UNIT 1 CONTEMPORARY ARTS

Contemporary Art

o The art of the “now”.

o These are the artworks that are produced in the present. It provides an opportunity to reflect
on contemporary society and the issues relevant to ourselves, and the world around us.
o Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically
advancing world. Their art is a dynamic combination of materials, methods, concepts, and
subjects that challenge traditional boundaries and defy easy definition.
o It is part of a cultural dialogue that concerns larger contextual frameworks such as personal and
cultural identity, family, community, and nationality.

WHAT IS ART?

o “The manifestation or use of creative disciplines. It is produced by human creativity and skill to
express oneself.”
o Tangible output of creative expression. It is represented through its different forms and disciplines
such as literature, culinary arts, media arts, visual arts and the performing arts.
o ART IS A TOOL FOR COMMUNICATION. Whether it is painting or a performance as long as it is a
venue for one to convey or express a thought, emotions or aspirations; it is considered art.
o EVERY ARTWORK REFLECTS THE ARTIST AND HIS/HER SOCIETY. Art offers us the chance to learn
and understand artists and the regions where they belong through their works.
o ART IS ONE OF THE EARLIEST AND MOST BASIC FORM OF COMMUNICATION. This is seen in the
prehistoric visual artworks like the cave drawings and other early artifacts. This is also evident in
our folk songs and rituals. The visual and performing arts are ways for people to express

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 themselves and share their individual insights to others. Through these arts, they catch other
people’s attention.

Visual Arts

A wide array of artistic disciplines that are appreciated primarily through sight. It includes the different
art forms and disciplines such as fine arts, decorative arts and contemporary arts.

1. Fine Arts

 Art forms created primarily for its appearance rather than its practical use. As time passed, this
term was used to include artworks that came about from emerging technology and artistic
innovations.
 “Art for art’s sake”.

Most common examples of fine arts: Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, Print, Graphic art, Calligraphy,
Architecture

2. Decorative Arts

 “Decorative crafts”; artworks that are both aesthetically pleasing and functional.
 From the Renaissance up until the 20th century, many artists in the West consider decorative arts
as a lower version of art.

Examples of Decorative Arts: Textile art, Glassware, Jewelry, Furniture, Earthenware, Metal craft, Interior
design

3. Contemporary Art Forms

 New and unusual art forms that could not be easily categorized between fine arts and decorative
arts.

A. Assemblage

o A form of sculpture comprised of "found" objects arranged in such a way that they create a piece.

o These objects can be anything organic or man-made. Scraps of wood, stones, old shoes, baked
bean cans and a discarded baby buggy - or any of the other 84,000,000 items- all qualify for
inclusion in an assemblage.

o Also known as “construction” or “bricolage”.

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B. Collage

o A method of combining printed images with other flat media and pasted on a canvas or board;
usually two-dimensional.

o First came about in the early 1900s as part of the experimentation of the cubists Picasso and
Braque. They made use of cutouts of newspaper that were pasted onto their paintings.

C. Conceptual art

o The idea or concept is the most important aspect of the work than the finished art object.

o “The idea itself is a work of art”.

D. Installation

o Artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform
the perception of a space.

o Applied to interior spaces; came to prominence in the1970s.

E. Digital art

o “computer art” or “new media art”

o Uses digital technology as an essential part of the creative or presentation process.

o Used extensively by the mainstream media in advertisements and by film-makers.

o Digital or multimedia artists use technology to make their artwork come alive. Digital artists use
computer software to create 3-D animation, interactive website graphics, or digitally enhanced
photographs.

F. Land art

o Variously known as Earth art, environmental art, and Earthworks.

o Made directly in the landscape, sculpting the land itself into earthworks or making structures in
the landscape using natural materials such as rocks or twigs.

o Emerged in the 1960s and 1970s, largely associated with Great Britain and the United States.

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 PERFORMING ARTS

o Artists use their voices and/or their body movements to communicate artistic expression; meant
to be enacted in front of a live audience.

