Republic of the Philippines

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Region I 11/12
Division of Ilocos Sur

SELF LEARNING KIT (SLK) IN

CONTEMPORARY ARTS FROM THE REGIONS

LESSON TITLE:
PHILIPPINE CONTEMPORARY ARTFORM, TECHNIQUES &
PERFORMANCE PRACTICES

QUARTER: 3 SELF LEARNING KIT #: 1

MELC:
 Describes various contemporary art forms and their practices from the
various regions. (CAR11/12IAC-0a-1)
 Discusses various artforms found in the Philippines. (CAR11/12IAC-
0b-2)
 Researches on various contemporary art forms. (CAR11/12CAP-0c-e-
4)

Writers: CHARLEY R. BARCELONA

School: SANTIAGO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
District: SANTIAGO

At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:

1. Define and classify Philippine
contemporary art forms and performance
2. Appreciate various contemporary art forms
and practices from different regions
3. Research on local contemporary art forms,
techniques and performance practices.
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 PHILIPPINE CONTEMPORARY ARTFORMS, TECHNIQUES
AND PERFORMANCE PRACTICES
Art has a vital role in the diverse and rich cultural identity of the Philippines. It
reflects the Filipino citizens, its past, its tradition and the whole country. Since
Philippines is an archipelago, there are different distinct art forms that you can
see and experience that you will realize who we truly are. The art forms
developed from the ancient times continue to evolve up to the current time.
Started from ethnic tradition, it continues to progress to contemporary art
tradition.
As a young Filipino learner, you should have the knowledge of the art forms in
the Philippines to fully embrace your identity as a citizen of the country. This
module was made to help you to have an understanding and appreciation of
the Philippine Arts specifically of the Contemporary Philippine Art. Moreover,
this will provide you the etymology of Arts, trace the brief history of the
Philippine Arts from the Ethic up to the Contemporary Period and explore the
different Contemporary Arts in your respective community.

ART DEFINED
The word art is derived from the Latin word ARS or ARTIS which means “to
do” or “manmade”. Therefore, arts define as a medium of expression because
through arts we express ideas, feelings, and emotions without using words.

IMPORTANCE OF ARTS
 Drives our existence
 Satisfies the needs for personal expression
 Develops our skills to express ourselves
 Challenges us to see things differently
 Unleashes our hidden desires and passion
 Changes our ways in life
 Sees the truth that we might not understand before
 Gives pleasure, satisfaction, and gratification

The History of Philippine Arts

The development of Philippine Art comes from three major traditions. These
are Ethnic Tradition, Spanish Colonial Tradition, and the American Colonial
and Contemporary Traditions.
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ETHNIC TRADITION
Before colonization, our country already has an indigenous art. This art form is
primarily influenced by the geographical location and the experiences of the
Filipinos. Examples here are the distinct dances from different locality where
our ancestors thrive.

On this period, visual arts, sculpture, pottery, metal crafting and weaving were
dominant making use of the available materials around them. In the field of
architecture, particularly in building their shelters, they used local materials
such as anahaw, bamboo, rattan, cogon, cane and other light materials. Our
ancestors also have their own form of entertainment like folk literature, folk
speeches, songs and narratives. Regarding to theater arts, tribal presentations
were the early theatrical performances based on their beliefs. In music, tour
ancestors have their indigenous musical instruments like bamboo flutes and
gongs.

SPANISH COLONIAL TRADITION

This art tradition when the Spaniard came tend to change the Philippine
indigenous arts with Western art forms. Spanish colonizers introduce
Christianity and secularization in which it has a great impact in the Philippine
Arts. Back then, the friars or the priest were the one who supervise the
practice of arts in the country with their motive of propagating Christianity and
maintaining the power of colonizers. In Literature, the literary works could be
classified into religions and secular prose and poetry, while in the theater arts,
secular and sacred plays like “komedya” became popular. In dances, religious
dances usually performed to worship patron and saints, dances in secular
forms are valse, fandango, polka, mazurka, minuet and others performed in
social gatherings and other functions. The Spaniard also introduced piano and
other western musical instruments. Zarzuela and opera were cultivated with
bands and orchestra. In the field of architecture, they introduced the use of
bricks and stones in constructing buildings such as churches, houses and
government offices. The exterior and interior of the buildings were embellished
with wood carvings or metal works with intricate decorative designs. But, with
the changes brought to us by these colonizers, the arts in our country did not
result to pure Western art but a mixed of Western and indigenous arts. Filipino
artists still put Philippine touch of arts in their crafts.

AMERICAN COLONIAL AND CONTEMPORARY TRADITIONS

After more than 300 years of Spanish colonization, the Americans took over
the country which led to the declaration of the independence on June 12,
1898. Just like Spaniards, the brought many changes in the politics, economy.
Education and culture in the Philippines. In the area of Education, some
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Filipinos studied in America by the tutelage of the American Educators, and
some learned through observation and personal experience.

MODERN ART VS. CONTEMPORARY ART

Modern Art Contemporary Art
Definition Refers to the practice of arts in Refers to the recent and
the 1860s-1960s. current practice of art ranging
from 1970s up to present.
History The urbanization, It mirrors the society and
consumerism, rise of the culture of the present times.
middle class, changes of
political system, secularization
and the emergence of new
technology affected the way of
art making in this period.
Modern art continuously
develops even after WWII,
which led the contemporary
way of making art today.
Characteristic There was an experimental It uses the combination of
approach in developing the art different methods, materials,
rose above traditional art and ideas that came from the
practices and methodologies. traditional way of art making.
New form of expression came
which were avant-garde in
nature.

