SUMMARY OF CPAR LESSONS (FIRST QUARTER)

Strictly speaking, the term "contemporary art" refers to art made and produced by artists living
today. Today's artists work in and respond to a global environment that is culturally diverse,
technologically advancing, and multifaceted. Working in a wide range of mediums, contemporary
artists often reflect and comment on modern-day society.
Contemporary art is the art of today, produced by artists who are living in the twenty-first
century. Contemporary art provides an opportunity to reflect on contemporary society and the
issues relevant to ourselves, and the world around us. Contemporary artists work in a globally
influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world.
Contemporary performance is hybrid work that integrates text, dance, objects, music, costumes,
lighting, image, sound, sets, and vocal expression into complex interactive systems.
Contemporary Philippine Art is art produced by Filipino artists coming from the different regions
in the Philippines in the 21st century*.
The works reflect cultural diversity, technological advancement, and make use of a wide range of
mediums.
1. Dominant/Mainstream (foreign influenced, industry-driven, technology assisted, oriented for
mass-consumption) ex. Ogie Alcasid, Sarah Geronimo, etc.
2. Alternative (usually social realist and/or advocacy-oriented)
Individuals (ex. Joey Ayala, Grace Nono, Kidlat Tahimik, etc.)
3. Traditional/Indigenous (preserves local traditions) ex. GAMABA awardees – Samaon Sulaiman,
Lang Dulay, etc.

CONTEMPORARY FILIPINO ARTIST

1. Ronald Ventura – Auction sensation- his paintings and sculpture feature a complex
layering of image and styles, symbolic of the multi-faceted national identity of the
Philippines.
2. Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan – their work speaks of community, personal experience,
memory, displacement, and emotional, psychological effects of migration.
3. Mark Salvastus – his work deals with familiar objects, chance encounters, and everyday
politics, using media such as drawings, installations, photography, video, and street art in
interactive and participatory projects.
4. Pacita Abad – Philippine-American painter born in Basco, Batanes who created over 4,
500 artworks and her paintings were exhibited in more than 200 museums and galleries
around the world.
 5. Elmer Borlongan – is a prominent contemporary Filipino painter best known for his
distinctive use of figurative expressionism and became one of the Thirteen Artist
Awardees.
6. Manuel Ocampo – composes his paintings using motifs from popular western
iconography, religious symbols, art history and literature.
7. Brenda Fajardo – most of her works carry strong historical and nationalist themes as well
as depict folk and mythological tales.
8. Lordy Rodriguez – is a contemporary artist who uses cartography and maps to reconfigure
factual locations and create fictional assemblage pieces.
9. Ana Fer – has done numerous illustrations, posters, paintings, and installations with
sociopolitical and feminist themes.

