CONTEMPORARY PHILIPPINE ARTS
FROM THE REGION
WEEK 1
Various Contemporary Art Forms and their
Practices from the various Regions
CONTEMPORARY ART
▪ Art produced at the present period in time,
includes and develops from postmodern art,
which is itself a successor to Modern art.
▪ Art made and produced by artist living today.
The Visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing,
printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, video,
filmmaking, design, crafts, and architecture. Many
artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual
art, textile arts also involve aspects of visual arts as well
as arts of other types.
Sculpture as defined and as practiced in the Philippine
Contemporary arts made use of different materials like
the variety of woods, metals, and stones. Some produced
creative works using plastics, jade, brass, and other
materials.
Painting is the practice of applying pigment suspended
in a carrier (or medium) and a binding agent (a glue) to a
surface (support) such as paper, canvass, or wall.
Painting is also used to express spiritual motifs and
ideas; sites of this kind of painting range from artwork
depicting mythological figures on pottery to The Sistine
Chapel and to the human body itself.
The Philippine architecture adopted the modern
western architectural style while taking into
consideration of the physical and socio-cultural situation
of the country. The Philippine architecture was
characterized as simple, rational, and functional in the
early 20th century of the young Filipinos who studied in
American universities and institutes were back to the
country and brought changes in the Philippine
architecture. Among them were: Juan Arellano, Carlos
Barreto, and Antonio Toledo. And one of the
structures built during this period was the Metropolitan
Theater.
Literature is any body or collection of written work.
More restrictively, literature refers to writing considered
to be an art form or any single writing deemed to have
artistic or intellectual value, and sometimes deploys
language in ways that differ from ordinary usage.

Spoken word is a poetic performance art that is word-
based. It is an oral art that focuses on the aesthetics of
word play such as intonation and voice inflection.
During the early American period, the music of the
country is mostly classical due to the influence of the
European. It was in the 1960 that avant-garde music
emerged into a combination of classical, traditional
or ethnic music. As time goes by the introduction of
radio, film, and other entertainment technology. The
theatre music gradually declined, however the rondallas
or the string band remain even up to the present.
Philippine music continuously evolved, and Pinoy Pop
or Filipino pop music took place. Pinoy pop covers
different forms like jazz, dance hits, folksong, revival,
rock and roll, rap, etc. With the development of Pinoy
pop, Manila sound was born. This music is Western-
derived with English lyrics but with pure Filipino spirit.
Later on the Original Pilipino Music (OPM) became
popular.
The OPM was followed by another form of popular
music called “alternative music” influenced by folk
balladeers. This type of music sprouted out of protest
that later on included themes like Filipino values,
political and environmental concerns, and other societal
themes.
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of
performing art that uses live performers, typically actors
or actresses, to present the experience of a real or
imagined event before a live audience in a specific place,
often a stage.
The performers may communicate this experience to the
audience through combinations of gesture, speech,
song, music, and dance. Elements of art, such as painted
scenery and stagecraft such as lighting are used to
enhance the physicality, presence and immediacy of the
experience.
Philippine dance has played a tremendous role in
Filipino culture. From one of the oldest dated dances
called the Tinikling, to other folkloric dances such as the
Pandanggo, Cariñosa, and Subli, and even to more
modern-day dances like the ballet, it is no doubt that
dance in the Philippine setting has integrated itself in
society over the course of many years and is
significantly imbedded in culture. Each of these dances
originated in a unique way and serve a certain purpose,
showcasing how diverse Philippine dances are.
WEEK 2
Art - It is the expression or application of human
creative skill and imagination, producing works to be
appreciated primarily to their beauty or emotional
power.
- It is a form of creative activity such as painting,
music, literature, and dance.
CONTEMPORARY ART
- Contemporary art is the art that springs out of
the present – day events and passions of the
society.
- It is the newest form of art, amusing people from
late 1960s or around 1970s up to this very
minute.
Contemporary art generally refers to art being created
now. Contemporary is derived from the Latin prefix con,
which means “together” or “with”, plus tempus, which
means “time”.

