11 CPAR Notes

Contemporary Philippine Arts

Video Time!
notes:
reflects the people, history, and tradition of Philippines
has diverse art forms

Ethnic tradition
-influenced by the geographical location and experience of Filipinos
-pagan beliefs and practices of daily activities
-Angono Petroglyphs (127 human and animal figures)
-Manungul Jar (burial jar, signifies life after death)
-Banga (pot dance, grace of Igorot tribe

Spanish Colonial Trad

-influenced by religion and secularization
-propagate the Catholic faith
-Langit, Lupa, at Impyerno (the Heaven crucifixion of Christ)

American Colonial Contemporary Art Tradition

-influenced by education and governance
-modern art practiced led to contemporary art of today
-rise of new technology
-national identity as main theme of modern art
-Making of the Philippine Flag painting (customs of the Filipino)
-Bayanihan (bayanihan tradition)

Contemporary Art
-Cinco Marias (Tres Marias Series)
-Art installation in sand dunes (la milagroso festival, great festivals and festive
celebrations)

Contemporary Art
-art that lives in the present times
-reflects current issues or events
-changes with society
-springs out present-day events and passions of society

Characteristics
-not confined to the museum
-many installation artworks are intended for display only in a particular setting
and for a given span of time
-many artists are self-taught
-in architecture, different shapes and forms have emerged using available materials
-some artists employ the help of fabricators, carpenters, electricians, or welders
in the "construction"
of the artwork
-originality is not an issue
-process of art-making is essential for contemporary artists
-experience is what matters to the artist

Subject Matter
1. Representation of human figure
2. Landscapes
3. Children
4. Women
5. Environment
6. Combination

Over 100 styles in Contemporary Art

Abstract Expressionism
-an art style in which the artist applies paint, for example, in a manner that
expresses emotions and feelings
in a spontaneous way
-the figures can be heavy in lines and color without solid mass

Kinetic Art
-a sculpture that may be moved by wind or powered by a machine or electricity

Op Art
-uses lines or images repeatedly to create an optical illusion

Performance Art
-combines a variety of media and the human body to execute an artistic theatrical
expression
performed before a live audience

Environmental Art
-involves the artistic creation or manipulation of space such as landscape or
architectural design that
may enclose its audience
-earthwork or art using stones, leaves, trees, grass, or other natural elements are
included in the category

Feminist Art
-emerged from concerns of female artists expressed through art
-they tackle issues of identity, sexuality, gender roles, equality, and the ways in
which the female is
treated in society, among others

Minimalism
-has stripped-down, prefabricated look, free of details, and often with flat
surface, but expresses a
specific content or statement
-an example is electric wire emerging from the wall that coils to form a particular
shape

Video Art
-consists of images that are recorded through a video and viewed through
television, computer,
or projection screen

Graffiti Art
-a drawing, inscription, or sketch done hastily on a wall or other surface made to
be seen by the public

Postmodern Art
-carries modern styles to extreme practices, often expressing an idea through a mix
of materials
such as found objects welded together

Body Art
-an art form that uses the body as the medium or main material
-it can be painted or clothed and used for art performance in public
-tattooing and piercing are examples of body art

Digital Art
-done with the aid of computer to create an image or design composed of bits and
bytes
-the image can be printed on paper, tarpaulin or other mediums

Materials used in contemporary art

-items that can be recycled and made into creative forms
-indigenous materials combined with textile and mount on a painted flat surface
-paper
-welded brass mounted on concrete is used a lot in outdoor sculpture
-wood and glass mostly used in indoor sculpture
-paint not only for canvas but on ceilings, walls, and on body
-glass and steel extensively used in architecture
-props such as ropes, plastic, textile and found objects are used in performance
art
-welding for fabrication and building structure
-chemicals such as resin, acid, fiberglass

Technology has redefined art in many ways

-light structures and floor drawing using colored laser beams and smoke
-tube hanging on the ceiling that respond to viewer's movements, sound, and touch
-wall-climbing robot holding paint
-pen controlled by a software program to create certain patterns

Skills of Contemporary Artists

1. Self-taught
-studying on their own
-interacting with other artists
-reading about the lives and works of other artists
-exploring materials in hardware stores
-experimenting with chemical reactions on their base materials
-learning welding/simple engineering skills

Techniques in Contemporary Art

1. Collage
-made by adhering flat elements such as newspaper or magazine cutouts, printed
text, illustrations,
photographs, cloths, strings, etc. to a flat surface to create a thick layer
that is almost is like
a relief sculpture

2. Decalcomania
-process of applying gouache to paper or glass then transferring a reversal of
that image onto canvas
or other flat material

3. Decoupage
-done by gluing decorative paper cutouts onto an object and then coating these
with one or more coats
of transparent coating or varnish

4. Frottage
-technique of rubbing crayon or pencil on a piece of paper which has been placed
over an object or an image
-impression of the image can be made using leaves, wood wire screen, or metal
with embossed image or words
5. Montage
-used for photography or film where a pictorial image is juxtaposed or placed
over overlapping to make art

