DEFINING CONTEMPORARY ART

Defining Contemporary Art

Welcome to the third module of the course on Philippine Contemporary Art from the Regions.
For this chapter, we will discuss what contemporary art is and put it in the Philippine context.

In this chapter you will be able to describe contemporary art and describe contemporary art in the
Philippines. You will also be familiarized with styles used by contemporary artists. It is
important to learn about contemporary art because it is the kind of art that you see around you.

Characteristics of Contemporary Art

Contemporary art started in the 1950s, after World War II. Artists started to experiment
on different techniques and different ways of expressing their emotions, views, ideas, and other
things that they wanted to express through art. They were considered contemporary artists
because their styles and ways of making art veered away from that of traditional art.

As the times change, so do technology, people’s ideas, issues, needs, etc., and with this,
so does art. Contemporary art can now be found where ever artists can put their work. It is not
confined in museums. It can be found in the numerous galleries, art schools, side streets and
public spaces like train or bus stations, malls, parks and the sides of buildings.

CAGAYAN DE ORO. Local artist Nicolas Aca urges voters not to sell their votes in a performance outside the St.
Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral Sunday morning, May 8. (Jigger J. Jerusalem)
(http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/local-news/2016/05/09/vote-buying-oro-alarms-namfrel-472413)

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The practice of selling paintings has also changed post-war for contemporary art. With
the rise of technology and social media, artists are able to post their works online, which gives
the artist exposure and someone can just contact the artist or gallery to purchase the work. Also,
galleries now a days can do the marketing, promoting and selling of the works for the artist, as
opposed to earlier times where the artist did most of the legwork to make a sale. For installation
artworks, they are created in a specific space and can be viewed in a given span of time. This
means they will eventually be dismantled and cannot be sold.

METRO MANILA. Silverlens Gallery website. Showing their represented artists and exhibitions.
(http://www.silverlensgalleries.com/?artists)

Many contemporary artists are self-taught and did not have formal education. As there
are a lot of tutorials and other information on the internet, an artist can learn how to paint, play
an instrument, learn about making videos, etc. on their own.

In architecture, trying different shapes and forms have emerged as a result of the use of
different materials. Contemporary visual artists also experiment with different kinds of materials,
for example ones that were originally used only for construction. They may also combine
materials with found objects in a specific way to express their statement or view regarding an
issue or disturbing reality that they want to react to.

QUEZON PROVINCE. Pueblo Por La

Playa Leisure Club.

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(http://www.wowquezon.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/n1482529848_30073425_1063.jpg)

CEBU. Mona Alcudia’s paper art.

(https://www.instagram.com/p/_n8RO4uX3Y/)

Some contemporary artists also employ the help of fabricators, carpenters, electricians
or welders to make their works. The idea or concept of the work is theirs, but they are not limited
anymore to making the works themselves, and use the skillful expertise of others to bring their
work to life. Conceptual artists do this as they use principles of physics and the technology of
construction to form their artworks.

Originality is not a big issue for contemporary artists. An artist can use the image or
idea of another artist and add to it, redesign or interpret it using other materials, techniques,
styles, treatment, etc. and give it a different meaning or enhance the idea of the original work.

BOHOL. Geovanni Abing’s recreation of Vincent Van

Gogh’s “Starry Starry Night” using paper to make a
collage.

(http://m2.22slides.com/geovanniabing/11090_image_85
9561.jpg)

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Therefore, what is essential in contemporary art is the process of art-making. For most,
it is not how much money they make from their final work. It is the message in the artwork, the
movement in the dance or the plot that is communicated in a film that is important.

Given these descriptions, it can be said that contemporary art is a statement that an artist
makes and shares about life, thoughts, ideas, beliefs, and many other things that define human
life.

Contemporary Art in the Philippines

As discussed in the characteristics of contemporary art, artists are very experimental
when it comes to their materials, venue, process, and theme/concept. Their limit is their
imagination when trying to share their message. Artists are finding different ways to get their
message across, trying other styles and sometimes even trying different art forms, like a painter
may choose to produce a short film using his or her paintings. Artists are now becoming hybrids,
expressing their sentiments in a variety of forms. This could be a reflection of Filipinos being
able to travel and reside in different parts of the globe and being able to discover new things.
Filipino artists are pushing themselves to be technically skilled in different art expressions.

