Understanding Art and Contemporary Art

Understanding Art and Contemporary Art

• Art is expressed through human creativity and imagination, aiming for appreciation based on beauty and emotional impact.
• Contemporary art encompasses works reflecting modern societal events and passions, emerging from the 1960s to the present.

Forms of Art

• Dance: A performing art characterized by sequences of human movement.
• Music: Combines vocal and instrumental sounds to form compositions.
• Theatrical Performance: Involves dramatizations presented by actors, incorporating dramatic texts and musicals.
• Literature: Artistic expression through language and words, creating meaningful experiences.
• Architecture: Structures designed primarily for shelter.
• Film: A visual medium using technology to translate theater, enhancing storytelling with special effects.
• Visual Arts: Artworks such as painting and sculpture aimed at visual appreciation and typically existing in permanent forms.
• Handicraft: Skillful creation of items through manual labor.

Filipino Performative Traditions

• Banga: A contemporary Kalinga performance showcasing the grace of tribal movements.
• Pangalay: A traditional dance noted for intricate hand and arm motions, often using metal claws called janggay.
• Binaylan Banog: A tribal dance representing the movements of a hawk by the Higaonon and Agusanon Manobo tribes.
• Maglalatik: An indigenous dance involving coconut shells attached to the dancer's hands and body.

Evolution of Music in the Philippines

• Pre-Colonial Era: Predominantly vocal and instrumental indigenous music.
• Spanish Colonial Era: Emergence of religious hymns, orchestras, and musical bands, with religion significantly influencing Filipino culture.
• American Colonial Era: Introduction of simple hymns in educational settings.

Key Musical Forms

• Kundiman and Harana: Emotional songs expressing love and personal sorrow.
• Ballad: Traditional songs narrating community events, including modern acoustic and love songs.
• Chamber Music: Instrumental compositions played by small ensembles.
• Choral Music: Works performed by choirs.
• Liturgical Music: Compositions for Christian church ceremonies.
• Opera: A fusion of music and theater.
• Pop Music: Accessible music for a broad audience.
• Protest Songs: Musical pieces highlighting societal injustices and inequalities.

Musical Instruments

• Gangsa: A flat gong utilized in the Cordillera region.
• Tongatong: A bamboo percussion instrument used for spiritual communication in Kalinga.
• Kulintang: A racked gong chime from the southern Philippines played in ensembles.
• Kudyapi: A two-stringed fretted guitar unique to the Philippines.

Theatrical Performance Traditions

• Zarzuela/Sarsuwela: An operetta combining song, dance, and prose dialogue.
• Senakulo: A 1740 written passion play derived from the biblical narrative of Christ's passion by Gaspar Aquino de Belen.

Landmark Literary Works

• Doctrina Christiana: The Philippines' first printed book compiling religious texts and catechetical materials.
• Carta Hydrographica y Chorographica de las Yslas Filipinas: The first scientific map of the Philippines.

Visual Arts in the Philippines

• Spoliarium: A painting by Juan Luna depicting dying gladiators.
• Watercolor Painting: Artwork created using pigment-based paints, exemplified by artist Erwin Mallari.
• Portrait Painting: Art capturing the likeness of individuals, traditionally involving a "sitter", as seen in the work of Simon Flores.
• Landscape Painting: Artistic representation of natural scenery, notably by Fernando Amorsolo, recognized as the "Grand Old Man of Philippine Art."

Sculptural Traditions

• Bulul: A carved figure representing the granary god significant to Cordillera rituals.
• Hagabi: A wooden bench that signifies the owner's socioeconomic status.
• Santos: Sculptures of saints created by communities in Laguna and Pampanga.

Handicraft Practices

• Pottery: The craft of shaping clay into objects and firing them to harden.
• Weaving: The interlacing of yarns to create fabric or cloth.

Indigenous Artistic Heritage

• Pre-conquest art refers to creative expressions before colonization, highlighting indigenous cultural practices.
• Rituals, such as Cañao, involve animal sacrifices and have roots in healing and community events.
• Kashawing: A traditional ceremony in Lanao, ensuring agricultural abundance during planting and harvesting seasons.

Explore the diverse forms of art and their significance in contemporary society. This quiz covers various art mediums, including dance, music, theater, literature, architecture, film, visual arts, and handicrafts. Test your knowledge on how these art forms express creativity and reflect societal changes from the 1960s to today.