6. Trapunto painting
-technique used by Pacita Abad where her canvases are padded, sewn, and often
filled with sequins, beads,
shells, buttons, tiny mirrors, bits of glass, rick rack, swatches of precious
textiles, and other things,
that she picks up from her travels and journeys

7. Digital Applications
-another technique for art viewing; transforms the artworks into immersive
experiences

Contemporary Art Production

-mixing different materials is popular among contemporary artists
-in art production, artists can work alone or interact with fellow artists

Appreciating Contemporary Arts

-art viewers also called gazers, onlookers, or audience can appreciate artworks if
they can understand and grasp
the meaning of the artwork
-therefore, when viewers are educated in art or have been exposed to different
kinds of artworks in different contexts,
they can appreciate the qualities of the artwork, interpret its meaning, and make
judgment whether it is beautiful
or not

Describing an artwork requires:

1. Knowledge of art
a. scope
b. principles
c. production

2. Understanding of:
a. the artist
b. factors that affect art-making

Three Elements that constitute description of contemporary art

1. The Subject Matter
-what is the main figure in the artwork?
-how is the main figure placed within the artistic frame?
-how do the other figures in the artwork relate to the main figure
a. what the artwork is all about
b. what you see is depicted in the artwork
c. recognizable figures
d. inanimate objects
e. natural scenery, including mountains, rivers and forests
g. for abstract: non-representational forms that focus on shapes, color, and
lines
At this point, we do not yet make any judgements

2. The Materials
-what are the materials or objects used by the artist?
-do these materials bring out intended effect of the artist?
-if the artist chose other materials, do you think the same effect will be
achieved? Why and how?
a. materials/medium used in the process of art-making

3. The Art Elements and Principles

-what are the dominant elements in the artwork?
-how are these used in the artwork?
-how are line, shape, or volume used within the artistic frame?
-how are texture, movement or space used within the artistic frame?
-what are the unifying features of the artistic composition?
-are there any variations among the repeated elements?
-how does the art form appeal to the visual sense?
a. physical qualities of the image
b. foundational components and rules that guide the creation and organization of
an artwork
c. includes the techniques and visual language used by the artist
d. elements: line, shape, color, texture, space, form, and value
e. principles: balance, contrast, emphasis, movement, pattern, rhythm, and unity

Michael Cacnio
-a world class brass sculptor that has been mastering his craft for about 3 decades
-delivered in his distinct signature style, his body of work features a tableaux of
characters taken from
Filipino archetypes, revealing enduring truths about family,

Elements of analysis and Interpretation of Artworks

1. Description
-requires knowledge of art
a. scope
b. principles
c. production

2. Analysis
-requires understanding of the content by separating parts of the subject matter

3. Interpretation
-focused on expressive qualities, meaning, theme, or idea communicated by the
artist

These steps are essential before making a judgement whether the artwork is
beautiful or not

Analysis and Interpretation in Contemporary Art

-requires awareness of the multiple views of life, ideas, and reality that are
expressed by the artist
-language, social relations, unconscious experiences of the artist can shape the
artwork they create

Art Analysis
-requires an understanding of the content by separating the part of the subject
matter
-can lead to grasping artworks' organizational structure

Elements
1. Determination of subject matter through naming events or issues associated with
the artwork
2. Discussion of how the qualities of the artwork contribute to its appearance,
image, function
3. Description of the effect of the material/medium used
4. Your reaction to the artwork

Guide Questions
1. How did the artist make the artwork?
2. How does it compare with other artworks in the same contemporary style?
3. What is the value of artwork to you, the youth, or society?

Art Interpretation
-employed by the viewer after describing and analyzing an artwork
-focus is on:
a. expressive qualities
b. the meaning
c. theme
d. mood
e. idea communicated by the artist

Elements of Art Interpretation

1. Identifying the main idea and overall meaning of the artwork
2. Making an interpretative statement: Can I express what I think the artwork is
about in one sentence?
3. Citing the evidence inside or outside the artwork that supports your
interpretation

Guide Questions
1. What is the artwork about?
2. What is it intending to communicate?
3. What statement is the artist putting forward through the artwork?
4. Are there objects within the artistic frame that symbolize something? What are
these?
5. What is the meaning of the artwork?

Judgement
-after you have done the tedious work of describing, analyzing, and interpreting
the contemporary artwork,
you can now make a judgement
-is it a good artwork?
-on what criteria and evidence did you base your judgement?
-based on the criteria and evidence, what is your judgment about the quality of the
artwork?
4-step Technique for Art Criticism by Edmund Feldman
1. Description: What can be seen in the artwork?
2. Analysis: What relationships exist with what is seen?
3. Interpretation: What is the content or meaning, based on step 1 and 2?
4. Judgement: What is your evaluation of the work, based on step 1, 2, and 3?