Contemporary Philippine Arts from

the Regions

Senior High School

Ms. Annabelle E. Hallare

Instructor
CONTEMPORARY PHILIPPINE ARTS FROM THE REGIONS
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

WEEK CONTENT MOST ESSENTIAL

LEARNING
COMPETENCIES
1 Introduction to Contemporary Philippine  describes various
Arts from the Regions contemporary art
forms and their
Various forms of art and practices from practices from the
various regions in the Philippines various regions

LESSON 1: WHAT IS CONTEMPORARY ARTS?

LESSON OBJECTIVES:
1. describe the term “contemporary art” in art historical, cultural and stylistic terms.
2. describe various contemporary art forms and their practices from the various regions.
3.
LESSON MOTIVATION:
As you first see Contemporary Art being a part of our subjects in Senior High School,
you ask yourself. Why do we need to study Contemporary Arts? Why do we need to see different
artworks of different people from different periods? Why do I need to study this?
We study contemporary arts not just to go back in time and appreciate the arts, but also,
according to Mary Sutton, we study Contemporary Arts to teach the young people new ways in
seeing their worlds. Visual artists such as painters and photographers, encourage us to see those
aspects of life that we might take for granted or not otherwise notice. Art can inspire imaginative
exploration, which can expand into other areas, such as technological innovation.
The study of the arts encourages us to “think outside of the box” or to see the other
possibilities beyond what we already know. Subjects in contemporary art tend to deal with
themes in contemporary life or with the subjects that interest us now. It also applies versatile
techniques that encourage us to think beyond our traditional understanding of what art can be.
Finally, the study of contemporary art, is key in teaching students empathy. Art allows us
to “see” through another person’s eyes, which gives us access to an experience we might not
otherwise have. The ability to empathize is fundamental to a cohesive society.
LESSON DISCUSSION:
It is a common tendency to describe the present as “modern”. Being modern means being
up tp date and technologically advanced. Often, being modern is equated with being
contemporary. Art that is new or current is also often referred to as “modern” as opposed to
“traditional” or “conservative”. In other words, in everyday parlance, the terms are
interchangeable.
Modern art is not the same as Contemporary art, although they could share some
characteristics, sources, and influences. As we will come to realize and learn as we go along, it is
also possible to integrate and transform elements from Modern Art to Contemporary Art.
The first difference between the contemporary and modern is historical and
chronological, as the overview of Philippine Art in Lesson 2 will show.
Meanwhile, the table suggested by Arts Studies Professors Fajardo and Flores titled “Historical
Overview of Philippine Art” (2002) below shows a summary of the periods of Philippine Art
from Pre-Conquest to the Contemporary art.
 HISTORICAL OVERVIEW: PHILIPPINE ART
POSTWAR
SPANISH AMERICAN JAPANESE 1970’S
PRE- REPUBLIC
PERIOD PERIOD PERIOD CONTEMPORAR
CONQUEST 1946 – 1969
1521-1898 1898-1940 1941-1945 Y
Religious (icon Wartime scene
Landscape,
Potter; body and (aggression,
portraiture,
Painting adornment, ecclesiastical), nationalism,
genre, interior,
ornament secular atrocities,
still life
(portraiture) symbolic,
protest,
aspiration for
peace)
Modern, Figurative, non-
conservative, figurative, art for art
Propaganda
abstract, sake, multimedia,
Santos, furniture,
Pottery, carving experimental, mixed media,
reliefs, altar Indigenizing
and woodwork, Free standing, public art transmedia
Sculpture pieces, jewelry, and
metalwork, and relief, public
metalwork, fieta, orientilizingg
expression
ornamentation. works, genre,
idyllis
(Amorosio,
Francisco,
Ocampo)

Church, plaza
City planning,
complex; town
parks,
planning
waterfronts,
Dwellings and fortification,
civic/gov’t
houses, shelters, civic buildings Real estate, safe housing, accessories,
structures,
worship areas, and installations, tenements, squatters, convention arch,
public works,
Architecture official private Public Works commercial/ business, condos, malls,
apartments,
residences, residences, subdivisions, development low cost
residences,
mosque, masjid, commercial housing
offices, health
state edifices structures,
and public
cemeteries,
education,
bridges,
business chalet
lighthouse
Fig. 1.1

What is Contemporary Art? What is Modern Art?

