what is contemporary?

If we talk in terms of art history, contemporary art can be defined as art produced by artists living today.

Contemporary art is art produced at the present period in time.

 Contemporary art as the work of artists who are living in the twenty-first century.

A good rule of thumb is:

 Modern Art: Art from the Impressionists(say, around 1880) up until the 1960s or '70s.

 Contemporary Art: Art from the 1960s or '70s up until this very minute.

 The contemporary is therefore is a fluid term, and its use can change depending on the con-
texts, in this case historical and stylistic.

 At this time, the Modern and Contemporary can be used simultaneously or interchangeably;
however, there is also danger of using them carelessly or loosely. Thus, it is important to know
the historical, and stylistic contexts of the terms.

National Artist Victorio Edades is credited for initiating the Modern Art movement that challenged the
Neoclassic style, which was dominant at the time he came home from studying in America before the
war.

Neoclassicism- is academic as it was and continues to be taught in schools, particularly the then
University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts (now UP College of Fine Arts).

Romeo Villalva Tabuena (August 22, 1921- October 15, 2015) was a Filipino painter and printmaker
who was born in Iloilo City.

Hernando Ruiz Ocampo (April 28, 1911 – December 28, 1978) was a FilipinoNational Artist in the visual
arts. He is also fictionist, a playwright and editor.
Vicente Silva Manansala (January 22, 1910 – August 22, 1981) was a
Filipino cubist painter and illustrator.

Victor Oteyza was a Filipino visual artist who was born in 1913. Several works by the artist have been
sold at auction, including 'Untitled' sold at Salcedo Auctions 'Under the Tree.

Ramon A. Estella (1911 – 1991) was a pre-war Philippines movie director and actor.

Cesar Torrente Legaspi (April 2, 1917 – April 7, 1994) was a FilipinoNational Artist in painting. He was
also an art director prior to going full-time in his visual art practice in the 1960s. His early (1940s–1960s)
works,

ART FORMS

A. Music - An art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through
the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, and color.

B. Dance - An art of dancing- to move one’s feet or body, or both, rhythmically in a pattern of
steps, especially to the accompaniment of music.

C. Theatre - Dramatic performances as a branch of art; the drama

D. Visual Arts - The arts created primarily for visual perception, as drawing objects, graphics,
painting, sculpture, and the decorative arts.

E. Literature - Writings in which expression and form, in connection with ideas of permanent and
universal interests, are characteristic or essential features, as poetry, novels, history, biography,
and essays

F. Film and Broadcast Arts > Film-motion pictures, as a genre of art or entertainment

 Broadcast- to speak, perform, sponsor, or present all or part of a

radio or television program

G. Architecture, Design and Allied Arts - > Architecture-includes design or selection of furnishings
and decorations, supervision of construction work, and the examination, restoration, or
remodelling of existing buildings

 Design- organization or structure of formal elements in a work of

art; composition.

NATIONAL ARTISTS

 National Artists of the Philippines

 (Filipino: Pambansang Alagad ng Sining ng Pilipinas)

 is an order bestowed by the Philippines on Filipinos who have made significant contributions
to the development of Philippine art. Originally instituted as an Award, it was elevated to the
status of Order in 2003.

 The Order is administered by the Cultural Center of the Philippines by virtue

of President Ferdinand Marcos's Proclamation № 1001 of April 2, 1972 and the National
Commission for Culture and the Arts. The first award was posthumously conferred on Filipino
painter Fernando Amorsolo.

 Those who have been proclaimed National Artists are given a Grand Collar symbolizing their
status.

Criteria:
 • Living artists who have been Filipino citizens for the last ten years prior to nomination as well as
those who have died after the establishment of the award in 1972 but were Filipino citizens at
the time of their death;

• Artists who have helped build a Filipino sense of nationhood through the content and form of
their works;

• Artists who have distinguished themselves by pioneering in a mode of creative expression or

style, making an impact on succeeding generations of artists;

• Artists who have created a significant body of works and/or have consistently displayed
excellence in the practice of their art form, enriching artistic expression or style; and

• Artists who enjoy broad acceptance through prestigious national and/or international
recognition, awards in prestigious national and/or international events, critical acclaim and/or
reviews of their works, and/or respect and esteem from peers within an artistic discipline.