FINE or AESTHETIC (Major) Arts are primarily for

aesthetic enjoyment through the senses, especially visual
and auditory. It is the changing certain materials or
media for aesthetic pleasure.
DIVISION OF MAJOR ARTS
1. Visual or Space
2. Auditory or Time
3. Combined or Performing
VISUAL ARTS are also known as SPACE ARTS,
because they occupy space.
Painting
This art is expressed either by line, form, texture, value
or color. It is being used as decoration, as educational
device and as advertisement.
Sculpture
This art is expressed either by carving, shaping or
modeling. It deals mostly with the human figure,
figurines, stands for lampshade and pottery.
Architecture
This art is expressed through rhythmic features, such as
the windows, ornaments, columns and tile flooring.
AUDITORY ARTS are primarily heard. They are also
known as TIME ARTS, because they exist in time.
Literature
Includes the writing of poems, short- stories, novels,
plays, histories, biographies, essays. It is also known as
fine writing.
Music
 It is the combination of sounds. It is said to be the most popular forms of entertainment, enabling people to
dynamic, most emotional, most universal and most immerse themselves in an imaginary world for a short
abstract of all fine arts. period of time.
COMBINED or PERFORMING ARTS combine both
the visual and auditory elements. They are usually
PRACTICAL or UTILITARIAN
performed onstage, or on the screen.
(MINOR ARTS)
Circus
PRACTICAL or UTILITARIAN (Minor) arts are
Its entertainment generally consists of displays of
intended for practical use or utility. It is the changing of
horsemanship; exhibitions by gymnasts, aerialists, wild-
raw materials for utilitarian purposes. However, they
animal trainers, and performing animals; and comic
must posses ornaments or artistic qualities to make them
pantomime by clowns.
useful and beautiful.
Dance
Industrial Art
It is based upon music or any rhythmic sound. It is
It is the changing of raw materials into some significant
characterized by rhythmic or repetition.
product for human consumption or use. Examples of this
Opera are shell-craft, bamboo-craft, leather-craft, shoe-making,
pottery-making, sheet –metalwork, and manufacture of
This is a stage drama with orchestral accompaniment, in
automobiles, home appliances and television sets.
which music is the dominant element, the performers
singing all or most of their lines. Applied or Household Art
Pantomime (MIME) This refers mostly to household arts such as flower
arrangement, interior decoration, dressmaking, home-
It is a dramatic representation by means of facial
making, embroidery, cooking and others.
expressions and body movements rather than words.
Civic Art
Puppet Show
This includes city or town planning, maintenance and
A theatrical performance which uses
beautification of parks, plazas, roads, bridges and farms.
Puppets as characters in wherein audiences perceive life
It refers to civic planning and beautification in order to
and spirit from their movement, their shape, and other
improve the standards of living.
aspects of their performance.
Commercial Art
Drama
This involves business propaganda in the form of
This includes acting, directing, stage setting, stage
advertisements in newspapers and magazines, sign
lighting and public speaking.
painting, billboard announcements, leaflets, displays,
Theatre poster designing, movie illustrations and many more.

It is one of the oldest and most popular forms of Graphic Art

entertainment, in which actors perform live for an
It is anything printed from raised or sunken reliefs and
audience on a stage or in an other space designated for
plane surfaces.
the performance.
Agricultural Art
Singing
This refers to agronomy (crop production), horticulture
It is an individual or group interpretation of a song or
(garden or orchard cultivation), husbandry (raising of
music.
cows, carabaos, poultry and swine) and farming.
Motion Picture
Business Art
It is a series of images that are projected onto a screen to
This includes merchandising, accounting, bookkeeping,
create the illusion of motion. Motion pictures—also
typewriting, stenography, salesmanship and business
called movies, films, or the cinema—are one of the most
administration
Distributive Art just, free, and sovereign society.
This deal with advertising, marketing, warehousing,
packaging, and shipping of articles or goods.
Fishery Art
It includes shallow and deep sea fishing, fish
refrigeration and culture, net weaving.
Medical or Clinical Art
It includes first aid treatments, medicinal manufacturing,
surgery, medical operations, rehabilitation and others.