Even though most people are using ‘modern art’ and ‘contemporary art’ interchangeably when
referring to modernized art, these two terms are not the same. According to art historians, they
do have a difference which is based on date ranges.
Critics consider ‘modern’ the art that was created between the 1870s and the 1960s. After
the 1960s, we have the end of the modernism period as we get into the contemporary era. But
beyond that, we also have conceptual differences between the two ages.
Modern art is called that way because it did not rely on previous teachings and styles that
were being taught in the art academies. It started when artists started depicting scenes of modern
life but by not using traditional means. 
 Fig 1.2 Modern Art Simplified.
Contemporary art, is much more difficult to define. It is the art made after 1960’s. This is
where artists defined their work based on their personal quests, something that created enormous
styles and possibilities. One key difference between ‘contemporary’ and ‘modern’ art is the shift
from aesthetic beauty to the concept of the art. This is why, in contemporary art, the technique is
not so important – the concept of the work is of much more significance.
Today, Modern art is referred to as “traditional”, compared to Contemporary Art.
Contemporary art is the art of the present, which is continuously in process and in flux.
Contemporary art might become “academic” or “traditional” at some point. The styles of Modern
Art for example are now a part of art school curricula and have become academic. Thus, the
distinction between Modern Art and Contemporary Art could also be a matter of perception and
reception depending on the contexts, which will be discussed in the succeeding lessons.
What are the similarities and differences between Modern Art and Contemporary Art?
Aside from style, it is also useful to know where artists are coming from and the
circumstances of making and disseminating their art. With the table titled, we can see that
different artworks according to style are evident in their respective eras.
Some of these may have been exhibited in galleries and museums but on the other hand,
some of these can be seen on Internet platforms like blogs and caught the attention of
photographers.

STYLISTIC OVERVIEW
AMERICA POSTMODERN/
SPANISH/ISLAMIC
FORM PRECOLONIAL N MODERN CONTEMPORAR
COLONIAL Y
COLONIAL
Painting Religious Religious/devotional Classical, Incipien Collaborative,
(animist or Secular idylitic, Triumviate Hyper-realist,
Formal Nostalgic 13 moderns,
Islamic)
Abstract,
New painting
Community- Naturalistic
Neorealist,
based Inter- (homegrown,
Surreal,
ethic relations Miniaturismo, Expressionis
Collective Guild) t,
Academic
history
Sculpture Abstract Junk/scrap,
Expressini Duchampian,
sm arte covera,
Neo-
indigenous,
Site specific,
Performance
art,
 Hybrid,
Architecture Worship related and Neoclassic, Internalati Filipino
residential Earthquake Art deco, Art onal architecture,
baroque Nouveau, industriali Urban planning,
Hispanic revivalist California zing, Economic
(neogothic, Mission Style eclectic zones,
Neoromancesque,
Neovernacular,
Islamic)
Prefab,
regionalist,
cosmopolitan
Fig. 1.3: Stylistic Overview of Arts in the Philippines

CULTURAL OVERVIEW
POPULAR
INDIGENOUS ISLAMIC OR FINE OR
FOLK OR OR URBAN
FORM SOUTHEAST PHILIPPINE WORLD-
LOWLAND AND MASS
ASIAN MUSEUM BASED
BASED
PAINTING Museum-
circulated, Mass produced
SCULPTURE Colonial and
Ritual and governance artist centered market
post-colonial
gallery- oriented
ARCHITECT distributed
Fig. 1.4: Stylistic Overview of Arts in the Philippines
What are the general characteristics of Contemporary Arts?
1. It is mixed media. Although contemporary artists continue to use traditional media such as
watercolor and oil on canvas, others use mixed media. It is where one medium or material has
been applied on their works.
2. The identity of the art is hard to separate from the artist. The filmmaker Kidlat Tahimik
and his family perform their life as their art and vice versa, as evident in the art spaces in Baguio
which have become associated with a mix of performance, installation, architecture, and culinary
arts.

Fig. 1.5: Ili-Likha Artist Village, Kabunian de Guia, the Mighty

Bhutens, Kidlat Tahimik, Baguio.
3. The process is collaborative, interactive and process oriented.
4. It has a wide range of strategies, media, and technique.

A lot of contemporary art may be collaborative, participative, interactive and process-

oriented, meaning that there is less emphasis on the finished product and a single “author” or
creator. This is not always the case for other works, however. There is a wide range of strategies,
media and techniques under the term “Contemporary art”.
There are works for example that are done alone by artists in their studios and are
therefore not working in collaboration with others; there are works that are too fragile for direct
handling and are not directly “interactive”, and so on, and there will be many examples in
subsequent lessons that may or may not exhibit all of these charateristics evenly.

REFLECTION:
Answer the following questions:
1. Based on your own understanding, what is Contemporary Arts?
______________________________________________________________________________
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2. Let me see how you draw, at the back of this answer sheet, express what you feel in this
pandemic right now. It can be in whatever style you like. (You can also coloring materials if you
want. But, this is not required. You may draw using your ballpen/pencil)
References:
http://www.xyzacruzbacani.com/

https://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/topic/difference-between-mixed-media-and-collage-etc/

https://ph.phonebooky.com/blog/ili-likha-artist-village-baguio/

Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions. REX Book Store, Inc. 2016.

Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions. Veronica E. Ramirez. 2016.