Week 1-2

Iligan Medical Center College

Basic Education Department
Laya ext., Palao Iligan City
S.Y 2020 - 2021

Contemporary
Philippine Arts from
The Regions

Grade 12 Senior High School

(Quarter 1 - Module 1)
Researches on Various Contemporary Art Forms, techniques and
performance practices

Prepared by:
Ms. Gisette Flores
Mr. Abdul Majiid K. Abdul Azis
Mr. Percival P. Alvarez

NAME: _________________________________________ SECTION: ____________

1|Page
Week 1-2

Various Contemporary Arts

Forms in the Philippines

INTRODUCTION
In this lesson, the students will independently use his or her understanding of the
various contemporary arts practices of the regions to appreciate the broad range of styles in
the various disciplines of art with consideration on the elements and principles and engage
the learners to an integrative approach in art which will broaden and help them acquire the
necessary creative tools to open opportunities in their pursuit of their individual career
goals and aspirations.

Activity 1: Define me!

Direction: Write an introductory essay about “what defines art?” based on your own
understanding about the said topic. Refer to the Rubrics attached on this module.

__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________

MOTIVATION
Activity 1: Picture Analysis
Direction: Analyze this picture. Write down (5) observations on this art based on your
own expression, thoughts, emotions, or feelings.

The Starry Night, oil on canvas by Vincent van Gogh, 1889; in the Museum of Modern
Art, New York City.

1. __________________ 4. __________________
2. __________________ 5. __________________
3. __________________
2|Page
Week 1-2

INSTRUCTION
To understand contemporary art forms, you need to revisit the Philippine art aesthetic
timeline from most primal to its contemporary form.

PRE-COLONIAL ART PERIOD (6186BC – 1520 AD)

Old Stone Age (Paleolithic)

Espinosa Ranch Site, Cagayan 16000-8000 BC

The proof of earliest man’s presence was recovered from a ranch sire in Cagayan
province-two flake tools dated about 9 million years, the oldest man-made object associated
with the fossils of a proboscidean, a prehistoric elephant.

Other flake tools are recovered in Tabbon Caves, Palawan and some stone tools in
Bolobok Cave Sanga-Sanga in Tawi-Tawi.

 Old Stone Age (Paleolithic)

Age of Horticulture/
 Neolithic Period
 Metal Age
 Iron Age

Shell bracelets and Pendants (Neolithic)

Cagayan, Palawan, and Sorsogon 4854 BC

Shells were fashioned into tools, as well as ornaments.
The oldest known ornaments made from cone shells
were found in the early 1960’s in the grave of an adult
male in Duyong Cave in Palawan. A shell disk with a
hole in the center was found next to his right ear and
a disk with a hole by the edge was found on his chest.
Source:https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=http
The shell ornaments were dated 4854 B.C. %3A%2F%2Fposhaktebkasa.ir%2F2681%2FKenya-
stone-age-Neoli

Agono Petroglyphs are oldest known work of art in the Philippines located in the province
of Rizal. There are 127 human and animal figures engraved on the rockwall probably
carved during the late Neolithic (3000 BC)

Lingling-o (2000BC – 1000 AD) Duyong Cave,

Palawan, a kind of ear pendant fashioned from green
nephrite (jade) is the characteristic trait of the Early
Metal Age. One of the finest jade ornaments found to
date is the double-headed pendant recovered from
Duyong Cave, Palawan. It is an example of the superb
craftsmanship of ancient carving in jade. Source:https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A
%2F%2Fwww.trocadero.com%2Fstores%2Ftribalworld%2Fi

Manunggul Jar Burial jar excavated from a Neolithic burial site in manunggul cave
of Tabon Cave at Lipuun Point at Palawan dating from 890-710 B.C.

3|Page
Week 1-2

Maitum Jar (Metal Age: 190 BC to 500 AD)

In 1991, the National Museum archaeological

team discovered anthropomorphic secondary burial
jars in Ayud Cave, Barangay Pinol, Maitum, Sarangani
Province, Mindanao, Philippines.

