MODULE 1  The art of the present – continuously in process and in flux

ARTS IN THE PHILIPPINES refer to the various forms of  Never fixed but open to many possibilities
the arts that have developed and accumulated in  The process of making the artwork itself
the Philippines from the beginning of civilization in the country up to
the present era. THE DIFFERENCE?
 Time, Method, Medium, Approach
TRADITIONAL
 FOLK ARCHITECTURE – including, but not limited to, stilt . In 1910, Roger Fry and his colleagues founded the
houses, land houses, and aerial houses Contemporary Art Society. At the time, this was simply a private
 MARITIME TRANSPORT – boat houses, boat-making, and society where artwork could be purchased for public museums.
maritime traditions Through the 1930’s more institutions were founded with the same
 WEAVING – including, but not limited to, basket weaving, terminology. Scholars in the field distinguished Modern Art as a
back-strap loom weaving, headgear weaving, fishnet weaving, specific style that did align with a specific time period. In contrast, the
and other forms of weaving contemporary style continues to progress as over time, which adds
 CARVING – including, but not limited to, woodcarving and folk to the wide variety of approaches and outcomes.
non-clay sculpture
 FOLK PERFORMING ARTS – including, but not limited to, HISTORICAL, STYLISTIC & CULTURAL OVERVIEW
dances, plays, and dramas ARTISTIC STYLES
 FOLK (ORAL) LITERATURE – including, but not limited to,  Form (era)
epics, songs, and myths  Art forms: painting, sculpture & architecture
 FOLK GRAPHIC AND PLASTIC ARTS – including, but not
limited to, calligraphy, tattooing, folk writing, folk drawing, and HISTORICAL VIEW
folk painting FIGURATIVE ARTS
 ORNAMENT, TEXTILE, OR FIBER ART – hat-making, mask-  any form of modern art that retains strong references to the
making, accessory-making, ornamental metal crafts real world.
 POTTERY – including, but not limited to, ceramic making, clay NON-FIGURATIVE ARTS
pot-making, and folk clay sculpture  forms and figures are not depicted realistically.
ART FOR ART’S SAKE
NON TRADITONAL  Art that serves no other purpose than to be beautiful
 DANCE – including, but not limited to, dance choreography,  Art for the pleasure and sensation that it could produce, without
dance direction, and dance performance any regard to standards of morality or utility.
 MUSIC – including, but not limited to, musical composition, TRANSMEDIA
musical direction, and musical performance  points to new meanings of the artwork, something that crosses
 THEATER – including, but not limited to, theatrical direction, and brings together different media
theatrical performance, theatrical production design, theatrical
light and sound design, and theatrical play writing STYLISTIC OVERVIEW
 VISUAL ARTS – including, but not limited to painting, non-folk ABSTRACT - Art that does not attempt to represent external reality,
sculpture, printmaking, photography, installation art, mixed but seeks to achieve its effect using shapes, forms, colors, and
media works, illustration, graphic arts, performance art, and textures.
imaging NEO-REALIST - Italian literary and cinematic movement, flourishing
 LITERATURE – including, but not limited to, poetry, fiction, especially after world war II
essay, and literary/art criticism SURREAL - Fantastic or incongruous imagery or effects in art
 FILM AND BROADCAST ARTS – including, but not limited to,
film and broadcast direction, film and broadcast writing, film
and broadcast production design, film and broadcast MODULE 2
cinematography, film and broadcast editing, film and broadcast HISTORY OF PHILIPPINE ART
animation, film and broadcast performance, and film and I. PRE-CONQUEST
broadcast new media In art historical terms, we refer to art before the coming of the first
 ARCHITECTURE AND ALLIED ARTS – including, but not colonizers as "pre-conquest". In stylistic terms, we refer to it as
limited to, non-folk architecture, interior design, landscape "indigenous" to emphasize the ides that our ancestors have been
architecture, and urban design making art even before colonization. It is also described in cultural
 DESIGN – including, but not limited to, industrial design, and terms as "pre colonial" as a term to use for the general way of life
fashion design before colonization.
