – its shapes, lines,
colors, tones, and textures – are used in various ways
to produce sensations of volume, space, movement,
and light on a flat surface.
 The sculpture is an art form in which hard or
plastic materials are worked into three-
dimensional art objects. Filipino sculptors came
to be known in the middle of the 19th century.
 Architecture is the art and practice of designing
and constructing buildings. Philippine
architecture was characterized as simple,
rational, and functional. In the 20th century, the
young Filipino who studied in American
colleges and institutes introduced the neoclassic
style in building structures. However, after
World War II, real estate development started to
take place (Sandagan & Sayseng, 2016).
 Film is a form of visual art use to imitate
experiences that communicate ideas, stories, or
feelings with the use of moving images. It is
also called a movie or motion picture.
Moreover, the art form that is the result of the
film is called cinema (Faber & Walters, 2003).
The film industry in the Philippines started in
1897. In the contemporary period, martyr wife,
superhero, action, melodramas, and comedies
 are some of the usual subjects and themes in the
Philippine films. Some films in the Philippines
are presented below.

 Literary arts are an expression of ideas through

writing. Literary arts can be categorized as
poetry, prose, and drama. In the Philippines,
literary arts are greatly encountered in literature.

 Literature is a term used to describe written and

sometimes spoken material. Lombardi (2020),
Derived from the Latin word literature meaning
"writing formed with letters," literature most
commonly refers to works of the creative
imagination, including poetry, drama, fiction,
nonfiction, and in some instances, journalism,
and song.

MUSIC & THEATRE

Is a collection of coordinated sound or sounds.

According to Ramon P. Santos in his article entitles
Contemporary Music, Contemporary music in the
Philippines usually refers to compositions that have
adopted ideas and elements from twentieth-century
art music in the West, as well as the latest trends and
musical styles in the entertainment industry.

Filipino Music had already a rich and unique musical

tradition long before westerners set foot on our native
land. Music was present in every stage of our
ancestors’ lives — from birth to death, in blissful or
tragic times. Below are some Music from the
different Regions of our country.

Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses

live performers to present the experience of a real or
imagined event before a live audience in a specific
place. The performers may communicate this
experience to the audience through combinations of
12 gesture, speech, song, music, or dance. Some of
the

DANCE

The movement of the body in a rhythmic way,

usually to music and within a given space, for the
purpose of expressing an idea or emotion, releasing
energy, or simply taking delight in the movement
itself. Dances in the Philippines vary from Region to
Region and below are some dances of the different
regions.