CPAR

Contemporary Philippine Arts From the Regions

• Philippine art reflects its unique cultural identity, history, and diverse influences that shaped its development.
• Pre-colonial art forms like weaving, pottery, tattoos, and jewelry are deeply rooted in Filipino culture and communities like the Ifugao, T'boli, and Maranao.
• These art forms often symbolize community, nature, and spirituality.
• Over 300 years of Spanish colonization introduced religious art forms such as retablos (altar pieces), santos (religious icons), and murals in churches.
• The blend of indigenous and colonial styles created a unique hybrid characteristic of Philippine art.
• During the Philippine Revolution and independence movements, art became a medium for expressing nationalism and resistance, seen in the works of Juan Luna ("Spoliarium") and Felix Resurrección Hidalgo.
• Folk dances like tinikling and singkil, and music forms like kundiman, reflect pride in Filipino identity.
• Philippine art often portrays the lives, struggles, and triumphs of ordinary Filipinos, from Amorsolo's idyllic rural landscapes to the social realism of artists like Carlos Francisco and Benedicto Cabrera.
• Philippine art frequently blends indigenous beliefs with Christianity, seen in fiestas, processions, and religious sculptures, as exemplified in the Ati-Atihan festival.
• The diverse archipelagic nature and multiethnic society of the Philippines lead to significantly varied art across different regions.
• Examples include the vibrant geometric patterns of T'boli t'nalak, intricate Maranao okir designs, and the Kalinga tattooing tradition known as batok.
• Early Filipinos painted on rocks and bark, often using natural pigments, for symbolic rituals, storytelling, and daily life.
• The Angono Petroglyphs are considered the oldest known artwork in the Philippines, featuring carvings of human and animal figures.
• Spanish colonial paintings were largely religious due to Spanish colonization, with churches adorned with biblical scenes, saints, and imagery promoting Catholicism.
• Key artists during the Spanish colonial era include Damian Domingo and Juan Luna.
• During the American period, paintings started focusing on Filipino life, identity, and nationalism, with Fernando Amorsolo creating idyllic rural landscapes and Carlos Francisco highlighting social issues.
• Modernism introduced modernist styles, breaking away from traditional techniques, and contemporary art includes themes like identity, globalization, and social commentary, prominent in the works of Eduardo Castrillo (like the People Power Monument), Napoleon Abueva, and Benedicto Cabrera (Bencab).
• Pre-colonial sculpture used wood, stone, and metal materials, with functional and spiritual purposes.
• Sculptures included anitos (ancestor figures) and bul-uls (rice granary guardians).
• The Manunggul Jar is a famous burial jar that showcases early Filipino artistry.
• The Spanish colonial era saw Santos (religious icons) and relief carvings popular, influenced by Baroque and Rococo styles.
• The Black Nazarene is a revered life-sized statue of Christ.
• American and Japanese periods saw monuments like Guillermo Tolentino's Bonifacio Monument representing nationalism and heroism, as well as the introduction of techniques like bronze casting, focusing on historical events.
• Modern and contemporary artists like Napoleon Abueva used diverse materials like metal, marble, and steel; contemporary sculptures embrace abstraction and social commentary.
• Recent developments include large-scale public art installations reflecting Filipino culture and history.
• Weaving in the Philippines dates back to pre-colonial times, using natural fibers like abaca, cotton, and pineapple leaf, with symbolic and functional weaving patterns.
• Distinct weaving traditions emerged across various regions, with the Ilocanos and Kalinga people specializing in intricate textiles and the T'boli tribe known for their t'nalak.
• Spanish colonial period introduced European looms and influences, leading to innovations in textile production, with religious influences on weaving, such as creating fabrics for church vestments and religious ceremonies.
• The Visayan regions, particularly Aklan, became famous for piña fabric used in traditional attire like the barong tagalog and terno.

