Contemporary Art Practices and Materials in the Philippines

Contemporary art practices are actual practices of the arts in everyday life. They are
expressed in different ways, by an individual or by a collaboration of several artists. We have
viewed and discussed individual works of Filipino artists in the preceding chapters. We are
already familiar with how they are made and how they are exhibited. The form and content of the
artwork that is done by an individual artist are products of a single person’s thoughts and
emotions.

But how about collaborative works of art? Whose thoughts and emotions are being
displayed in them? One example of a collaboration product is Jose Tence Ruiz’s Shoal. The idea
is the brainchild of Ruiz, but the execution of the entire artwork has been done by several artists.
This type of collaboration showcases an idea from a single person.

A sample of a complete collaboration – an anthology of artworks that showcases different

ideas from different persons. It can be seen in the Chapel of the Holy Sacrifice in the University
of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City. Four national artist were involved in creating the
circular chapel: the design of the building by Arch. Leandro V. Locsin; the main crosses at the
altar carved by Napoleon Abueva; the Stations of the Cross painted by Vicente Manansala; and
the mosaic floor surrounding the altar done by Arturo Luz.

In 2005, the chapel was recognized as a National Historical Landmark by the National
Historical Institute and a Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines.
According to Ambeth Ocampo, Chairman of National Historical Institute, the Chapel of the Holy
Sacrifice “is a masterpiece of artistry and ingenuity”.

FESTIVALS AND RITUALS: Representations of Philippine Arts

Perhaps one collaborative art that is common to every region is the festival. The
Philippines have festivals of every kind: festivals honoring patron saints (a carry-over from the
Catholic Spanish- Colonial Tradition), thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest, commemoration of
an event, and tribute to a special occasion or a local specialty. The celebration for festivals have
become a collaborative art that involves many art forms and styles.

A festival may be composed of street-dancing, singing competitions, architectural decors

like floats, and a lot more.

Some of these festivals have become tourist attractions. The Sinulog festival in Cebu is
one of them. It is held every third of January to honor the image of the Sto. Niño De Cebu, which
was brought by the Spaniards when they laden in Mactan in 1521. The Dinagyang Festival of
Iloilo, celebrated every fourth Sunday of January, is also an honor of the Sto. Niño,
commemorating the arrival of Malay settlers in Panay and the selling of the island to them by the
Atis. Another festival that honors the Sto. Niño is the Ati-atihan in Kalibo, Aklan. Held on the
third Sunday of January, it features a parade of drumbeating Ati-atihans.

The Pahiyas of Lucban, Quezon, is held annually on May 15 and honors San Isidro
Labrador, the patron saint of farmers. Houses along the procession route are decorated with the
colorful kiping made of colored and cooked rice dough with a leaf-shape design.
I
In Marinduque, the most popular festival is the Moriones festival. It features an outdoor
theatrical performance that reenact the story of Longinus, the centurion who pierced the side of
Jesus Christ on the cross. This festival is held during the Holy Week of Lent. The Pamulinawen
festival in Laoag, Ilocos Norte, honors Our Lady of Peace every tenth of February. In Piat,
Cagayan, the Sambali Fiesta honors Our Lady Piat in a week-long festival during the last week
of June. It also commemorates the Sambali tribe, who converted to Christianity.

The Hermosa festival in Zamboanga, also known as Fiesta Pilar, is a month-long festival
held in October, honoring the image of Our Lady of the Pilar.

Thanksgiving festivals are held in different regions. Here are some of them: The Tabako
Festival in Candon, Ilocos Sur, is held during the last week of March, as gratitude for a bountiful
harvest. The Butanding Festival in Bicol, from April 28 to30, not only ushers in the butanding
(whale shark) season but also give thanks for the blessings given to the people of Donsol,
Sorsogon. In Davao City, the Kadayawan Annual Festival is a thanksgiving for the gifts of
nature and a celebration of life in the third week of August.

Festivals commemorating events and honoring the specialties of an area are also popular.
One of these is the Panagbenga in Baguio City, the festival of flowers; it was started to revive
the city's industry after the devastation of the 1990 Luzon earthquake. The festival has been a
Baguio trademark since then. The Pattaraday Festival in Santiago City, Cagayan, during the first
week of May, commemorates the founding anniversary of the city and the coming together of
several ethnic groups. The Ybanag word pattaraday means “unity.”

