Handouts in Philippine Contemporary Arts
It is a fundamental principle in choreography and the
 Art- defined as human pursuit to imitate life and the
world into something pleasing or beautiful.
 Contemporary Art- 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 very minute.
 Modern art- emerged in the late 1800s and continued to
grow for more or less a century. It slowly waned in the
middle to late 20th Century when postmodernism came to
light.
 Modern art developed as styles and techniques, whereas
contemporary means “with the times”. Thus
contemporary art refers to the art of the present.
 Integrative art- “crossbreeding” in the contemporary
scene which resulted in a hybrid art.
 Subject of Art- any person, animal, thing or issue that is
described or represented in a work.
Different ways or styles of depicting a subject:
1. Realism- the subject is done the way it actually looks.
2. Distortion- the artist uses his or her imagination and
alters the subject according to his or her desire.
3. Abstraction- the artist breaks apart a subject and
rearranges it in different manners.
4. Non- objectivism- wherein there is no totally subject
at all- just interplays of pure elements like line, shape
or color, and so on.
Elements of Art
1. Space- defined as void, an emptiness which can either
be positive or negative. The positive space refers to a
space enclosed in a shape, while the negative space
denoted the opposite.
2. Line- extension of a point, a short or long mark drawn
or carved on a surface.
3. Shape and Form- a figure separate from its
surrounding area or background.
4. Color- it is a sensation created by visible wavelengths
of light caught in prism. It is a mixture of organic or
synthetic substances called pigments use as paint or
dye.
5. Value- the degree of lightness and darkness of a color.
6. Texture- is the surface of an artwork. A texture can be
actual or tactile, meaning it can really be felt or touch;
or it can be simulated or illusory, which means it can
only be seen, not felt.
Principles of Design
1. Harmony- refers to the wholeness of the design, the
pleasing arrangement of parts, and agreement
between parts of composition, resulting in a united
whole.
2. Variety- pertains to the assortment or diversity of a
work of art.
3. Rhythm- is the regular, repeated pattern in the
elements of art. It is a flow or feeling of movement,
achieved by the distribution of visual units or sounds
in time.
4. Proportion- elements in a work of art should have a
relationship with one another.
5. Balance- pertains to the even distribution of weight. It
is the principle that deals with equality. In art, there
are two types of balance- formal balance
(symmetrical) and informal balance (asymmetrical).
6. Movement- is a way to convey feelings and emotions.
theater arts.
7. Emphasis and Subordination- Emphasis gives
importance or dominance to a unit or an area. This is
opposite to subordination, which gives less
importance to a unit or area.
 Form- surface feature of an artwork.
 Content- contains the subject matter that carries the
message of the work.
 Context- refers to the varied situations in which the works
have been produced or interpreted.
Traditional Arts- the usual theme of these arts is animism. Its
intention is to depict something of the people’s gods and
goddesses.
Examples of Traditional Arts:
1. Bulul of the Ifugaos
2. Woven basketry of Mangyans
3. t’nalak tapestry woven by T’bolis in South Cotabato
4. pissiyabith (head cloth) of Mindanao
5. embroidered jusi and piña cloth of Lumban, Laguna
Features of Postmodernism
1. Pastiche- refers to the blurring of divisions between
fine art and commercial art, high culture and low
culture, and highbrow and lowbrow.
2. Bricolage/Assemblage- popularly used in visual arts.
It refers to a creation or construction that uses a
diverse range of materials from mass-produced to
recovered objects.
3. Appropriation- this refers to the use of the style and
content of another culture for a performance.
4. Installation- it is an art made indoors or outdoors
where a particular space is transformed into a three-
dimensional artwork. It is made up of diverse
materials, using a realistic or abstract style.
National Art Centers in the Philippines
Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP)
CCP was established in 1996 through Executive Order
No. 303. Its goal was “to preserve, develop and promote arts
and culture in the Philippines”.
National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA)
NCCA is responsible for “preserving, promoting and
developing culture and the arts in the Philippines”. It was
formed under Republic Act No. 7356 in 1992. Serving as the
main organizational body for art development, it aims to
encourage artistic creation within a climate of artistic
freedom”.
Seven of the 19 National Committees of NCCA-SCA-
architecture, cinema, dance, literature, music, theater, and
the visual arts- prepare the following programs for the
Philippine Arts Festival.
 Cinema Rehiyon
National Committee on Cinema
This activity focuses on film production from the regions and
independent filmmakers showcase their latest films.
 Sayaw Pinoy
National Committee on Dance
It is a tour dance concert showcasing different types of
dances such as ballet, hip-hop, contemporary and folk
dance.
 Literary Arts Festival
National Committee on Literary Arts
 For this event, writers, publishers, teachers, and students
gather for literary talks and lectures. There are also book
fair and exhibits.
 Tunug-tunugan
National Committee on Music
This is a week-long musical ensemble that uses musical
instruments made from traditional instruments like gong,
bamboo, or recycled materials to promote Philippine
culture and ingenuity.
 Tanghal
National Committee on Dramatic Arts
This is a festival featuring the works of community and
university-based theater groups.
 Philippine Visual Arts Festival
National Committee on Visual Arts
It holds conferences, workshops, exhibits and painting
sessions and competitions.

