Contemporary Philippine Arts From The Regions Lesson 1 Handout PDF

ATENEO DE DAVAO UNIVERSITY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL In Consortium with Xavier University and Ateneo de Zamboanga University Office of the Humanities and Social Sciences Strand – Literature and Arts Cluster Contemporary Phi...

ATENEO DE DAVAO UNIVERSITY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL In Consortium with Xavier University and Ateneo de Zamboanga University Office of the Humanities and Social Sciences Strand – Literature and Arts Cluster Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions 1st Grading, Week 1 Lesson 1: Traditional and Contemporary Arts 1 hr. F2F, 1 hr. Courseware, 1 hr. ILT Learning Content CONTEMPORARY PHILIPPINE ARTS FROM THE REGIONS The subject covers various contemporary art practices of the region where the school is located. It aims to provide students with an appreciation of a broad range of styles in the various disciplines with consideration of their elements and principles and engage them in an integrative approach to studying arts. Through this subject, students will broaden and acquire the necessary creative tools that open opportunities in pursuing their individual career goals and aspirations. TRADITIONAL ARTS VS. CONTEMPORARY ARTS Traditional Arts: The Philippines is home to many traditional arts. These are the arts that started in the pre-colonial times and have been handed down from generation to generation. Traditional art is essential in a nation, for it builds posterity in the culture of its natives. There are various kinds of traditional art in the country. Most are learned informally and are usually produced in indigenous or close-knitted communities, reflecting their history and culture. These arts are passed down from master craftsmen to their apprentices. The usual theme of these arts is Animism. Its intention is to depict something of the people’s gods and goddesses, thus resulting in the creation of abstract symbols of animistic figures like the sun, the moon and other human figures. Km. 7, McArthur Highway, Bangkal, Talomo, Davao City Tel no. (082) 287-7720 local no. 6101/6102 [email protected]  ATENEO DE DAVAO UNIVERSITY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL In Consortium with Xavier University and Ateneo de Zamboanga University Office of the Humanities and Social Sciences Strand – Literature and Arts Cluster Other examples of Traditional Arts are: Mandaya basket T’nalak Tapestry woven by T’boli Photo from Photo from https://www.thetextileatlas.com/craft-stories/tnalak- http://philmuseum.ueuo.com/nm_museum/nmtreasure/ethno/basket.html weaving-philippines Piña cloth, School of Living Traditions, Aklan Photo from https://www.thetextileatlas.com/craft-stories/pina-cloth- philippines Pis syabit, Tausug Taken © Erika Navaja; at the Livelihood Hablon Center at Brgy. Guimba Lagasan, Parang, Sulu Further Learning: Handcrafted: Seagrass Baskets In The Philippines https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcDg-pco0qg Contemporary Arts: The Philippines contemporary art on the other hand, is not bounded by any rule or standard. It is conceptual, innovative, expressive, and experimental compared with traditional art. In the contemporary works of art, the viewer is also allowed to participate in the experience and is urged to validate his/her own beliefs and values. Monuments and statues, since the ancient times, have long been created to commemorate heroism or other deeds of greatness. But what differs contemporary monuments and statues from the traditional ones is the reimagining of the character or event, in order to evoke more intense emotions from its spectator. Km. 7, McArthur Highway, Bangkal, Talomo, Davao City Tel no. (082) 287-7720 local no. 6101/6102 [email protected]  ATENEO DE DAVAO UNIVERSITY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL In Consortium with Xavier University and Ateneo de Zamboanga University Office of the Humanities and Social Sciences Strand – Literature and Arts Cluster “Commemorative Monument of Peace and Unity” Jose Mendoza Provenance: in front of Sangguniang Panglungsod (SP) Building, San Pedro St. Davao City. The monument celebrates the peaceful and harmonious coexistence between the indigenous and migrant people of Davao. Commemorative Monument of Peace & Unity Photo Retrieved from https://www.pinasmuna.com/2012/06/davao-city-monument-of-peace-unity- and.html Contemporary means to be in continuation, that is, these art forms reflect the creation of lifetimes. These are those art forms, which are practiced from the 1970’s. They represent and reflect particular issues related to any desired subject, which are then pictured in the contemporary art form. These are issues related to the society and the new ideas. There are societies, institutions and galleries, where the contemporary arts flourish and are practiced. These art forms represent the ongoing conceptual issues of the society and its influence on a person or an individual. Basically, the contemporary artists portray the new modernized issues and ideas by their thoughts into an innovative form. Traditional arts, on the other hand, are a kind of arts, which are a part of any culture, skills and knowledge of a group or generation of people. The people or group generally belongs to the historical era/ times. These art forms comprise of anything done with the hands, such as the