Filipino Painters
1. Fernando Amorsolo – “Grand Old man of Philippine Art” – First National Artist in Painting
(1972) – known for his illuminated landscapes, which often portrayed traditional Filipino
customs, culture, fiestas and occupations.
2. Carlos “Botong” Francisco – one of the greatest Filipino visual artists and muralist
recognized as a Philippine National Artist in 1973.
3. Vicente Manansala – His signature style is based on Cubism, but rather than breaking
down figure, shows them through transparent angular forms.
4. Victorio Edades – “Father of the Modern Art in the Philippines” and named National Artist
in 1976.
5. Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo -he is acknowledged as one of the great Filipino painters of
the late 19th century. His artworks included Laguna Estigia, Young Filipina, A Lady in the
Moonlight and Self Portrait.
6. Fabian Dela Rosa – He is regarded as a “master of genre” in Philippine art and was given
the Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan by the City of Manila in 1968.
7. Juan Luna – A Filipino painter, sculptor and political activist of the Philippine Revolution
during the late 19th century. He became one of the first recognized Philippine artists and
his artworks included Spoliarium and Planting Rice.
8. Ang Kiukok – a leading Filipino painter and national Artist for Visual Arts who first attined
in the Philippine arts scene in the 1960s with a distinct style that fused influences from
cubism, surrealism and expressionism.
9. Anita Magsaysay-Ho -she was the only female member of the Thirteen Moderns, a
standing group of Filipino artists and in 1958 was chosen by a panel of experts at the six
major painters of the country.
Subject Matter and Styles in Contemporary Arts
1. Abstract expressionism -expresses emotions and feelings in a spontaneous way
2. Kinetic art -is a sculpture that moves with the wind or is powered by a machine or electricity
3. Op art- uses lines or images repeatedly to create an optical illusion
4. Performance art - combines a variety of media and the human body to execute an artistic
theatrical expression before a live audience.
5. Environment art- involves the artistic creation or manipulation of space such as landscape or
architectural design that may enclose its audience.
6. Feminist art - emerged from concerns of female artists expressed through art
7. Minimalism - had a stripped-down, pre-fabricated look, free of details and often with flat
surface but expresses a specific content or statement.
8. Video art - consists of images that are recorded through a video and viewed through television
computer, or projection screen
9. Graffiti art - is a drawing, inscription or sketch done hastily on a wall or other surface made to
be seen by the public
10. Postmodern art - carries modern styles to extreme practices, often expressing an idea
through a mix of materials such as found objects welded together
11. Body art - uses the body as the medium or main material
12. Digital art - is done with the aid of computer to create an image or design composed of bits
and bytes.

Materials Used in Contemporary Art

1. “Chime halo” - is the hanging bamboo chimes that create when blown by the wind done
by Cavite- born artist Impy Pilapil
2. “Project Belonging” - Los Baños, Laguna artists Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan’s Project
Belonging gathered used objects, clothes, personal accessories and many other things
and compress them into cube-shapes.
3. Paper - Paper is an art medium is also explored by artists like Mona Alcudia of Cebu who
makes solid forms as well as transparent artworks using paper. Paper Bowl Tableware –
made of rolled paper beads
Skills, Techniques and Production in Contemporary Art
1. Collage - is made by adhering flat elements such as newspaper or magazine cut-outs,
printed text, illustrations, photographs, cloth, string, etc. to a flat surface to create a thick
layer that is almost like a relief structure
2. Decalcomania -is the process of applying gouache to paper or glass then transferring a
reversal of that image onto canvas or other flat materials
3. Decoupage - is done by adhering cut-outs of paper and then coating these with one or
more coats or transparent coating of varnish
4. Frottage -is the technique of rubbing with crayon on a piece of paper which has been
placed over an object or an image. The impression of the image can be created using
leaves, wood, wire screen, or metal with embossed image or words.
5. Montage - is used for photography or film where a pictorial image is juxtaposed or place
overlapping to make another picture or design
6. Trapunto - a decorative quilted design in high relief worked through at least two layers of
cloth by outlining the design in running stitch and padding it from the underside

Contemporary Fine Arts in the Philippine Regions

What is two-dimensional art?
 refers to any artwork depicted on a flat surface, typically paintings, sketches, photographs
or prints.
What is three-dimensional art?
 is observed in terms of its height, width and depth. It is not flat like two-dimensional art,
which consists of paintings, drawings and photographs.
 Pottery, architecture and sculpture are examples of three-dimensional art.
Three-dimensional art design is comprised of three main elements: balance, proportion and
rhythm.
1. Balance denotes visual balance, not the actual ability to stand upright.
2. Proportion refers to the various parts of the three-dimensional object. The parts need to
give the appearance of belonging together.
3. Rhythm is the repetition of line or shape within the overall form.
Fine arts require of the artist the mastery of use of material/ medium, technique, and
craftmanship
• Material – designates the physical elements of art such as paint, stone, clay or metal
• Medium- is a characteristic way of using materials for an artistic purpose
 • Technique- is a personal way of using a medium or a material
• Craftsmanship- is the skill of doing what can be done in a medium or a material

GaMaBa Awards (Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan)