Categorized into three types: Music, Dance & Theater

1. MUSIC

o Universal form of art; the manipulation of sound and silence.

o Blends the different elements such as pitch, rhythm, dynamics, timbre and texture to create
sound.

o Performed by utilizing different instruments, vocal techniques, and styles.

o It can be performed live or recorded and can be prepared advance or improvised.

A. ART MUSIC (Western Classical Music)

o Usually presented and preserved through written musical notations that were developed in
Europe.

o Prominent Figures: Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart &
Andrea Bocelli

B. POPULAR MUSIC

o Music that is accessible and commercially available to the public.

o It is played or disseminated through different mass media outlets (radios, television and the
Internet).

C. TRADITIONAL MUSIC

o Community and culturally-based.

o It is diverse with one community or group having a different form from one another.

o Learned or preserved by passing it from one generation to another through oral communication
and actual performance.

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2. DANCE

o Regulated and deliberated order of body movements. These movements have aesthetic value and
are often performed accompanied with music.

Dance comes in many forms: Ballet, Belly dance, Break dance, Improvisational dance, Hip-hop
dance, Modern dance, Contemporary dance & Traditional dance.

Ballet

o Light, graceful, fluid movements and the use of pointed shoes.

Belly dance

o Arabic dance; it involves undulating movements of the belly and rapid gyration of the hips.

Break dance

o Performed to rap music; acrobatics that involves touching various parts of the body, back or
head to the ground.

Improvisational dance

o Creating improvised movement through creative explorations including body mapping

through levels, shape and dynamics.
o Focused on finding a deeper way of comprehending concealed thoughts or feelings of an
individual. Through the emphasis of instinctual, unpredictable and free movement, the
mover is able to explore authentic feelings and inspirations.

Hip-hop dance

o Break dancing is under hip-hop.

o Break dancing is close to ground; hip-hop is performed standing up.

Modern dance

o Free, expressive style of dancing. Form of contemporary theatrical and concert dance.

o Employing a special technique and uses the entire body movements.

Contemporary dance

o Expressive dance; combines elements of several dance genres (modern jazz, lyrical and
classical ballet)

o Connects mind and body through fluid dance movements.

o Employing a special technique and uses the entire body movements.

Traditional dance

o “folk dance” or “ceremonial dance”

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 o Arisen from a people’s cultural traditions; generally more of a social activity rather than
competitive.

o Can be either partnered or solo and are mainly danced in formation.

(However, dances that have a ritual origin or purpose are not usually considered to be traditional dances.)

3. THEATER OR PLAY

o A branch of performing arts that often involves the integration and combination of the visual and
performing arts.

o A fine art where actors and actresses perform experiences, real or imagined, in front of a live
audience.

o Performers makes use of gestures, music, song, dance, and visual arts to communicate with the
audience.

Common examples of theater arts are:

1. Mime

2. Puppetry

3. Tragedy

4. Opera

5. Musical Theater

6. Traditional theater

Mime (Greek mimos, "imitator” or “ actor")

o Involves acting out a story through body motions, without the use of speech.

o Involves the actor/actress wearing tight black and white clothing with white facial makeup.

o Often comical but some can be very serious.

Puppetry

o Involves the manipulation of puppets–inanimate objects, often resembling some type of human
or animal figure that are animated or manipulated by a human called a puppeteer.

o The actions, gestures and spoken parts acted out by the puppets are typically used in storytelling.

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o Used in almost all human societies both as entertainment and ceremonially in rituals and
celebrations such as carnivals.

o The puppeteer often speaks in the voice of the character of the puppet and then synchronizes
the movements of the puppet's mouth with this spoken part.

Types of Puppets

Finger puppets- tiny puppets that fit onto a single finger.

Sock puppets- formed from a sock and operated by inserting one's hand inside the sock with the
opening and closing of the hand simulating the movement of the puppet's "mouth".

Hand puppet- controlled by one hand which occupies the interior of the puppet and moves the
puppet around.

Live-hand puppet- similar to a hand puppet but is larger and requires two puppeteers for each
puppet.

