Contemporary

art
Jennifer B. Merabete
Gabriel Josh L. Serrano
ICT 12-3
 Contemporary Art
Contemporary art is defined as the art of the "now." These are the artworks that are produced in the present. It is
difficult to define the actual starting point of contemporary art since the present is in constant motion, and what we
might consider as contemporary art today might not be true in the future.

Art is a tool for communication. Whether it is a painting or a performance as long as it is a venue forgone to convey or
express a thought, emotions, or aspirations; it is considered art. Every artwork reflects the artist and his/her society.

Art offers us the chance to learn and understand artists and the regions where they belong through their works.

Art is one of the earliest and most basic form of communication. This is seen in the prehistoric visual artworks like the
cave drawings and other early artifacts.
This is also evident in our folk songs and rituals. The visual and performing
arts are ways for people to express themselves and share their individual
insights to others. Through these arts, they catch other people's attention,
imagination, and admiration.

Art is defined as the manifestation or use of the various creative disciplines.

It is produced by human creativity and skill to express oneself. It comes in
many forms or disciplines such as literature and media arts but the most
familiar of which is the visual and performing arts.
 VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
Visual Arts Visual arts is a term used to describe a wide array of artistic disciplines that are
appreciated primarily through sight. Visual arts include the different art forms and disciplines
such as fine arts, decorative arts, and contemporary arts.

1.Fine Arts
Fine arts are the artworks we readily associate with art. The term "fine arts" was first used to describe the
art forms created primarily for its appearance rather than its practical use.

The following are the most common examples of fine arts:

• Drawing
• Painting
• Sculpture
• Print
• Graphic art
• Calligraphy
• Architecture
 Decorative Arts
Decorative arts, also known as decorative crafts, are artworks that are both
aesthetically pleasing and functional. While the fine arts are primarily
concerned with beauty and aesthetics, the decorative arts were not only
beautiful but are useful as well. From the Renaissance up until the twentieth
century, many artists in the West consider the decorative arts as a lower
version of art; makers of these artworks were not considered as artists but
rather as craftsmen.
There are a multitude of examples of decorative arts, most common of
which are:
Textile art , Glassware Jewelry, Furniture Earth henware Metal craft Interior
design
Contemporary Art Forms
There are new and unusual art forms that could not be
easily categorized between the fine arts and the decorative
arts, these belong to the branch of visual arts called
contemporary artforms.

Contemporary art forms include recently conceived art

styles and techniques that are
not easily categorized with the previously mentioned
forms (fine art sand decorative arts). These partially
include:
• Assemblage
• Collage
• Installation
• Performance art
• Digital art
• Land art
• Conceptual art
 It should be emphasized that there is a difference between
contemporary art forms and contemporary art.
Contemporary art is defined as all art works that produced in
our present lifetime.

These artworks can be expressed using the traditional art forms

such as paintings, sculptures, pottery, etc. orcin be produced
using new art techniques such as Installation , assemblage, etc.
Performing Arts
When artists use their voices and/or their body
movements to communicate artistic
expression, this is an example of performing
arts. Performing arts come in many kinds, but
all are meant to be enacted in front of a live
audience. Performing arts are often categorized
into three types: music, dance, and theater.
 Music
Music is a universal form of art. It is defined as the
manipulation of sound and silence. It blends the different
elements such as pitch, rhythm, dynamics, timbre, and
texture to create sound. It is performed by utilizing
different instruments, vocal techniques, and styles. It can
be performed live or recorded and can be prepared in
advance or improvised.
 Here are some of the most common music genres:
Art music
Art music is the umbrella term used to refer to music that stems from Western Classical Music.

Popular music
Popular music generally refers to music that is accessible and commercially available to the public. It is
played or disseminated through different mass media outlets such as radios, television, and the Internet.

Traditional music
Traditional music are musical forms that are community and culturally based. It is diverse with one
community or group often having a different form from another.
 Dance
Dance is defined as regulated and deliberated order of body
movements. These movements have aesthetic value and are often
performed accompanied with music.

Dance comes in many forms and styles, some of which are as

follows:

Ballet Belly dance, Break dance, Improvisational dance, Hip-hop

dance, Modern dance, Contemporary dance ,Traditional dance
 Theater

Theater or playas a branch of performing arts that often

involves the integration and combination of the visual
and performing arts. It is defined as a fine art where
actors or actresses perform experiences, whether real or
imagined, in front of a live audience. The performers
make use of gestures, music, song, dance, and visual arts
to help communicate the story in front of an audience.
 Common examples of theater arts are:
• Mime
• Puppetry
• Tragedy
• Opera
• Musical theater
• Traditional theater

WHY DO ARTISTS CREATE ART?

As mentioned before, people create art primarily as
afoul for communication. But throughout history, we
can see that artists create art for reasons other than
communication
 Some artists create art in hopes of gaining fame and fortune. Some artists use
art as their means of livelihood, as seen with many visual artists, musicians,
and television and movie stars. film stars are motivated to join the Some artists,
due to their reputation and talent, have become not just critically acclaimed but
have earned financial success as well such as Sharon Cuneta, Vilma Santos, and
the late King of Comedy Dolphy.

