Acosta,Zeke July 2022

Madonna of the Slums by Victor Manansala

Madonna of the slum is a picture of Victor Manansara. It is a contemporary art depicting a

woman with a child in an urban slum. This is an art that captures the socio-economic status of the

locals after World War II. It was a time when urban areas like Manila prospered, and as with the

Battle of Stalingrad, Manila was destroyed without sufficient funding. The slums will be part of it.

(McFerson, 2002). This can also be interpreted today without historical context. It captures the

socio-economic status of a rural woman migrating to the city in search of a better life, but her luck

takes her to the slums. In it, she's fed up and seems uncertain whether she's making the right

decision.
 According to Akmaliah, the painting was inspired by the brown Madonna of Garoocampo. A

work of art inspired by Raphael's iconic Madonna. In it, it shows Mary holding the baby Jesus.

However, Ocampo localized it by portraying Mary as a brown-skinned Malay (Austronesian)

woman. This was a hijacking by nationalists at the time to express the identity of Filipinos different

from the West. In contrast, Manasara made the painting more realistic for the average Filipino, and

his distinction cannot be said that Mary is holding his baby. Therefore, it is not worshiped as a

sacred painting. Unlike the popular Madonna, who is not properly dressed and shows no emotions

or joy, Mary and women are scared. She lives in slums, not in peaceful or holy places. Besides, the

kids are the same. He does not comfort his mother, or his expression shows fear.

Manansala’ Madonna can be said to be an original art piece because it challenges the

conventional wisdom that Mary has always been wealthy when she gave birth. Contrarily, This is

still being debated whether she was poor or not. The only close painting where there is a depiction

of Mary being poor is by the painting of Roberto Fuzzi. But that painting at first sight fails to capture

where Madonna was poor.

Manan Sala Madonna can be called an original work of art because it challenges the

traditional knowledge that Mary was always wealthy when she was born. In contrast, it is still

debated whether she was poor. The only nearby painting of poor Mary is Roberto Fuzzi's painting.

However, this painting does not seem to capture Madonna's poverty. The title of the word

"Madonna" is an interesting selection of words by Manansara. By that definition, it has three

meanings. The first is Mary, the mother of Jesus. As discussed above, it is an important painting of

Christian art. There are different variations by different artists. Therefore, when creating slum

madonna, some contemporary artists represent different objects with the same concept; Madonna

of the bamboo, and Madonna of the well.

 The second is that Madonna is called for an Ideal woman that a man wants to seek. In

which it can be a positive that they seek for a woman who can care for their children, she is morally

pure even if her surrounding area is awful. It can be also interpreted in a negative aspect due to

being poor, the ideal woman being in the slums is different from the people who live in comfort.

While the last definition can be interpreted from the Queen of Pop, Madonna, the singer is

famous for her song Material Girl. The latter is a song about a woman living in the comfort of having

all the things she desires, Independent from material constraint. While contrary to this, the woman

in the painting lacks all the material things needed for her better life. She is not independent, she

cannot be assured that she can provide security for her child.
 Gadgets by Cesar Legaspi

The artwork Gadgets was made by one of the pioneers of art in the country – Cesar Legaspi,

awarded as a National Artist for Visual Arts in 1990. He was well-known as a great Neo-Realist

artist who created great influence in the culture of arts here in the Philippines. Legaspi was known

to have a distinct style to which he portrays his art pieces with bold colors. His style also uses

various art styles like the geometric style of painting which sets his pieces aside from other works.

Legaspi is also one of the artists who became the gateway in the acceptance of modern art in the

Philippines.
 Carlos Legaspi is one of the artists who became part of the 13 Moderns. The 13 Moderns are

a group of Filipino artists, hand-picked by art historians, that paved the pathway of modern art in

the country, to which the Philippines is known for having the longest traditions of Modern Art in

the continent. Other artists in this group are the famous Carlos “Botong” Francisco, Victorio Edades,

and many more talented artists. This has become a tradition and institutional award for CCP,

Cultural Center of the Philippines, to award 13 great artists who, in CCP’s criteria, hovered away

from traditional art making and instead showed great potential in modern art.

Legaspi was known to belong to the era of post-war artists wherein the country was

undergoing a transitional period after World War II. Post WWII is known to be the birth of the

industrialization period. After World War II and also the independence of the Philippines from the

USA, came the need for rapid rehabilitation of the country both politically and in terms of

infrastructure. Among many of Carlos Legaspi’s masterpieces, Gadgets is one of the most prominent

and well-known. Gadgets were made by Legaspi during 1947. This artwork shows bright and bold

colors which lean more towards red, black, and green. This artwork portrays men as machines or

men turning into machines. This can be seen as a depiction of the birth of the industrialization

period in our country to which there has been threats of people working like machines, hence,

gadgets. This artwork is known to hold such tremendous power and influence in our society both in

the past and especially in the present.

