Contemporary Arts in the

Philippines

LESSON 2
ART : MEANING AND
FORM
 Different kinds of local artworks
have sprung not only in the urban
centers of the country and in schools of
arts of different educational institutions
but also a lot more of never before seen
or heard art forms from the countryside
have made known and have become
renowned.
The seeming isolation and distance of
many communities in far flung
regions have kept the beauty and
significance of countless forms of
Philippine art. It is real good news
that they have been exposed and have
been expressed.
 Contemporary Philippine Arts
from the Regions is not just a subject
that has to be learned. It wants
Contemporary Philippine Arts to be
viewed, to be understood and to be
appreciated in the context as they were
created. As mentioned in the previous
module, the arts come in various
categories and forms.
 It is essential to know and
understand the meaning of the term
contemporary when used in
defining Contemporary Philippine
Arts. Understanding it would pave
the way for better appreciation of
the arts in the Philippine context.
 Understanding Philippine Arts
would provide a better perception
of the details, context, meaning
and significance of the artworks
placed in a cultural, political and
historical context.
 It is also important to differentiate
Modern Philippine Arts from
Contemporary Philippine Arts. It would
be easy to misunderstand the two by
treating them as interchangeably the
same. The recent years revealed a
conglomeration or mix of different art
forms and art media that are
expressions of the times where we live
in.
Many art forms are integrated to create
artworks that are quite different from
Classical and Modern Arts. Integrative
Art has become part of Contemporary
Art. Contemporary Art is evident when
we go to the different regions and
provinces of our country. Each artwork
exhibiting its own uniqueness and
meaning.
 People get out of their houses to go to
school, to work or to buy something. Almost
all of them are unmindful of their
surroundings as they seldom pay attention to
the daily usual sights and sounds. They all
come back home with same circumstances.
The signages, billboards, music, pictures
and other similar visual and auditory
presentations have become a
conglomeration of perceived mundane
elements of daily life.
 Thus, the beauty, relevance,
significance and implications of these
otherwise monotonous external stimuli
are seldom comprehended and
appreciated.
Let’s imagine that you will be going
out of your house and come across the
following pictures. Give the questions
some thought and answer them
truthfully.
 What do you see in the picture?
Did they catch our attention?
Cite its significance or importance.
Processing:
1. Identify the pictures in Column A by matching them
with Column B, choose from the letters in Column B.
Picture 1 A. Contemporary Philippine sculpture

Picture 2 B. Contemporary Philippine street art

Picture 3 C. Commercial Billboard art

Picture 4 D. Street Dance

Picture 5 E. Destination signage art

 What do you see in the picture?
Do you find it appealing? Why or why not? Cite
its significance or importance.
Processing:
1. Identify the pictures in Column A by matching them
with Column B, choose from the letters in Column B.
Picture 1 A. Contemporary Philippine sculpture

Picture 2 B. Contemporary Philippine street art

Picture 3 C. Commercial Billboard art

Picture 4 D. Street Dance

Picture 5 E. Destination signage art

 What do you see in the picture?
Are they worth watching? Why or why not? Cite
its significance or importance.
Processing:
1. Identify the pictures in Column A by matching them
with Column B, choose from the letters in Column B.
Picture 1 A. Contemporary Philippine sculpture

Picture 2 B. Contemporary Philippine street art

Picture 3 C. Commercial Billboard art

Picture 4 D. Street Dance

Picture 5 E. Destination signage art

 What do you see in the picture?
Are they inspiring or distracting? Why or why
not?
Cite its significance or importance.
Processing:
1. Identify the pictures in Column A by matching them
with Column B, choose from the letters in Column B.
Picture 1 A. Contemporary Philippine sculpture

Picture 2 B. Contemporary Philippine street art

Picture 3 C. Commercial Billboard art

Picture 4 D. Street Dance

Picture 5 E. Destination signage art

2. What do the pictures express or reveal?
Explain briefly

3. Why do young people fail to recognize

or pay attention to these works of art these
days?
 The pictures presented in the
previous activity are depictions of
the artworks that are seen today.
Present day art has a lot of variety.
There are various expressions
Philippine art that can be found
right inside our homes and are
found everywhere.
 The arrangement of furniture,
home décor, the way a mother
cooks a particular kind of food , the
jeepney designs and signages,
architecture of buildings, billboard
designs and other unnoticed works
of art, comprise the “art of today.”
The artworks and styles of the past
have evolved and have adapted to a
dynamic changing world, a world
immersed in the latest technology
and emerging ideologies.
 These artworks and styles
are created, witnessed and
experienced in our lifetime by
artists and style experts catering to
Millennial . These artworks are
collectively known as
Contemporary Art.
 The term contemporary
has been defined as something
“happening, existing, living, or coming
into being during the same period of
time” (Merriam-Webster). Assuming
this definition, Contemporary Art refers
to art of any form and genre that
produced in our contemporary time,
simply put as “art created today.”
It should not be confused with Modern
Art which ranges from the end of the
19th Century until the 1970’s or 1980’s
or the late 20th Century. It will put
Contemporary Art from the late 20th
Century to the present. Modern Art
differs from Contemporary Art
historically and contextually.
Contemporary Art
 Contemporary Art
is influenced by the economic, social,
political and environmental context
where the artist is immersed in. It can
be said that Contemporary Art is the
artist’s expression of his perception
and comprehension of these contexts.
Contemporary Arts in the Philippines
is as diverse as our people.
 Contemporary Philippine Art
is not confined to the usual genres of
the four main art forms, namely,
visual, literary, applied and
performing arts. Genres are categories
of artistic creation and are
characterized by similarities in form,
style, or subject matter. Many other
genres came up which include pure art
forms as well as mixed art forms.
 Examples of
Contemporary Art Forms