Marionettes (String Puppets)- suspended and controlled by a number of strings, plus sometimes a
central rod attached to a control bar held from above by the puppeteer.

Tragedy

o Branch of drama that treats in a serious and dignified style the sorrowful or terrible events
encountered or caused by a heroic individual.

o Three greatest Greek dramatists: Aeschylus (525–456 BCE), Sophocles (c. 496–406 BCE),
and Euripides (c. 480–406 BCE)

o Examples: Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, Hamlet and Macbeth.

Opera

Form of theater in which music has a leading role and the parts are taken by singers.

Musical theater

o Combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance.

Traditional theater

o Collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers.

o Present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in the stage.

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WHY DO ARTISTS CREATE ART?

1. Recognition

• To gain fame and fortune.

• Some artists use arts as their means of livelihood, as seen with many visual artists, musicians and
movie stars.

• Some artists due to their reputation and talent have become critically-acclaimed (e.g. Sharon
Cuneta, Vilma Santos, Comedy King Dolphy)

Ronald Ventura (1973)

• Made history when his painting the “Grayhound” was sold in an auction at Sotheby’s Hong Kong
for almost 47 million pesos in 2011. It set a new auction record set by fellow Fipilino Artist
Geraldine Javier a year before.

2. Worship

• To glorify the creator. Evident in many religious structures in the ancient worlds (e.g. pyramids,
Hindu temples and temples of the Greeks and Romans)

• Songs were also created for worship as evident in many medieval hymns.

• Christian iconography is found in the majority of the artworks produced during the Middle Ages
up to the Modern period.

Joey Velasco (1967-2010)

o Known for his rendition of Christian-themed artworks.

o “Hapag ng Pag-asa”, his version of the Last Supper with street children depicted as the apostles.

3. Impulse

• They create art out of their passion and emotion. They consider art as life and spend their time
doing nothing but such.

• Such passion can be seen in National Artist for Music, Levi Celerion (1910-2002).

Levi Celerio (1910-2002) - wrote over 4,000 songs; some of which have become timeless classics of
Filipino Music. Notable works: Pasko Na Naman (Christmas songs), Ang Pasko ay Sumapit, Kahit
Konting Pagtingin (enduring Filipino love songs), Basta’t Mahal Kita, Sa Ugoy ng Duyan (lullaby).

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 4. Self-expression

• They express ideas and emotions that might not be adequately expressed through words. Each
artwork is a reflection of each individual artist’s personality and experiences.

Why study art?

o Understand individual differences.

- embracing one’s uniqueness

- being sensitive to others

o Develop our decision and problem solving skills.

o Nurture imagination.

o Promote originality and innovation.

FUNCTIONS OF ART

Seven functions of art are explained by Alain De Botton and John Armstrong, in their book – Art
As Therapy – where they explain how art enables us to grow, reflect and evolve in our understanding
of ourselves, each other and the world we live in.

1. Memory - Artists not only preserve a visual reminder of a memory. They record the emotions associated
with the memory.

2. Hope - Art reminds us that there is beauty in the world and that we can strive to see, appreciate and
have it.

3. Sorrow - Art doesn’t just increase our capacity for joy, it validates our sorrows.

4. Re-balancing - We gain balance through art by taking a moment to observe, judge, and appreciate
things we don’t normally see and our responses to them.

5. Growth - Art forces you to react and empathize with situations that you’re not accustomed to.

6. Appreciation - Art helps us to revisit the value of ordinary things like the pretty colors in a splash of
morning light on a table cloth or the familiar and nostalgic aspects of old beer cans.

7. Self-Understanding - Art helps us to complete our own unformed thoughts and ideas.

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ART AND THE FILIPINO

Philippine contemporary art is an example of integral arts which is communal and unitive in
nature. This means that art is often created and conceived by artists with consideration to the society and
community they live in.

Filipino art often gives more importance on how it affects the artist’s society rather than its impact
on the individual. It is often intended to unite the community and hopes to create cooperative action
rather than individual change.