Traditional Weaving in Key Regions

• Northern Philippines: Abel Iloco weaving, characterized by durability and vibrant designs. Kalinga weaves featuring bold geometric patterns and vibrant colors symbolizing bravery.
• Cordillera Region: Textiles that depict nature, community, and spiritual beliefs.
• Southern Philippines: T'boli T'nalak as sacred cloth, and Maranao Malong as a tubular garment with vibrant patterns used in rituals.

Pre-Colonial Architecture

• Filipino architecture was influenced by the environment and materials available to different ethnic groups.
• Homes were often built with indigenous materials like bamboo, wood, nipa palm, and rattan.
• Notable examples include the Bahay Kubo (Nipa Hut), Ifugao Rice Terraces, Torogan, and Bahay na Bato (Stone House).

Spanish Colonial Architecture

• The Spanish introduced European architectural styles, particularly Baroque, in religious and civic institutions like churches.
• Spanish colonial churches served as a prominent architectural legacy from the period, often built using coral stone, brick, mortar, and featuring Baroque, Gothic, and Neoclassical designs.
• San Agustin Church (Manila) is an example of Spanish colonial architecture.

American Colonial Architecture

• The American colonial government constructed large, monumental structures like Manila City Hall and the Manila Hotel, incorporating Western architectural styles.

Post-War and Contemporary Architecture

• The CCP complex and the PICC are prime examples of modernist architecture, incorporating elements with Filipino cultural expressions.

Pre-Colonial Pottery

• Pottery traces its origins to the Neolithic period, used for daily food and burial rituals with utilitarian purposes.
• Early Filipinos shaped clay using simple tools and fired the pots in open kilns.
• Designs often reflected local traditions and spiritual beliefs.
• Key artifacts include the Manunggul Jar, a Palawan burial jar, famous for its intricate lid design, and Maitum Jars featuring human faces discovered in Sarangani, signifying their role in pre-colonial burial rites.

Colonial Period Pottery

• Spanish colonization introduced pottery techniques like glazing and the use of potter's wheels.
• Innovations allowed for more durable and decorative ceramics.
• Religious items like clay lamps and ceremonial jars were produced for churches and missions.

Post-Colonial and Contemporary Pottery

• Efforts to revive indigenous pottery traditions, including techniques like making Burnay Jars used to store water, rice, and vinegar in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.
• Kalinga Pottery reflects the agricultural lifestyle of the Kalinga people.

Pre-Colonial Music

• Filipino music before colonization was closely tied to rituals, community gatherings, and daily activities.
• Music played a significant role in expressing spirituality, storytelling, and communal identity.
• Indigenous instruments were primarily made from bamboo, wood, and animal skins, like kulintang (gongs), kudyapi (a two-stringed lute), and agung (large gong).

Spanish Colonial Music

• Spanish colonization brought European music traditions, including Catholic liturgical music to the Philippines.
• Pasyon (musical narrative of the Passion of Christ) sung during Holy Week and Mass hymns translated into Filipino languages became common parts of religious music.

Harana and Kundiman

• Harana is a traditional serenade performed by men to women, characterized by its romantic and melodic style.
• Kundiman is a genre of traditional Filipino love songs expressing themes of patriotism disguised as romantic longing.

American Period Music

• American colonization brought music education into public schools, emphasizing Western classical music and band traditions.
• Composers like Francisco Santiago and Nicanor Abelardo elevated the kundiman to an art form, with jazz, swing, and folk songs gaining popularity.
• Military bands, like the Philippine Constabulary Band, became prominent.

Post-War and Contemporary Music

• The 1960s and 1970s saw the rise of Original Pilipino Music (OPM), blending Western influences with Filipino themes, artists like Freddie Aguilar and Ryan Cayabyab emerged.
• During Martial Law, music became a tool for protest and social commentary.
• Efforts were made to preserve traditional music through groups like the Bayanihan Dance Troupe.

Pre-Colonial Literature

• Pre-colonial literature was transmitted orally, consisting of myths, legends, epics, riddles, and proverbs, used for explaining natural phenomena, teaching moral lessons, and preserving history.
• Famous epics include Biag ni Lam-ang (Ilocano epic) and Hinilawod (Panay epic).

