Appreciating art varies from each person’s perspective, which makes every art unique and

capture the souls and inner self of the people. In order to completely appreciate art, one must also
be critical on looking as well as interpreting the artist’s style and point on his/her art. Criticizing
art helps the viewer to look more closely and gives much more meaning to it. Critics usually
used the main design principles of art particularly: emphasis, variety and unity, balance and
contrast, repetition, pattern and rhythm, scale and proportion. Aside from that, critics also tend to
link visual arts with historical events when that particular art has been made or created. Past
experiences of the artist could also be used for understanding the art. Lastly, the connection that
can be made by art on its viewers could also be one of the ways to appreciate as well as criticize
art.
In this paper, four paintings from different Filipino famous artists will be discussed. The first
one is Fernando Amorsolo’s “Tinikling Dance” (1956). Fernando Amorsolo is famous for his
style of realistic romanticism on his paintings. Tinikling Dance portray the realistic view of the
gathering of Filipinos around a church in which it could also pertain to a gathering of a festival
or usual afternoon session. The painting has an asymmetrical balance with the church on the left
side and vendors on the right side. The looks and positions also of the people helps emphasize
the dancers. Furthermore, its unity of color as well as the strokes of shadows gives a realistic
sense for the viewers. In my opinion, Hidalgo gives us a glimpse of his days wherein Filipinos
tend to entertain themselves by gathering around and dancing on their feet. I think it gives me a
historical sense of how Filipinos used their time before technology took ours nowadays.
The second art to be discussed is Ang Kiukok’s “Fishermen” (1981). His paintings are
known to have movements of cubism, surrealism and expressionism. His painting of Fishermen
is a cubistic and expressionist style of painting. The colors used are intensively complementary
to one another resulting to the cubistic depiction of sunset in its yellow-orange form.
Furthermore, I think that the maroon background and red circle suggests “red tide” as some of
the fishes also have red eyes. Unity with the shape and size of the men is also distinguished from
the painting. The variety on the positions of the fishes and men also depicts movement. In my
opinion, Kiukok gave an expression on the daily struggles of fishermen when having red tide.
The faces of the men looking down and the fishes looking up also gives a sense of inferiority on
these unexpected events.
The third art to be discussed is Anita Magsaysay-Ho’s “Fish Harvest at Dawn” (1979). Ho is
the first female National Artist that is known for using transparent cubism. Her painting of Fish
Harvest at Dawn gives emphasis on women harvesting fishes. The scale and proportion of
women gives a sense of distance for the painting. Furthermore, the unity and complement of
colors are combined with the asymmetrical balance of the women. The painting also gives
somehow a pattern or a flow through the variety of women’s movements. In my opinion, the
most striking in this painting are their nets in which its colors also complement with the water. I
think that the nets they are holding are similar to the waves of the sea. For me, this depicts that
women are in control and could somehow manage the waves in their lives. Furthermore, Ho’s
used of only women gives a sense of empowerment and that women help each other out when
one struggles the waves.
The last art to be discussed is Jose Joya’s “Space Transfiguration” (1959). Joya is known for
his style of abstract expressionism. At first, I think this painting gives no sense to me which is
usual for an abstract art. The color complements one another and there is also mostly cubic sense
in it but without repetition of size or pattern. However, I think the true meaning of painting lies
on its name, Space Transfiguration. Space in Merriam Webster’s Dictionary means a continuous
area or expanse which is free, available and occupied; the dimensions of height depth and width
within which all things exist and move. Transfiguration means a complete change or form or
appearance into a more beautiful or spiritual state. I think what Joya depicts is a complete change
of space, which means his use of roughness and somewhat cubic shapes on his painting gives a
defined space and dimensions. I think abstract expressionism is difficult to define because there
is nothing to define only by its color, shape and style used. I think that Joya’s painting gives a
feeling of confusion and change when looking at it.
In terms of the design principles of art, I think that Ho’s “Fish Harvest at Dawn” is the best
painting out of the four. It gives asymmetrical balance, unity of colors of orange and brownish
strokes, variety on the looks of women and their sizes to depict movement, scale and proportion
to depict distance, the rhythm of the sizes of women from the farthest to the nearest also gives a
viewpoint for the viewers. I think what also makes it a good art is its movement and somehow
being a woman also makes me proud of this painting. The connection of the art and the viewer
makes a good piece of art, whether if it is from experience or historical events. I also think that
even Joya’s painting is the best even if most design principles of art is not applied there. It is
because of the feeling or the sense of confusion or change that it gives me when looking at it. I
do not know how to really interpret or critic this movement or style of painting, but I think the
feelings that are given by this painting is what makes it also beautiful.