Integrated Contemporary Art Forms in the Region

Choreography- is an arrangement or design for dance

movements usually accompanied by music. It is the art of
dancing that is composed of a series of dance steps and
movement to create story.

Musical Instruments- any tool or device that produces sound,

it consists of an array of shapes and styles from the simple to
complex.

Literary and Musical Compositions- Literary works are written

works meant to be read, sung or delivered in a play. They can
be written in prose or poetry form. Musical compositions, on
the other hand, are not written but notated.

Visual Design- is a composition or layout of lines, shapes, and

color to form patterns on paper, textile, or any piece for that
matter.

Cinema- most popular of the art forms, yet it is the youngest

of all. It appeared only in the early 1900s in Manila and later
spread in the regions.

Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA)
The Philippines also honors artists who are engaged in
folk or traditional arts and who have reached a high level of
technical skills and artistic excellence. The award is called the
Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA), or National Living
Treasures Award.
This award was institutionalized by 1992 Republic Act
No. 7355, with the NCCA in charge of its implementation. The
process of awarding a Manlilikha ng Bayan is similar to that of
the National Artists.
World-class Artists
El Gamma Penumbra- a shadow playgroup of young locals
from Tanauan, Batangas. The group won first place in the first
television production of Asia’s Got Talent in Singapore in May
2015.
Patrick Flores- professor of Art Studios and curator of the
Vargas Museum of the University of the Philippines were
chosen to curate the Philippine pavilion. He named the exhibit
“Tie a String around the World”. Representing the Philippines
are artists, Jose Tence Ruiz, Manny Montelibano, Gus Albor,
Lito Carating and Jing Turalba.
Cecil Licad- a gifted classical pianist. She was one of the
youngest musicians to receive the prestigious Leventritt
Competition Gold Medal in 1981.
Lea Salonga- she is a former member of Repertory
Philippines, a theater company founded by the late Zenaida
Amador that produces Broadway and other shows. She
received a Tony Award, the Tony Award is Broadway’s
equivalent to Hollywood’s Academy Award, or “Oscars”.
Lisa Macuja-Elizalde- the country’s first prima ballerina is the
first foreign soloist to join Kirov ballet, a famous Russian ballet
company. She has won several awards both national and
foreign for her recitals.
Charice Pempengco- became famous when Ellen Degeneres
discovered her on youtube a few years ago.
Contemporary Art Practices in the Philippines: Expressions
Today’s artists are becoming conscious of the richness of the
natural resources. They now make use of local and indigenous
materials for their artworks.
These are actual practices of the arts in everyday life. They are
expressed in different ways, by an individual or by a
collaboration of several artists.
Collaborative Works of Art- an anthology of artworks that
showcases different ideas from different persons.
Ex. Chapel of the Holy Sacrifice in the University of the
Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City.
 Design of the Building- Arch. Leandro Locsin
 Main Crosses of the Altar- Napoleon Abueva
 Stations of the Cross- Vicente Manansala
 Mosaic floor surrounding the altar-Arturo Luz
In 2005, the chapel was recognized as a National Historical
Landmark by the National Historical Institute and a Cultural
Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines,
according to Ambeth Ocampo, Chairman of the National
Historical Institute, the Chapel of the Holy Sacrifice “is a
masterpiece of artistry and ingenuity.”
Festivals and Rituals: Representation of the Philippine Arts
The Philippine have festivals of every kind: festivals
honoring patron saints, thanksgiving, and commemoration of
an event, tribute to a special occasion or a local specialty.
A festival may composed of street dancing, singing
competitions, architectural decors like floats, and a lot more.
Examples:
Sinulog Festival in Cebu
Dinagyang Festival of Iloilo
Ati-atihan in Kalibo, Aklan
Pahiyas of Lucban ,Quezon
Moriones Festival in Marinduque
Pamulinawen Festival in Laoag, Ilocos Norte
Sambali Fiesta in Piat, Cagayan
Hermosa Festival in Zamboanga
Thanksgiving Festival
Tabako Festival in Candon, Ilocos Sur
Butanding Festival in Bicol
Kadayawan Festival in Davao City
Festivals Commemorating Events and Honoring Specialties
Panagbenga in Baguio City
Pattarday Festival in Santiago City, Cagayan
Maskara Festival of Bacolod City
F’lomlok Festiva in Polomok, South Cotabato
Gameng Festival of Solsona in Ilocos Norte
Bangus Festival in Dagupan City
Rituals or Rites are also example of Philippine Folk Tradition
and art, practiced in almost every region. They are series of
ceremonies or prescribed actions performed for specific
purposes. There are ceremonial rites, religious rites, betrothal
rites and marriage rituals, the rite of passage and others.
The Baylan (Priest) or Babaylan (Priestess) performs the
rite. In other rituals, the shaman, a seer, or healer, acts as an
intermediary between man and the spirit world, using the art
of magic.
Materials
Artist needs physical material to work on. They are the means
by which the artists make their feelings or thoughts visible.
Through them they transform their idea or experience into
something tangible in order to be received by their audience,
viewer or listener.
In the past, materials for Filipino art forms have been clearly
defined: paper and pen or typewriter for the literary artist;
paint paper or canvas for the visual artist; an instrument
and/or musical sheet for the musician.
Materials for visual design come in two forms: the support
and the medium. The support my refer to the primary
material of which the work of art is made (e.g., paper, canvas,
stone, textile) or the secondary material (e.g., paper glued or
mounted on cardboard, textile over wood.) The medium
stands for the substance applied to the support (e.g. crayon,
paint, dye). For example, in music composition and the
literary arts, the support is the paper and the tangible
medium is ink.
Various musicians and bands use alternative materials today.
One of them is Banda Kawayan Pilipinas, formerly known as
the PUP Banda Kawayan.
 rondalla- an ensemble of stringed instruments played
with a pick, is popular in the regions.