Philippine Art History

1. Pre-Colonial Arts (ETHNIC Arts) –
SEVEN MAJOR CONTEMPORARY
In Pre-colonial Philippines, arts are for ritual
ART FORMS IN THE PHILIPPINES
purposes or for everyday use.
2. Islamic Arts
1. MUSIC - art form that appeals to the
Islamic art is characterized by geometric
sense of hearing, composed by
designs and patterns eliciting focus from the
combining notes into harmony.
believers.
2. LITERATURE - art form of language
3. Spanish Era
through the combined use of words,
Art became a handmaiden of religion,
creating meaning and experience.
serving to propagate the Catholic faith and
3. THEATER - Art form of performance.
thus support the colonial order at the same
Dramatic text is portrayed on stage by
time.
actors and actresses and are enhanced by
4. American Era
props, lights and sounds. form of art in
In the American regime, commercial and
which artists use their voices and/or their
advertising arts were integrated into the fine
bodies, often in relation to other objects,
arts curriculum. Moreover, Americans
to convey artistic expression.
favored idyllic sceneries and secular forms
4. FILM - a technological translation of
of arts.
theater, special effects are utilized to
5. Japanese Era
enhance the story telling.
Since the Japanese advocated for the culture
5. DANCE - art of the human form, body
of East Asia, preference was given to the
is used, mobilized and choreographed in
indigenous art and traditions of the
a specific time, form and space.
Philippines. This emphasized their
6. ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN AND
propaganda of Asia belonging to Asians.
ALLIED ARTS - structure that meant
6. Modern Era
to be used as shelter, its art relies on the
Modern era in Philippine Art began after
design and purpose of the structure.
World War 2 and the granting of
7. VISUAL ARTS - Artwork, such as
Independence. Writers and artists posed the
painting, photography, or sculpture, that
question of national identity as the main
appeals primarily to the visual sense and
theme of various art forms.
typically exists in permanent form.
7. Contemporary Art
Philippine Contemporary Art was an
offshoot of social realism brought about by
Martial Law. Arts became expression of
people’s aspiration for a
Note to STEM E: Hanggang dito lang naturo ni sir
HAHAHAH
VISUAL ARTS (art techniques)
COLLAGE is made by pasting different materials
such as pictures and pieces of paper or textile.
DIGITAL ARTS Describe technological arts
which include digital photography and digital
painting.
GRAFFITI Are either serious, rude, political,
humorous words or drawings printed on public
walls or structures.
PRINT MAKING is the creation of images,
typically on paper, fabric and plastic materials.
MIXED MEDIA Artworks made by combining two
or more art materials or medium.
RELATES THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ART
FORMS FROM THE REGION
TINIKLING
It is a traditional folk dance which originates from
the Spanish colonial era. The dance imitates the
movement of the tikling birds as they dodge
bamboo traps set by rice farmers. Dancers mimic
the tikling bird’s grace and agility by dancing
between large bamboo poles. The
Tinikling is one of the oldest dances from the
Philippines and originated in the islands of Leyte in
Visayas. According to the legend, the Tinikling was
started by people who worked in the paddies and
farms of the Philippines.
MAGLALATIK
It is an indigenous dance from the Philippines in
which coconut shell halves that are secured onto the
dancers’ hands and on vests upon which are hung
four or six more coconut shell halves. The dancers –
all male – perform the dance by hitting one coconut
shell with the other – sometimes the ones on the
hands, sometimes, the ones on the body, and
sometimes the shell worn by another performer, all
in time to a fast drumbeat. Originally performed in
Binan, Laguna as a mock-war dance that
demonstrates a fight between the Moros and the
Christians over the prized latik or coconut meat
during the Spanish rule, the dance is also shown to
pay tribute to the town’s patron saint, San Isidro
Labrador.
SPOLARIUM
The painting features a glimpse of Roman history
centered on the bloody carnage brought by
gladiatorial matches. Spoliarium is a Latin word
referring to the basement of the Roman Colosseum
where the fallen and dying gladiators are dumped
and devoid of their worldly possessions. At the
center of Luna’s painting are fallen gladiators being
dragged by Roman soldiers. On the left, spectators
ardently await their chance to strip off the
combatants of their metal helmets and other armory.
In contrast with the charged emotions featured on
the left, the right side meanwhile presents a somber
mood. An old man carries a torch perhaps searching
for his son while a woman weeps the death of her
loved one.
RICE PLANTING
Theme that composes most of Fernando Amorsolo’s
artworks. Rice planting is among those that depicts
the real Filipino tradition that is still applicable until
the present time. The painting is set on the rice field
wherein farmers, regardless of their gender, are on
with their usual work under a bright sunny day. Its
visual weight is light because the colors used were
mostly pastel in nature. No dark colors were used to
produce a feeling of calm and peace. It was an ideal
picture of provincial life like most of his paintings.
He painted the details as to how it might look in real
life. However, faces of the farmers were not vividly
detailed because their Buri hats covered them.
Supposing that the sun was on its peak.
THE OBLATION
The Oblation is a concrete statue by Filipino artist
Guillermo E. Tolentino which serves as the iconic
symbol of the University of the Philippines. It
depicts a man facing upward with arms
outstretched, symbolizing selfless offering of
oneself to his country. The statue’s height of 3.5
meters symbolizers three and a half centuries of
Spanish colonial rule, while its pose of self-offering
represents Tolentino’s interpretation of Rizal’s
second stanza above – in particular the “unknown
heroes who fell during the night”. Furthermore, its
base is a stylized representation of the Philippine
archipelago, with rocks from Montalban Gorge to
highlight its cultural and historical significance.