Spanish Colonial Literature

• Spanish colonization brought religious and didactic literature like Pasyon, a narrative of the Passion of Christ, and Senakulo, a dramatization of Christ's life and crucifixion.
• Secular literature included awit and corrido narrative poems about chivalry and adventure, and Florante at Laura, which used allegory to criticize Spanish rule.

American Period Literature

• The introduction of English education led to a new wave of literature written in English, with writers like Jose Garcia Villa and Paz Marquez Benitez gaining prominence.
• Writers addressed issues like identity and colonialism.
• The balagtasan (poetic debate) continued traditional forms, while short stories and novels flourished.

Post-War and Contemporary Literature

• Writers explored themes like social realism, politics, and identity, with works like Mga Ibong Mandaragit by Amado V. Hernandez tackling social injustice.
• Works in Filipino and regional languages gained more focus, celebrating diverse linguistic traditions.
• Filipino writers like Nick Joaquin, F. Sionil Jose, and Lualhati Bautista brought Philippine literature to international attention.

Pre-Colonial Theater

• Early theater was performed during rituals, festivals, and community gatherings.
• Performances included Bayok (epic chants), Duplo and Karagatan (poetic games), and indigenous dances honoring deities and ancestors.

Spanish Colonial Theater

• Spanish missionaries introduced religious dramas to teach Catholicism, like the Senakulo Passion plays during Lent and the Moro-Moro, dramatizing Christian-Muslim conflicts.
• Secular theater included Comedia or Zarzuela, which combined song, dance, and dialogue.

American Period Theater

• English-language plays and Western theatrical forms like vaudeville became popular.
• Writers like Severino Reyes used the zarzuela to critique social issues and express nationalism.

Post-War and Contemporary Theater

• Groups like the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) and Tanghalang Pilipino explored contemporary issues using modern techniques.
• Political activism in theater, such as Bonifacio llagan's Pagsambang Bayan performances during Martial Law, served as platforms for protest.

Pre-Colonial Dance

• Filipino dances were deeply rooted in spiritual and communal practices.
• Anito dances honored ancestors and invoked protection.
• War and harvest dances symbolized bravery and cycles.
• Courtship dances expressed romantic intentions.

Spanish Colonial Dance

• Spanish colonization introduced ballet and folk dances.
• Religious dances incorporated into church rituals and festivals.
• Fiesta dances like the Fandango and Jota, became part of Philippine fiestas.

Courtship and Social Dances

• Tinikling imitated the movement of the tikling bird, avoiding bamboo traps.
• Cariñosa is a Filipino social dance that emerged during the Spanish era, characterized by its graceful movements using fans or handkerchiefs.

American Colonial Dance

• American colonization introduced ballroom dance and jazz.
• They had a profound impact on Philippine dance.

Post-War and Contemporary Dance

• After World War II, modern and contemporary dance styles emerged.
• Filipino choreographers experimented with new techniques, and Ballet Philippines and other dance companies showcased classical and modern dance.
• National Artists of Dance like Francisca Reyes Aquino and Leonor Orosa Goquingco helped bridge traditional and modern dance forms.
• Contemporary dance became a way to express protest and address social and political issues.
• Traditional Filipino dances like the Bayanihan dance, Maglalatik, Pantomina, Itik-Itik, Salidsid, Balitaw, along with other forms received a revival in the post-war period

Significant Contemporary Visual Art from the Regions

• Metro Manila is the country's cultural and artistic hub.

• Key Artists include Benedicto Cabrera (Bencab), Imelda Cajipe Endaya, Carlos "Botong" Francisco, Rodel Tapaya, Dex Fernandez and Michael Cacnio.

• Contemporary art venues like The National Museum of Fine Arts, The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), and Art Fair Philippines play a significant role in showcasing contemporary Filipino artists and promoting their works to a global audience.