Understanding Contemporary Art

Contemporary Art

• Springs from current events and societal passions
• Newest art form, engaging people from the mid-20th century onward
• Conveys an artist's perspective on life, thoughts, beliefs, and more

Characteristics of Contemporary Art

• It is not limited to museums
• Can be found in galleries, schools, streets, and public spaces
• Utilizes different methods of selling artworks Increased internet and social media use helps artists to "online" and broaden reach.
• Many artists are self-taught and without formal education
• Talent development involves self-study, artist interaction, and extensive reading
• Variety of materials and mediums are available
• Expanded choice due to varied materials
• Technology addresses weight issues, which enables artists to combine materials
• Sometimes artists use fabricators, carpenters, electricians, or welders
• Conceptual artists employ physics and construction
• Originality is not a primary concern
• Artists can redesign existing works using different materials
• Process is more important than profitability to contemporary artists
• Focus is on transmitting the artwork's message

Subject Matter and Style in Contemporary Art

Subject Matter

• A subject is a person, animal, thing, or issue depicted in a work
• Question to ask is "What is it?"
• Not confined to human or landscape representation
• Focus on children, women, the environment, or combinations
• Can be difficult to recognize
• Technique is the subject if an artwork experiments with just technique
• Conceptual artworks require the viewer to interpret and explore

Styles

Abstract expressionism

• Applying paint to express emotions spontaneously

Kinetic art

• Sculptures move with wind, machines, or electricity

Op art

• Uses repeated lines or images to create optical illusions

Performance art

• Involves varied media and the human body performing before a live audience

Environment art

• Artistic creation and manipulation, like landscape or architectural design, encloses the audience

Feminist art

• Deals with identity, sexuality, gender roles, equality, and the ways women are treated in society

Minimalism

• Features a stripped-down, pre-fabricated appearance, lacks details, and expresses a specific message with flat surfaces

Video art

• Images are recorded and displayed via screens and TVs

Graffiti art

• Drawings, inscriptions, or sketches made quickly on public surfaces

Postmodern art

• Modern styles pushed to extreme practices, mixing materials and found objects

Body art

• The body is the medium, involving paint, clothing, or public performance
• Tattooing and piercing

Digital art

• Creating images on computers to print on various surfaces

Techniques in Contemporary Arts

• Collage: Attaching materials to a backing
• Decalcomania: Transferring images from prepared paper
• Decoupage: Decorating surfaces with cutouts, then coating
• Frottage: Rubbing objects underneath paper to create designs
• Montage: Rapid image succession in a motion picture to convey ideas
• Trapunto: Quilted design in high relief padded from underneath
• Digital Applications: Software for art creation and display

Contemporary Arts in the Philippines: The Order of National Artists

• Established by Proclamation No. 1001 in 1972
• The highest recognition for Filipinos who significantly contributed to Philippine arts' development
• Administered by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP)
• The President of the Philippines grants the award based on recommendations every three years

Objectives

• Recognize Filipino artists with significant contributions
• Recognize artistic accomplishment at the highest level
• Recognize dedication to forging new paths

Selection Criteria

• Living Filipino citizens (or those deceased after 1972 who were citizens at death)
• Those who contributed to building a Filipino sense of nationhood
• Those who pioneered creative expression, earning distinction and impacting generations
• Those who created a substantial and significant body of work
• Broad acceptance through recognition and acclaim

Honors and Privileges

• Rank and title of National Artist
• Gold-plated medallion and citation
• Lifetime benefits similar to that of highest officers, including:
• Minimum cash award of PHP 200,000 (living) or PHP 150,000 (posthumous) after taxes
• Monthly stipend of PHP 30,000
• Life insurance and state funeral benefits
• Place of honor at state functions

The National Artists: Architecture

National Capital Region

Pablo S. Antonio (1976)

• Function over elegance and the maximum use of natural light

Juan F. Nakpil (1973)

• Architecture reflective of Philippine traditions and culture

Ildefonso P. Santos (2006)

• "Father of Philippine Landscape Architecture."

