UNIT 3

CONTEMPORARY ART
TECHNIQUES AND
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES
Lesson 1
LOCAL MATERIALS IN
CONTEMPORARY ARTS

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 LOCAL ART MATERIALS FROM DIFFERENT
REGIONS OF THE PHILIPPINES
I. Fibers
Abaca, known as Manila hemp, is a species of
banana and grown as a commercial crop extracted from
the leaf-stems/sheaths that contain the valuable fiber.
The fiber was originally used for making twines and
ropes. This natural fiber is giving the country millions
in return for its export.

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I. Fibers
Other fibers derived from abaca are
bakbak (a strong brown fiber used for furniture)
and sinamay (woven from processed abaca stalks.)

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Uses:
Decorative paper, bags, carpets, water-
resistant clothing, denims, gowns (Pia
Wurtzbach’s blue gown, designed by
Francis Libiran, was made from pure
abaca fabric), home decors, furniture,
tea bags, bank notes, mats, fishing nets,
ropes, bins, slippers, frames, boxes,
decorative accents (like Christmas decors
made of sinamay), decorative jars,
hammocks, hats, etc.

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Bakong (tiger grass), a peculiar aquatic plant that was
once considered a water pest and irritant in Sta.
Teresita, Cagayan until 2012, has become a new
component in woven products. Now, “the water pest
has dramatically transformed into a potential gold
mine. It can now be an alternative raw material for
elegant and sophisticated furniture designs never
before seen in any industrial exposition” (De Yro,
2016, p.1).
•

•
“
Piña is one of the important cash crops in the
country being used to make textile based
products.
The Philippines is an ideal home to grow
pineapple and it is the second largest exporter
of pineapple in the world next to Thailand.
• They are grown abundantly in Polomolok, South
Cotabato (Dole), Bukidnon (Del Monte), and
in some parts of Luzon and Visayas.
• In Visayas, Aklan is recognized to be the
biggest producer of piña fibers in the
Philippines, and piña weaving is its oldest
industry.
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 “
• Piña’s long, fine, and luxurious threads come from
its leaves.
• Its strands are resilient and strong. It has a slight
luster similar to silk, and is washable.
• The fiber goes well with cotton, abaca (piña-jusi), and
silk (piña-seda/silk).
• Piña fabric in this country is the finest in the world.

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• Water lily (water hyacinth), considered a nuisance
for clogging waterways, is now a good source of
income for the communities of Las Piñas, Cotabato,
and other provinces.

• Utilizing the plant could help reduce environmental

problems and generate employment opportunities.
Filipino innovators introduced water lily leather
made from the plant’s stalks. 9
• The result is eco-fashion innovation, unique to the Filipino
identity (Lifestyle, 2016).

• Water lily produces coarse fiber with high gum content

unsuitable for yarn production; however, the Philippine
Textile Research Institute (PTRI) was able to convert the
fiber into spinning yarns blended with either polyester or
cotton.

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II. Urban Reuse and
Environmental Materials

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• Mt. Pinatubo Volcanic Rocks (hard rocks, formed
by cooling and hardening of molten material called
magma) and Lahar (hot or cold mixture of water
and rock fragments flowing down the slopes of a
volcano).

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• They are nontraditional materials
experimented by Rey Paz
Contreras to sculpt human figures.”
His true interest was to make use
of ethnic motifs and old symbols
that would gain contemporary
expression.

• He pioneered the development of

community-based people’s art”.

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• Logging refuse utilizes the log’s roots and
branches to create any work of art. The
artist’s aim in using this material is to
support reforestation program in the
provinces

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• Traviesa or hardwood railroad tracks are
railroad sleeper refuse that were severely
damaged and some of them were about more
than 100 years old. This material was used in
sculpture and practical tools.

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• Recycled Materials such as bottles, caps,
advertising banners, tetra-packs, soda cans,
straws, newspapers, incandescent bulbs,
plastic spoons, and many more transform
trash into usable, trendy, and fun goods. An
art work made from recycled materials is
unique and truly individual.

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• Mindoro Jade (nephrite) is a mineral abundant in
Mindoro. The Iraya Mangyans risk their lives just
to mine for this mineral. “Despite the hazards and
the meager income they get out of it, the natives
stick to the only source of income they’ve known
all their lives” – mining for nephrite. Most recent
sites of this mineral are in Batanes, Cagayan
Valley, Palawan, Zambales, Siargao, and
Surigao del Norte.

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III. Design Trend

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 • Minimalist Art Materials in Modern Homes
Elaborate details and loud styles are rejected in a
minimalist design such as moldings, wood carvings
on built-in cabinets and furniture, excessive use
of fabrics, and elaborate use of colors. Its theme
is classic design and its essence is functionality.

• Chrome and glass are both used in modern

minimalist designs. Chrome or stainless steel
is seen in faucets, door knobs, furniture
frames, legs, cabinets, handles, and railings.

• Glass allows maximum use of natural lighting as

seen in glass houses or homes with large glass
windows, doors, and wall panels.
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Key furniture pieces make great focal point.
One must choose furniture that does not
only look great but also fit perfectly, and
practically. Another thing to consider is the
functionality of a piece of furniture for the
intended space.

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• Open space also refers to open
floor plan or open concept design is
now a trend in modern minimalism.
• It minimizes the use of small
enclosed rooms to allow a person to
experience the freedom and
grandeur it lends.
• The wall division between the
kitchen area and the living room is
torn down to achieve an open space.
• Though an immaterial substance,
space that is inherently diffused
and formless, is another element
utilized by minimalists in their
interior designs.

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IV. Large-Scale Art Materials

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• Street Art is a kind of painting similar
to the paintings featured by Filipino
Street Art Project (FSAP), Boysen’s
Project, and Pilipinas Street Plan (PSP)
that provided an insight into the street
art scene in the Philippines and
exposing the traditional Filipino
designs and patterns.

• It was inspired from graffiti art.

Most artists of street art have
received formal art training.

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• Materials used were: acrylic, spray paint, stencil,
pen markers, stickers, and acrylic paste on Manila
paper. The images are projected on billboards,
building walls, concrete fences, public
transportations, and screens.

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• Urban Graffiti is loosely used inter-
changeably with street art.

• It was once regarded as an act of

“vandalism” which is a public offense
and often seen as an eyesore.

• Most graffiti artists are self-taught,

and they are called writer because
their medium is word-based; whereas,
street art is image-based.

• The materials used in graffiti art

are the same as street art’s.

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