NATIONAL ARTIST FOR MUSIC

 ANTONINO R. BUENAVENTURA (1988)

 He vigorously pursued a musical career with an unwavering commitment to advancing

the frontiers of Philippine Music. His compositions include: By the Hilside, Triumphal
March, Ode to Freedom, Concert Overture, Mindanao Sketches, and Symphony in C
Major among others.

 LEVI CELERIO

 He was a prolific lyricist for decades. He effortlessly wrote the lyrics of countless popular
songs such as: Bakya mo Neneng, Sa Libis ng Nayon, Galawgaw, Pasko na Naman, Saan
Ka Man Naroroon, Waray-Waray, Tuna na Tuna and Ang Pasko Ay Sumapit.

 ERNANI JOSON CUENCO (1999)

 He was a seasoned musician composer, film scorer, musical director and music teacher,
he wrote an outstanding and memorable body of works that resonate with the Filipino
sense of musicality and which embody an ingenious voice that raises the aesthetic
dimensions of contemporary Filipino music. His works include: Nahan, Kahit na Magtiis,
and Diligin Mo ng Hamog ang Uhaw na Lupa, Kalesa, Bato sa Buhangin and Gaano Kita
kamahal.

 FELIPE PADILLA DE LEON (1997)

 He was a composer, conductor, and a scholar, who utilized the essence of Filipino folk music to
create masterpieces. The prodigious body of De Leon’s musical compositions (art songs, opera,
concertos and music for all occasions), have become the full expression of the sentiments and
aspirations of the Filipino in times of strife and of peace, making him the epitome of a people’s
musician. His music include: Mariang Makiling Overture, Roca Encantada, Orchesterstuk,
Payapang Daigdig, Pasko na Naman, Noche Buena, Ako’y Pilipinio, Lupang Tinubuan, and the
operatic masterpieces, Noli Metangere and El Filibusterismo.

 JOVITA FUENTES (1976)

 Her portrayal of Cio-Cio San in Giacomo Puccini’s Madame Butterfly at Italy’s Teatro Municipale
di Piacenza, has been hailed as the “most sublime Interpretation of the part”, which made the
scarcely Heard of Philippines, known in Europe.
 ANDREA O. VENERACION (1999) - her indispensable contribution to Filipino musical heritage
was the founding of the Philippine Madrigal Singers, first choral group winning twice in the
European grand prix, and the spearheading of the development of Philippine choral music.

NATIONAL ARTISTS IN ARCHITECTURE

JUAN F. NAKPIL(1899-1986)- architect, civil engineer,teacher and civic leader,is a pioneer and
innovator in Philippine architecture. In 1973, he was named one of the National Artists for
architecture, and tapped as the Dean of Filipino Architects.

Quiapo Church as we see today after Juan Nakpil rebuilt it in 1930s, adding a dome and 2nd
belfry to the original design.

PABLO S. ANTONIO - born at the turn of the century, national artist for architecture Pablo
Sebero Antonio pioneered modern Philippine architecture. His basic design is grounded on
simplicity, no clutter.

Antonio’s major works include the following: Far Eastern University Administration and Science
buildings.

LEANDRO V. LOCSIN (ARCHITECTURE, 1990) - a man who believes that true Philippine
architecture “is the product of two great streams of culture, the oriental and the occidental… to
produce a new object of profound harmony,” Leandro V. Locsin is the man responsible for
designing everything you see at CCP complex – the cultural center of the Philippines, folk arts
theatre, Philippine International Convention Center, philcite, and the Westin hotel (now Sofitel
Philippine Plaza).

Locsin’s largest single work is the Istana Nurul Iman, the palace of the Sultan of Brunei.

NATIONAL ARTIST IN VISUAL ARTS

Guillermo Estrella Tolentino is a product of the revival period in Philippine art. The result was the UP
oblation that became the symbol of freedom at the campus. Acknowledged as his masterpiece and
completed in 1933, the Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan stands as an enduringsymbol of the Filipinos’
cry for freedom.