Region 3 - Central Luzon

Jose Maria V. Zaragoza (2014)

• Modern ecclesiastical architecture

Region 18 - Negros Island

Leandro V. Locsin (1990)

• Themes of floating volume, the duality of light and heavy, buoyant and massive

The National Artists: Visual Arts

National Capital Region

Fernando Amorsolo (1972)

• "Grand Old Man of Philippine Art", known for backlighting

Cesar Legaspi (1990)

• Refined cubism by geometric fragmentation in the Philippine context

Hernando Ocampo (1991)

• Captured the Philippine landscape in bold colors

Arturo Luz (1997)

• Professionalized art gallery as an institution

Jose T. Joya (2003)

• Pioneered abstract expressionism with a Filipino idiom

Benedicto Cabrera (2006)

• Best-selling painter, created the figure "Sabel"

Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (2009)

• Painter and sculptor, known for gestural acrylic and oil paintings

Francisco Coching (2014)

• "King of Komiks" and "Dean of Filipino Illustrators", central force in comics form

Region 4A - CALABARZON

Carlos "Botong" Francisco (1973)

• Revived mural art

Others

Vicente Manansala (1981)

• Cubist painter, visions of reality teetering on abstraction

J. Elizalde Navarro (1999)

• Versatile painter and sculptor

Napoleon Abueva (1976)

• Youngest awardee, "Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture"

Ang Kiukok

• City painter, fusions from cubism, surrealism, and expressionism

Abdulmari Asia Imao (2006)

• Sculptor, painter, photographer, and cultural researcher of Muslim Mindanao

Victorio Edades (1976)

"Father of Modern Philippine Painting", dark and somber laborers

Guillermo Tolentino (1973)

• "Father of Philippine Arts"

The National Artists: Fashion Design

Region 14 - Cordillera Administrative Region

Ramon Valera

• Fashion designer

The National Artists: Literature

National Capital Region

Jose Garcia Villa (1973)

• Contemporary poet who introduced the reversed consonance rhyme scheme

Nick Joaquin (1976)

• Distinguished writer who enriched the English language

Francisco Arcellana (1990)

• Short story lyrical prose-poetic form

Levi Celerio (1997)

• Lyricist and composer

Rolando S. Tinio (1997)

• Playwright, poet and translator; invented Taglish in poetry

Alejandro Roces (2003)

• Best writer of comic short stories

Cirilo F. Bautista (2014)

• Poet, fictionist and essayist

Region 1 - Ilocos Region

Francisco Sionil Jose (2001)

• Novelist and short story writer depicting class struggles and colonialism

Region 2 - Cagayan Valley

Edith L. Tiempo (1999)

• Poet, fictionist, teacher, and critic

Region 3 - Central Luzon

Amado V. Hernandez (1973)

• Poet, playwright, and novelist; the writer is the conscience of society

Region 4A - CALABARZON

Bienvenido Lumbera (2006)

Bagay poetry and creative fusion

Region 4B – MIMAROPA

Nestor Vicente Madali Gonzalez (1997)

He is a fictionist, essayist, poet, and teacher

The National Artists: Historical Literature

National Capital Region

Carlos Quirino (1997)

Wrote on Jose Rizal, books and articles on all of Philippine history

The National Artists: Dance

National Capital Region

Alice Reyes (2014)

Contemporary dance in the Philippines

Region 3 – Central Luzon

Francisca Reyes Aquino (1973)

Mother of Philippine Folk Dancing.

Region 5 - Bicol Region

Ramon Obusan (2006)

Philippine traditional dance and cultural work.

Region 6 -– Western Visayas

Lucrecia Reyes-Urtula (1988)

Philippine folk and ethnic dances.

Region 15 – Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao

Leonor Orosa-Goquingco (1976)

Filipino performing arts critics."

