WHAT IS CONTEXT?

Context is the web of complex circumstances in which artists work in

relation to their physical environment, historical trends and traditions, social
movements, cultural values, intellectual perspectives, personal commitments,
and more. Likewise, art is received within a context of corresponding dynamics
that shape meaning and interpretation. As such, context is an inescapable
dimension of art in both its production and its reception and interpretation.

To clarify the role context plays in art, it may be helpful to use biblical
exegesis as an analogy. When reading Scripture, we need to be attentive to the
there and then context of a passage and its original meaning, while seeking to
discover the here and now significance of the passage. For example, Paul‘s
letters communicated something to people in the first century before they
communicated something to us. In a similar manner, an artist makes and
expresses something relevant in a there and then context, however
revolutionary and progressive the art may be. Likewise, the capacity of a work
of art to communicate effectively in the here and now is an attestation of
context-transcending qualities in a given work or performance. Identifying
these qualities is the work of art criticism and education. The realization of
context and context-transcending qualities gives rise to a whole history of art
reception, and plays a part in explaining the phenomenon of the “classic” in a
given genre of art.

Recognizing the context of art—both of its origin and reception—also

requires us to realize the multivalent and open-ended character of art
interpretation. For example, the “meaning” of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony will
vary depending on whether we are referring to its première in 1824, when
Wilhelm Furtwängler conducted it in Berlin in 1942, or when Leonard
Bernstein conducted it before the newly opened Berlin Wall in 1989.
Continuities and discontinuities of meaning abound. A sensitive and informed
engagement with a work of art, however, will be cognizant of its originating
context in all its complexity, while continuing to interact with meanings forged
in ever-changing contexts of reception. Moreover, highlighting the context of art
allows us to relate, when possible, aspects of authorial intent in dynamic
interplay with other contextually relevant interpretations in our own
communicative encounters with art.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT CONTEXT OF ART?
A. ARTIST BACKGROUND

 Do you know of an artist who is self-taught? How did s/he learn to make
the art? Did s/he read art books? Did s/he closely observe other artists
in the area? Did s/he have any models?
 The artist’s age, gender, culture, economic conditions, social
environment, and disposition affect the art production.
 The mode of production which encompasses the kind of materials
accessible to the artists as well as the conditions sorrounding labor, also
hope the work produced by the artist.

B. NATURE

 Can be seen as a source of inspiration and wellspring of materials for art

production.
 While it is seen as source of inspiration, it is also seen as a force that one
has to contend with.

C. EVERYDAY LIFE

 Philippine traditional art has always been an integral part of daily life. Its
significance lies not only in its aesthetic appearance but also in its
functionality and its value to the community that produced it. Because
traditional forms may also be used in daily private situations, it is
experienced more intimately, and engages many senses simultaneously.
 Example include pabalat, a crisp Ilocano bed cover with dainty ubas
designs,delicate pastillas wrappers from Bulacan with elaborate cutout
designs, enveloping an equally delicate milk-based dessert.
 The sense of touch, taste, and smell are engaged along with the visual
sense

D. SOCIETY, POLITICS AND HISTORY

 The artist’s creative process is affected if not compromised by patronage,

such as the State or the Church.
 Changes in the society, politics and economy affect artists, the work that
they do, and the structures that support their production.
 Technological innovations engender shifts in artistic production. It was
only in the early 20th century when photography became accessible to
local photographers as Kodak set up shop in the Philippines in 1928.
  Photography fulfilled documentary and artistic functions, serving as an
alternative to painting as a reproducible and inexpensive form of
portraiture.

E. MODE OF RECEPTION

 Aside from considering our personal identity as a perceiver of art as well

as the contexts discussed above, it is also important to note when, where
and how art is encountered.
 Most often, art is encountered via the museum; arranged and categorized
before a public for the purpose of education and leisure.
 When forms of street art like graffiti are placed inside the whitewashed
walls of the museum, how does looking at this art make you feel?
Conversely, what happens when artists get out of the museums and
galleries and bring their works to the streets and paint the walls by
collaborating with paint manufacturing companies like Boysen and
Davies?
HOW DOES TRADITION BECOME CONTEMPORARY?
1. Influenced our culture and tradition in modern era:

