Contemporary Philippine Arts

Contemporary Philippine Arts From The Region

• Painting is the process of applying color to a flat surface
• Painting materials include watercolor, acrylic, ink, oil, pastel, and charcoal
• Painting surfaces include wood, canvas, cardboard, and paper
• Painting is a two-dimensional art form

Forms of Painting

• Easel Painting: The most common form, involving applying color to a board or canvas fixed on an easel. These paintings are meant to be framed and hung on a wall after creation.
• Telon Painting: A backdrop or background used for stage productions like komedya, sarswela, and senakulo—popular theatrical forms in the Philippines.
• Collage: Combining images in a single artwork by cutting and pasting materials like paper, fabric, tin foil, and other flat materials onto a surface.
• Murals: Large-scale wall paintings used to communicate messages to the public. A portable mural form was developed to prevent erasing, achieved by employing bold strokes of bright colors on cheesecloth or canvas.
• Jeepney and Calesa Painting:
• Calesa Painting: Typically painted using one color, with borders adorned with repetitive geometric or thin line patterns.
• Jeepney Painting: Developed from calesa painting, often featuring a logo, number, or design near the driver's seat and adjacent seats.

Themes of Painting

• Historical Painting: Depicts a past scene, often offering lessons about national values.
• Interiors: Paintings of interior spaces, often revealing the social class of the occupants and their characteristics.
• Landscapes: Depict natural or urban scenes, sometimes utilizing mixed media. Landscapes often focus on bodies of water like the ocean or sea.
• Portraits: Paintings of individuals, focusing on their physical characteristics and conveying an understanding of their personalities.
• Nudes: Paintings of the unclothed human form. Various materials and styles can be employed, often presented in galleries.
• Religious Painting: Depicts religious images, lives of saints, and scenes from scriptures like the Nativity and Station of the Cross.
• Genre Painting: Portrays people in daily activities. Contemporary approaches include folk genre, focusing on everyday folk activities, cubist-style depictions of folk or urban subjects, and folk-naïve style characterized by color and spontaneity.
• Still Life: Paintings of inanimate objects in a natural or man-made setting. Various styles, from Baroque to Abstract, can be used, including hyperrealism, magic realism, and social realism which focuses on socioeconomic or political issues.

Test your knowledge on the various forms and techniques of contemporary Philippine painting. Explore the processes, materials, and unique styles like easel painting, telon painting, collage, and murals that define this vibrant art scene. Whether you're an art enthusiast or a student, this quiz will enhance your understanding of Philippine art forms.