NATIONAL ARTIST IN CINEMA

RONALD ALLAN K. POE (AUGUST 20, 1939 – DECEMBER 14, 2004)- Popularly known as Fernando Poe,
Jr., was a cultural icon of tremendous audience impact and cinema artist and craftsman– as actor,
director, writer and producer.

NATIONAL ARTSTS IN DANCE

RAMON OBUSAN (JUNE 16, 1938 – DECEMBER 21, 200) - he was a dancer, choreographer, stage
designer and artistic director. He was also acknowledged as a researcher,archivist and documentary
filmmaker who broadened and deepened the Filipino understanding of his own cultural life and
expressions. Through the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Grop (ROFG).

LEONOR OROSA GOQUINGC (DANCE, 1976) - a Pioneer Filipino choreographer known to many as “the
trailblazer,” “the mother of Philippine theater dance,” and “Dean of Filipino performing arts critics.

GaMaBa Awards (Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan)

•The Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan, or the National Living Treasures Award, is conferred on Filipinos
who are at the forefront of the practice, preservation, and promotion of the nation’s traditional folk
arts.

•Formalized in 1992, through Republic Act No. 7355, the Manlilikha ng Bayan Act.

•The National Commission for the Culture and the Arts oversees its implementation.
The main objective of the award is to honor and support traditional folk artists and to see to it that that
their skills and crafts are preserved.

•The award is tied with a program that ensures the transfer of their skills to new generations and the
promotion of the craft both locally and internationally.

List of Awardees:

Ginaw Bilog is a Hanunoo Mangyan poet from Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro. He is considered as a master
of the Ambahan poetry.

Masino Intaray was born near Makagwa Valley. He was a skilled and proficient player of the basal
(gong), aroding (mouth harp), and babarak (ring flute).

Samaon Sulaiman is kutyapi master and teacher of his instrument in Libutan and other barangays of
Maganoy town, Mindanao. He is proficient in kulintang, agong, gandingan, palendag, and tambul.

Lang Dulay is a T'boli artist from Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. She is considered as a traditional weaver of
"t'nalak" or "tinalak" cloth.

Salinta Monon was a Tagabawa-Bagobo weaver from Bansalan, Davao del Sur. She was cited for
demonstrating the creative and expressive aspects of the Bagobo abaca ikat weaving called inabal at the
time when it was threatened with extinction.

Alonzo Saclag is a Kalinga master of dance and the performing arts from Lubuagan, Kalinga. He has also
mastered the dance patterns and movements associated with his people’s ritual. He is the founder of
the Kalinga Budong Dance Troupe.

Federico Caballero is a Sulod-Bukidnon epic chanter from Kalinog, Iloilo. He ceaselessly work for the
documentation of the oral literature, particularly the epics, of his people. He is considered as a
bantugan. He strives to dispense justice in the community through his work as a manughusay – an
arbiter of conflicts.

Uwang Ahadas is from Lamitan, Basilan. He is a Yakan, a people to whom instrumental music is of much
significance, connected as it is with both the agricultural cycle and the social realm. He is a hands-on-
teacher to those who wants to learn playing Yakan instruments including the kwintangan, kayu, and
tuntungan.

Darhata Sawabi is a weaver of pis syabit - the traditional cloth tapestry worn as a head covering by the
Tausug of Jolo, from Barangay Parang, in the island of Jolo, Sulu.

Eduardo Mutuc is from Apalit, Pampanga. He has dedicated his life to creating religious and secular art
in silver, bronze and wood.

Haja Amina Appi was recognized as the master mat weaver among the Sama indigenous community of
Ungos Matata, Tandubas, Tawi-Tawi.

Teopilo Garcia is a hat weaver from San Quintin, Abra. He is known for tabungaw, which can last up to
three to four generations if taken care of properly.

Magdalena Gamis a Filipino master weaver who makes “inabel”, an Ilokano handwoven cloth.

Other Recognized Awards for Filipinos

Ani ng Dangal or "Harvest of Honors" is a state recognition given by the National Commission for Culture
and the Arts under the Office of the President of the Republic of the Philippines. It is an annual event in
the Philippines celebrated as a highlight and concluding rite of the Philippine Arts Festival.