Traditional art is still the foundation of our understanding nowadays. We

don't just leave them behind. It's either we go back or innovate our traditional
art. Some of our clothing are created and inspired by our ancestors' art. The art
of writing or our literature are still inspired and/or connected to our
history. Bayong is one of the example of traditional art that influenced our
contemporary art. (see images below)

2. Influenced our performing arts such as music and dancing.

Music is art too. Our fondness for ballads can be traced to our ancestors'
music called kundiman. Also, if you will observe the media nowadays, people
enjoy dance performances with tribal theme. For musical performances, we
can still watch gigs and theatrical plays that are from the country's traditional
art. An example of a contemporary art that is inspired by traditional art are
street dances and those being performed on national television. (see image
below)

3. Influence on Youth's Visual Art and use of Technology

Millennial still treasure the gift of traditional art. The traditional art and
its concepts are still understood by the youth and they try their best not to
disrespect the culture, tradition, symbolism and art of our ancestors.

AND THE CONTEMPORARY BECOME TRADITIONAL?

Contemporary art can be completely new, or influenced by past
artworks/artists. An example of contemporary artworks that were influence by
previous artists/artworks are appropriation artworks, which use old
images/subjects to create a new artwork that portrays a new perspective.
WHAT IS THE NATIONAL ARTIST AWARD?
The Order of the National Artists Award (Orden ng Gawad Pambansang
Alagad ng Sining) is the highest national recognition given to Filipino
individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of
Philippine arts; namely, Music, Dance, Theater, Visual Arts, Literature, Film
and Broadcast Arts, and Architecture and Allied Arts. The order is jointly
administered by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and
Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and conferred by the President of the
Philippines upon recommendation by both institutions.

The Order of National Artists Award is one of the honors conferred by

the Republic of the Philippines that embodies the nation’s highest ideals in the
humanities and aesthetic expression through the distinct achievements of
individual citizens. While the Republic bestows due recognition to these
singular achievements, it also honors its own cultural heritage, whose
enrichment these achievements have significantly effected, enhanced, and
given direction.

These achievements are measured in terms of their vision, unusual

insight, creativity and imagination, technical proficiency of the highest order in
expressing Filipino culture and traditions, history, way of life, and aspirations.
 WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF WORKS OF NATIONAL
ARTIST?
In public parks, churches, schools, and some government and corporate
buildings around the metro, we see murals, paintings, and sculptures that
sometimes seem to serve as decorative pieces but are actually commissioned
works that commemorate important historical events, celebrate the
achievements of a noted Filipino, or expound on a Filipino value.

These public artworks are the collaborative efforts of the art patrons and
the artists representing the mission, vision or services offered by the
institution, an act of their social responsibility.

In fact, during the Marcos administration, former first lady Imelda

Marcos commissioned murals, collected paintings and sculptures that can still
be seen in hospitals, government buildings, and public parks. These works of
art represent the thrust of the state in promoting Philippine arts and culture
while keeping up with global art changes of the time.

Some of these artists are honored with the National Artists Award or the
Gawad Pambansang Alagad ng Sining.

The works of our National Artists are on display for everyone to see
everyday. They remind us of our rich culture and history, and stand as
testaments of the evolution of Philippine art.

Fernando Amorsolo, The First National Artist

It is not often you will see a painting of Fernando Amorsolo in public,

with the exception of museums. His romantic realist style of illuminated barrio
folk inspired many painters to follow in his footsteps. Amorsolo strengthen his
influence, as he would helm the University of the Philippines (UP) School of
Fine Arts, after his mentor Fabian de la Rosa retired.

Among his notable public works is his “Lapu-lapu” that can be found at
the lobby of the Manila Hotel. Here, he shows the chieftain of Mactan, standing
defiantly and watching as the ships of Magellan approach his shores, while the
people go about their business for the day.

The other few works of Amorsolo in public view are the many portraits
that he was commissioned to do, among these are:
 The portraits of Pres. Elpidio Quirino, Don Alejandro Roces, and Judge
Guillermo B. Guevara, at the Gonzales Hall of the University of the Philippines’
Main Library, in Diliman, Quezon City.

Another set of portraits are of Dolores Morato Honrado Vera and Sen.
Jose Olfinas Vera at the Sampaguita Gardens (the former Sampaguita Films
studio), also in Quezon City.

Amorsolo also did some historical painting, such as the “The History of
Philippine Music” at the GSIS Complex, in Pasay City.

