CONTEMPORARY
PHILIPPINE
ARTS FROM THE
REGIONS
ARTS ARE DESCRIBED AS MEANS
O F E X P R E S S I O N T H AT R E Q U I R E
I M A G I N AT I O N A N D / O R S K I L L I N
MAKING AESTHETIC OBJECTS OR
E N C O U N T E R S T H AT C A N B E S H A R E D
WITH OTHER PEOPLE. THESE
O B J E C T S A N D E X P E R I E N C E S M AY
EXHIBIT W H AT IS IN THE
I M A G I N AT I O N O F T H E A R T I S T O R
C R E AT O R .
VISUAL ARTS
• Encompasses a wide range of forms created by Filipinos. It
ranges from Western-influenced visual forms to works
created by folk and indigenous people. Traditionally, these
visual art forms include painting, sculpture, and architecture.
However, there are other functional visual art forms in the
country that need to be appreciated as well. Some of these
forms include advertising art, basketry, metal craft, mat
weaving, pottery, and textile weaving.
ART AND ITS VISUAL ELEMENTS
• LINE- this refers to a prolongation of a point, or a mark on a surface. Solid lines can be used in
order to define form while broken lines are typically used to suggest hidden forms. Lines are used
to suggest dimensions, and to guide visual movement.
•
The vertical line
signifies ambition This solid diagonal line
and strength. usually signifies dynamic The horizontal line
action, conflict or stress. signifies rest and
peace.
Broken lines
suggest lines that
are hidden from
the viewer.
SHAPE AND MASS
• This element of art refers to an area with boundaries identified or drawn using lines. A shape
may be based on natural or living forms. This shape is called an organic shape, and can be
irregular or rounded. A shape may also be based on measured forms. This shape, on the other
hand, is called a geometric shape. In contrast to shape, which is two-dimensional, mass refers to
solid portions of a three-dimensional object.
Organic shapes
Three-dimensional
geometric shapes
Two-dimensional geometric shapes
COLOR
• This refers to visual perception that allows a person to differentiate objects
due to the way various wavelengths of light are reflected. Color is a vey
important element because it can communicate information and emotion to
the viewer: Color has three properties, which are as follows:
Hue, which refers to the basic or pure color, and is represented in the color
wheel.
Value, which refers to the lightness and darkness of color. A light color or tint
is the result of adding white to a hue, while a dark color or shade results from
adding black to a hue.
Saturation, which refers to brightness and dullness of color. It is also referred
to as purity of the color. A bright color can be produced by adding more
pigment to the same hue, while a dull color can be produced by adding gray or
the color’s complement to the pigment.
• The color wheel, which is an arrangement of primary, secondary, and tertiary
colors, is an important tool to identify which colors can work well if used in a
certain artwork. Those sets of colors are referred to as color schemes or color
relationships. Some of these color schemes are discussed below.
COLOR SCHEMES
MONOCHROMATIC - this color scheme involves using the same hue but with
different gradients of value.
ANALOGOUS – the analogous color scheme entails the use of three or four
adjacent colors in the color wheel.
COMPLEMENTARY - the complementary color scheme involves the use of a
color and its complement-, meaning the color located opposite of the first
color.
SPLIT-COMPLEMENTARY – this color scheme is a close relative to the
complementary color scheme. But instead of using the color’s complement, this
scheme uses the two colors adjacent to the complement.
TRIADIC- this color scheme uses three colors that are of equal distance with
each other.
TETRADIC- also known as double complementary color scheme, this uses two
pairs of complementary colors.
VALUE- this element refers to lightness or darkness of an area. This element is
evident in creating shadows for a two- dimensional object to give an illusion of
depth.
TEXTURE- this element refers to the feel or appearance of a surface. A person
may describe texture if the surface is either smooth or rough. Textured may also
be described as actual or implied. Actual texture can be felt tangibly based on the
material that is used for the artwork. On the other hand, implied texture can be
exhibited, for instance, in a painting of fur of an animal.
