Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions - PDF

Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions Lesson 8 INCORPORATION & ADDITIONAL ARTISTS 1 OBJECTIVES:  Enumerate the characteristics of contemporary art practices.  Discuss the characteristics of contemporary art practices.  Ex...

Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions Lesson 8 INCORPORATION & ADDITIONAL ARTISTS 1 OBJECTIVES:  Enumerate the characteristics of contemporary art practices.  Discuss the characteristics of contemporary art practices.  Explain Filipino artists’ roles and identify their contribution to contemporary arts.  Appreciate the works of contemporary artists. 2  Contemporary Art: Current B. Practices The most prominent feature of contemporary art is the fact that it has no distinct feature or a single characteristic. It is defined by the artist’s ability to innovate and bring out a modern masterpiece. Contemporary art, unlike traditional art, is an active part of society as it represents and mediates social conditions with human aspirations. According to Michelle Watts, an art educator, the following are characteristics of contemporary art practice. 3 1. Changes to Accepted B. Tradition and Accepted Taste Contemporary art tries to challenge age- old practices that hinder personal growth and development. For contemporary artists, art should not be bound by traditional approaches in the creation of art. Many visual artists are now expanding their expression by using mixed media from unlikely materials. Contemporary artists are also not afraid to create art that 4 2. Understanding of a B. Multiplicity of Viewpoints Contemporary art bridges the gap of geography, ethnicity, gender, and beliefs. Contemporary artists are conscious of the diverse, multicultural nature of today’s global artworks that they create are not anymore ignorant of the complexities of history, politics, and economics. Artists are becoming more exposed to the interconnectedness of people and realities, and these becomes part of their work. 8 3. Issues and Ideas about the Role of Objects in Space and Relationships between Objects Contemporary art works with existing objects or structures to maintain balance and harmony. Space has become an integral part of the contemporary artworks limited to museums and galleries. Public spaces are now considered by contemporary artists in the display and installation of their artworks. 4. Use of Everyday B. Materials Contemporary art transforms simple objects and brings them to life. Everyday objects such as furniture, car parts, electronics, and kitchen appliances are being transformed by contemporary artists into beautiful artworks. Recycle art has become a trend for contemporary artists. The mass array of materials from disposals give artists room for wild imagination.11 5. Employment of Contemporary technology Contemporary art makes use of available technology in the process of creating an artwork. Technology has revolutionized the way artists produce art. The Process involved in some art productions has become less tedious. An independent filmmaker can now shoot a film using powerful camera phones. Musicians can now compose music using tablet, personal computers and other devices. Top Most Filipino Contemporary Artists To Know and Its Art Work 1. Ronald Ventura is the most famous and successful Filipino contemporary artist known primarily for his multilayered works that stands for the miscellaneous national, historical, cultural, and religious identity of the Philippines. Featuring a wide and complex diverse of styles, forms and imagery, in his oeuvre one can find aspects of graffiti, cartoons, His practice is constantly evolving, and he manages to employ his diverse creativity in his highly recognizable work. Working in both painting and sculpture, his work portrays scenes of chaotic disarray, incorporating traditional Western and Asian mythologies with contemporary cultural symbols like Mickey Mouse.  In 2011, Ronald Ventura broke the record for highest-grossing Southeast Asian painting at Sotheby’s Hong Kong when his graphite, oil and acrylic work titled Grayground sold for $1.1 million. 2. Oscar Villamiel (1953-present) Born in Caloocan City, Manila, Villamiel is a multimedia artist known for his large-scale installations consisting of objects found in local communities. His art career may have started later in life, but his installations have enthralled audiences for the past decade. He initially worked as a set designer for television, a leather bag craftsman, and a successful t-shirt company entrepreneur before holding his first solo exhibition in 2006. He once filled a room with thousands of bullhorns in his show Mga Damong Ligaw (‘Wild Weeds’) in 2014, at the Light and Space Contemporary in Fairview, Manila. The bullhorn installation was made to look like a terrain of weeds when viewed at a certain angle. Villamiel’s work reflects the current socio-political situation in the country, highlighting elements of His massive installation Payatas, which features thousands of doll heads, was chosen to represent the Philippines in the Singapore Biennale exhibition in 2013. It took him two- and-a-half years to finish this work. 3. Leeroy New is a contemporary Filipino fine artist whose works overlap with theatre, film, fashion, and visual arts. He is a Visual Arts graduate of Philippine High School for the Arts and a graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts. Currently, he is known as one of the designers alongside Kermit Tesoro for the muscle dress, a dress worn by Lady Gaga in her music 33 Initially trained as a sculptor, Leeroy’s work blends theatre, fashion, film, production design, and public art. He graduated from the prestigious Philippine High School for the Arts, before continuing his Fine Arts degree at the University of the Philippines. He has received artist residences in Singapore and Australia and was awarded the 13 Artists Award by the Cultural Center of the Philippines in 2014. His large-scale public art uses common objects and materials found in 35 In the sand dunes of Paoay, Ilocos Norte, Leeroy collaborated with the local government to convert discarded water tanks and cement fountains into a post-apocalyptic park filled with sculptures. 36 CHRYSALIS His most recent grant from the Burning Man Global Arts foundation was used to transform the most polluted waterway in Manila, the Pasig River, with floating installations – challenging views on the environment. 38 4. José Santos III (1970 – present), born in Manila, Philippines. He is a member of artist group Salingpusa. Working across media, José Santos III confronts the many potential permutations of objects and images, especially those not immediately apparent. In his early work, the artist manipulated oil paints into trompe l’oeil collages, often including objects and figures that seemed to have a Western origin. 40 Turning away from what he has called the “convincing veneer of naturalism,” he has broadened his practice to include assemblage, collage, installation, and photography, re-creating common objects. “Through representation and re- presentation, a heightened awareness of everyday objects is experienced, illuminating how our perception of these objects is colored by the value (or lack thereof) we imbue them with,” he has said. 41 His work thus demands that viewers account for the formal and logical reasons that underpin objects that pervade all aspects of life, especially the most perfunctory ones. He earned his BFA from the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts where he also taught for several years. He started his artistic career as a figurative painter commenting on social and political issues often using an allegorical style but, in recent years, his practice has turned to using everyday objects as abstract subject matter. HIDE AND SEEK 5. Mark Salvatus is an intermedia artist at the forefront of critical discourse about urbanization and the socio-economic underpinnings that are made manifest in densely populated areas. The urban landscape serves as both repository and stage for Salvatus’ works that deal with familiar objects, chance encounters, and everyday politics. Significantly influenced by the Internet, advertising, and pop culture, his oeuvre spans a varied range of media, from a series of defaced city maps ("Codes", 2007- today), sculptural installations ("Model Unit", 2012), to multi-channel video work ("Notes Salvatus also conducts public participatory interventions, i.e. "Wrapped: Traces" – a continuing artistic project that has been conducted in several cities that he has visited since 2007, engaging and collaborating with random bystanders by asking them to trace outlines.  ALL THE WAY, 2015 Wrapped: Traces