Definition of Modern and Contemporary Art

Today, Modern Art is referred to as “traditional,” compared to Contemporary Art.

Contemporary Art is the art of the present, and which is in continuously in process.
At that time, Modern Art was considered new and shocking; Neoclassic Art was familiar
and comfortable.
Neoclassic Art is also describe by art historians like Guillermo as “academic.”
Elements and Characteristics of Contemporary Art
A. Appropriation - Appropriation focuses on changing the symbol of the art or painting with
the appropriate movement.
B. Performance – interpreting various human movements/activities such as routines or
chores.
C. Space – art form that is performed and positioned in a specific space such as public
places.
D. Hybridity – usage of unconventional materials, mixing unlikely materials to produce an
artwork.
E. Technology – usage of technology in producing artwork.
F. Collaborative art – involvement of one or more artists
G. Integrative - the artist is free to integrate any medium and any art form or style in order
H. Interactive- A characteristic of Contemporary art that recognizes how the audience has the
potential to change or add to the meaning of an artwork.
I. Installations- The method in which the artist is not restricted to a two-dimensional plane (like
painting on canvas or panel) in the construction of the artwork.
J. Mixed Media- The technique that uses different materials in the creation of an artwork.

History of Philippine Art

Pre-conquest.
- In stylistic terms, we refer to it as “indigenous” to emphasize the idea that our ancestors have
been making art even before colonization.
• Art of the ancient Filipinos were woven into the fabric of everyday life.
• They DO NOT refer to “art” as we do today, that is as an expression of an individual,
seen largely in museums and concert halls.
• They did not distinguish forms into different categories like music, theater, visual arts,
etc.
• Everyday expressions were all integrated within rituals.
- like planting and harvesting
- rites of passage, funerary ceremonies, weddings.
Also in creative forms of pottery, weaving, carving, metalwork and jewelry.
• Before commercialization, the pre-colonial Filipino hunted food and game that were
shared among members in the community, where they told stories about their hunt.
• They imitated the movement of animals and prey, and the sounds that they made.
• In that, evolved ritual, music, theater, and even literature.
• Then they partitioned what they hunted and gathered and feasted on the fish that they
caught or the pig that they slew, was a form of ritual.
• When they told stories about the hunt, this form of oral storytelling marked the
beginnings of literature.
• When they imitated the movements of the animals they hunted, it was the beginning of
theater or play acting.
 • When they learned to add drum beating and attach a rhythm to their movements, they
had given birth to music and dance.

Rituals and Traditions

Kashawing
• A ritual to ensure abundance during rice planting and harvesting.
• It is a reenactment of the pact made by the ancestors of the community.
Kanyaw
• In Cordillera Autonomous Region, it involves animal sacrifice, where the entrails are
read through a process of divination that is performed for healing, to announce the birth
or a child, or a coming of ages, during wakes, weddings, or burial ceremonies.
Tagbanwa
• In Palawan, the Tagbanwa believe that every thirteenth moon, three goddesses descend
from heaven to bless the planting of rice.
• The shamans go into a trance amidst ritual chanting and dancing and believed to be taken
over by goddesses themselves.
Spanish Period
Images of saints and interpretations of biblical narratives were considered essential to
worship.
Under the strict watch and patronage of the church, images were produced through
painting, sculpting, and engraving.
Made of ivory or wood, the imagery of the santo would be based on classical models.
In colonial churches, santos are displayed in a decorative altar niche called the retablo.
The first senakulo or Passion play was written in 1704 by Gaspar Aquino de Belen.
Its narrative was culled entirely from the biblical account of Christ’s passion and death
on the cross, and is translated into the local language.
American Period
Fernando Amorsolo’s numerous portraits, idyllic landscapes and historical paintings were
featured in UP School of Fine Arts.
Broadway musicals were staged in the Philippines during this period.
Japanese Period
Haiku and Tanaka were introduced.
Protest art flourished among Filipino Artists
People of Cordillera started carving Bulul
70’s to Contemporary
Social Realism is a form of protest art that exposed the sociopolitical issues and struggles of the
times.
Cultural Center of the Philippines Shrine for Arts
Contexts of Art
Context refers to settings, conditions, circumstances, and occurences affecting production and
reception or audience response to an artwork. It is a set of background information that enables
us to formulate meanings about works of art and note how context affects form.
Different Contexts of Art
A. Artist’s Background
- the artist’s age, gender, culture, economic conditions, social environment, and disposition
affect art production
- The mode of production, which encompasses the kind of materials accessible to the
artists.

B. Nature
- can be seen as a source of inspiration and a wellspring of materials for art production
- force that one has to contend with
- environmental conditions such as topography and climate
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
D. Society, Politics, Economy, and History
- Economy, socio-political structures, and historical circumstances affect the culture and
ideologies that directly influences the life of the artist
- These affect production or commercial viability of art or craft as a practice
- Patronage flourishes during times of economic prosperity and relatively diminishes
during periods of conflict
E. Mode of Reception
- Presents the idea that an artwork may accrue new meanings even after the creator ceases
to manipulate its form
- Refers to the manner (where, when, how) that an artwork is encounterd
- Dependent on its location, presentation and the subjective experiences of the audiences-
explains how they understand the artwork