Contemporary Arts PDF

SH1721 The Contemporary Arts I. Contemporary Art It is the art that springs out of the present-day events and passions of the soci...

SH1721 The Contemporary Arts I. Contemporary Art It is the art that springs out of the present-day events and passions of the society. It is the newest form of art, amusing people from the middle to the late 20th century up to this time (Perez, 2016). It is a statement that an artist makes about life, thoughts, ideas, beliefs, and many other things that define human life (Ramirez, 2016). A. Characteristics of Contemporary Art (Ramirez, 2016) 1. It is not confined in the museum. The artworks from this genre can also be found in galleries, art schools, side streets, and public spaces like train or bus stations, and even shopping centers or parks. Artist Nicolas Aca’s “Boto: Goto” performance in a church in Cagayan De Oro Source: http://www.rappler.com/nation/politics/elections/2016/132344-performance-art-vote-buying-elections 2. It practices a different way of selling art works. Due to the increase in internet and social media usage in our country, people who sell artworks also went “online” to increase their sales. It allows individuals, who have access to Internet, to view and purchase the artwork regardless of their location. 3. Many contemporary artists are self-taught and did not have formal education. Concerned with the development of their talent and skills in art-making, thy study on their own, interact with artists and read a lot about lives of artists and their artworks. They also explore materials in hardware stores, experiment with chemical reactions, and study welding and simple engineering skills. 4. It has a variety of materials or medium to choose from. Access to different kinds of materials has expanded the choice of artists. The problem of weight has also been solved by technology, which has given artists enough flexibility and liberty to combine art materials with found objects. 5. Its artists sometimes employ the help of fabricators, carpenters, electricians, or welders in “constructing” artworks. This is practiced by conceptual artists, who use principles of physics and technology of construction to form their artworks. 01 Handout 1 *Property of STI Page 1 of 6  SH1721 6. Originality is not an issue in this type of art. An artist can get another artist’s work and redesign it using different materials. For example, Juan Luna’s Spolarium was interpreted in the context of mall culture in the present time by Steve Santos, Ross Capili, Jose Tence Ruiz, Archie Degamo, George Cabig, Heber Bartolome, Nelson Viterbo, and Art Suarez in their collaborative digital work Malliarium. Spolarium (left) side-by-side with Malliarium (right) Sources: http://www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr/archives/fr/03museepublicite/expositions/artdanslapub/doc/levis_eng.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoliarium 7. It is the process, rather than sale, which is essential in contemporary art-making. It is not how much money the artists make out of the final outwork but the experience while they are doing it that matters most. They put more value to transmittal of the artwork’s message than to the compensation that they will receive for the piece. B. Subject Matter and Style in Contemporary Art 1. Subject Matter A subject is any person, animal, thing, or issue that is described or represented in a work. It usually generates the question, “What is it?” The subject matter is not confined to representation of human figures and landscapes. Commonly, the subjects in this art are children, women, the environment, or a combination of any of these. There are also artworks where the subject matter is not easily recognized. If an artwork is an experiment on technique, the subject matter is the technique itself. In conceptual arts, the viewer has to engage thinking and exploring the meaning of the art work. 2. Styles a. Abstract expressionism - It is a painting style in which the artist applies paint in a manner that expresses emotions and feelings in a spontaneous way. Jose Joya “Dimension of Fear” Source: https://ccp-visualarts.tumblr.com/post/19001766713/sukat-ng-pangamba-dimension-of-fear-nilikha-ni 01 Handout 1 *Property of STI Page 2 of 6  SH1721 b. Kinetic art - It is a sculpture that moves with the wind or with the help of a machine or electricity. David Medalla “Bubble Machine” Source: https://www.artsy.net/artwork/david-medalla-bubble-machine-bgsp-number-5 c. Op art - It uses lines or images repeatedly to create an optical illusion. “Perpetual Motion” by Constancio Bernardo Source: http://www.constanciobernardo.com/1913--2013-constancio-bernardo-at-the-ayala-museum.html d. Performance art - Consist of a variety of media and human body to execute an artistic theatrical expression before a live audience. Source: http://www.pasacat.org/ e. Environment art - Involves artistic creation and manipulation of space such as landscape or architectural design that may enclose its audience. 01 Handout 1 *Property of STI Page 3 of 6  SH1721 “Cordillera Labyrinth” by Roberto Villanueva (1989) Source: http://members.tripod.com/~in_the_bag/roberto.htm f. Feminist art - It tackles issues of identity, sexuality, gender roles, equality, and the ways in which the female is treated in society. “Filipina: A Racial Identity Crisis” by Pacita Abad (1991) Source: https://www.artsy.net/artwork/pacita-abad-filipina-a-racial-identity-crisis g. Minimalism - It shows a stripped-down, pre-fabricated look, free of details, and often with flat surface but expresses a specific content or statement. “Precints” by Mario Yrisarry (1965) Source: http://brooklynrail.org/2006/11/artseen/cite-the-filipino-roots-of-minimalism-ci h. Video art - It consists of images that are recorded through a video and viewed through television, computer, or projection screen. 01 Handout 1 *Property of STI Page 4 of 6  SH1721 “Haiku” by Mark Salvatus (2012) Source: http://asiasociety.org/new-york/exhibitions/video-spotlight-philippines#!artworks i. Graffiti art - It is a drawing, inscription or sketch done hastily on a wall or other surface made to be seen by the public. Source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/46021227414050275/ j. Postmodern art - It carries modern styles to extreme practices, often expressing an idea through a mix of materials such as found objects welded together. “Faith and Devotion 1” by Ian Quirante Source: http://www.artesdelasfilipinas.com/archives/75/ian-quirante-a-postmodern-artist k. Body art - It is an art form that uses body as the medium or main material. It can be painted or clothed and used to perform artistic act in public. Tattooing and piercing are also examples of body art. 01 Handout 1 *Property of STI Page 5 of 6  SH1721 Apo Whang-od doing “pambabatok” Source: https://melisalerue.wordpress.com/2012/11/17/the-roots-of-tattoo-art-in-the-philippines/ l. Digital art - It is done with the aid of computer to create an image or design composed of bits and bytes. The image can be printed on paper, tarpaulin, or other mediums. Source: http://www.tourism.gov.ph/Pages/20120723CampaignGuidelinesforItsMorefuninthePhilippinesLogo.asp C. Types of Techniques in Contemporary Arts Listed below are different types of techniques that artists can choose from: 1. Collage - a piece of art made by sticking various materials such as photographs and pieces of paper or fabric onto a backing 2. Decalcomania - the art or process of transferring pictures and designs from specially prepared paper (as to glass) 3. Decoupage - the art of decorating surfaces by applying cutouts (as of paper) and then coating with usually several layers of finish (such as lacquer or varnish) 4. Frottage - the technique of creating a design by rubbing (as with a pencil) over an object placed underneath the paper 5. Montage - the production of a rapid succession of images in a motion picture to illustrate an association of ideas 6. Trapunto - a decorative quilted design in high relief worked through at least two (2) layers of cloth by outlining the design in running stitch and padding it from the underside 7. Digital applications - any application software that can be used by a computer, mobile device, or tablet to make and/or display a work of art References: Ramirez, V. (2016). Contemporary philippine arts from the regions. Quezon City: Vibal Group Inc. Perez, A. (2016). Philippine contemporary arts. Quezon City: Brilliant Creations Publishing Inc. 01 Handout 1 *Property of STI Page 6 of 6