Visual Arts
Pop Art Word Art Conceptual
Art Photorealism
Installation Art Graffiti Art
Contemporary Realism
 Performance Arts
• Music: blues, electronic, experimental,
funk, hip-hop, jazz, metal, pop, rock,
roots
• Theater Art: stage, film, street play
• Dance: flash mob, Street Dances
comprising hiphop, funk, house and
rave
 Applied Arts

• Video Art
• Photography
• Computer Art

• Film and Broadcasting Art

• Architecture, Design and Allied Art

 Literary Arts

• Illustrated Novel • Digi-Fiction

• Graphic Novels • Manga
• Doodle Fiction • Flash Fiction
• Text-Talk Novels • Hyper Poetry
• Chick Literature • Blog
 Contemporary Art
is prominent in the Philippines and has
been appreciated by so many people,
and some of them were not even aware
that they are looking at fine examples
of Contemporary Art. Many
contemporary Philippine artworks have
earned the admiration and respect of
viewers from here and abroad.
 These artworks
are expressions of the artist’s
thoughts and feelings based on
their experience of the here and
now. These include current events,
issues and social concerns
affecting the society where the
artist lives in.
 Contemporary Philippine artists
hail from the different regions of
the country. They use a wide
variety of art media in their
creations, some of the media are
materials that are readily available
in the locality where the artist
resides
Contemporary Philippine artworks are
multifaceted and are
expressive renditions of the artist’s
perception of what were observed and
experienced. These artists create, work
and make art in their personal context.
Viewers can appreciate contemporary
Philippine art more by employing all
of their senses.
 Viewing art
is not just a detached experienced
but a deep personal experience of
dwelling into the artist’s mind
and heart.
 Expressions of Contemporary
Philippine Art are influenced by social,
historical, geographical, ideational,
personal and technical factors. These
factors are imbibed by the artist and
are combined to get immersed in the
heart, to get molded in the mind and to
be propelled in the hands to create an
expressive reality.
 Elements of Contemporary Art

Contemporary Arts have different

elements that are put together to come
up with a distinct artwork. These
elements include:

1. Appropriation, this relates to the

modifications made by the artist.
2. Hybridity, this refers in the
use of different art mediums
that are put together.

3. Technology, its application

highlights the creativity of the
artist.
4. Performance, carried out for
viewers to experience

5. Space, intricate use of space.

 These elements are combined in
different ways to come up with
Integrative Art. Integrative Art
employs the use of different art
elements used together in distinct
different expressions. Thus, it
becomes a combination of different
art forms for specific groups of
viewers. Integrative art is also a
fusion of different art disciplines
using different styles and media in
creating art.
 It can be found in different places
of the country, usually in urban
areas where artists have ready
access to different art forms and
media. Examples of Integrative Art
include the use of computer
applications combined with other
media, the use of non-traditional art
materials in creating artworks
usually done with mixed art forms.
 Contemporary Art Forms from the
Philippine Regions

With modern technology and easy

access to far-flung areas of the
country, many artworks have
become known and many more are
being created by present day artists
from the different regions.
 All forms of art can be found
throughout the country. Artworks
coming from the seventeen regions of
the three main island groups of
Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, have
been exhibited in different exhibition
halls and museums. Viewers have
come to know and, more importantly,
to understand the present-day art
expressions of artists who want their
culture, situation and issues be
known through their artworks.
 The distinct features of
Contemporary Philippine Art include:

1. Communal nature,
as it reflects the relationships
build around the bonds of
community and society.

2. Intuitive,
as Filipinos are immersed in their
consciousness of themselves, their
community and their culture.
3. Holistic,
as individuals, groups of people
and events are perceived in their
entirety as well as the unitive use of
art materials and forms.

4. Creative process,
as the artist puts more
emphasis on now their artwork was
made than on the artwork itself.
5. Integrative,
as it encompasses religious,
moral, spiritual, social, and
environmental concerns.

6. Multi-focal,
as it considers everything and
everyone, the wide perspective of
the artwork as well as both artist
and viewer.
 Analyzing Contemporary
Philippine Arts

Contemporary Philippine Art

considers not only the artist
but also the participation of the
community through the
viewers. The experience is not
solely confined to the creator of
the artwork but also to its
viewer.
 Being member of the
community and a viewer, you can
also take part in creating art.
There is no established or fixed
standard in creating
contemporary art. The artist is
free to render his artwork with
the use of various materials,
traditional or non-traditional, any
combination of style and
technique, and choice of form
either singly or in combination.
 Understanding the Form,
Media and Style Integrative Art
comes in different sizes and
shapes, forms and styles. This
art can be observed in Junk Art.

Junk Art is a sculptural

rendition using discarded or
used materials usually scrap
plastic, cartons, paper, metal or
glass.
Observe and analyze this artwork
and answer the questions:

What is being
depicted in this
artwork?

What kind of art

is this?
What materials
were used in
creating this
artwork?

Cite the
significance or
importance of
this kind of
artwork.
Processing:

1. What kind of media or materials

were used in this kind of art?

2. What other media or materials can

be used aside from those
identified in the picture?

3. If you will be given the chance to

create this kind of art, what would
you create?
4. What media or materials
would you use in creating
your artwork?

5. Cite the possible obstacles or

difficulties you might
encounter in creating this
artwork.
Give your understanding of the
following terms with reference
to creating art:

1. Para-paraan
2. Diskarte
3. Galing
4. Bihasa
5. Sanay