The Maskara Festival of Bacolod City pays tribute to the sugar industry that once
flourished in the region. It is celebrated every third week of October. The performers wear
smiling masks to give a brighter light to the fall of their industry which occurred in the 1970s.
The F'lomlok Festival in Polomok, South Cotabato, showcases the local products of the region.
F'lomlok is the B'laan term for “hunting grounds”.

In the Ilocos region, food specialties are honored in festivals: empanada in Batac, Ilocos
Norte in December; and pinakbet, bagnet, tinadok, and exotic food in the Gameng Festival of
Solsona, Ilocos Norte in January. There is also the Bangus Festival in Dagupan City, Pangasinan,
held from April to the first week of May.
 Fluvial parades are also popular. Procession of decorated boats are hold to honor
particular patron saints. The most famous in the fluvial parade is Our Ladyof Peñafrancia in
Naga City every September, where millions of pilgrims, tourists, and devotees gather to join the
festivities. AIso, in Aparri, Cagayan, a procession of a hundred decorated boats honor St. Peter
Thelmo on May 10.

The festivals mentioned here are just some of the many festivals in the various regions.
Some of them are sponsored by the Department of Tourism to attract tourists that add to the
economic coffers. Some are politically motivated to push or campaign for a local interest.
Whatever their purpose is, these festivals provide a temporary escape for the Filipinos by
providing them with artistic wonders.

Rituals, or rites, are also examples of Philippine folk tradition and art, practiced in almost
every region. These are a part of the culture. They are a series of ceremonies or prescribed
actions performed for a specific purpose. There are ceremonial rites, religious rites, betrothal and
marriage rituals, the rite of passage, and others. Rituals can be simple or complex, private or
public, and can last for a few minutes or stretch for days. The rituals are often accompanied by
dancing.

Rituals exist in the regions because of a certain need, such as the need to obtain order and
harmony in the individual, village, or community. There is a belief about the interrelationship of
man, nature, and the spirit world and that balance must be maintained to achieve the state of
order and harmony. The baylan (priest) or the babaylan (priestess) performs the rite. In other
rituals, the shaman, a seer, or healer, acts as an intermediary between man and the spirit world,
using the art of magic.

Stretching further, rituals are found in ordinary, everyday life. Even personal daily
routines undergo a process of a ritual, like the ritual of preparing for school, washing the hands,
combing the hair, etc. The family has social rituals for greetings: the beso for friends and
pagmamano, a respectful greeting of children to the elders.

Materials
Artists need physical materials to work on. They are the means by which the artists make
their feelings or thoughts visible. Through them, they transform their idea or experience into
something tangible in order to be received by their audience, viewer or listener.

In the past, materials for Filipino art forms have been clearly defined: paper and pen or a
typewriter for the literary artist; paint, paper, or canvas for the visual artist; an instrument and/or
a musical sheet for the musician. Some art forms call for Western-made materials and tools that
are expensive like oil paints and brushes for the painter. Although some of them are still in use
because they are part of classical art forms, Filipino artists have devised alternative materials
from them. Filipino artists have also rediscovered existing indigenous tools and instruments for
their use.
 The support may refer to the primary material of which the work of art is made (e.g.,
paper, canvas, stone, textile) or the secondary material (e.g. paper glued or mounted on
cardboard, textile over wood). The medium stands for the substance applied to the support (e.g.,
crayon, paint, dye). For example, in music composition and the literary arts, the support is the
paper and the tangible medium is ink.

When it comes to choosing their materials, Filipino contemporary artists do not conform
to any fixed standard. They know that they have many choices. They can just look around their
surroundings and find possibilities. For instance, some have found objects that can be used as
materials for assemblage and installation art and as musical instruments. The late Levi Celerio,
National Artist for Music, was fond of using a leaf with his lips in humming musical tunes.
During the Christmas season, children sing Christmas carols with the help of their tin cans and
sticks or stones.

Various musicians and bands use alternative materials today. A number of Filipino bands
that play with unconventional musical instruments, like bamboo, have emerged. One of them is
the Banda Kawayan Pilipinas, formerly known as the PUP Banda Kawayan. Because of the
band's ingenuity, their music is recognized, not only in thecountry but in other countries as well.