 Prior to colonization, art of the ancient Filipinos were woven
MODERN ARTS ( 1860S-1960S) into fabric of everyday life. Everyday expressions were all
 Modern art and modernism was a radical departure from the integrated within rituals marked significant moments in a
kinds of art that had gone before. community's life, like:
 Modern artists do not aim to copy and idealize reality, instead  Planting and Harvesting, Funeral Ceremonies, Weddings
change the colors and flatten the picture – doesn’t follow the  Our ancestors, just like all others in the world during those
norm times, were hunter-gatherers.

CONTEMPORARY ARTS (1960S-1970S) "KANYAW"

 Defined as art produced by artists living today -Found in Cordillera Autonomous Region. Officiated by a shaman or
 Meaning “the art of today,” More broadly includes artwork mumbaki. Involves animal sacrifices
Produced during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. "KASHAWING"
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF CONTEMPORARY ARTS
-In Lake Lanao in Mindanao. Ritual to ensure abundance during rice referred to stylistically and culturally as religious art, lowland
planting and harvesting is observed and performed. Christian art, or folk art.
"TAGBANWA"  Paoay Church in Ilocos Norte & San Agustin Church
-In Palawan believe that every 13th moon, 3 goddesses descend
from heaven to bless the planting of rice. Images of saints and interpretations of biblical narratives were
considered essential to worship. Under the strict watch and
Long before the coming of the Spaniards, the pre-colonial people of patronage of the church, images were produce through painting,
the Philippines already possessed a varied and vibrant musical sculpting, and engraving.The friars brought with them Western
culture. The country's indigenous cultures through the existence of models for local artist to copy. Made of ivory or wood, the imagery of
ethnic musical instruments such as: the santo would be based on classical and baroque models. During
EXAMPLES : PIPES, DRUMS, ZITHERS, FLUTES, KUDYAPI, the 17th century, Chinese arisans, under Spanish supervision were
KULINTANG, AGONG engaged in making icons or saints or santos (in the vernacular) in
wood and ivory; 
"PANGALAY"  Nuestra Senora del Rosario: Bohol
-from Sulu archipelago, mimetic of the movement of seabirds, the
Mandayas' kinabua, the banog-banog of the Higaonon and of the The Greek and Roman classical influence can be seen in the portion
B'Iaan communities, and the man-manok of the Bagobos of employed as well as the formality of expression while the trace of the
Mindanao imitate the movements of predatory birds. Baroque is evident in the expressive and emotional characteristics of
the santo. In colonial churches, santos are displayed in a decorative
The INAMOG of the Matigsalugs, and the KADALIWAS dance of the altar niche called retablo.
T'bolis represent the comedic movements of monkeys.  Via Crusis
Church altars are sometimes decorated with carved figurative
"TINIKLING" protrusions on the surface called relleves or with the organic designs
-popular Tagalog folk dance often showcased for tourist, is evocative of hammered silver or the plateria. Tha plateria technque is also
of the movements of the crane, balancing itself on stilt-like legs or applied in the body of the carroza, where the santos are paraded
flitting away from the clutches of bamboo traps. during town processions.

People of the Cordilleras carve the BULUL, regarded as a granary With the coming of the Spaniards, who brought western musical
god that plays an important role in rituals. instruments like:
 Pipe organ, Piano, Violin, Guitar
The ifugaos also produce the HAGABI, wooden bench that marks Philippine musical forms also took on a very European flavor ---- with
the socioeconomic status of the owner. new rhythms, melodies, and musical forms, that Filipinos proceeded
Christianized communities in Laguna and Pampanga are known for to adopt them and make their own. Catholic liturgical music was
carving santos or sculptures of secular or non-religious orientation. introduce in 1742 when the then Archbishop of Manila, Juan
In Southern Philippines, curvilinear decorations called the OKIR Rodriguez Angel, established a singing school at the Manila
(termed ukkil in Tausug/Samal/Badjao) are employed in Cathedral that taught western church music.
woodcarving.