From a standpoint, this artwork has given relevant interpretation in the modernization of

society. This shows the shift of human labor to machine-processed labor. While this may show

great effects and positive interpretations, this may also show a rather
saddening reality in the perspective of humans. It is true that machines have become a necessity to

humans, and it is to an extent that we can no longer live without them. Factories and

establishments are in need of such machines and gadgets to quicken their production as there is

also rapid increase in the demand of the needs of the people. With the rapid increase of product

consumption, be it food or objects, there is a need for increase in production of these products as

well, in which machines and gadgets can be supplied. Machine-powered labor is as strong and

faster compared to human labor. This can also be seen in the ideology of fast-food restaurants as

the lives and lifestyle of humans are also quickening in pace – quick meals as lunch breaks are also

short and businessmen may have a meeting in 15 minutes. These fast-food restaurants need the aid

of machines to match the pace of their customers.

Truly, great positive effects to humans, but it still has its negative side. Increase in machine-

intensive labor would decrease the need for human physical labor that would constitute lesser

available jobs. If the packaging of products used to need at least ten laborers, that would then be

lessened to only five laborers as the company might have purchased a packaging machine that

could package three products in a minute. This is why people have become rather unaccepting with

machines during the industrial period as most have lost their jobs and had difficulty finding jobs

due to them.

We can also relate this to the persistent presence of smartphones in the lives of people. We

can see that there is a rapid shift in the lives of the society as everything can be packed inside this

small device. Restaurants have fewer dine-in customers as it can be ordered online through

applications inside their smartphones. E-books can also be bought instead of physical books

which shows the declining need for printing presses. Another

related issue with the latter is the decline of usage of newspapers. We can see that there are little to

no individuals who purchase newspapers from stalls as the news can be seen through numerous

news and tabloid websites. This shows how even an almost 73-year-old artwork shows relevance

in this day and age. It is admirable how Carlos Legaspi was able to grasp this prospective idea of

machines’ role in the lives of humans. Truly, Gadgets was able to grasp the society in which it was

made. This also shows the power of art, the power to depict and illustrate the lives of the

community, the world. Most people are ignorant of how powerful this art piece is as it opens the

eyes of those who truly see what has become of the society and it is up to them whether they see it

in a brighter light or through the dark eyes of those truly affected.

 Camote Diggers By Carlos “Botong Francisco”

Camote diggers were painted by one of the known National Artists for painting, Carlos V.

Francisco or also known by his nickname Botong. Camote or sweet potato is one of the famous

crops here in the Philippines, it is one of the foreign crops introduced to our country from Mexico

during the 16th century. Camote is a root vegetable harvested underground, as Francisco depicted

in his recently controversial work “Camote Diggers” (Ocampo, 2019). This painting was based on

Vincent van Gogh’s Potato Eaters. However, the painting was left unfinished due to Francisco dying

after a heart attack in 1969. Camote Diggers became an important piece with sentimental reasons

as for its historical reasons and how Francisco illustrates his working methods and creative

process.
 According to Ocampo, Francisco illustrates an old woman and a young man digging for

camote due to poverty, also as you can see at the painting the red, white and blue on the left portion

of the painting references to our Philippine Flag an implication to our miserable republic. The

painting was stored inside Botong’s studio until 1973, then it was gifted by Francisco’s widow to

our former president Ferdinand Marcos and Imelda Marcos. This painting was considered as one of

the most expensive Filipino paintings to date, it was sold for roughly PhP 22,192,000 in 2017. My

first thought of this painting was negativity since it depicts two individuals working hard to dig

camotes(Stephanie, 2019). Digging camotes as their main income sources and at the same time

could be their food for daily needs. The question that first comes up to our idea is why? Are they

suffering due to the system of our government? Is the government not doing anything to fight

against poverty? This could be the negative side of this painting; it depicts the victim mentality of

an individual.

This artwork may also portray the pertinent presence of poverty in the Philippines wherein

this has been an ongoing issue for Filipinos both in the past and in the present. Camote can be

considered as cheap food that can be purchased by the masses. Seeing that both the woman and the

child were tattered clothes and the color scheme can be somewhat emotional and saddening, with

red and blue hues, we can see that the focus of this artwork may be the situation of the two

individuals portrayed. This masterpiece may also portray the never-ending will to survive of

Filipinos in any given situation. Despite the poverty-stricken situation of the woman and child, they

seem to continue to dig for food – for survival. Filipinos are known to be hardworking in difficult

times and this is evident in this portrait.