The rondalla an ensemble of stringed instruments played with a pick, is popular in the
regions. It is a carry-over from our Spanish heritage but has evolved with instruments made from
the indigenous Philippine wood. The picks are made from the tortoise shell. Some of the
instruments are the banduria, the octavina, and the lapud.

Traditional musical instruments in some regions are still being used today. Some musical
instrument from the Mt. Province are the gangsa played in the Cordillera region; kalaleng or
tangali (nose flute) made of bamboo; the tongatong, a bamboo percussion instrument used by the
Kalinga people; the solibao, a hollow wooden Igorot drum topped with pigskin; and the
ulibawor jew's harp

In Mindanao, the kulintang is a set of gongs placed on a narrow supporting table, played
in particular by the Maranao and Maguindanao people. The kutyapi is a two-stringed lute played
by the Maguindanao people.

In a performance, artists need lights, unless it is daytime and the performance is outdoors.
In the traditional theater, stage lights are used but alternative lighting effects are also being
utilized now. In traditional theater, there are curtains that can be drawn between scenes.

In traditional choreography, dancers wear soft shoes. Today, they can wear any
alternative footwear, and even design the footwear themselves. Anyhow, they can dance
barefooted. There is no standard attire in contemporary choreography. In Quezon City, a youth
group danced, using the bakya (wooden shoes) choreographed by their mentors Tony Fabella and
Eddie Elejar. Dancers can improvise.

Today, there is a crossover, or hybridization of materials. Local and traditional ones have
combined with contemporary art forms. Before, materials were restricted to standard mediums
and tools that were mostly borrowed from the West. Now, whatever is available locally, suitable,
and applicable to the art form is the norm. Local, traditional, and alternative materials have
combined, creating a new unique Filipino style. Mixed media have become popular.

Filipinos are ingenious. They are adept at holding tools and using materials in different
ways. They are also intuitive; they know that materias can be formed and fashioned in diverse
ways and applied to their works with varying results. Experimentation and innovation are parts
of the Filipino artist's daily life.

Techniques

Techniques in the creation of arts can be defined in two ways: First, as the process or
method that makes use of the materials on hand; and second, as the skill of the artist to execute
his or her work and produce the effect he or she wants to achieve. It is a system in everything
that artists do.

Diverse Techniques for Different Art Forms

A writing technique is the way a writer arranges words and thoughts to create moods or
atmospheres or to evoke the feeling he or she wants to express. A musical technique is the way
the musician handles his or her instrument to interpret a musical composition and to express the
feeling he or she wants to evoke. In visual design, the visual artist's technique is his or her
approach to using the medium to come out with the desired result.
In theater, an acting technique is the manner of using facial expressions, gestures, and
body movements to portray a character. A dance technique is the way of moving's body to
express an emotion or a desired state or condition,
Choreography Techniques
In choreography, the technique involves human movement and form within the elements
of time, space, and shape. It also involves energy in a nonverbal and emotional context.
Two Fundamental Dance Methods in Choreography
The first method is planned: The choreographer prescribes the movements and forms in
detail, giving little or no opportunity for the dancers to create. The other method is called
improvisation: the choreographer allows the dancers freedom to interpret the general
instructions. This is oftentimes referred to as" interpretative dancing.”
Traditional Techniques are Still Being Used
1. Mirroring- technique where dancers face each other while doing the same steps
2. Retrograde - reverse performance of a sequence of dance steps
3. Canon- dancers performing similar steps in a successive manner
4. Levels- varying positions of dancers
5. Shadowing - a technique where a dancer is standing behind another while the same steps
6. Unison- unanimous performance of steps

Some noted Filipino choreographers are National Artists Lucrecia R. Urtula of the
Bayanihan Dance Company, Leonor Orosa Goquinco of Filipinescas Dance Company, Ramon
Obusan of the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group. Alice Reyes of Ballet Philippines: Agnes C.
Locsin; Shirley Halili-Cruz; Basilio Esteban Villaruz; the late Tony Fabella; and Edna Vida of
Ballet Philippines. Try to watch the choreography directed by the mentioned artists to determine
the most common techniques they use.