REGION 1
tey have the Oasiwas dance performed by
fishermen of Lingayen Pangasinan when celebrating
a good catch accompanied by waltz-like music.
They also have the traditional Ilocano handicrafts/ REGION 3
weaving “inabel” fabrics. Weaving is a process
Pawikan Festival-the main activity here is the
used to create fabric by interlacing threads.
releasing of the baby pawikan, which are hatched in
Weaving is important because it is the basis of
the conservation center. Every year, during the
making many types of cloth depending on the
festivities, they invite visitors and thousands of
materials and its weight as to what type of cloth can
students from the provinces to promote awareness
be made.
and also be treated to some street dancing, sand
sculptures, a showcase of local products, and
witnessing how the hatchlings go back to the sea.

REGION 2
REGION 4A/ CALABARZON
We have the so-called Sambali or Piat Sambali
festival celebrated every year in Piat, Cagayan. It is Kalayaan festival aims to showcase a new way of
a war dance of the Itawis tribe of Cagayan that was experiencing our history and will hold the promise
converted to Christianity through the intercession of of adventure and discovery of our glorious past with
the Lady of Piat. It was revived with the belief that great pride and enthusiasm on history and will hold
it would promote the identity of the people of Piat, the promise of adventure and discovery of our
as well as strengthen unity and harmony among its glorious past with great pride and enthusiasm.
people. We also have pottery in Iguig, Cagayan was
established in the pre-war days and has survived the
devastation of World War II. The town’s terracotta
heritage, as evidenced in its colonial architecture
and surviving pottery village, makes it a worthy
stopover when travelling to the north.