METRO MANILA. Christina Dy does set designs for films and music videos, she is a visual artist, and does pole
dance and is also an instructor.
(https://www.instagram.com/p/BFiiizphJ4G/)

As with other countries, the Philippines’ history has deeply influenced its cultural
identity. We have influences from Malay, Indonesia, India, China and West Asia. We briefly had
encounters with Great Britain and Japan and longer ones with Spain and USA. Their influences
continue up to this day to be acted on, resisted and absorbed into the Filipino identity.

While this is true, on the other hand radically shaping the country’s demographic,
sociological, economic and cultural character has been the steady movement of Filipinos to and
from the Philippines into different parts of the globe. The effect of this is that Filipinos living
within and outside the Philippines have been consciously exerting effort to rediscover and use
pre-colonial imagery, motifs and non-western belief systems as a means toward crafting identity
in the midst of rapidly changing environments and cultural displacement.

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METRO MANILA. Camille Quintos.

(https://www.instagram.com/p/BCxgkh0ndXv/)

With these points given, it can be said that the Philippine contemporary art consists of
interplaying scales or variety of ideas and forms and the crossing of tradition and modernity. The
contemporary Philippine art scene is complex, not just because we have influences from
culturally diverse countries, but because the Philippine art operates within a culture that is
dynamic, hybridized and thus resistant to being put in a single category.

METRO MANILA. Angelo Tabije.

(https://benjaminpadero.com/2009/10/page/2/)

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Subject Matter and Styles in Contemporary Art

Subject matter is what you see that is depicted in the artwork. It may be human figures,
a combination of texture and color, or a figure made of found objects put together into a coherent
whole. The subject matter in contemporary art is not confined to human figures, landscapes, or
natural objects like in traditional art. Sometimes the subject matter is not easily recognized. If the
artwork is an experiment on technique, then the technique is the subject matter itself.

Style dictates every artist’s art-making process. Style can have many meanings. It can
mean the art produced in a particular historical period. Also, it can refer to the art of a nation or a
region within a country. An artist’s growth in his/her way of working can be referred to as “the
evolution of style”. Style can also be a certain technical approach to art-making. Style can be
thought of as groups based on common traits or qualities. The uniting element may be visible in
the use of the elements or principles of art. Style is significant because it can help the viewers to
understand the meaning of the work.

There have been several art movements and styles that dominated since the 1950s in
contemporary art. These are the following:

 Abstract expressionism
This is a painting style where the artist applies paint in a manner that expresses
emotions and feelings in a spontaneous way.

METRO MANILA. Jonathan Olazo.

(http://parrapic.blogspot.com/2013_06_01_archive.html)

 Kinetic art
This is a kind of sculpture that moves with the wind or powered by a machine
or electricity

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METRO MANILA. Gabriel Barredo

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EF8sznQf8oI/UT2RPLxPefI/AAAAAAAAa3w/-
fGsfNWiIZc/s1600/gaby+barredo+8.jpg)

 Op art
This style uses lines or images repeatedly to create an optical illusion.

METRO MANILA. Jaime Roque, Untitled, 2014, Acrylic on canvas.

(http://www.galeriemichaeljanssen.de/tl_files/media/images/artists/jaime-roque/JR_03_1.jpg)

 Performance art
This combines a variety of media and the human body to execute an artistic
theatrical expression before a live audience. This is different from theater as this does
not follow a plot, and instead a main concept or theme, and is mostly spontaneous.

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BOHOL. Sam Penaso’s “Striped Walker” series

(http://www.artween.com/Artists/samuel-penaso/performance-art/stripewalker-series-paris)

 Environmental art
This involves the artistic creation or manipulation of space such as landscape or
architectural design that may enclose its audience. Earthworks, or works using
natural objects like stones, leaves, trees, grass are included in this category.

BAGUIO CITY. Roger Rishab Tibon’s “Nurturing Memories”.

(http://www.interaksyon.com/lifestyle/filipino-artists-nature-installations-stand-out-in-parks-abroad)

 Feminist art
This emerged from female artists expressing their concerns through art. They
tackle issues of identity, sexuality, gender roles, equality, and the ways which the
female is treated in society, among others.

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METRO MANILA. Camille Quintos, "That Is Your Oath”, Oil on canvas, 2015.
(https://www.instagram.com/p/BCkBvY3HdQH/)

 Minimalism
This style has a stripped-down, pre-fabricated look, free of details and often
with flat surface, but expresses a specific content or statement.