• SPACE- refers to the area that is occupied by an object or a subject, as well as
the area surrounding that object or subject. An illusion of space can still be
created in a two-dimensional surface using perspective. There are two types of
perspective: atmospheric perspective, which utilizes the properties of light
and air in depicting the illusion of distance; a linear perspective, which
involves the use of vanishing point and receding hidden lines.
• TIME AND MOTION- movement in the visual arts can either be an illusion or
an actual motion. An illusion of movement is more common in two-dimensional
artworks. On the other hand, actual motion is easily seen in kinetic sculpture, a
type of sculpture that moves with the wind or vibrating with surrounding air.
PAINTING
• FORMS OF PAINTING
a) EASEL PAINTING- the easel painting is perhaps the most common form of
painting. As the name implies, this involves applying color to a board or canvas
that is fixed on an upright support called an easel. Easel paintings are meant to
be framed and hanged on a wall after creating them.
b) MURALS- a mural is described as a huge wall-sized painting. During the
1980’s, some artists believed that the mural should be used to impart
messages to increase social awareness especially to issues at that time.
However, a new form of mural , a portable mural, was developed in order to
prevent the mural from being erased form the wall. The portable mural was
created by using bold strokes in applying bright colors on pieces of
cheesecloth or canvas.
c. TELON PAINTING- a telon is described as a backdrop or background for the
stage. These backdrops are used for komedya, sarswela, and sinakulo which are
popular forms of theater in the country. Later, even though the popularity of the
sarswela decreased, the telon is still used in presentations during carnivals, fiestas,
and religious celebrations. The telon was later reduced as a backdrop in a
photography studio.
d. JEEPNEY AND CALESA PAINTING-
The calesa is typically painted using one color. The borders of the calesa are
decorated with geometric patterns, repetitive patterns, and/ or thin lines.
Jeepney painting evolved from calesa painting. In a typical jeepney, a logo, number,
or painting is covered near the seats adjacent to it. Typical subject matter of
jeepney painting ranges from landscapes to scenes from comic books.
e. COLLAGE- this refers to a form of painting that involves combine images in a
single artwork. This entails cutting and pasting materials such as paper, fabric, tin
foil and other relatively flat materials onto a board or canvas.
THEMES OF PAINTING
• GENRE PAINTING- portrays people in daily activities. Subjects include planting
and harvesting rice, a young woman singing in front of guest, barong-barong,
vendors, and fiestas. During the contemporary period, genre painting took
several directions. One of these new approaches is folk genre, which mainly
focuses on the everyday activities of the folk. Another approach is using the
style wherein it uses a lot of color ang spontaneity. This was inspired by
children’s art.
• HISTORICAL PAINTING- depicts a scene from the past. It often has a lesson
concerning national values.
• INTERIORS- this refers to painting of the space inside of a part of a house or a
building. This usually reveals the social class of the family living in that particular
house.As well as the traits of the people living in it.
• LANDSCAPES- these paintings portray natural scenery or urban scenes. Mixed
media is now used in creating landscape paintings.
• PORTRAITS- this refers to a painting portraying one or more specific
individuals. This usually portrays the physical characteristics of the subject and
seeks to show an understanding of that person’s character.
• NUDES-these are paintings that portray the unclothed human figure. Nowadays,
a wide variety of materials and styles can be used in painting nudes. Nude
painting sessions are conducted in galleries.
• RELIGIOUS PAINTING- common subjects of religious painting include a lone
religious image, lives of the saints, and scenes based from the Scriptures like
Nativity scene, and the Stations of the Cross.
STILL LIFE
• This refers to a painting that depicts natural or man-made objects that form a
composition in a natural setting. There are still modern artists who did still life
paintings, such as Ang Kiukok, Federico Aguilar Alcuaz, and Manual Baldemor.
Each artist uses his own style in portraying still life.
• A lot of styles can be used by artists in painting, ranging from Baroque and
Rococo, to impressionism, expressionism, and abstract. In the Philippines, popular
styles during the contemporary period include neorealism, which involves
creating representational figures that also look abstract; hyperrealism or magic
realism, in which the subject is painted in highly realistic way that it resembles a
photograph; and social realism, which entails creating paintings that depict
socioeconomic and political problems.
