Contemporary Philippine

Arts of the Region

What is
Arts?
There is no universal definition of visual
art though there is a general consensus that
art is the conscious creation of something
beautiful or meaningful using skill and
imagination.
(MARDER,2019)
Defining Art:
According to Plato, he defined Art as a
Mimesis, or creating a representation
or replication of something beautiful
or meaningful.
Formalism, art is the arrangement of
lines, colors, shapes, and other
aesthetic elements.

Art is the expression of subjective

experiences and emotions.
 Defining Contemporary Art
Art is everywhere - from the
simplest objects we use, to the
spaces and structures we inhabit.
Art enriches our lives with
meanings that we often overlook.
Art responds to our human desire
to experience beauty and explore
the unknown.
 Major Breakthrough:
The rejection of traditional canons, or the
rules, standards or principles which define
what is valid and fundamental in Art. Breaking
away with the elitist system of the Western
Arts and prejudice against the oriental cultures.
The breaking away from the elitist
categorization of arts has paved way for the
rise of hybdrid forms like installation arts,
mixed media, sound art, architectural
assemblage, and others.
Learning Objectives:
A t t h e e n d o f t h e C h a p t e r, t h e
students will be able to:
• discuss the nature of
contemporary art
• identify the characteristics of
contemporary art
• discuss contemporary arts in the
Philippines
What is Contemporary Art?
Contemporary Art generally refers to the art
being created now.
derived from the Latin Prefix "con" which
means "together" or "with", plus "tempus",
which means "time."
What is Contemporary Art?

The expression "Contemporary Art" has gained

much currency in recent decades, but since the
1990S, there are two main applications of this
term in the discourse of arts.
In the discourse of art
C H R O N O L O
defines contemporary art as art related to this current period in
art
G I history,
C A L Vand
I E Wrefers to the art that is new, recent, modern, or
present moment.