REGION 4B/ MIMAROPA

Moriones festival- one of the most coloful festivals
celebrated in the island of Marinduque. It refers to
the masked and costumed penitents who march
around the town for seven days searching for
Longinus, a Roman centurion who was blind in one
eye. The Moriones tradition has inspired the
creation of other festivals in the Philippines where
cultural practices or folk history is turned into street
festivals. Moriones tradition has inspired the
creation of other festivals in the Philippines where
cultural practices or folk history is turned into street
festivals.
The government implement programs such as
Republic Actno.7355 or known as “Manlilikha ng
Bayan Act” the award is tied with a program that
ensures the transfer of their skills to new
generations and promotion of the craft both locally
and internationally, also, to make sure that skills
and crafts of traditional artists are preserve. Art can
be a tool for a positive change in the government.
People use different art forms in expressing their
feelings/opinions about the government, some even
go to street to conduct rallies as a tool to
communicate to the government. Engaging in
different community activities can also change the
perception of an individual like for example
participating in sidewalk painting or attending
socialization in the community can bring
individuals together, it fosters community.
Promoting the different art forms in the region may
also help the economy of the country through
tourism. Different art forms encourage us to express
ourselves and develop and build our self-esteem,
through art forms we are able to translate ideas and
experiences.
THE PRODUCTION PROCESS AND THE
CHANGING ENVIRONMENT
1) Tourism
Land areas are converted into sites for
tourist consumption. In this situation,
ecological domains may become more
vulnerable to damage with the combined
forces of natural disasters and tourist
mobility. Moreover, tourist mobility might
influence the community’s observance of
tradition and tend to diminish the quality of
native art forms.
2) Militarization
The insecurity and tensions brought about
by militarized zones apprehend the people’s
ability to create art. It prevents people from
having communal gatherings, where
exchanges and passing of knowledge can
take place.
3) Christianization
The influence of Christianity and the
conversion of the natives to a foreign
religion have affect the preservation of their
indigenous rituals and traditions. However,
in some cases, the community finds a way to
harmonize their indigenous ways with
traditions of Christianity.
SUPPORT SYSTEMS OF PHILIPPINE ART
1) National Commission for Culture and
the Arts
The National Commission for Culture and
the Arts is the overall policy making body,
coordinating, and grants giving agency for
the preservation, development and
promotion of Philippine arts and culture; and
an executing agency for the policies it
formulates (Dumandan, 2019).
2) Cultural Center of the Philippines
The mission of the Cultural Center of the
Philippines is the leading institution for the
arts and culture in the Philippines by
promoting artistic excellence and nurturing
the broadest publics to participate in art
making and appreciation (Dumandan, 2019).
3) National Museum
The National Museum is an educational,
scientific, and cultural institution that
acquires, documents, preserves, exhibits,
and fosters scholarly study and public
appreciation of works of art, specimens, and
cultural and historical artifacts
representative of the unique cultural heritage
of the Filipino people and the natural history
of the Philippines (Dumandan, 2019).
4) Metropolitan Museum of the
Philippines
The Metropolitan Museum of Manila is one
of the major museums in the Philippines.
The museum was among the first to develop
and extend its audience by embracing the
philosophy of art for all, adopt a bilingual
approach in exhibition texts, and implement
a vigorous education and community
outreach program. The museum seeks to
amplify the Filipinos' sense of artistic and
cultural heritage from the past and in
contemporary global contexts and
experiences (Dumandan, 2019).
5) Ben Cab Museum
The BenCab Museum houses the permanent
collection of Philippine National Artist
Benedicto Cabrera (BenCab) in several
galleries, as well as venues for art shows and
exhibitions. The Bencab Museum is
committed to the promotion of arts, and the
preservation, conservation and protection of
the environment and culture and traditions
of the Cordilleras. This commitment of the
museum is an expression of the artist’s
gratitude to the country that nurtured and
inspired an artistic career that continues to
grow, mature, and fascinate (Dumandan,
2019).
6) Art Fair Philippines
Art Fair Philippines is the premier platform
for exhibiting and selling the best in modern
and contemporary Philippine visual art. The
fair aims to mirror the vibrant local art scene
and continue to generate support for Filipino
art practitioners (Dumandan, 2019).
7) ManilART
ManilART is the Philippines' premier
international art fair. It showcases the best in
contemporary visual arts for the
development and promotion of Filipino art
and culture locally and internationally.
ManilART elevates the standards and
celebrates the dynamic Philippine art scene
through various art exhibitions connecting
world class artists, institutions, and the
community. It reinforces the awareness of
and the appreciation for Philippine visual
arts by merging it with other disciplines
through lectures, workshops,
demonstrations, and other activities with the
support from both local and foreign
exhibitors (Dumandan, 2019).
8) Finale Art File
Finale Art File is considered as a premier
gallery institution in the Philippines. It
showcased hundreds of exhibits by some of
the most talented names in contemporary
visual arts. It has successfully balanced the
demands of a commercial establishment and
an artistic venue. This gallery occasionally
features experimental works that push
artistic boundaries and challenge audience
expectation (Dumandan, 2019).
9) Kublai Art Gallery and Davao
Contemporary Art Gallery
The Kublai Art Gallery and Davao
Contemporary Art Gallery is a unique
cultural expression of Davao’s visual artists.
The gallery showcases various works by
Mindanao’s famed artist Kublai Ponce-
Millan, as well as different artists from the
city (Dumandan, 2019).
10) Thirteen Artists Awards
The Thirteen Artists Awards mark the
turnings in and of Philippine contemporary
art, to update its modernizing potential and
to assess how artists today engage with other
forces in the art world (Dumandan, 2019).