• The Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan, or the National Living Treasures Award, is conferred
on Filipinos who are at the forefront of the practice, preservation, and promotion of the
nation’s traditional folk arts.
• Formalized in 1992, through Republic Act No. 7355, the Manlilikha ng Bayan Act.
• The National Commission for the Culture and the Arts oversees its implementation.
• The main objective of the award is to honor and support traditional folk artists and to see
to it that their skills and crafts are preserved.
• The award is tied with a program that ensures the transfer of their skills to new
generations and the promotion of the craft both locally and internationally.
• In 2014, the Senate of the Philippines adopted Senate Resolution No. (SRN) 765 aimed at
recognizing the accomplishments of the country’s living treasures.
Criteria
1. Should be a Filipino citizen or group of citizens belonging to an indigenous / traditional
cultural community anywhere in the Philippines, engaged in Filipino traditional art in the
following categories: folk architecture, maritime transport, weaving, carving, performing
arts, literature, graphic and plastic arts, ornament, textile or fiber art, pottery and other
artistic expressions of traditional culture;
2. Should have been engaged in the tradition and craft for a significant period of time with
at least 50 years of existence and documentation;
3. Should have produced and performed of artistic, distinctive, and superior quality;
4. Should possess mastery of the tools and materials that are needed for the art and must
have a reputation for being an art master and craft maker in the community where he /
she belongs;
5. Should have passed on and/ or will pass on the traditional crafts and skills to other
members of the community by virtue of teaching;
6. In case when a Manlilikha ng Bayan candidate is incapable of teaching further his/ her
craft and skill due to age or infirmity;
a. He / she should have created a significant body of work and has contributed to
the development of the tradition and craft
 – He / she should have played a role in the preservation and revitalization of the
artistic tradition in the community.
– He/ she has been recognized as a master of his / her craft and admired for his
character and integrity in his / her community.

List of Awardees
1. Ginaw Bilog is a Hanunoo Mangyan poet from Mansalay, Oriental
Mindoro. He is considered as a master of the Ambahan poetry. This wisdom is his key to
the understanding of the Mangyan soul. In 1993, he was given the Gawad sa Manlilikha
ng Bayan award.
Ambahan
• is a poetic literary form composed of seven-syllable lines used to convey messages
through metaphors and images.
• The ambahan is sung and its messages range from courtship, giving advice to the young,
asking for a place to stay, saying goodbye to a dear friend and so on.
• Such an oral tradition is common place among indigenous cultural groups but the
ambahan has remained in existence today chiefly because it is etched on bamboo tubes
using ancient Southeast Asian, pre-colonial script called surat Mangyan.

2. Masino Intaray was born near Makagwa Valley. He was a skilled and proficient player of
the basal (gong), aroding (mouth harp), and babarak (ring flute). He was also well-
versed in kulilal (songs) and bagit (vocal music). In 1993, he was given the “Gawad sa
Manlilikha ng Bayan” award.

3. Samaon Sulaiman is a kutyapi master and teacher of his instrument in Libutan and other
barangays of Maganoy town, Mindanao. He is proficient
in kulintang, agong, gandingan, palendag, and tambul. In 1993, he was given the
“Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan” award.

4. Lang Dulay is a T'boli artist from Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. She is considered as a
traditional weaver of "t'nalak" or "tinalak" cloth. Her art is considered excellent because
of the “fine even quality of the yarn, the close interweaving of the warp and weft, the
traditional forms and patterns, the chromatic integrity of the dye, and the consistency of
the finish”
In 1998, she was given the “Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan” award.
5. Salinta Monon was aTagabawa-Bagobo weaver from Bansalan, Davao del Sur. She was
cited for demonstrating the creative and expressive aspects of the Bagobo abaca ikat
weaving called inabal at the time when it was threatened with extinction. In 1998, she
was given the “Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan” award.
6. Alonzo Saclag is a Kalinga master of dance and the performing arts from
Lubuagan, Kalinga. He has also mastered the dance patterns and movements associated
with his people’s ritual. He is the founder of the Kalinga Budong Dance Troupe. In 2000,
he was given the “Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan” award.