In the field of visual arts, Ronald Ventura(1973) made history when his
painting the
"Gray ground" was sold in an auction at Sotheby's Hong Kong for
almost 47 million pesos in 2011.It set a new auction record at the time,
beating the record set by fellow Filipino artist Geraldine Javier a year
before.
Sadly, many artists are not as fortunate and many struggle to make
ends meet
 Not all artists create for personal recognition;
some do it to glorify their creator. This is
evident in the many religious structures in the
ancient world such as the pyramids, Hindu
temples, and the temples of the Greeks and
Romans.

Songs were also created for worship.

Christian icon graph is found in the majority of

artworks produced during the Middle Ages up to
the Modern period.
 One such contemporary artist is the late Joey
Velasco(1967-2010).He was well-known for his
rendition of Christian-themed artworks. One of the
most celebrated is the Hapag ng Pag- as a (2005)
which is his version of the Last Supper with street
children depicted as the apostles.
 Impulse
Some artists create art because
they are driven by impulse. It is
their passion, and nothing makes
them happier than doing their
chosen art.
These artists consider art as life
and spend their time doing
nothing but such.
Such passion can be seen in
National Artist for Music,
Levi Celerio(1910-2002).
Throughout his distinguished
career, Celerio is credited to have
written over 4,000 songs. Some of
which have become timeless
classics of Filipino music such as
the Christmas songs 'Pasko na
Naman'(1965) and 'Ang Pasko ay
Sumapit (1933).
 Self - Expression
Artists, without a doubt, create art for self-expression. They express ideas and
emotions that might not be adequately expressed through words . Each artwork
is a reflection of each individual artist's personality and experiences, making
each artwork unique.

Creating art can help you express yourself, enabling you to share your
ideas and emotions with others while studying art teaches you to
distinguish and understand the individual differences we all have that
in part make us unique. It makes us more sensitive to others.
Studying and creating art help develop our decision
and problem-solving skills.
Jupiter is the Filipinos are very social people and this is reflected in their art, more especially in their
traditional art. Though the West does have a great sway on contemporary art especially with the
movements and the techniques; in its heart Philippine contemporary art is an example of integral arts
which is essentially communal and unitive in nature.
According to Prof. Felipe M. De Leon Jr., a
professor of art studies and as of writing the
current chair of the National Commission for
Culture and the Arts (NCCA),Filipino Integral art
has the following attributes:

Art is ingrained with beauty and function. Art is

not made for art sake but is instead made with
considerations with other factors such as use,
beliefs, ethics, social, spiritual and environmental
concerns.
• A balance should be made between all the other disciplines to achieve the
ultimate expression.

• Art is part of our everyday life. It is not considered as a separate activity.

Art exist whenever there is human activity.

• Everybody is an artist, and everybody is given an equal chance to

contribute and participate.

• Freedom in the technique and the use of mediums, which gives flexibility
and opportunity to join in the artistic expression.

• Art makes use of the available resources, it should not be limited by

budget constraints.
 FILIPINO ART TENDENCIES
Through his studies Prof. De Leon suggests that there are several characteristic tendencies
seen in Philippine Art. He also relates these tendencies with the communal instinct of the
Filipinos. As mentioned Filipinos are social creatures and their art is influenced by this. Even
if an artist has studied and trained abroad, these predisposed characteristics can still be even
felt albeit diluted.

Broadest aspect technique

Filipino artworks often try to show the many sides of an object, depicting how Filipinos
think it looks like rather than how it is actually seen. This is why many artists often orient
objects showing the biggest and the most familiar angle of an object for greater recognition.
 Multiple focal points
Related with the first tendency, many artists use multiple focal points in their
composition in efforts to try to represent the sentiments of the different members of
society.

● This tendency can be clearly seen in the works of the late cartoonist Larry Alcala,
whose works show multiple scenes and events at one point in time.
 Highly expressive
Being born in a very social environment, Filipinos are more emphatic, spontaneous, and emotional.

This tendency holds especially true for the performing arts, where Filipinos excel. In the visual arts this
is carried over through the colorful artworks.

Polychromatic
Filipinos love color, decorative arts and crafts. This is why costumes and festivals are bathed in rich,
vibrant spectrum of colors.

Maximalism
Filipino art has an inclination to fill up space with forms and ornamentation. This is said to be rooted in
the expressiveness of the Filipinos.

A good example of the Filipinos proclivity to decorate can be seen in the public transport vehicle, the
jeepney.
 Decorations that range from airbrushed portraits to scenic landscapes fill up the inside and the
exterior of the “ dyip ".

Multifunctional
Creating works that has various uses strengthen the sense of community with people of different
fascination and requirements.

This is one of the given reasons as to the popularity of mixed media and installation art with many
contemporary Filipino artists.
These installations and mediums are often combined with indigenous materials and local objects.
 Rhythmic Patterns
One of the most recognizable tendencies in Filipino art is the stylized
and measured organization of patterns and forms.

It is almost like the physical manifestation of the Filipino artists' psyche,

individually present and different but in harmonious movement with the
rest of the forms.