painting, printmaking and sculpture among others. The traditional art reflects the art forms of previous generations, their lifestyle, thoughts and belief. The traditional art’s artists do not try to focus on the materialistic ideas or views, but on the usage and the concept behind their usage in a creative form. Km. 7, McArthur Highway, Bangkal, Talomo, Davao City Tel no. (082) 287-7720 local no. 6101/6102 [email protected]  ATENEO DE DAVAO UNIVERSITY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL In Consortium with Xavier University and Ateneo de Zamboanga University Office of the Humanities and Social Sciences Strand – Literature and Arts Cluster Contemporary Arts in the Philippines The Philippines is a gold mine of art. Aside from our own indigenous arts, the Philippines has a variety of many other art forms. Because of the four colonial periods in history – the Spanish, British, American and Japanese – the art of the Philippines had been influenced by almost all spheres of the globe. It had a taste of Renaissance, Baroque and Modern Periods through the colonizers who arrived in the country. Then, when the rest of the world opened up to the idea of post-postmodernism in the late 1900s, the Philippines also welcomed the birth of contemporary art. Its first appearance happened after the Second World War and again during the martial law era in the 1970s. Writers broke the laws by writing screams of protest against the government. Filmmakers used their expertise in joining the bandwagon of nationalistic artists. Modernism in all art forms evolved into a variety of expressions and media that turned the entire world into a “creative upheaval.”. Even architecture developed a modernist style. Many Filipino artists and architects became adherents of the style. The architecture by National Artist Leandro Locsin is an example. Cylone (1990), Jose Joya. National Artist for Visual Arts Joya was known to be the foremost abstract expressionist artist in the Philippines. The said art movement started in the United States in the 1950s. Photo from https://www.artnet.com/artists/jos%C3%A9-joya/cylone-3y8mE5rW24YUOhrkcCxI-Rw2 Km. 7, McArthur Highway, Bangkal, Talomo, Davao City Tel no. (082) 287-7720 local no. 6101/6102 [email protected]  ATENEO DE DAVAO UNIVERSITY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL In Consortium with Xavier University and Ateneo de Zamboanga University Office of the Humanities and Social Sciences Strand – Literature and Arts Cluster DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY ARTS TRADITIONAL ART CONTEMPORARY ART Bounded by any rule or standard Is NOT bound by any rule or standard part of the culture of a group of people, skills revolves around the artist and his/her feelings, and knowledge of which are passed down thoughts, and messages to his/her audience through generations from master craftsmen to apprentices belongs to the historical era/ times that reflects art forms reflect the creation of lifetimes which the art forms of previous generations, their are practiced from the 1970’s and represent the lifestyle, thoughts and belief ongoing conceptual issues of the society and its influence on a person or an individual traditional art’s artists do not try to focus on uses a diverse array of materials, media, the materialistic ideas or views, but on the techniques and styles usage and the concept behind their usage in a creative form Arts produced in indigenous or close-knitted Arts produced is not restricted to any communities passed down from master community craftsmen to their apprentices. Preserves the original or authentic art Can do rework or alteration from the original art Sculptures are focused on their religion and Statues and monuments are used to rituals commemorate historical figures, events, or ideology Music and dance are focused on the Music and dance are freely created by the artist. community’s culture, traditions, and religion. They provide direct or hidden message from Song/Music is accompanied with traditional the artist which usually tackle about social instruments. issues in the community. Traditional dance is performed with traditional Any attire or musical instrument can be used attire. Both of these should be strictly done creatively, or can be out from experimentation. based on the standard. In the late 1980s, postmodernism appeared in the Philippines. The postmodernists sought to contradict several aspects and ideas of modernism that had emerged earlier. They believed that artists should no longer try to create something “new”. All they needed to do was to “borrow, combine, explore” what was already existing to produce something new. This gave birth to integrative art, which is being practiced in the regions at present. Km. 7, McArthur Highway, Bangkal, Talomo, Davao City Tel no. (082) 287-7720 local no. 6101/6102 [email protected]  ATENEO DE DAVAO UNIVERSITY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL In Consortium with Xavier University and Ateneo de Zamboanga University Office of the Humanities and Social Sciences Strand – Literature and Arts Cluster FOUR FEATURES OF POSTMODERNISM 1. Pastiche is a French appropriation of the Italian noun pasticcio, which means pâté or pie-filling mixed from some mystery ingredients. Or in art, it means it is composed by several sources. It reworks other people’s ideas. It is a work of visual art, literature, theatre, or music that imitates the