Damian Domingo: Father of Filipino Painting

Filipino Art and Artists

• Damian Domingo, also known as "The First Great Filipino Painter," founded the Academia de Dibujo y Pintura, the first school of drawing in the Philippines (1821), and is considered the "Father of Filipino Painting."
• Fabian Dela Rosa (1869-1937) was a painter who excelled in realistic portraits, genre, and landscapes, and was enrolled at the Escuela de Bellas Artes y Dibujo, taking lessons from Lorenzo Guerrero.
• Carlos "Botong" Francisco (1913-1969) was an Angono-based painter who depicted Philippine history in his "History of Manila" mural at the Manila City Hall.

Traditional Art Forms in the Philippines

• Folk Architecture: Different types of folk architecture exist, made from materials like bamboo, wood, rock, coral, rattan, and grass, such as the Bahay Kubo, characterized by a tall, steep-pitched roof and long eaves.
• Maritime Transport: Includes boat houses, boat making, and maritime traditions, like the ancient Filipino warship Karakoa.
• Folk Literature: Encompasses epics, songs, and myths.
• Folk Writing: Includes indigenous scripts like hanunó'o/hanunoo, buhid/build, Tagbanwa, and palaw'an/pala'wan, used by various ethnolinguistic groups.

Elements and Principles of Contemporary Art

• Concept: A plan or intention and idea or invention in contemporary art.
• Appropriation: Creating a new work of art by taking pre-existing images from other sources and modifying or incorporating them with new ones.
• Time: The meaning of the work is dependent on the passing of time.
• Performance: Artwork created by or presented to an audience.
• Hybridity: Artists working with frontier areas of science and emerging technologies.
• Perspective: Artists working with the actual space surrounding the artwork itself.
• Destruction: Artists using methods to show damage in or to their artwork.
• Text: Contemporary artists utilizing text in their art to push past the concept that text is only meant to be read.

Musical Instruments of the Filipinos

• Flat Gong (Gangsa): Played by groups in the Cordillera region, struck by hands.
• Kalaleng or Tongali (Nose Flute): Air is forced through nostrils.
• Tongatong: A bamboo percussion instrument used to communicate with spirits during house blessings.
• Solibao: A drum constructed from a hollowed log capped with animal skin, played by striking the drum head using the palm of the hand.

Dances of the Filipinos

• Tinikling: A dance that uses bamboo poles.
• Cariñosa: A folk dance that depicts courtship and uses a fan and handkerchief.
• La Estudiantina: Originally performed by women carrying a book and a fan.
• Pandanggo sa Ilaw: A dance that originated from Mindoro, simulating fireflies at dusk and at night.
• Itik-Itik: A dance that originated from Surigao, imitating a duck.

Learn about the life and contributions of Damian Domingo, a pioneer in Filipino art, who founded the country's first school of drawing and is known as the 'Father of Filipino Painting'. Discover his self-portraits, influence on Neoclassical architecture, and role in shaping the country's art scene during the American Era.