Surigao gold objects’ date stamp could be placed

in the span of the 10 th to the 13th centuries, A.D., pre-
Hispanic era. Source:https://explora.ph/attraction/635/maitum-
burial-jars

SPANISH COLONIAL ART PERIOD

Introduces formal Painting, Sculpture and Architecture which was inspired by the
byzantine, Gothic, Baroque and Rococo art styles

 Most artworks are Religions (Catholic) based

 Artworks bear the Philippines themed décor even with Spanish influence

Byzantine Painting Style: Attributed to Maître à la Ratière, Battle of Marignano, 1515

Is generally characterized by a move away from

the naturalism of the Classical tradition towards the
more abstract and universal, there is a definite
preference for two-dimensional representations, and
those artworks which contain a religious message
predominate.

Byzantine art refers to artistic products of the

Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, as well as the
nations and states that inherited culturally from the
empire. These are more Christian based art. Source:https://www.ancient.eu/Byzanti
ne_Art/

Baroque Aesthetics:

Cathedral Church of Saint Mary in Murcia, Spain

Filipino interpretation: Miagao Church also known as the Sto. Tomas de Villanueva
Parish Church Miagao, Iloilo, Philippines

The Baroque is often thought of as a period of

artistic style that used exaggerated motion and clear
easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension,
exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting,
architecture, literature, dance, theater, and music.

The Baroque style of art, music, and literature is

the most defining or memorable style of the
Seventeenth Century, when the Reformation and
Counter-Reformation were most intense, but its use or
application to art of the time is not automatic or

universal. ... Some Baroque qualities appear in Puritan writers.

4|Page
Week 1-2

Rococo Art

Rococo painting, which originated in early 18th

century Paris, is characterized by soft colors and curvy
lines, and depicts scenes of love, nature, amorous
encounters, light-hearted entertainment, and youth.
The word “rococo” derives from rocaille, which is
French for rubble or rock. Rocaille refers to the shell-
work in garden grottoes and is used as a descriptive
word for the serpentine patterns seen in the Decorative
Arts of the Rococo period.

Gothic art

The painting, sculpture, and architecture characteristic of the second of two great
international eras that flourished in western and central Europe during the Middle Ages.
Gothic art evolved from Romanesque art and lasted from the mid-12th century to as late as
the end of the 16th century in some areas.

The term Gothic was coined by classicizing

Italian writers of the Renaissance, who attributed the
invention (and what to them was the nonclassical
ugliness) of medieval architecture to the barbarian
Gothic tribes that had destroyed the Roman Empire
and its classical culture in the 5th century CE.

The term retained its derogatory overtones until

the 19th century, at which time a positive critical
revaluation of Gothic architecture took place.

Uprising of the Philippine Artist

In the formation of the elite Filipino class, the Ilustrado paved way for the rich locals to
study abroad. In that case, a more “academic” and “western” approach has been learned.

 The Filipino Classicism is formed that borrows the Neoclassicism, Romanticism and
even a hint of Impressionism


Father of Filipino Painting: DAMIAN DOMINGO

First Filipino to paint his face, the first Self-Portrait

in the Philippines

 Damián Domingo y Gabor was the father of

Philippine painting. Domingo established the
official Philippine art academy in his residence
in Tondo in 1821

 Founder of the Academia de Dibujo y Pintura, the first school of drawing in the
Philippines (1821)
 One of the known artists of the decorative art illustrations tipos del pais watercolor
paintings that depict local costumes. It also became an album of different native
costumes.

5|Page
Week 1-2

Juan Luna y Novicio

was a Filipino painter, sculptor and a political

activist of the Philippine Revolution during the late
19th century.

 His Spoliarium won the gold medal in the

1884 Madrid Exposition of Fine Arts

Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo

 One of the greatest Filipino painters along

with fellow painter Juan Luna in the 19th
century
 His work has a touch of Romanticism and aesthetics of the Neoclassicism.

Two Filipino Art Style developed during the Spanish Era

 Miniaturismo art style that pays attention to the embroidery and texture of the
costume.
 Letras y Figuras art style that fuses letters with figures in every day activity amidst a
common background. Usually used in painting a patron’s full name.

AMERICAN COLONIAL ART PERIOD (1898-1946)

The American brought in Education and Values Formation, with both following the
“American way of life” (Alice Guillermo, Sining Biswal, 1994, p. 4)

 Art Illustration, Advertising and Commercial Design gained popularity and

incorporated in Fine Arts.
 Painting themes still largely favored Genre Paintings, Landscapes and Still Life.
Portraits are reserved for high ranking officials with a more academic approach to
make the subject more formal.