style or character of the work of one or more other artists. Unlike parody, pastiche celebrates rather than mocks, the work it imitates. And remember that in Pastiche, the imitated work cannot be better than the original. In academe, if you referred your ideas from multiple sources, your work is considered a worthy contribution. Just like that, Pastiche believes that for the art to be better, it needs multiple influences. (https://www.xamou-art.com/word/pastiche-pasticcio/) In literature, Pastiche is done not to gather attention but to pay tribute to the original, whether it is a fan fiction or a tribute to the dead. Example is Fifty Shades of Grey which is originally fan fiction from the Bella and Edward in Twilight. Sherlock Homes book is a tribute to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle who died even before the book was written. Pastiche is a mechanism of Intertextuality. (http://www.literarydevices.com/pastiche/) This pastiche is a combination of 2 paintings; the subject on the right is from Antonio Pollaiuolo’s Portrait of a Woman while on the left is from Sandro Botticelli’s Portrait of a Young Woman. This was done using Photoshop. 2. Bricolage or Assemblage – popularly used in visual arts. It is the construction or creation of a work from a diverse range of things that happen to be available, or a work created by mixed media. We also call this D-I-Y (Do It Yourself). Km. 7, McArthur Highway, Bangkal, Talomo, Davao City Tel no. (082) 287-7720 local no. 6101/6102 [email protected]  ATENEO DE DAVAO UNIVERSITY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL In Consortium with Xavier University and Ateneo de Zamboanga University Office of the Humanities and Social Sciences Strand – Literature and Arts Cluster 3. Appropriation or Borrowing. It finds inspiration in artworks from previous periods. This art uses pre-existing objects or images with little or no transformation applied to them. The use of appropriation has played a significant role in the history of the arts. It could also manipulate materials to use which makes it strangely familiar or a new creation. Appropriation vs. Pastiche. Pastiche is “stealing a part” while, Appropriation is “stealing the whole”. A photo appropriation of Rembrandt’s “Woman with Gloves” (1630s); photo is assumed to be taken in 2020. “They believe that in borrowing existing imagery or elements of imagery, they are re-contextualizing or appropriating the original imagery, allowing the viewer to renegotiate the meaning of the original in a different, more relevant, or more current context.” Km. 7, McArthur Highway, Bangkal, Talomo, Davao City Tel no. (082) 287-7720 local no. 6101/6102 [email protected]  ATENEO DE DAVAO UNIVERSITY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL In Consortium with Xavier University and Ateneo de Zamboanga University Office of the Humanities and Social Sciences Strand – Literature and Arts Cluster 4. Installation Art. It is an artistic genre of three-dimensional (3D) works that often are site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Taken from https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/i/installation- art#:~:text=The%20term%20installation%20art%20is,a%20temporary%20period%20of%20time FORM OF AN ARTWORK Refers to the description of what you see/hear in an artwork at the surface level. An analysis of this is usually anchored on the elements of the art form. CONTENT OF AN ARTWORK The meaning derived from the form. Any visual clues that provide an understanding of what the art tells us. Sometimes it is vague or hidden and needs more information than is present in the work itself. To interpret is to establish meaningful a connection between what we see and what we feel in a particular work of art. We find the message of the work by making assumptions and guesses connect to what we see. In doing so, we make sense of our physical and emotional encounter with art pieces and not merely report what we saw. For every artwork, there is a concept of multiple interpretations. Km. 7, McArthur Highway, Bangkal, Talomo, Davao City Tel no. (082) 287-7720 local no. 6101/6102 [email protected]  ATENEO DE DAVAO UNIVERSITY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL In Consortium with Xavier University and Ateneo de Zamboanga University Office of the Humanities and Social Sciences Strand – Literature and Arts Cluster Interpreting the meaning of the work requires you to connect WHAT YOU SEE with your assumption or guess. There is that interconnection of the elements and principles to the mood or intent of an artist. An artwork with more shades than tints tends to exude a negative emotion in contrast with an artwork with pastel colors leans toward creating a positive vibe. The work may exude the mood of that is playful, sad, joyful, mysterious, peaceful or terrifying. An artwork may also present any specific ideas like truth, pride, honor, courage, wisdom, authority or compassion. Varied states such as calmness, excitement, power, conflict, suspense, or tension could be expressed in art. What is the artist trying to communicate? We answer questions that would help us establish our assumptions and guesses. o What are the symbols in the artwork? What do I see? If I connect everything I see in the artwork, what could it possibly mean? o Is it relevant to the technical choices of the artist? o What is the main idea or overall meaning of the work? CONTEXT