• According to Prof. Felipe M. De Leon Jr., a professor of arts studies, Filipino integral art has the
following attributes:

1. Art is engrained with beauty and function. Art is not made for art sake but made with
considerations with other factors such as use, beliefs, and ethics, social, spiritual and
environmental concerns.

2. It is holistic in nature. A balance should be made between all the other disciplines to achieve the
ultimate expression.

3. Art is part of our everyday life.

4. Everybody is an artist. Everyone is given an equal chance to contribute and participate.

5. Freedom in the technique and the use of mediums, which gives flexibility and opportunity to join
in the artistic expression.

6. Art makes use of available resources.

7. The creative process is given more importance rather than the finished work.

FILIPINO ART TENDENCIES

1. BROADEST ASPECT TECHNIQUE

• Filipino artworks often show many sides of an object depicting how Filipinos think it looks like
rather than how it is actually seen.
• That’s why many artists often orient objects showing the biggest and the most familiar angle of
an object for greater recognition.

2. MULTIPLE FOCAL POINTS

 Many artists use it in their composition in efforts to try to represent the sentiments of the
different members of the society.
 This tendency can be seen in the works of Larry Alcala, late cartoonist, whose works show multiple
scenes and events at one point in time.

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3. HIGHLY EXPRESSIVE

 Filipinos are more emphatic, spontaneous, and emotional. This tendency holds especially true for
the performing arts where we excel. In the visual arts, this is carried over through the colorful
artworks.

4. POLYCHROMATIC

 Filipinos love color, decorative arts and crafts. That is why costumes and festivals are bathed in
rich, vibrant spectrum of colors.

5. MAXIMALISM

 Inclination to fill up space with forms and ornamentation.

6. MULTIFUNCTIONAL

• Creating works that has various uses strengthen the sense of community among people of
different fascination and requirements.

• Popularity of mixed media and installation art (combined with indigenous materials and local
objects).

7. RHYTHMIC PATTERNS

• Stylized and measured organization of patterns and forms. It is almost like the physical
manifestation of the Filipino psyche, individually present and different but in harmonious
movement with the rest of the forms.

Lesson 2 Contemporary Visual Arts

Fine Arts

• Most contemporary visual artists in the Philippines produced works that fall into the fine arts
category.

• Majority of the contemporary art produced in the Philippines are paintings, sculpture, and
drawings.

Paintings and Illustrations

• Two dimensional form of art that showcases artistic expression created on a flat surface.

• Images are made by applying pigment on a prepared surface using one or a combination of the
following tools: brush, palette, knife, spray, finger, etc.

• Mediums used in painting: Oil, Acrylic, Water color, Pastel and Ink. These media are applied on a
surface such as canvas, paper, wood, cardboard, etc.

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 o The beginnings of paintings and illustrations were the result of Spanish colonization. Early
paintings and other fine arts were primarily religious in nature. It was used to evangelize and
spread Christianity throughout the archipelago.

o Contemporary forms of painting and illustrations in the Philippines generally stem from our
interaction with the Americans (e.g. images and drawings used for the various publications and
textbooks of the American era).

Painting themes: Historical, Religious, Portraiture, Still life, Landscapes, Nudes & Genres

Religious Themes

• The primary subject for paintings during the Spanish colonial times.

• In the present, many religious-themed paintings can be seen in the murals of many churches and
in paintings with social commentaries like that of Joey Velasco (1967-2010) and Renato Habulan
(b. 1953).

Renato Habulan (Boceto Pen and Ink series) - shows the similarities of the suffering of the human
condition with that of the passion of Christ through the use of Christian iconography.

Historical themes

• Can be seen in the works of Carlos “Botong” V. Francisco (1912-1969) whose masterpiece Filipino
Struggles Through History depicts Manila’s historical events. This mural is displayed in Manila City
Hall.

Other Historical-Themed Works: “ The First Mass” and “Sanduguan Blood Compact”

Portraiture paintings

• Used to commemorate personalities and seen in many formal institutions such as government
offices.