Popular Art Style during the Philippine American Colonial Period

 Neoclassicism in Architecture: The White House

 Neoclassicism in Philippine Architecture: Manila City Hall
 Art Deco in Architecture Chrysler Building
 Art Deco in Philippine Architecture Metropolitan Theater
 Art Nouveau in Architecture Old England building built in Art Nouveau style. Musée
des instruments de musique – Bruxelles
 Art Nouveau in Philippine Architecture Uy-Chaco Building

Decorative Arts

Decorative arts, also known as decorative crafts, are artworks that are both
aesthetically pleasing and functional. While the fine arts are primarily concerned with
beauty and aesthetic, the decorative arts are not only beautiful but are useful as well. From
the renaissance up until the twentieth century, many artists in the west consider the
decorative arts as a lower version of art; makers of these artworks were not considered as
artists but rather as craftsmen. This attitude has gradually changed, though there are still
some who believe in the outdated distinction.

6|Page
Week 1-2

There are multitude of examples of decorative arts, most common of which are;

1. Textile art 5. Earthenware

2. Glassware 6. Metal Craft
3. Jewelry 7. Interior design
4. Furniture

Activity 2: Decorative Art Checklist

Direction: Put a check mark (✓) on the line if the term is an example of decorative arts.

________ 1. Great Pyramid of Giza _________ 7. School of Athens

________ 2. Stained glass window _________ 8. Statue of Liberty
________ 3. Batik _________ 9. Pendant
________ 4. Greek Vase _________ 10. Ivory carving
________ 5. Wood Bench _________ 11. Mosaic
________ 6. Wedding gown _________ 12. Animated Movie
_________ 13. Newspaper Advertisement

NOTABLE ARTIST
FABIAN DELA ROSA

Fabian de la Rosa (May 5, 1869- December 14,

1937) was the brightest name in Philippine painting
after Luna and certainly the leading master of genre in
the first quarter of the century. Particularly noted for
being an outstanding painter of women’s portraits,
alongside Juan Luna and his nephews, Pablo and
Fernando Amorsolo. Source:http://www.artesdelasfilipinas.com/
archives/30/master-of-genre-fabian-cueto-
de-la-rosa-1869-1937-

FERNANDO AMORSOLO

The country had its first National Artist in

Fernando C. Amorsolo. The official title “Grand Old
Man of Philippine Art” was bestowed on Amorsolo
when the Manila Hilton inaugurated its art center on
January 23, 1969, with an exhibit of a selection of his
works. Returning from his studies abroad in the
1920s, Amorsolo developed the backlighting technique
that became his trademark were figures, a cluster of
leaves, a spill of hair, the swell of breast, are seen
aglow on canvas. This light, Nick Joaquin opines, is
the rapture of a sensualist utterly in love with the
Source: https://ncca.gov.ph/about-
earth, with the Philippine sun, and is an accurate culture-and-arts/culture-
expression of Amorsolo’s own exuberance. His citation profile/national-artists-of-the-
philippines/fernando-amorsolo/
underscores all his years of creative activity which
have “defined and perpetuated a distinct element of
the nation’s artistic and cultural heritage”.

7|Page
Week 1-2

GUILLERMO TOLENTINO

Tolentino's works include the University of the

Philippines (UP) Oblation and the landmark Andres
Bonifacio monument in Kalookan City.

Tolentino received national recognition for his

work on the Bonifacio Monument, now a major
landmark of Kalookan City. His winning design of the
monument featured an obelisk with a bird of freedom
perched atop of it. Around the monument's base stand
life-size figures of members of the Katipunan led by Source:https://kahimyang.com/ka
Bonifacio.Tolentino also designed the medals for the uswagan/articles/1244/today-in-
philippine-history-july-24-1890-
Ramon Magsaysay Awards as well as the seal of the guillermo-tolentino-was-born-in-
Republic of the Philippines. malolos-bulacan

CONTEMPORARY ART’S CHARACTERISTICS

Contemporary art as the work of artists who are living in the 21st century.