Music

National Capital Region

Antonio J. Molina (1973)

The whole tone scale, pentatonic scale, chords, and liner counterpoints.

Honorata "Atang” de la Rama (1987)

National Artist for Theater and Music “Queen of Kundiman"

Jose Maceda (1997)

composer, musicologist, teacher, and performer

Andrea Veneracion (1999)

choirmaster and choral singer #####. Ramon Santos (2014) prime exponent of contemporary Filipino music

Region 1 – Ilocos Region

Lucrecia Roces Kasilag (1989)

Developing Philippine music and culture..

Region 3 - Central Luzon

Antonio R. Buenaventura (1988)

career that spanned seven (7) decades.

Region 4A – CALABARZON

Lucio D. San Pedro (1991)

San Pedro's work with town bands

Francisco Feliciano (2014)

Asian culture is a rich source of inspiration

Region 6 -– Western Visayas

Jovita Fuentes (1976)

her portrayal of Cio-cio San in Giacomo Puccini's.

Film

National Capital Region

Gerardo De Leon (1982)

film director in the history of Filipino

Ishmael Bernal (2001)

genius of Philippine cinema

Roland Allan K. Poe (2006)

the underdog

Region 5 – Bicol Region

Lino Brocka (1997)

influential and significant Filipino

Region 3 – Central Luzon

Manuel Conde (2009)

producing and directing films based on Filipino

Region 14 – Cordillera Administrative Region

Lamberto V. Avellana (1976)

Theater and Film

Region 18 – Negros Island Region

Eddie Romero (2003)

the finest in the cinema

Theater

National Capital Region

Wilfredo Ma. Guerrero (1997)

experiences staging and acting in familiar

Region 1 – Ilocos Region

Salvador F. Bernal (2003)

the “guru of contemporary Filipino theater design

Region 6 – Western Visayas

Daisy Avellana

Elevated legitimate theater

Severino Montano (2001)

fore runner in institutionalizing “legitimate theater

Contemporary Arts in the Philippines 2

Traditional Folk Arts

Folk Architecture

Structures using available tools for shelter

Bahay Kubo or Nipa Hut

Icon to rural culutre.

Ivatan House in Batanes

built with limestone walls, and

Bale or Ifugao House

one-room house with an attic for storage

Corals or Maranao House corals

House for the elite members of the Maranao

Badjao's Stilt Houses and Houseboats

Their unique ecological setting and fishing.

Maritime Transports

Simple marine vessels goods and.

Wooden Banca

A small wooden boat used for

Vinta

transport of goods and people.

Weaving, Textile making, and Fabric Art

Piña fabric

oldest industry of Aklan. Piña cloth is soft and

T'nalak woven cloth

Woven by the T’boli women

Itneg baskets

practical and spiritual purposes

Yakan-weaved cloth

Tribe from geometric designs

Hinabol

moods and feelings of the weaver

Tapis of the Kalinga Tribe

weaving of the Kalinga Tribe.

Carving

Is often known through wood

Performing Art

groups of people.

Literature

groups.

Graphic

two-dimensional

Ornament

embellish parts of a building

Pottery

created pottery used.

Manunggul Jar

is a secondary burial of

Maitum Anthropomorphic Pottery

pots were

Culture Award

Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) or National

citizen engaged in traditional art Qualifications: culture community; 50 years in existence; Works of superior Tools

The Traditiononal folk masters

Federico Caballero.

Samaon Sulaiman.

Darhata Sawabi, Her strokes and sure, her color sensitivity is acute.

#####. Uwang Ahadas is a talented. ####. Alonso Saciag is and the perforrnìng arts.

Haja Amina.appi is

is recognized.

Teofilo Garcia- exhibits are designed

Lang Dulay are. textiles

Salinta Moron Textile weaver Bagobo Bansalan,

######: Magdalena Gamayo"is master'y and exceptional

Education Mutuc -wood"with the"medium

####,The cultural communities are known for. traditional folk "manughusay —the are designed..