Manunggul jar, discovered at Manunggul Cave, Lipuun Point, In 1734, the Jesuit priest Fr. Pedro Murillo Velarde collaborated with
Palawan is dated to the late neolithic period. It is a secondary burial homegrown talents, the artist Francisco Suarez and the engraver
vessel, where buried and exhumed bones are placed. Nicolas de la Cruz Bagat to produce Carta Hydrographica y
Chorographica de las Yslas Filipinas, the first scientific map of the
Another cherished living tradition is weaving. According to Respicio, philippines.
textile weaving has a long history that Philippine ethnolinguistic
groups have a rich textile weaving tradition. Textile are not only The rise of this new elite would also manifest in town organization.
functional, they also impart knowledge about people's belief system. Among those that occupied the plaza complex were the bahay na
bato which housed rich and prominent families. .Simon Flores's
A backstrap loom or a pedal loom is used to weave designs that hold painting Portrait of the Quiazon Family, 1800 documents the family's
special meaning for a particular cultural group. Examples of woven influence: the magnificent interior of the family's home, the mother's
textiles include the pis siyabit, a headpiece woven by the Tausug of jewerly, the delicate fabric and embroidery of their clothing, and their
Sulu and malong with exquisite tapestry panels called langkit woven dignified poses.
the Maranao of Lanao del Sur.
Other renowned miniature painters includes Antonio Malantic, Isidro
Arceo, Dionsio de Castro, and Justiniano Asuncion who also
rendered portraits of individuals. Attention to detail in painting can
also be observed in Letras y Figuras. Combining names of
individuals and vignettes of everyday life, this painting style became
popular when Filipino natives acquired Spanish names in compliance
with a decree implemented in 1884.
TOROGAN & PANOLONG
The Pampanga-born Simon Flores also produces genre scenes.A
distinct example is the painting, Primeras Letras, 1890, which
III. SPANISH COLONIAL PERIOD
features a woman teaching a child how to read.
Art that flourished during the Spanish colonial period conformed to
the demands of the church and the colonial state. Religious orders
were dispatched to convert the natives to Catholicism as part of the
Luna won gold for Spoliarium; while Hidalgo garnered a silver medal
for Virgenes christianas expuestas al populacho. Both works testify
larger project of colonization. The art forms from that period are
to Filipino artistic excellence which proved to be at par with the Many of Manansala's paintings are characterized by transparent
standards set by the European academy. cubism, a style marked by the soft fragmentation of figures using
transparent planes instead of hard-edges ones. as exemplified in the
IV. AMERICAN COLONIAL PERIOD (1898-1940) TO THE painting Tuba Drinkers, 1954, Legaspi's Gadget II, 1949 depicts half
POSTWAR REPUBLIC (1946-1969) naked men almost engulfed in the presence of machines.
Plays such as Juan Abad's Tanikalang Guinto or "Golden
Chain" , 1902 Juan Matapang Cruz's Hindi ako Patay or "I Am Not The 1950s also saw the construction of modern architectural
Dead", 1903 and Aurelio Tolentino's Kahapon Ngayon, at Bukas structures, particularly churches that modified or veered away from
or"Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow", 1903 echoed not only the traditional cruciform designs. Within the UP Diliman campus,
nationalist sentiments of their playwrights but also served as medium examples include the Church of Holy Sacrifice, 1955 and the Church
for political protest, openly attacking the Americans. Known as of the Risen Lord, which both employed concrete as primary material
drama simbolico, these one-act plays came to represent a deep and and experimented with rounded o parabolic forms. Another
profound yearning for freedom. remarkable example is the Chapel of St. Joseph the Worker in
Victorias, Negros, built by the Czech-American architect Antonin
Inspired by the City Beautiful Movement introduced in 1893 at the Raymond.
Chicago World Fair, the new urban design employed Neoclassic
architecture for its government edifices and integrated parks and
lawns to make the city attractive by making its buildings impressive V. 70S TO CONTEMPORARY
and places more inviting for leisure amid urban blight. Amidst claims of national chaos of emergency proportions,
Martial Law was declared on September 21, 1972. Under Martial
De la Rosa was known for his naturalist paintings characterized by Law, Marcos envisioned a New Society or Bagong Lipunan, which
restraint and formality in brushwork, choice of somber colors, and worked toward the rebirth of a long lost civilization and aspiration to
subject matter, as seen in the works Planting Rice,1921 and El modernization and development.