 Contemporary art mirrors contemporary culture and society, offering the general
audience a rich resource through which to consider current ideas and rethink the
familiar.
 The work of contemporary artists is a dynamic combination of materials, methods,
concepts, and subjects that challenges traditional boundaries and defies easy
definition.
 Diverse and eclectic, contemporary art is distinguished by the very lack of a uniform
organizing principle, ideology, or ism. "In a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and
technologically advancing world, contemporary artists give voice to the varied and
changing cultural landscape of identity, values, and beliefs.
 Contemporary audiences play an active role in the process of constructing meaning
about works of art. Some artists often say that the viewer contributes to or even
completes the artwork by contributing his or her personal reflections, experiences
and opinions.

Altermodernism is an attempt at
contextualizing art made in today's global context as a
reaction against standardization and commercialism.

Artists are looking for a new modernity that

would be based on translation. Today, the translation
of cultural values of cultural groups and the
connection of those values to the world network are
very essential. This “reloading process” of modernism
according to the twenty-first-century issues could be
called altermodernism, a movement connected to the
creolisation of cultures and the fight for autonomy, but https://www.metamute.org/editorial/ar
ticles/altermodern-movement-or-
also the possibility of producing singularities in a more
marketing
and more standardized world.

8|Page
Week 1-2

 Altermodern can essentially be read as an artist working in a hypermodern world or

with “supermodern” ideas or themes.

The title of the Tate Britain's fourth Triennial exhibition last 2009 curated by Nicolas
Bourriaud

The Tate exhibition includes a series of four one-day events (called "Prologues"),
aiming to "introduce and provoke debate" around the Triennial’s themes. Each Prologue
includes lectures, performances, film and a manifesto text and attempts to define what the
curator sees as the four main facets of Altermodern

1. The end of postmodernism

2. Cultural hybridisation
3. Travelling as a new way to produce forms
[clarification needed]
4. The expanding formats of arts

Visual Arts
It is a term used to describe a wide array of artistic disciplines that are appreciated
primarily through sight. Visual arts include the different art forms and disciplines such as
fine arts, decorative arts, and contemporary arts.

 Forms perceived by the eyes

 Known as spatial arts because it is an art form that occupy space
 Includes: Painting, Sculpture and Architecture
Graphic Arts
 Visual art forms with length and width known as two-dimensional arts (2D Art)
 Flat art can be seen on flat surface example: billboards and advertisement in
magazine and print ads (commercial arts), painting, printing, drawing, sketching,
mechanical processes, computer graphics and photography

Contemporary Art Forms

It is defined as the art of today. These are the artworks that are produced in the
present. Today's artists work in and respond to a global environment that is culturally
diverse, technologically advancing, and multifaceted. Below are some of the contemporary
art forms;

 Assemblage - is an artistic form or medium usually created on a defined substrate

that consists of three-dimensional elements projecting out of or from the substrate. It
is similar to collage, a two-dimensional medium.
 Collage - is a technique of art creation, primarily used in the visual arts, but in
music too, by which art results from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating
a new whole.
 Installation - is an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-
specific and designed to transform the perception of a space.
 Performance Art - is an artwork or art exhibition created through actions executed
by the artist or other participants. It may be live, through documentation,
spontaneously or written, presented to a public in a Fine Arts context, traditionally
interdisciplinary.

9|Page
Week 1-2

 Digital Art - is an artistic work or practice that uses digital technology as part of the
creative or presentation process. (e.g., dynamic painting, digital photography, pixel
art2D/3D graphics, Etc.)
 Land Art – variously known as earth art is art that is 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.
 Conceptual Art - also referred to as conceptualism, is art in which the concept or
idea involved in the work take precedence over traditional aesthetic, technical, and
material concerns.

Performing arts

Performing arts refers to

forms of art in which artists
use their voices, bodies or
inanimate objects to convey
artistic expression. It is
different from visual arts,
which is when artists use
paint, canvas or various
materials to create physical or Source: https://media1.britannica.com/eb-media/71/126371-004-D108BDA9.jpg
static art objects.

When artists use their voices and/or their body movements to communicate artistic
expression, it is considered an example of performing arts. Performing arts come in many
kinds, but all are meant to be enacted in front of a live audience.

Performing arts are often categorized into three types: Music, dance, and theater.

1. Music
It is an art concerned with combining vocal or instrumental sounds for beauty of
form or emotional expression, usually according to cultural standards of rhythm,
melody, and, in most Western music, harmony. (e.g Art Music, Pop music, Traditional
music, etc.,)
2. Dance
The movement of the body in a rhythmic way, usually to music and within a given
space, for the purpose of expressing an idea or emotion, releasing energy, or simply
taking delight in the movement itself. Dance is a powerful impulse, but the art of
dance is that impulse channeled by skillful. (e.g., Ballet, Hiphop, breakdance,
contemporary dance, modern dance, etc.)