 However there is also a positive illustration of this painting, it is that despite being poverty-

stricken it is still possible to achieve our dreams and improve our livelihood. We can’t deny that

everyone started from nothing, that is why we need to strive, there is nothing wrong with digging

camotes from the ground. It became their primary source of food and income; it is better to dig

some camotes from the ground rather than do something that is against the law (Stephanie,2019).

This painting is truly meaningful and powerful, it illustrates the reality of how Filipinos

suffer from poverty. It also shows how an individual strives for their livelihood, it doesn’t matter if

you don’t have a job as long as you have your own strategy, as long as you have soil to plant with

some crops as a way to earn money and to have something to eat. But if we will ask the painter

whose soil are these individuals using? It still wouldn't matter because a Pinoy wherever they go, as

long as the individual knows the difference between right or wrong they will find a way to live, they

will find a way to earn money, and they will find a way to survive and afford to live. If we will

compare it to our present day there are lots of Filipino are earning money even though without a

farm to harvest, some Filipinos these days are earning through internet, even teenagers are earning

a lot of money just by playing video games through these days there are lot of improvements

because of technology. We can’t deny that every person started from nothing then to something. If

we focus on why do we suffer from poverty, then we won’t be able to escape from those reality

because all we needed is to act and strive for our dreams.

 The Builders by Victorio Edades

One of the famous artworks that gained recognition and has become one of the collections

of the Cultural Center of the Philippines is “The Builders” by Victorio Edades. However, there had

been contradicting views about the painting since numerous people had been interested in

Amorsolo’s style of picturesque scenes, which is the opposite theme of the artworks of Edades. The

use of heavy brushstrokes, dark scenes, and dark figures made his artworks the opposite of a

picturesque scenario that everyone was used to seeing. Nonetheless, Edades continued with his

style of painting as he wanted to emphasize the importance of self-expression (Santos, 2014).

Finally, Victorio Edades paved the way for modernism as he led the revolutionary Thirteen

Moderns and was referred to as the Father of Modern Art in the Philippines (Camiling, 2017).

In 1928, Victorio Edades went back to the Philippines with one goal in mind - to change the

art scene that is pre-existing in the country. With this, he launched an exhibit at the Philippine

Columbian Club in Ermita, Manila. One of the paintings included in the show is his masterpiece -

The Builders (Victorio Edades, Father of Philippine Modern Art, 2006). The painting is, in fact, his

Master’s Thesis, which emphasized linear and structural

composition that portrayed the essence of men engaged in labor and the complexities of human

bodies (CCP Visual Arts, 2014). The Builders, the most controversial painting of Edades, was made

of heavy texture with a dark background. The nude builders and the dark color represent progress.

It was interpreted that despite having peers or co-workers around, you still work alone. The

painting portrayed the dark side of progress and industrialization where men or laborers do not

get enough credit and gratification for the work they did - let alone enter the places they built

(Galeria De Rojo, 2012).

The builders reconnected the viewers to their own emotions and thoughts by showing the

dark reality that they were currently facing. Edades made use of different techniques to portray and

give meaning to the symbolism of the painting. He used heavy brushstrokes in the elements of the

painting - symbolizing pain and burden. Furthermore, the rough texture in his painting looked like

a wound that is about to burst (Galeria De Rojo, 2012). This gesture made the viewers connect to

what Edades was trying to point out in his painting - that these anonymous men at work are also a

victim of progress and industrialization. It may not have been a picturesque painting, but one

cannot ignore the deep meaning that the painting tried to depict.

Creating an artwork that would encompass all these elements and connecting it into a

viewer’s imagination is truly a remarkable piece of work. Edades proved that his masterpiece, The

Builders, is worthy of a collection in the Cultural Center of the Philippines. The deep meaning

behind each stroke made people connect with the current society they all lived in - a dark reality

where men work for hours a day without receiving just compensation and recognition. Sadly, the

painting is an embodiment of what workers have to experience all day - individualism and

anonymity. They had to work alone to finish their

tasks, unlike in bayanihan scenarios where people would work together. Also, the painting shows

anonymous men in labor, which means that no matter what efforts they had to put through in their

work, they would still not gain recognition at the end of the day.