OF AN ARTWORK it consists of all the things about the artwork that might have influenced the artwork or the artist. These would include the sentiments and concerns of the artist, when was the work made, where it was made culturally and geographically, why it was made, and possible information on history, politics, and economy. It has two kinds: primary context and secondary context o Primary Context -It is a personal type, for it concerns the sentiments of the artist: his beliefs, values, interests, attitudes, emotions, education, psychology, and biography which influence the artist’s artwork. o Secondary Context-It refers to the circumstances or to the place and period in which the artist has made his work: the social, political, and economical environment he is in; his and his society’s religious and philosophical convictions; the climate and geography of the area in which the work is made; and his purpose in creating the artwork. Knowing the context of an artwork usually starts on the little labels that include the artist’s name, the title of the work, and the birthdate and place of the artist. You can also ask some questions to determine the context of an artwork, such as: 1. When was the work made? 2. What was happening at that time in the artwork even if it’s made this year? 3. Where do you think the artwork was made? 4. What do you think are the personal reasons of the artist why he made such artwork? Artists produce work that responds to the world they’re immersed in everyday, so the “when” and “where” will give clues as to what was happening. Km. 7, McArthur Highway, Bangkal, Talomo, Davao City Tel no. (082) 287-7720 local no. 6101/6102 [email protected]  ATENEO DE DAVAO UNIVERSITY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL In Consortium with Xavier University and Ateneo de Zamboanga University Office of the Humanities and Social Sciences Strand – Literature and Arts Cluster LEARNERS CONTEXT This consists of the surrounding/environment, political, social, academic, cultural, and personal issues that influence the learner’s artwork or interpretation in an artwork. These form a background of event/experience/knowledge that helps the learner in understanding an artwork necessary to discover concepts and develop ideas. You can also ask some questions to determine the learner’s context: 1. How does the artwork’s message apply to my own life at home, school or community? APPROPRIATION Appropriation refers to the act of borrowing or reusing existing elements within a new work. Post- modern appropriation artists, including Barbara Kruger, are keen to deny the notion of ‘originality’. They believe that in borrowing existing imagery or elements of imagery, they are re-contextualising or appropriating the original imagery, allowing the viewer to renegotiate the meaning of the original in a different, more relevant, or more current context. In separating images from the original context of their own media, we allow them to take on new and varied meanings. The process and nature of appropriation has considered by anthropologists as part of the study of cultural change and cross-cultural contact. Original: Appropriated: “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon”, Pablo Picasso, “Les Demoiselles d’Alabama: Vestidas”, Robert 1907 Colescott, 1985 Courtesy of Seattle Art Museum Above we see a contemporary example of appropriation, a painting which borrows its narrative and composition from the infamous Les Demoiselles d’Avignon by Picasso. Here Colesscott has developed Picasso’s abstraction and ‘Africanism’ in line with European influences. Colescott has made this famous image his own, in terms of colour and content, whilst still making his inspiration clear. The historical reference to Picasso is there, but this is undeniably the artist’s own Km. 7, McArthur Highway, Bangkal, Talomo, Davao City Tel no. (082) 287-7720 local no. 6101/6102 [email protected]  ATENEO DE DAVAO UNIVERSITY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL In Consortium with Xavier University and Ateneo de Zamboanga University Office of the Humanities and Social Sciences Strand – Literature and Arts Cluster work. Other types of appropriation often do not have such clear differences between the original and the newly appropriated piece. The concepts of originality and of authorship are central to the debate of appropriation in contemporary art. To properly examine the concept it is also necessary to consider the work of the artists associated with appropriation with regards to their motivations, reasoning, and the effect of their work. Other examples of appropriation: https://magazine.artland.com/appropriation-when-art-very- closely-inspires-other-art/ Appropriation vs. Adaptation. Adaptation may simply be defined as the transformation of a work of art into another form, medium or translocation to another space; for example, a book series into a movie. It is the transformation from one genre to another that requires a huge transition or change from the original concept. On the other hand, Appropriation is making personal or the replication of what exists in another environment to a new location. The appropriation contains the original content/message but re-contextualizing the artwork to relate it to the current issue in the context of the remaker. Km. 7, McArthur Highway, Bangkal, Talomo, Davao City Tel no. (082) 287-7720 local no. 6101/6102 [email protected]