3. Theater
an art concerned almost exclusively with live performances in which the action is
precisely planned to create a coherent and significant sense of drama. (e.g., Mime,
puppetry, tragedy, Opera, etc.)

10 | P a g e
Week 1-2

Activity 3. Answer the discussion questions.

1. How can you infer the birth of various contemporary art forms in our country?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
______________________

2. How can you advocate our various contemporary art forms from different regions?

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
______________________

3. How will you show appreciation to the various contemporary art form in our country?

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

11 | P a g e
Week 1-2

PRACTICE
Activity 4. Analyze the following visual art forms. Answer the succeeding columns. Refer to
Rubrics attached to this module for grading points.

Contemporary Art Category Symbolism Significance

12 | P a g e
Week 1-2

EVALUATION
Direction: Multiple Choice: Write the letter (in Capital) of the best answer on the space
provided before the number.

_____1. The movement of the body in a rhythmic way, usually to music and within a
given space, for the purpose of expressing an idea or emotion, releasing energy,
or simply taking delight in the movement itself.
A. Audio-Visual Arts B. Dance C. Literary Arts D. Visual Arts
_____2. refers to forms of art in which artists use their voices, bodies or inanimate
objects to convey artistic expression.
A. Literary Arts B. Visual Arts C. Performing Arts D. Art
_____3. Which of the following is the BEST example of graphic arts?
A. Poem B. Photograph C. 3D Art D. Farce
____4. Which of the following is the known as the pre-colonial art?
A. Handicraft B.Ceramics C. Clay D.Tattoo
____5. Variously known as earth art is art that is made directly in the landscape,
sculpting the land itself into earthworks
A. Contemporary Arts B. Land Art C. Graphic Design D. Architecture
____6. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the pre-colonial art form?
A. Religious symbols B. Animistic C. Baroque D. Trader’s influences
____7. During the Neolithic era, shells were fashioned into tools as well as ornaments.
The oldest known ornaments made from cone shell were found in 1960 in the
grave of an adult male in a cave. Where do these ornaments can be found?
A. Palawan B. Cagayan C. Sgagada D. Zambales
____8. Also referred to as conceptualism, is art in which the concept or idea involved in
the work take precedence over traditional aesthetic, technical, and material
concerns.
A. Alter modernism B. Neorealism C. Postmodernism D. Contemporary
___9. Which of the following is NOT a popular art style during the Philippine Colonial
American period?
A. Manila City Hall B. Cultural Center of the Philippines
C. National Museum D. Metropolitan Theater
13 | P a g e
Week 1-2

___10. Who is known as the father of the Filipino painting? He is also the first Filipino to
paint his face, the first self-portrait in the Philippines.
A. Juan Luna B. Felix Hidalgo C. Jose Rizal D. Damian Domingo

ENRICHMENT
Direction: Answer the following questions. Refer to Rubrics attached to this module for
grading points.

1. What contemporary art form classification is the most prevalent art form in our
country and why?

_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

2. What is the importance of the contemporary art form classification in today’s society?

_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

3. What are the advantages in learning the different art forms in the Philippines?

_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

Illustration and Content

10 pts The illustration shows an extraordinary concept. The composition is

focused and is rich in details.

8 pts The illustration shows a clear concept. The composition is focused and
is rich in details.

5 pts The illustration shows a little concept. The composition is focused but
gives few details.

1 pt The illustrations shows no concept. The composition is not focused and

14 | P a g e
Week 1-2

no details.

Rubrics for all

References
Book:
Thaddeus, E., (2017). Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions. Fastbook Educational
Supply, Manila, Philippines
Ganzon, Carlo Luis C. (Arch.) 2018. Contemporary Arts of the Philippines. Phoenix Publishing
House. Quezon City, Philippines
Website:
https://www.slideshare.net/mobile/wilfreddextertanedo/philippine-art-history-
67264203
https://www.scribd.com/presentation/392643616/Contemporary-Philippine-Arts-
from-the-Regions-Lesson-1

15 | P a g e
Week 1-2

16 | P a g e