Kundiman, 1930. The discourse of rebirth can also be discerned in the anthem or
songs the regime sponsored and circulated through the media and
Guillermo Tolentino is credited for the iconic Oblation (1935, public education channels. The optimism toward a new beginning
original/1958, bronze cast found at the UP Oblation plaza) of the was articulated for example, in Levi Celerio and Felipe Padilla de
University of the Philippines and the Bonifacio Monument, 1933 in Leon's composition for the New Society titled Bagong Pagsiglang.
Caloocan.  Cultural Center Of the Philippines

"Botong" Fransisco is known for his magisterial murals, particularly, Albano (Chabet's successor) argued that although some
Filipino Struggles Through History 1964, one of the largest and most experimental forms seemed wholly foreign, he invoke the practice of
ambitious in scope, which he did for the Manila City Hall. adoring ephemeral and familiar objects in fiestas, which shared
processes and features with installation art. An early example of
installation art is Junyee's Wood Things, 1981, made of kapok or
Japanese Occupation (1941-1945) cotton pods, installed on the walls and floor of the CCP's white cube
Early moderns and conservative alike continued to produce art spaces to make these look like crawlers encroaching on the museum
and even participated in KALIBAPI (Kapisanan sa Paglilingkod ng space.
Bagong Pilipinas) sponsored art competitions.n 1943 and 1944,
Purugganan and Francisco won KALIBAPI, respectively. SOCIAL REALISM(SR)
Slogans such as "Asia for Asians" made its way to the public A significant strand that emerged during the intense political ferment
through posters, ephemera, comics, and Japanese sponsored of the 70s and the 80s. Using various mediums, techniques, and
publications such as Shin-Seiki, and in newspapers and magazines styles, SR, is a form of protest art that exposed the sociopolitical
such as Liwayway and Tribune. In music, the composer National issues and struggles of the times.
Artist Felipe P. De Leon was said to have been "commanded at the  Antipas Delotavo's Itak Sa Puso Ni Mang Juan
point of the gun" to write Awit sa Paglikha ng Bagong Pilipinas.  Edgar Fernandez, Kinupot
Declared as the anthem specifically for the period, it conveyed Varied forms of expression can be observed from the period which
allegiance to the nation reared in East Asia, where Japan was spilled over from the previous decades.EDUARDO CASTRILLO's
actively asserting its political power. gigantic metal work PIETA, 1969

Portraits representing different ethnoliguistic groups were produced, NEO-REALISM

and this is exemplified by Crispin Lopez's Study of an Aeta, 1943. • How artists used their subjective, internal vision of reality to create
Although scenes from the war were also made, the imagery works of art. It was formed as a reaction to the perceived academic
remained neutral, focusing rather on the aesthetic qualities of ruin and sentimental status of art in the previous generation. It was a
and disaster. Take Amorsolo's Bombing of the Intendencia, 1942 seminally representational style that was more open to various
and Ruins of the Manila Cathedral, 1945 as examples, they draw degrees of abstraction opened up through increasing familiarity with
attention to the elegant handling of value in the billows of smoke or western modern art movements.
the pile of ruins rather than the urgency of the disaster itself. Works • Three Women in a landscape by Anita Magsaysay
which depicted the horrors of war such as Diosdado Lorenzo's • The Brave Modern by Cesar Legazpi
Atrocities in Paco and Dominadoe Cateneda's Doomed Family were
painted after 1945. ABSTRACTION
ABSTRACT ART is art that does not attempt to represent an
Manansala's The Beggars, 1952 consists of the image of two women accurate depiction of a visual reality but instead use shapes, colors,
with emaciated bodies, their forlorn faces set against a dark forms and gestural marks to achieve its effect.
background capturing the deariness of poverty.  Kenneth Montegrande: Art with a heart
 CHROMA OR INTENSITY, distinguishing between strong and weak
colors. A visual representation of chromatic scale is observable
MODULE 3 through the color wheel that uses the primary colors.
ELEMENTS & CONTEXT OF ART SATURATION (brightness and dullness of color).
ART is a diverse range of human activities involving the creation of
visual, auditory or performing artifacts (artworks), which express the FORM is a three-dimensional object with volume of height, width and
creator's imagination, conceptual ideas , or technical skill, intended depth. These objects include cubes, spheres and cylinders.
to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power. Form is often used when referring to physical works of art, like
ART is often considered the process or product of deliberately sculptures, as form is connected most closely with three-dimensional
arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions. works.