An impressive collection of Amorsolo historical paintings can be found at

the UP Gonzales Hall, the “Ang Wakas ni Magallanes,” “Assassination of
Governor Bustamante,” and “Bataan.” The last piece is his most dramatic
work, which he originally painted in 1942, without the image of the fallen
soldier, in fear of punishment from the Japanese. He later completed the work
in 1945, making it a powerful statement to the suffering the Filipinos
underwent in World War II.

Fernando Amorsolo also broke from his traditional romantic realism

paintings to create replicas of Giotto di Bondone’s two frescos on the “Life of
Saint Francis,” which are found at the Basilica of Saint Francis, in Assisi, Italy.
Amorsolo painted the two murals at the side of the Santuario de San Antonio
Parish in Makati, featuring “The Stigmatization of St. Francis” and “St. Francis
Preaching to the Birds.”
Guillermo Tolentino, The Master of Classical Sculpture

Guillermo Tolentino was the first National Artist for Sculpture, with some
of his greatest monuments becoming part of the Philippine cultural landscape,
such as the Bonifacio Monument at the rotunda in Caloocan, and Oblation in
front of the administration building of the University of the Philippines in
Quezon City.

Tolentino also taught at the UP School of Fine Arts, where he would

eventually become its director. There he taught the next generation of
sculptors, two of whom also became National Artists for Sculpture.

Tolentino was commissioned by many government agencies to create

busts and full figures of Filipino heroes. Among these are:

The full-bodied Andres Bonifacio in front of Manila Post Office.

The life-sized Dr. Jose Rizal in the Plaridel Masonic Temple in Manila.

The full body monument to Pres. Ramon Magsaysay at Ramon

Magsaysay Center in Pasay City.

The two statues of Pres. Manuel Quezon and Pres. Sergio Osmeña at the
Old Legislative Building in Manila.

The full body monument to Pres. Manuel Roxas along Roxas Boulevard.
 The bust of León María Guerrero at the Manila Mehan Garden.

The bust of Dr. Jose Rizal at the Palma Hall.

The bust of Francisco Balagtas at the Gonzales Hall of UP Diliman.

One surprising commemorative public sculpture created by Guillermo

Tolentino was never commissioned and paid for by the artist himself. This was
his dedication to one of his closest associates, Fernando Amorsolo, which he
created right after hearing of the death of his friend. The statue stands at the
grave of Amorsolo at the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina City.

Botong Francisco, A Storyteller in Murals

Carlos “Botong” Francisco’s style is undeniably unique, as well as his

impeccable skill in telling complex stories in multiple panels that blend into
each other. Botong’s characters are dignified and beautiful, and his colors
cover the whole palette, which brings a visual feast to any person looking at his
work.

With such a talent for the visual narrative, Botong has been
commissioned to create many historically themed murals, such as the three-
piece “History of Medicine” at the Philippine General Hospital in Manila and the
two-piece “Via Crusis” for the chapel at the Far Eastern University in Manila.
 Encompassing all four walls of the Mayor’s Office in Manila City Hall,
Botong’s magnum opus is a flowing recollection of the story of the Filipino
people’s strong independent spirit. The mural is rendered in Francisco’s typical
colorful overlapping multi-panelled compositions, with idealistically portrayed
heroes as beautiful, powerful, and dynamic demigods. The series starts with
the “Arrival of the Spaniards in 1521,” and continues to seamlessly flow to the
next story from “Battle of Mactan,” to the “Rebuilding of Manila after World War
II.”

Napoleon Abueva, The Father of Philippine Modern Sculpture

Napoleon Abueva is the sculptor’s sculptor. He has mastered many

techniques and styles, such as wood and stone carving, clay modeling and
metal casting, and assemblage, among others. He has also mastered the
classical and modernist styles of sculptures; one can see the whole range of
techniques and styles when visiting his many public pieces all over the
country.

The whole campus of the University of the Philippines in Quezon City is a

virtual gallery of his works, where he served as the dean of the College of Fine
Arts. Among his notable UP pieces are the paper plane shaped “Gateway”
waiting shed and monumental adobe “Tribute to Higher Education,” which
flank both sides of the University Avenue.
 Abueva trained under the classical style of Guillermo Tolentino. Some his
own classical pieces include:

The casts of Tolentino’s Oblation at UP Iloilo and UP Los Baños.