• Started during the rise of the Illustrados during the Spanish colonial times. It was and has been a
symbolism of one’s rise to power and wealth.

• One of the most ubiquitous portraiture paintings seen in the Philippines are the official
portraitures of the Philippine presidents.

Portraiture Artists

1. Antipas Delovato- Iloilo-born (b.1954)

2. Rafael del Casal- favorite portraiture artist of the Philippine Elite; the commissioned artist to create the
portrait of San Pedro Calungsod in 2000

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3. Daryl De Leon Escallar (1963, Davao) – created the portraiture of PD30.

Still life

• A work of art that portrays inanimate objects. Traditionally composed of a basket or bowl of fruits
and flowers in vases on a table.

PAZ PATERNO - born in Sta. Cruz Manila in 1987; one of the most notable and earliest still life artists

More Contemporary Filipino Still life artists: Ang Kiukok & Vicente Manansala (A cubist and
Kapampangan artist; features items and ingredients one would find in a typical Filipino kitchen.)

Landscapes

o Depict the beauty of the outdoors. It can be that of the natural environment such as the
countryside and seascapes. Some highlight the hustle and bustle of the city streets through urban
landscapes.

1. Martino Abellana - mentor to generations of Visayan artists; referred as “Dean of Cebuano

painters”

2. Diosdado M. Lorenzo - veered away from the realistic scenery depictions to a more modernist take
on landscape paintings

3. Manuel Baldemor - born in 1947 at Paete, Laguna; transformed his hometown into simple
geometric forms and imbibed it with a festive vibe.

4. Prudencio Lamarrosa - inspired by the Amburayan River to create his surreal landscapes.

Nude

• As a subject of painting in the Philippines, it was rare before the 20th century but has been
accepted and is a popular subject in Philippine contemporary visual arts.

• Early contemporary nudes can be seen in the works of FERNANDO AMORSOLO’S

DALAGANG BUKID.

Genres

• Paintings whose themes showcase people doing everyday activity and chores.

• In 19th century miniature genre painting were popular as souvenirs to tourists.

• Boxer codex (1590): Illustrated the different social classes and attires of the different inhabitants
of the country at the time.

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 Most contemporary artists do not limit themselves to a particular theme. They will experiment and
venture to other subjects to better express themselves. The same can be to their styles and techniques.
Many would go through different styles and techniques throughout their careers.

Sculpture

• Artworks that are three dimensional; made by adding or subtracting materials

o Subtraction- carving

o Addition- molding, casting and welding.

2 Classifications of Sculptures:

1. Free standing sculptures (“in the round”) Structures that are raised independently in its given
space; can be observed from all points of view.

2. Reliefs- Structures that are raised from a background.

• BAS RELIEFS/ LOW RELIEFS - slightly protruding from their background.

• HIGH RELIEFS - prominently raised against their background, giving the sculpture more
dimensionality.

HOLOGRAMS - not classified between free-standing and reliefs and hence are classified in
contemporary art forms.

Pre-colonial Sculptural Artworks

The Philippines has a sculptural tradition dating long before the arrival of the first colonizers. We
have been casting metal, molding clay and carving stone and wood to create various sculptural pieces.

Examples: (1) Panolongs of the Torogan, (2) Maranao Royal House, (3) SUNDOK or GRAVE
MARKERS of the Badjao and (4) BULUL (Ifugao Rice God).

Wood carving

• Used to create and decorate the items used in one’s daily life such as furniture, utensils, shelter,
and transportation.

• This art form has existed throughout the history of the Philippines and is still alive in many cultural
hubs in the country such as Paete, Laguna and Betis, Pampanga.

SANTOS

• The most notable sculptural pieces during Spanish colonization; representations of Christ and
Christian Saints.