regards
H I S TO contemporary
RICAL art as a specific episode or stage in the
storyU SofA evolution
GE of art, referring to a specific location in
space and time.
- Contemporary Period, is a period in art history which
follows the end of the Modernist Period.
Although, this view also give rise to some confusion, as
there were disagreement about when modern art ended.
Standard Periodization
Art produced after 1945.
• This is adhered to by most museums when defining their
collections of contemporary artworks.
Art produced since the 1960s.
• This is one of the most commonly used by art critics due to
the emergence at this time of a new generation of artists
who were overturning the Modernist Practice.
Contemporary Art: A Modernist Legacy
Contemporary Art is a legacy of modernism. Born in the 20th Century,
modernism is a radical break from the tradition. From technology and
design, to fashion and sexuality, everything was changing at a dazzling
pace. Speed was central to this era. Assembly-line production quickened
the pace of life. The speed of communication increased; everything
seemed to be going faster. A kind of design democary became apparent
and, for the first time, ordinary people had access to this new, glamorous,
modern world that felt and looked different.
Within the context of art history, modern art refers to the art theory and practice,
predominantly in Western Europe, and North America, from the 1860s to the
late 1960s - the period is characterized by significant social, cultural,
technological, and political developments in the western world. Industrialization,
urbanization, new technology, the rise of the middle class, the secularization of
society, and the emergence of a consumer culture resulted in new conditions
where art was created, exhibited, discussed, and collected. Modernism rejected
former cultural values and conventions in favor of innovation, experimentation,
and disgression from established norms. It was a time when traditions were
challenged and eventually broken to establish a new order.
In a broad sweep, modernism encompassed a revolutionary aesthetic
canon and a scientific doctrine in art and architecture originating in Europe
between the two World Wars in the 20th Century. It embraced several
intellectual and artistic movements, which included Impressionism,
Symbolism, Cubism, Futurism, Art Nouveau, Imagism, International
Style, and so on.
Lico et al. (2021)
 Philippine
Contemporary
Arts
 Assignment:
Research about significant-historical event in the Philippines
which gave way to artistic resistance which led to the birth of
the Philippine Contemporary Arts?
• Write an essay about this in a Yellow Paper.
Read and study about the Philippine Contemporary Arts.
 Philippine
Contemporary
Arts
1970's and Martial Law
Contemporary Art emerged in the Philippines in reaction to
social and cultural realities during the 1970s.
• This period was an era of repression and censorship of
artistic expressions.
President Ferdinand Marcos seized state power through the
imposition of Martial Law in the early 1970s.
He sought to justify his one-man rule by anchoring his vision
of cultural and artistic renewal to the images of the Pre-
Colonial Philippine Society.
The Philippine Arts at this point was defined by a system which trained
aspiring artist under the tutelage of an expert and established artists.
• This system , however, oriented many young artists to Western Artistic
Traditions, became a detriment of our own local artists.
Arts in the context of the Philippines became a tool to oppose the Martial
Law and the Marcos Regime, birthed the Political Art of social realism.
What is Social Realism?
• refers to an art movement which sought to expose the real
condition of the Philippine Society and used art to transform
it.
Social Realism transform art as a progressive art as a whole, as it
was reflecred whether in the visual arts, music, theater, dance, or
literature in Manila and in the countryside, that developed a culture
that would convery the authentic aspirations of the Filipino People.
The end of Martial Law in the wake of the EDSA
People Power Peaceful Revolution in 1986
brought the Philippines into the Contemporary
Period, where the arts produced in this time is
regarded as the Contemporary Philippine Arts.
Contemporary Arts in the Philippines emerged due to three (3)
Factors:
• the return of democracy under the Aquino Government
• the improved economic and political environment in the
country, particularly in the regions;
• the advent of new technologies and free access to media.
Important Takeaways:
Contemporary Art began at a time when the
country regained its liberties after the ouster of the
Marcos Regime, and free expression was again
granted to the people.
Important Takeaways:
The production and dissemination of art was no
longer under a single control of one person.
Important Takeaways:
The production and dissemination of art was no
longer under a single control of one person.
Arts is not controlled by one mere influential
figure like Imelda Marcos who dispensed her
Classical Ideal of art as "the true, the good, and the
beautiful" via the state of apparatuses of culture.
Important Takeaways:
The emergence of neo-liberal ideas and
"democratic spaces' of Post-EDSA nurtured
artistic creations in an arena of freedom.
Important Takeaways:
The return of democracy to the Philippines also
ushered improvements in the political and
economic environment throughout the country
which encouraged art productions in the region.
Important Takeaways:
Contemporary Artists felt the need to redefine our
social and racial identity in the post-EDSA social
context, thus drawn to explore the ideological base
and social underbelly of Philippine life as a subject
matter.
Important Takeaways:
The works of many artists and craftspeople, which
combined elements from fine arts, indigenous living
traditions, and designs for the market, contributed to
forging the identity of Contemporary Philippine Art.
 Function of
Contemporary
Arts
Is contemporary Art created merely for the sake of
the artist to feed his vanity or curiosity?
Does contemporary Art exist chiefly for its own
sake?
 Art for Pleasure
Art can provide escape from everyday concerns and
satisfy the yearning for pleasurable experiences.
 Art as Profession
Art has economic value and gains currency in a
network of exchange. Art and creative ideas are
never free. They possess great value in the art
industry.
 Art as Commentary
Art has often been used to answer our need of
information. By providing a visual account of an
event, or a person, or by expressing an opinion,
artists have shaped not only the way people
understand their own world, but also how their
culture is viewed by others.
 Art in Spirituality
Artists may create art to express spiritual beliefs
about the destiny of life controlled by the force of a
higher power. Art produced for this purpose may
reinforce the shared beliefs of an individual, or a
community finding its way through sacred rituals,
places, and ceremonies.
 Art as Remembrance
Remembrance is something made or done to aid
memory. Commemoration is sometimes personal,
as we each hold of memories of people and events
important in our lives. Architecture and public art
forms immortalize a memory.
 Art for Persuasion
Many art forms have a persuasive and ideological
function. Art that is used to spur political change or
modify and influence the behavior and thinking of
large groups of people have persuasive functions.
 Art as Self-Expression
Art fulfills an expressive function when an artist
conveys information about his or her feelings, or
worldview.
 Processing
Is contemporary Art created merely for the sake of
the artist to feed his vanity or curiosity?
Does contemporary Art exist chiefly for its own
sake?
Thank You!