Local Works

Part 1: Development of the Arts, Art Appreciation and Aesthetics in

Contemporary Practice

CORE IDEA: The development of arts in the Philippines as seen from its
history is shaped by its geography, politics, economics, and society.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

1. Trace and summarize the development of the arts, art appreciation and
aesthetics in contemporary practice

2. Appreciate better the history and development of Philippine Arts

Philippine Art

What are the periods in Philippine Art? (Guillermo, 2006)

1. Neolithic Age
2. Metal Age
3. Plutocratic Period
4. Early Spanish Colonization
5. 19th Century Philippine Art
6. Amorsolo Tradition and Modern Art
7. Martial Law Era
8. Contemporary Philippine Art

Neolithic Age

1. Angono Petroglyphs (National Museum Collections, n.d.)

One hundred twenty seven human figures scattered on the wall were
made by engraving lines using a piece of stone on the surface of the
rock shelter.
These are symbolic, not decorative.
2. Manunggul Jar (National Museum Collections, n.d.)
Manunggul Jar, found in Manunggul Cave, Lipuun Point, Palawan, is
dated to the late Neolithic Period, about 890-710 BC.
On top of the jar cover is a boat with two human figures representing
two souls on voyage to the afterlife.

Metal Age

1. Anthropomorphic Pots (National Museum Collections, n.d.)

These are earthenware pots found in Ayub Cave, in Sarangani Province.
Each of the 29 jar covers found in the site was unique.
These were used to cover secondary burial jars.

Plutocratic Period

1. Banton Cloth (National Museum Collections, n.d.)

This is the earliest known warp ikat (tye-resist dyeing) textile in
Southeast Asia.
This was found in a wooden coffin that also contained blue and white
ceramics in Banton Island, Romblon.
2. Chieftans and Sultanates (Guillermo, 2006)
 Multiple Chieftains and Sultanates existed in the Philippines prior to the
arrival of Spanish conquistadors.
Pottery, textile, weaving, woodcarving and metalwork are among the
earliest artistic expressions.
Domestic architecture and shipbuilding are also among the utilitarian
yet artistic endeavors of early Filipinos.
3. Butuan Ivory Seal (National Museum Collections, n.d.)
An ivory stamp seal associated with a shell midden dated 9 th-12th
century was found in Libertad, Butuan City in Agusan del Norte
(southern Philippines).
Inscribed on the seal is the word “Butban,” presumed to be Butwan
since “w” and “b” were used interchangeably then.
4. Tattoo Art (Scott, 1994)
The Spaniards called the Visayans “pintados” because they were
covered with tattoo all over their bodies.
Tattoos were symbol of male valor only applied after winning a battles.
A full body tattoo was like an armor.
A man covered with tattoos all over the body intimidated enemies as
well as townsfolk.
As time progressed, our perception of the tattoo changed.

Early Spanish Colonization

1. Religious Art (Guillermo, 2006)

In the 16th century, Spanish colonization sought to replace indigenous
culture with one in the image and likeness of the West.
The Church was the sole patron of the art, thus art practice was limited
to religious forms (altar pieces and prayer book engravings).

19th Century Philippine Art

1. Rise of Ilustrados (Guillermo, 2006)

In the 19th century, the ports of the Philippines was open to trade, and
the inauguration of the Suez Canal allowed for more economic change.
Instead of being purely for religious purposes, art was secularized.
A new elite class, called ilustrados, emerged and they assumed the
position of patrons for the arts.
2. Miniaturismo (Guillermo, 2006)
Portraits of women were executed in a style, miniaturismo, known for
the artists’ meticulous attention to details of costume and accessories
indicative of wealth and power.
3. Tipos del Pais (Guillermo, 2006)
Tipos del pais, country types representing ranges of social hierarchies
dressed in typical costumes of their occupations and class, were made
by Justiniano Asuncion.
4. First Art Academy in the Philippines (Guillermo, 2006)
Academia de Dibujo y Pintura, the first secular art school, opened in
Binondo in the first quarter of the 19th century.
5. Filipino Artists Abroad (Guillermo, 2006)
Juan Luna and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo won at the Madrid Exposition
1884 for their large work in style of 19th century salon painting.