METRO MANILA. Constancio Bernardo's “Wild Flower Series II”, 1977

(http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/381843/lifestyle/artandculture/celebrating-constancio-bernardo-foremost-
abstract-artist-of-the-philippines)

 Video art
This consists of images that are recorded through a video and viewed through
television, computer or projection screen.

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METRO MANILA. “Fair Isle 59°41’20.0”N 2°36’23.0”W” by Martha Atienza.

(http://preen.inquirer.net/22721/here-are-five-works-you-must-see-at-art-fair-philippines-2016)

 Graffiti art
This is a drawing, inscription or sketch done hastily on a wall or other surface
made to be seen by the public.

CAVITE. Lee Salvador, ‘Untitled’, 2013, acrylic paint.

(http://artradarjournal.com/2014/05/16/manilas-mean-streets-7-filipino-street-artists-part-3/)

 Postmodern art
This carries modern styles to extreme practices, often expressing an idea
through a mix of materials, such as found objects welded together.

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CAGAYAN DE ORO. Ian Quirante.

(http://www.artesdelasfilipinas.com/archives/75/ian-quirante-a-postmodern-artist)

 Body art
This is an art form that uses the body as the medium or main material. The
body can be painted or clothed and used to perform an artistic act in public.
Tattooing and piercing are also considered body art.

METRO MANILA. Dyani Lao.

(http://dyanilao.com/the_one/)

 Digital art
This is done with the aid of computer and computer programs to create an
image or design. The image can be printed on paper, tarpaulin or other mediums.

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METRO MANILA. “Wings” by Paolo Geronimo.

(https://www.behance.net/paologeronimo)

In the Philippine contemporary art scene, there is a dominance of abstract

expressionism, social realism and mixed media art. Traces of Western influence are visible in
abstract paintings. Recently, graffiti, community and environmental arts are gaining popularity.
Artists use public spaces available to them where they collaborate in art-making and conduct
workshops to teach and involve children or specific groups about art.

Interactive art-making is also being practiced by some Filipino artists. Sometimes,

visual art is combined with performance art to make a statement or express a view about an
issue. Film has expanded to include indie films that explore specific themes. For theater, their
performances are not confined to a theater stage anymore. They can be performed on the streets
with minimal props that enable transport and movement. In music, there is fusion of different
styles and use of words in songs sang in irregular sound patterns.

Although exploration of new materials, aided by technology, and styles is practiced in

contemporary art, its content does not leave out human elements, concerns, issues and things of
high value to human beings.

Supplementary Links to Videos and Readings

Videos
 “Episode #10 | The Old and the New | Art Republik TV Season 1” (27:31)
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ecuil6HSGQ>
 “art work gabby barredo 2013 exhibit” (3:33)
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsUfhj45Gck>
 “Sequence 02” (0:56)

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<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdUYqBsAq48>

Readings
 “The Power Of Filipino Expressionism: Artists Interpret The Marcos Dictatorship”
(5:00) < http://theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/articles/the-power-of-filipino-
expressionism-artists-interpret-the-marcos-dictatorship/>
 “Yuan Mor’O Ocampo: Exploring Filipino Identity” (5:00)
<http://theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/articles/yuan-mor-o-ocampo-exploring-
filipino-identity/>
 “The Philippines Through The Eyes Of Juanito Torres” (5:00)
<http://theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/articles/the-philippines-through-the-eyes-
of-juanito-torres/>

Glossary

traditional art art consisting of portraits, landscapes, still life and human interest,
mostly as naturally as possible. As opposed to contemporary art
which are expressions of freedom, experimentation and exploration
of patterns, figures, objects and a combination of many things that
are important to them, that is, personal to the artist.

installation art an art form consisting of three-dimensional works that are often
site-specific and designed to transform interior or exterior spaces to
achieve an effect.

cultural displacement physical dislocation from one's native culture or the colonizing
imposition of a foreign culture

References

Ramirez, Veronica E. Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions. Manila: Vibal Group,
Inc., 2016. Print.

Legaspi-Ramirez, Eileen. “Crossbred and Émigré: Visual Art in a Flux”. National Commission
for Culture and the Arts. 15 April 2015. Web. 1 June 2016.
<http://ncca.gov.ph/subcommissions/subcommission-on-the-arts-sca/visual-
arts/crossbred-and-emigre-visual-art-in-a-flux/>

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