Ultimately, The Builders had an extraordinary theme that portrays the suffering and

exclusions of men - one of the most common themes in the works of other modernists. The painting

allowed individuals to experience Edades’ work without having to abandon their thoughts and

feelings. To recognize his efforts in promoting modernism in the country, he was recognized as a

National Artist in 1976 (Benesa, n.d.). Truly, Victorio Edades, along with his artwork had been a

great contribution in the era of modernism. He was a prominent figure in the evolution of art in the

Philippines as his paintings became an extension of reality and imagination, which made the human

soul tangible.
 Angry Man by Ang Kiukok

Angry Man's paintings were created by the famous Filipino painter Angry Kok, known for

his expressive cubic artwork and illustrations with strong symbolism. He was born on March 1,

1931 in Davao City, Philippines. He liked energetic and disturbing themed subjects such as fighting

roosters and aggressively behaving pets. Most of his chilling artwork was created during the

oppressive dictatorship of the late President Ferdinand Marcos.

In the year of 1982, he painted the Angry Man, in which we could see a man without clothes

raising his middle finger and shouting in frustration. It portrays an image filled with so much rage,

sadness, and sorrow. The color yellow in the painting represents hope that was stained with some

dirt. His eyes were filled with white which serves as a symbolic figure as if he was completely

blinded by pure and absolute anger. The empty hole in his stomach could probably signify his

extreme hunger for freedom. And lastly, his clenched fist symbolizes his strengths as if he is ready

to strike anyone. The intense portrayal of this painting is to show the artist’s true feelings during

the martial law, under the administration of Ferdinand Marcos.

The main message behind the Angry Man painting is that Kiukok wants us to open our

eyes, look at our surroundings, and have some time to reflect on how brutal the regime of President

Marcos was. Martial law is considered as one of the darkest chapters of Philippine history. It

includes the violation of human rights under its military rule, political rights were eliminated

during that time, and the suspension of civil laws, civil rights, and
 habeas corpus. There are no words that could ever describe the insanity and misery painted in this

canvas.

Anger is a common emotional problem that usually occurs in connection with stress. The point of Ang

Kiukok is that perception dominates the reaction. Certainly there are situations that upset us and

always remember that it's okay to get angry. Because it is a skill that helps us protect ourselves. You

can release your anger and frustration with a cry. You can yell at someone or raise your middle finger

if you feel better, but always keep in mind that you are painting your color in the realm of someone's

life.
 References

Benesa, L. (n.d.). Victorio Edades. National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Retrieved March

29, 2022, from

https://ncca.gov.ph/about-ncca-3/subcommissions/subcommission-on-the-arts-sc

a/visual-arts/victorio-edades/

Camiling, A. Z. (2017, December 24). Remembering The Father of Philippine Modern Art:

Edades' 122nd. Metro.Style.

https://metro.style/culture/art-theater/remembering-the-father-of-ph-modern-art

-edades-1/7650

CCP Visual Arts. (2014, October 13). CCP Visual Arts.

https://ccp-visualarts.tumblr.com/post/99901862191/mga-konstruktor-1928-the-

builders-1928

Galeria de Rojo. (2012, May 14). Galeria de Rojo.

https://galeriaderojo-blog-blog.tumblr.com/post/23020150328/victorio-c-edades- the-

builders-oil-on-canvas#.YkJCQzdBxNs

Santos, J. (2014, January 21). Artist:Victorio Edades Painting: The Builders. Arts.

http://arttistik.blogspot.com/2014/01/6-artistvictorio-edades-painting.html

Victorio Edades, father of Philippine modern art. (2006, March 5). WebRTC World.

https://www.webrtcworld.com/news/2006/03/05/1429592.htm

McFerson, Hazel M., editor. Mixed Blessing: The Impact of the American Colonial Experience on

Politics and Society in the Philippines. Greenwood Press, 2002.

Akmaliah, W. (2012). Remembering the Legacies of the Marcos Dictatorship: The Formation of

Historical Memory and the Struggle for Justice in the Post-Marcos Period.

ResearchGate. Retrieved from

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292970625_Remembering_the_Legacies

_of_the_Marcos_Dictatorship_The_Formation_of_Historical_Memory_and_the_Struggl

e_for_Justice_in_the_Post-Marcos_Period

Social Terrorism: Painted. Retrevied June 16, 2019 from

https://socialbridger.com/social-terrorism-painted/

Hildawa, S. (2003). Thirteen Artists and an Award. Retrieved from: Thirteen Artists and an Award

| Philstar.com

National Commission for Culture and the Arts (u.d). Order of National Artists: Cesar

Legaspi. Retrieved from: Order of National Artists: Cesar Legaspi (ncca.gov.ph)

Ocampo, A. (2019). Botong’s ‘Camote Diggers’—ethical questions waiting for answers from

https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/339944/botongs-camote-diggers-ethical-questions-wa iting-

for-answers/

Stephanie, L. (2019). Camote Diggers: Why Is It Both Powerful and Significant. Retrieved

From:https://palabasindapast.wordpress.com/2019/06/10/camote-diggers-why-is

-it-both-powerful-and-significant/