Amorsolo Tradition and Modern Art

1. Americans as the new patrons (Guillermo, 2006)

 The arrival of the Americans defined new education and value
formation according to the “American way of life.”
Public school system created a demand for illustrations for textbooks
and other publications.
2. Fernando Amorsolo and his painting tradition (Guillermo, 2006)
Fernando Amorsolo and his colleagues from the School of Fine Arts of
the University of the Philippines gave rise to academic portraiture
catering to the needs of the Americans, the new patrons of art.
3. Challenge of the Modern (Guillermo, 2006)
The Amorsolo School was challenged by the modernists as early ay
1928.
Among the artists of modern art were Vitorio Edades, Carlos “Botong”
Francisco, and Galo Ocampo.
4. Art Associations (Guillermo, 2006)
After the WWII, art institutions with the role of supporting the arts were
founded.
Art Association of the Philippines (AAP) and the Philippine Art Gallery
(PAG) were founded.
5. Avant-garde (Guillermo, 2006)
Avant-garde artists sought to change the traditional art forms and
experiment with new materials, media, and presentations.

Martial Law Era

1. Under the Guise of Cultural Program (Datuin, 2017)

Marcos had to convince the people of his right to rule.
Thus, Marcos together with Imelda created a cultural program aligned
with the building of Bagong Lipunan (The New Society).
2. Under the Guise of Cultural Program (Datuin, 2017)
The narrative of this cultural program was based on the rebirth of a
long lost civilization of the malay people.
Representations of Ferdinand as the benevolent father of the nation,
with Imelda as the mother were found in paintings during their regime.
3. Under the Guise of Cultural Program (Datuin, 2017)
This cultural program was not just a fabrication of a mythical past, but
it was also coupled with ideas of modernization, development,
progress, and cosmopolitanism.
4. Marcos as Monumental (Datuin, 2017)
Ferdinand Marcos commissioned architects to build structures that
created the impression that he was monumental.
He pushed for the same monumental impression in the construction of
architecture around Metro Manila.
5. Edifice Complex (de Villa, 2017)
The Marcoses wielded architecture as a weapon to assert power and
maintain public support.
These structures were symbolic of progress and prosperity despite the
poverty surrounding them.
This was referred to as “edifice complex.”
“Edifice complex plagues the nation with an obsession and compulsion
to build edifices as a hallmark of greatness or as a signifier of national
prosperity.”
6. Preference of Imelda (Flores, 2009)
An internationalist abstraction was favored by Imelda.
 This was in line with the modernized and cosmopolitan philosophy of
the cultural program they engineered into the New Society.
7. Artists responded to Martial Law
The proclamation of Martial Law curtailed many freedoms, among
them is the freedom of expression.
Nevertheless, artists used art as a mechanism to rally the cause
against dictatorship and its atrocities.

Philippine Art

1. Theater arts during Martial Law (Lumbera, 2010)

Theater artists went to streets, plazas, factory sites, and open fields, to
commune with the people they were fighting for.
The language of theater, previously Engish, was changed to Filipino for
theater to become accessible.
2. Artists Groups (Flores, 2013)
Among the groups of artists which were actively engaging with the
issues of the societies during this martial law was Kaisahan, a group of
social realist visual artists.

Contemporary Philippine Art

1. Incorporation of Historical and Traditional (Guillermo, 2006)

Historical theme mingled with folk imagery reconfigured the work of
artists such as Brenda Fajardo and Ofelia Gelvezon-Tequi.
Traditional art communities from the provinces dwell on rural life, folk
legends, and traditions.
2. Environmental Awareness (Guillermo, 2006)
In 1980s, awareness of environmental issues emerged in the trend of
using indigenous vernacular materials.
Among these artists were Junyee Santiago Bose, Roberto Villanueva,
Roberto Feleo, and Imelda Cajipe- Endaya.
3. Incorporation of Traditional Materials
Kenneth Cobonpue is an internationally famed designer who
incorporates local and natural materials in his furniture (rattan, buri,
abaka, etc.) giving them a distinct Filipino style.
4. Conceptual values take center stage (Guillermo, 2006)
Installations and mixed-media works have a central aspect of
discursiveness in which conceptual values become the center of the
work.
Installation art usually includes performative interactivity between the
artist, viewer, and public, and the work itself.
5. Renewed museums and galleries (Guillermo, 2006)
Museums and galleries welcomed new developments and mounted
installations that depart from conventional exhibition formats.
6. Art competitions as platforms (Guillermo, 2006)
Art competitions provide encouragement for emerging artists and
raised artistic standards.
7. Participation in biennals and triennals (Guillermo, 2006)
Opening of regional and international biennals and triennals bring
together artists and writers from all parts of the world.