It encompasses a diverse range of human activities, creations and
ways of expression, including music, literature, film, sculpture and TEXTURE is used to describe the surface quality of the work,
paintings. referencing the types of lines the artist created. The surface quality
SUBJECT OR TOPIC is any person, animal, thing, or issue that is can either be tactile (real) or strictly visual (implied). Tactile surface
described or represented in a work. Subject is different from theme quality is mainly seen through three-dimensional works, like
or content (substance): THEME is the recurring idea or element in a sculptures, as the viewer can see and/or feel the different textures
work of art. The theme refers to the ideas, thoughts, and feelings of present, while visual surface quality describes how the eye perceives
the artist. the texture based on visual cues.

1. REALISM VALUE refers to the degree of perceivable lightness of tones within

The subject is done the way it actually looks. an image. The element of value is compatible with the term
2. DISTORTION luminosity, and can be "measured in various units designating
Artist uses his or her imagination and alters the subject according to electromagnetic radiation".
his or her desire. EXAMPLE: Observational drawing, Value Scale, Scratch Art,
3. ABSTRACTION Photorealism, Layers & Holes, Shadows
The artist breaks apart a subject and rearranges it in a different
manner CONTEXT OF ARTS
4. NON OBJECTIVISM Factors to consider:
It is the style wherein there is totally no subject at all – just an 1. What affects the art production?
interplay of pure elements like line, shape, or color, and so on. 2. When the work was made?
3. Where it was made? And
ELEMENTS OF ART 4. Why it was made?
Elements of art are the visual “tools” that artists use to create an art
work. They are what makes up an image or an art object: line, CONTEXT refers to settings, conditions, circumstances and
shape/form, value, color, space. And texture. concurrences affecting production and reception or audience
response to an artwork. It is a set of background information that
LINES are marks moving in a space between two points whereby a enable us to formulate meanings about work of art and note how
viewer can visualize the stroke movement, direction and intention contexts affects form.
based on how the line is oriented. There are different types of lines
artists may use, including, actual, implied, vertical, horizontal, DIFFERENT CONTEXTS OF ART
diagonal and contour lines, which all have different functions. A. ARTIST CONTEXT/ARTIST’S BACKGROUND
The artist’s age, gender, culture, economic conditions, social
SHAPE is a two-dimensional design encased by lines to signify its environment and disposition affect art production.
height and width structure, and can have different values of colour  Cutting Onions Always Makes Me Cry by Julie Lluch1988
used within it to make it appear three-dimensional.  The Sketch by National Artist Victorio Edades - fore bearer of
SHAPE AND FORM - when the ends of a line meet, they form a Philippine modern art in the Philippines
shape. SHAPE can also be described as a figure separate from its B. NATURE
surrounding area or background. It can be either be geometric Nature can be seen as a source of inspiration and a well-spring of
(angular) or organic (curvy). FORM is slightly similar to shape, it is materials for art production. We may also observe that many of
an enclosed line, a figure separate from its background. But, Philippine indigenous dances involve the imitation of natural
remember that shape is two-dimensional, while form is three- elements. While nature is regarded as the provider and as a source
dimensional. of inspiration. It is also seen as a force that one has to contend with.
When it comes to the built environment, the availability of resources
SPACE refers to the perspective (distance between and around) and for construction is not the only factor taken into account but also
proportion (size) between shapes and objects. environmental conditions such as topography and climate.
POSITIVE SPACE refers to the areas of the work with a subject,  Nelfa Querubin
while NEGATIVE SPACE is the space without a subject.  Angud A Forest Once By Junyee
Open and closed space coincides with three dimensional art, like  Roy Lagarde
sculptures, where open spaces are empty, and closed spaces C. EVERYDAY LIFE
contain physical sculptural elements. Most optical illusions are based Philippine traditional art has always been an integral part of daily life.
on the concept of the positive / negative relationship. Its significance lies not only in its aesthetic appearances but also in
its functionality and its value to the community that produced it.
COLOR is an element consisting of hues, of which there are three Because traditional forms may also be used in daily private
properties. situations, it is experienced more intimately and engages many
HUE, which is the distinguishable color, like red, blue or yellow. senses simultaneously.