Examples: Black Nazarene-Quiapo, Santo Nino-Cebu, Our Lady of Penafrancia

NAGA

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Two styles of contemporary sculpture in the Philippines:

1. Academic/Classical style- follows the aesthetics of ancient Greece and Romans.

2. Modern style- often abstracted and is not as particular about the realistic portrayal or
representation of figures.

Guillermo Tolentino - led the classical sculptures portraying prominent people of society and politics
during the American colonial period. Sculptural masterpieces: Bonifacio Monument & Oblation in UP
Diliman

Anastacio Caedo – a Batangeno whose recognizable work is the memorial at the MacArthur landing site
in Leyte.

Napoleon Abueva - born in Tagbilaran Bohol; a student of Guillermo Tolentino.

- “Father of Modern Sculpture”; His works often give a feel of playfulness, fluidity and movement.
He worked with various materials such as stone, metal and concrete but still prefers wood,
particularly molave and narra.
- Allegorical Harpoon (MOLAVE)

Julie lluch - born in Iligan City; Early works were terra-cota sculptural portraits of family and friends which
further developed to her trademark expressive depiction of women.

Jerry Navarro Elizalde - Antique-born painter, sculptor and graphic designer. His sculptural work is
evocative of indigenous tribal art, making use of woodcuts and other found materials.

DECORATIVE ARTS AND CRAFTS

• Stem from the traditional indigenous crafts found throughout the country.

• Many respected Filipino artists of today expresses their art through these indigenous products for
they are part of our artistic history and traditions.

POTTERY

• The art and craft of making pots and other wares using clay or mud.

• Early pottery artifacts have shown the skills and artistry of our pottery makers. They made
everyday items such as food containers and water vessels and some created for formal and
realistic purposes as burial jars or as figurative mementos.

BURNAY

o High temperature pottery in Vigan, Ilocos Sur; used as a container for a variety of things like
water, salt, wine, etc.

STUDIO POTTERY

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 o Handmade, one-of-a-kind ceramic that are sought after by collectors; come in many forms such
as functional items like cookware and tableware but many present ceramic artists venture in more
sculptural pieces.

UguBigyan of Tiaong, Quezon - his studio in Quezon is a popular tourist attraction to those who visit
the province. His works of pottery art pieces are recognized here and abroad.

CARVING

• The art of manipulating and creating objects by subtracting and shaping solid material such as
wood and stone.

BULUL (Ifugao’s Rice God) - represented through carved wood and is used as a decorative elements
throughout their daily wares.

Okir - carvings of geometric patterns and stylized image of plants and animals by the Muslims in Western
Mindanao.

Popular decorative motifs are the Sarimanok and the Naga. These are used as decorations in
their houses, boats, instruments, containers, weapons and utensils.

Similar carving processes are found within the Tribal groups of Mindanao like the Tausugs, the Maranaos
and the Badjaos. Tagbanuas of Palawan carve animal sculptures used as ritual objects or sometimes as
decorations for their houses and trinkets for their children.

WEAVING

• The art of interlacing threads of fibers to create textile, fabric or other similar products.

• Philippine textile is often made of indigenous plants such as pina, abaca, maguey and cotton.

Ikat

- A dyeing process that involves resist-dyeing and dyeing to achieve a desired pattern , after which
the fibers are then woven

- Also used by tribal groups in Mindanao like the T’Boli, Bagobo, Mandaya, etc. Their ikats are
designed with sylized animal figures such as birds, lizards, frogs and humans.
- Bagobos add beads to the woven fabric to increase its beauty.

BASKET WEAVING

Notable examples:

o Backpacks of Mandaya Tribe in Eastern Mindanao

o Decorated bags of Bagobo

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 o BASAG- woven basket of the Tagbanua tribe in Palawan with their iconic conical cover.

MAT

Traditional floor coverings typically made of pandan, swamp grass, bamboo and palm leaf.

The mats of Basey, Samar are especially artistic with them being decorated with bright lively colors and
embroided with flowers, peacocks and fantasy settings. These mats can be made-to-order to have the
name and portrait of the owner.

METALWORK

• The art of creating and manipulating metal to create various items such as jewelries, weapons,
etc.