The Ani ng Dangal is given to a natural-born Filipino artist or group that has reaped top honors in
international events.
Palanca Awards aims to develop Philippine Literature in the following manner:

•By providing incentives for writers to craft their most outstanding literary works;

•By being a treasury of the Philippine’s literary gems from our gifted writers; and

•To assist in their eventual dissemination to our people, particularly students.

Philippine National Book Awards, or simply the National Book Awards, is a Philippine literary award
sponsored by the NBDB (National Book Development Board) and the MCC (Manila Critics' Circle).

Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas is an award given by the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas
(UMPIL).

UMPIL is the Writers' Union of the Philippines (Filipino: Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas, UMPIL) is
an organization of Filipino writers in the Philippines.

Pedro Bucaneg Award ang pinakamataas na pagkilalang iginagawad ng Gunglo Dagiti Mannurat nga
Ilokano iti Filipinas (GUMIL Filipinas) sa mga lalaking manunulat na Ilokano. Iginagawad ito doon sa mga
tinitingalang lalaking manunulat na Ilokano na nakapagbigay ng natatanging ambag sa pag-unlad ng
panitikang Iluko.

Philippine Theatrical Performance

Before the Spanish period, the early forms of the Philippine drama were the duplo and the karagatan.

 *Duplo – was a poetical debate held by trained men and women in the ninth night, the last
night of the mourning period for the dead.

 Bellacos – male participants, they are the

 Karagatan – was also a poetical debate like the duplo, but its participants were amateurs.

 >> Both were held in the homes.

 >>Theme: was all about a ring that fell into the sea.

 1598- The first recorded drama was staged in Cebu.

 1609- Eleven year after, another stage play portraying The Life of Santa Barbara was staged in
Bicol.

Three kinds of plays:

1. Cenakulo – It was a very heavy drama

shown in relation to the life sacrifices and death of Jesus Christ. It is like a passion play
presented and celebrated during the month of March or April depending the exact date of the
Holy week.

Two kinds of presentations:

 The Ablada (oral)

 Kantada (song)

The Cenakulo is divided into several parts, one part for each night of the Holy Week. Each performance
lasts from 3-4hours. In Malibay, Pasay for instance, the entire Cenakulo cycle starts with the creation
and ends with resurrection.

2. Moro-moro – It is a cloak and dagger play depicting the was between the Christians and the
Muslims with the Christians always on the winning side.
 Fr. Jeronimo Perez – wrote the first moro-moro and was staged in Manila in 1637, to
commemorate Governor General Consuera’s victory over the Muslims of Mindanao.

 it becomes the favorite play of the people, especially during the town fiestas.
3.Zarzuela – it is a melodrama with songs and dances that have a three in one act play. It
is intended to make the mass feeling towards love, fear, grief, sorrow or any
emotional reactions sublime. It sometimes shows the political and social conditions of our
country.
 Junto Al Pasig (beside the Pasig) – A zarzuela written by Jose Rizal and it was staged at the
Ateneo de Manila on December 8, 1880 on the occasion of the celebration of the Feast Day of
the Immaculate Conception (Patron saint of the College)
 >Zarzuelas was nationalistic in theme and plot.

Street Dramas:
Moriones – the Morion Festival is a Lenten ritual that is colorful as it is unique. It is celebrated
every Holy week in Marinduque.
Morion – means mask or visor which is the top part of the Medieval Roman armor covering the
face. It is this mask carved from dapdap wood that is the Focal point of the Moriones
celebration.
 Pugutan ceremony – is the climax of the Morion festival held at noon of Easter Sunday. It is
held on the dried river bed outside Boac.
 Longinus – who at the time of Pilate drove his spear into the side of Jesus Christ as he hung
from the cross.

Ati-atihan – is a pagan ritual, which has become an annual affair that the natives look forward
to with great expectation.
 It is the most extravagant fiesta in the Philippines celebrated in Kalibo, Aklan every 3rd Sunday
of January in honor of the Infant Jesus.
 Ati-atihan derived its name from Atis, the aboriginal Negritos of the area in the Visayas.