Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions

Albert M. Pallaya

Lecture Notes
S.Y. 2016-2017
Week 1
Caveat: Not all things, examples and situational scenarios inside the class
are reflected here. Necessary readings and researches are greatly
encouraged.
1. Art: define
a. The imitation of life and of the world rendered beautifully, which
gives pleasure
b. A human pursuit to imitate life and the world in to something
pleasing/beautiful
c. A replication/recreation of reality.
d. Elements:
i. Subject
ii. Medium
Philippine art: influenced by our colonial history and migrant
reality
i. When it depicts the Filipino way of living
ii.
The Filipino-ness is present
2. Art: Purpose and Function
a. P: To allow individual to experience life and grasp its meaning
b. F: Decoration, Expression of emotions and sentiments and
Entertainment
3. Contemporary Art: Define
a. Art produced by artist today
b. Not restricted to the individual experience of the artist but is
reflective of the world that we live in.
c. An art that has a world view and is sensitive to the changing
times.
d. Is a statement that an artist makes about life, thoughts, ideas,
beliefs and many other things that define human life.
e. Refers to all artworks created by artist that are living and are
very representative of our times, capturing modern-day realities
ranging from constant and instant connectivity to borderless
societies.
4. Characteristics of Contemporary Arts
a. It is not confined to the museum. The production process gives
meaning to art making and originality is not issue
b. Traditional artist perfects their art by practicing mimesis or
copying the model exactly as it is, contemporary artist
deliberately broke the rules of traditional art
c. The essence of art relies on the art-making. It is the process/
experience
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Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions

Albert M. Pallaya

5. Proponents of Contemporary Art in the Philippines

a. Victorio Edades- he did not show the natural forms nor
perspectives but uses bold strokes and bright colors
b. Carlos BotongFrancisco and Galo Ocampo- influenced by
Western artist, the use of abstraction, expressionism and
surrealism in painting
c. Artist that experimented on forms:
i. Romeo Tabuena
ii. Hernando Ocampo- uses of geometric forms
iii. Vicente Manansala- abstract cubism
iv. Cesar Legaspi- transparent cubism
6. Contemporary Art: Elements/Principles
a. Appropriation: Traditional Art(ie: Paintings and Portrait)
appropriated/ used/ placed in T-shirts, Mugs and the likes
b. Performance: The depictions of ordinary events/activities into
socially relevant themes such as poverty, commercialism and the
likes.
c. Space: transformation of space (sculpture installation in malls
and parks, flash mobs presentations)
d. Hybridity: The mixing of unlikely materials to produce an artwork
(sand, mud, coffee and the likes)
e. Technology: the use of video and social media/ internet (youtube
sensations, instagram/facebook)

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