• Based on archeological records and recovered artifacts, Filipinos were skilled metalworkers.

• Most notable of the find is the collection of precolonial gold jewelry that consists of ornaments,
earrings, necklaces, gold-woven belts and sashes.

• Although many have been lost, the remaining ones displayed at the Ayala Museum show the
mastery and technical skill of early Filipino metalsmith.

Bagobos - known for their “tiny bells” that they attach to their possession and small brass or gold jewelry
pieces like necklaces decorated with animal figures.

Maranaos ( Tugaya, Lanao del sur) - largest manufacturer of brassware in the Philippines; one of their
most popular is the GADOR or decorated brass urns using lost-wax process.

CONTEMPORARY ART FORMS

Some contemporary art forms blur the distinctions between the disciplines and genres. Some are products
of new technological advancements and cannot be categorized using the outdated definitions.

Collage

• The method of combining printed images with other flash media and pasted on a canvas or a
board.

• Came in the early 1900s as part of the experiment of the cubists Picasso and Braque. They made
cutouts of newspaper that were pasted onto their drawings.

• Creates a great variety of texture and color not found in traditional painting.

FILIPINO COLLAGE ARTISTS

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1. Dina Gadia - Born in Anda, Pangasinan; uses collage to highlight focal interest while creating new
results.

2. Jonathan Benitez - Palawan-based painter and collage artist; he incorporates collages as discourse on
consumerist aims of advertising and environmental awareness.

Assemblage

• Term used by French artist Jean Dubuffet in 1952

• A series of artworks made from paper collages, wood scraps and other found objects

• Often blur the definition between painting and sculpture.

FILIPINO ASSEMBLAGE ARTIST

1. Lao Lianben - one of the pioneers in assemblage art in the Philippines; used indigenous found materials
for his artworks in 1960s.He places twigs and small branches on top of carved wooden panels as
commentary on forest devastation.

MOBILE

• A sculptural work that is suspended from the ceiling or a protruding base.

• Made with a number of balancing rods dangling in different lengths carrying one or more
elements.

• Pioneered by American artist Alexander Cander

• An example of “kinetic structure”

CONTEMPORARY FILIPINO MOBILE ARTISTS

• Bronze sculptor and designer – Eduardo Castrillo

• Premier glass sculptor Ramon Orlina

Performance art

• Mixture of visual and performing arts.

• The medium used in performance art is the artist himself and the artwork is the acting and the
movement of the artist.

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 • Music and sound is often incorporated in the performance. Words and dialogues are not given as
much focus compared to the movements.

• Should be done in front of a live audience

• Can be done spontaneously or rehearsed and either in a simple manner or as a large scale event.

1. David Medulla - International Filipino artist; his performance in “Brother of Isidora” gave him
recognition from other artists here and abroad. He also expresses himself in other forms of visual arts
such as painting, sculpture, installation and kinetic art.

2. Danny C. Sillada - born in Davao Oriental; a painter, a poet, musician, installation artist, and a
performance artist. He combines music and art in his performance art

Installation art

• Involves arrangement of objects in a given space.

• Temporary work of art; associated with conceptual art and the Dada movement.

• It incorporates different materials that may include traditional sculptural materials (wood, metal,
etc. ) and technology-based mediums (light, sounds, videos and digital media)

• Can be very simple or very complex; often takes into consideration the viewers of the art and
allows them to interact with the artwork.

1. Leeroy New - from General Santos City; made the “BAKAWAN FLOATING ISLAND PROJECT” which he
collaborated on with urban designer Julia Nebrija. This art was geared toward the awareness and
rehabilitation of the Pasig river.

2. Aze Ong - known for her trademark crocheted art pieces

- Her art pieces consist of colorful, organic and fluid crochet pieces inspired by her stay with the
ethnic group of Talaandigs of Bukidnon.
- Many of her pieces are interactive and invite the viewers to touch, play and even wear them.
- “Liwanag sa kawalan ng kulay at liwanag” : an 8.83 meter high crochet installation.

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