Techniques in the creation of arts

Techniques- process or method that makes use of the

materials on hand.

Diverse techniques for different art forms:

 writing technique- is the way a writer arranges words and
thoughts to create moods or atmospheres, or to evoke
the feeling he or she wants to express.
 musical technique- is the way the musician handles his or
her instrument to interpret a musical composition and to
express the feeling he or she wants to evoke.
 acting technique- the manner of using facial expressions,
gestures, and body movements to portray a character.
 artist’s techniques- the artist approach in using the
medium to come out with the desired result.
 dance technique- the way of moving one’s body to
express an emotion or a desired state or condition.

Experimentation- is a feature that is not as evident because it

is a part of creative process. It consists of several trial and
error attempts until the desired result is achieved.

Digitalization- the emergence of digital technology has given

rise to the new direction in the arts. Digital technology is the
new medium. It has solved many challenges to the artist from
the previous decades.

Contemporary Art Production

“A masterpiece without a master is not an art”.

Production team- may be composed of painters, drafters,

muralist and the like for a visual design; engineers and
architects for architecture; directors, screenplays writers, and
actors for film; playwrights, actors, and directors for theater,
and many others.

 The Writer- involved in the creation and development

of the concept and the script that will be used in
performance.
 The Director- overall supervisor of the team.
 The Choreographer- designs and arranges the dance
steps and movements of the individual performers
and envisions the entire ensemble as a whole piece.
 The Actors/ the Performers- they have more defined
roles, they must do what the director or
choreographer asks them to do.
 The Backstage Crew- in charge of the practical
matters involving the show. They make sure that the
showplace is cleaned up and in order.
 The Concept- idea/ theme of the production
 The Plan- setting of objective; organizing human and
material resources.
 The Presentation
 The Feedback- it is needed to get information on the
result of the presentation.