The life-sized standing monument of Mayor Ponciano A. Bernardo in

Cubao.

The bust of Gen. Arturo T. Enrile at the AFP Multi-Purpose Theater in

Camp Aguinaldo.

The bust of Fr. John Patrick Delaney at the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice.

The monument of “Three Women Sewing the First Filipino Flag” at the
UP Diliman Lagoon.

The tribute to his Alma Mater at the UP Ang Bahay ng Alumni.

The life-sized seated sculptures of Apolinario Mabini and Teodoro M.

Kalaw in front of the National Library in Manila.

Vicente Manansala, The Surreal Cubist of the Philippines

Vicente Manansala is considered one of the pioneers of modernism in the

Philippines, and his “transparent cubism” style broke off from its European
influence to feature Filipiñana themes and rainbowed palettes.
 Manansala’s lively compossions brought on many commissions for
government and private institutions, such as the mural series at the Philam
Life in Manila and the International Rice Research Institute in Los Baños,
which are all now housed at the National Museum.

He would sometimes temper his cubist style to paint historical paintings,

or create complete surreal works, such as the mural “Arts and Sciences” at the
Palma Hall lobby in UP Diliman

Arturo Luz, The Crossover Between Sculpture and Painting

Arturo Luz is better known for his paintings of simplified linear figures
and totally abstract forms. These are best exemplified by his mural entitled
“Black and White” at the Philippine International Convention Center, in Pasay
City. However, Luz would continue his abstract experimentations in various
sculptural pieces, such as the untitled piece at the stairway of the Philippine
International Convention Center in Pasay, and the roadside “Interlocking
Forms” and “Homage to Noguchi” at the Ayala Center in Makati City. Another
notable experiment of Luz is his floor piece entitled “River of Life” at the Parish
of the Holy Sacrifice in UP Diliman, where black and white zigzag forms
emanate from the center altar and flow out to aisle and onto the walkways.
Jose Joya, An Interplay of Color and Form

Jose Joya’s style can be described as abstract expressionism, but his

works break away from the morose emotions of his American counterparts, and
they show a lively interplay of forms that seem to tell a story.

Joya’s “Pagdiriwang” (celebration), at the Philippine International

Convention Center (PICC), captures exactly that sentiment. His playful nature
continues in his experimentation on other media such as his sculpture “Suso,”
a double meaning word that can be translated as snail or breast, depending to
the pronunciation.

Jose Joya’s colorful abstract expressionist mural, the “Battle of Panay,”

celebrates the tale of the 10 Bornean chieftains who arrived in the island of
Panay and traded with the native Aeta people for ownership of the coastal
lowlands. This celebration of trade and commerce matches the vision of the
Virata School of Business in UP Diliman, where the painting is on display in its
lobby.
Abdulmari Imao, The First Moro National Artist

Abdulmari Imao is a sculptor of both classical and modernist traditions,

who studied under Guillermo Tolentino and Napoleon Abueva. Imao made his
mark by incorporating themes and form from his Moro heritage into modernist
paintings and sculptures.

Imao would commonly use the image of the sarimanok or use the Moro
floral motifs called okir/ukkil in his works. His bronze “Allah Configuration” at
the University of the Philippines perfectly shows that modern Moro aesthetic.

Imao’s more classical works are the statue of Antonio Pigafetta in Cebu
City, Pres. Elpidio Quirino along Roxas Boulevard, and the relief of Sultan
Kudarat at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay.

There are so many more artworks to be discovered and to learn from if

we pay attetion to what is around us. One example is the many paintings of
two more national artists Ang Kiukok and Hernando R. Ocampo, which can be
found at the Philippine International Convention Center, Philippine Heart
Center, Commission on Audit, and Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage
System compounds.
 In other buildings and parks, you can find sculptures by Eduardo
Castrillo, Anastacio Caedo, Kublai Millan, Ramon Abellana, Jonas Roces, Joe
Mendoza, Julie Lluch, and much more. Any one of these artists may be
nominated as the next National Artist, and their works will continue to inspire
the next generations.
CONTEMPORARY
ARTS

Submitted by:
Ma. Wylene O. Gulfan

HUMSS 12 – ROUSSEAU

Submitted to
Ma’am Quiambao