VALUE, meaning the lightness or darkness of the hue.  Marina Cruz
 Lirio Salvador - Assemblage A. The Award System
D. SOCIETY, POLITICS, ECONOMY AND HISTORY The Order of National Artists of the Philippines is an order
Changes in the society, politics and economy affect artists, the work bestowed by the Philippines on Filipinos who have made significant
that they do and the structures that support their production. contributions to the development of Philippine art. Members of the
Technological innovations engender shifts in artistic production. We Order are known as National Artists. Originally instituted as an
can think of art not only as a document that gives us clues about the award, it was elevated to the status of an order in 2003.
historical condition surrounding its production but also a means to re- The National Living Treasures Award, alternatively known as
tell history itself. the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA; lit. 'Award for the
 Benedicto Cabrera – Brown Brother’s Burden Creators of the Country') is conferred to a person or group of artists
 Jeepneys recognized by the Government of the Philippines for their
E. MODE OF RECEPTION contributions to the country's intangible cultural heritage.
Aside from considering our personal identity as a perceiver of art as GAMABA
well as the contexts discussed above, it is also important to note Garcia has been named Manlilikhang Bayan or National Living
when, where and how art is encountered. Most often, art is Treasure. Twelve individuals have been received this distinction from
encountered via the museum; arranged and categorized before a the time of the establishment of the award in 1992 through Republic
public for the purpose of education and leisure. Act No. 7355 until 2012.
 Bulul by Gaston Damag B. FACTORS AFFECTING THE TRADITIONAL ARTIST’S
 Mideo Cruz - Poleteismo PRODUCTION PROCESS
1. TOURISM – Land areas are converted into sites for tourist
THE CONTEMPORARY IN TRADITIONAL ART: GAWAD SA consumption.
MANLILIKHA NG BAYAN (GAMABA) 2. MINING AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS – The
 Teofilo Garcia, a 2012 awardee is a farmer in the town of San construction of dams and the establishment of oil and mining
Quintin, Abra Province. He was known for his work, tabungaw companies evict people from their dwellings.
hat 3. MILITARIZATION – Prevents exchanging and passing of
 Garcia hollowed out, polished and varnished the hat to give it a knowledge.
yellow sheen. Garcia was instrumental in fortifying the tradition 4. CHRISTIANIZATION – this caused members of the community to
through six decades. forsake their indigenous rituals and traditions.
 Through Teofilo Garcia, we reiterate that Philippine traditional THE PRODUCTION PROCESS & THE CHANGING
art has always been contemporary in a sense that it is art that ENVIRONMENT
is being made now and it persists as part of the continuing • The Traditional artist’s mode of production continues to be affected
tradition. with the dynamics of change. Environmental degradation ushered in
 Garcia has been named Manlilikha ng Bayan or National Living by calamities, modernization and capitalist endeavors displace the
Treasure. indigenous people from their ancestral land.
C. DIFFICULTIES IN THE SELECTING PROCESS
The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) • The archipelagic orientation of the Philippines makes some
bestows the highest awards thru the National Artists Award and locations challenging to reach by land, air or sea.
(Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan Award GAMABA) • Places that pose security risks especially militarized zones.
The National Living Treasures Award, alternatively known as D. EFFECT OF THE GAMABA IN THE COMMUNITIES
the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan is conferred to a person or group • The system might create a division within the communities when
of artists recognized by the Government of the Philippines for their one person is elevated to the status of a national awardee.
contributions to the country's intangible cultural heritage. • The GAMABA recognizes exceptional artists who are engaged in
According to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts the traditional arts. As culture bearers, the role of the GAMABA is to
(NCCA), it was materialized as per the Republic Act No. 7355 or the pass on their artistic knowledge to the community, to inspire them
Manlilikha ng Bayan Act in April 1992. and to ensure that aspects of their cultural identity continue to thrive.
The NCCA was tasked to administrate and implement the
Award to the artists. They were also tasked to search for the finest
traditional artists of the Philippines, to adopt a program that will
secure the transfer of skills to others and shoulders measures to
endorse the genuine appreciation and instill pride among Filipinos.