PHILIPPINE CONTEMPORARY ART FORMS

ART FORMS
1. VISUAL ARTS
-In American period, there were Filipinos who studied abroad and influenced the
art making in the country. Juan Arellano, Diosdado Lorenzo and Victor Edades
were those who studied in America and introduced the concept of modern arts in
the country. They are also called the “Triumvirate”.
- The subject of artwork was shifted from rural to urban themes. After the WWII,
artist started to create proletarian art depicting life after war, social issues, and
economics problems.
- There were different art organizations founded such as the Arts Association of
the Philippines by Purita Kalaw-Ledesma and the Philippine Art Gallery by Lydia
Villanueva- Arguilla, which supports modern art movements.
- Art became the mirror of the society which reflects history, society and politics of
the country.
-Modern art movements took also its scene such as Paris Cubism- a kind of
cubism showing fragment figures in larger plains, color harmonies and texture.
This was practiced by Vicente Manansala, Romeo Tabuena and Ceasar Legaspi.

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Abstractionism was also employed which H.R. Ocampo, Constantino Bernardo,
Frederico Aguilar Alcuaz, Arturo Luz and Jose Joya were the well-known
abstractionist during the time. Expessionistic Cubism was also used by Ang
Kiukok. BenCab worked with realism and experimental devices. Surrealism
was also emerged which explored the world of dream by Galo Ocampo and
Juvenal Sanso. Some art movement which were highlighted were, social realism
which conveys nationalistic message like comic, posters and cartoons. Magic
realism- a style of painting showing minute details of the subjects and
highlighting their texture and color e.g. “Bigas” by Nestor Leynes. Genre painting
which used to show the lives of townfolks, legends and traditions stayed in the
Philippine contemporary period.
-In sculpture, Napoleon Abueva is one of the famous sculptures who used varied
materials like variety of woods, metals, and stones. Aside from these materials,
he used plastics, jade, brass and other materials which reflects dynamism,
freedom of expression and concern to the masses. Sculptors like Ramon Orlina
and Impy Pilapil explored the use of glass in making sculptures.
-Cartoons, comics and photography became popular.
-In order to promote and preserve the rich artistry of the fountry, the National
Government through National Commission for Culture and Arts’ Committee on
Visual Arts (CVA) launched an education program that tends to convene artists
annually in the country through their regional and national congress.
2. LITERATURE
-Publication of young poets to campus journals emerged.
-“Bagay” movement took it scene, it is a kind of poetry which uses colloquial
language and perceive concrete images which tend to describe experiences. The
following were the Filipino writers who used this movement: Jose F. Lacaba,
Rolando Tinio, Bienvenido Lumbera, Antonio Samson and Edmundo Martinez.
Some of this works are, Valediction sa Hillcrest by Rolando Tinio, “Ang Bayang
Malaya” by Amado V. Hernandez.
-The main themes are about oppression, fighting for human rights, social protest
and social realism. This kind of poetry was followed by poems containing social
issues.
-The nationalist spirit of many writers arose because of Marshall Law which
discusses poverty, inequality, political turmoil, and other social problems during
the Marcos Era.
-The works of American and British poets influenced the English poems in the
Philippines. Among these poets are Edith Tiempo, Emmanuel Torres, and
Dominador Ilio.
-Short stories focus on self- consciousness and expression of the writer. Well-
known writers are: N.V.M Gonzales, Nick Joaquin, Alejandro Roces, Francisco
Arcellana, Gregorio Brillantes, Bienvenido Santos, Edith Tiempo, etc.
-The production of novels focused on sociopolitical themes even after WWII.
English novelists focused on the search of identity.
-Literary criticism was produced after the WWII aiming to analyze the Philippine
writings.

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-Informal essays ware developed by women writers.
-The Contemporary Philippine Literature was a mixture of variety of subjects, a
product of different innovative techniques of writers.
3. MUSIC
-Classical music was the type of music during the American period until 1950s. It
was in the 1960s that avant-garde music emerged.
-America introduced bodabil or stage show- it was not a form of stage play
since it was composed mainly of songs, dances and skits. During Japanese
regime bodabil includes melodrama.
-Philippine music is a combination of classical and traditional ethnic music.
-Theater music gradually declined because of radio, film and other entertainment
technology.
-Pinoy pop or the Filipino pop music took place which covers different forms
such as jazz, dance hits, folksong revival, rock and roll, rap, etc.
-During this period, Manila Sound was born. It is characterized as Western-
derived with English lyrics but with pure Filipino spirit.
-The OPM or the Original Pinoy Music is a kind of music purely Filipino and is
composed and sung by Filipino composers and singers.
-Alternative music was also introduced after the OPM. It is a type of music
sprouted out of protest that later on included themes like Filipino values, political
and environmental concerns and other societal themes. Alternative music artist
are: Freddie Aguilar “Anak”, Herber Bartolome “Tayo’y mga Pinoy”, and Folrante
De Leon “ Ako’y Pilipino”.
-Pinoy Rock Bands and pop stars entered the limelight with the continues
development of Philippine Contemporary Music.
-The Philippine theater was influenced by the Western culture because of the
exposure of different theatrical style and dramatic theories, the Filipinos were able
to expand their ideas and create stage plays that reflect Philippine realities and
set up. Some of the best artists who contributed on the development of Philippine
theater are: Lamberto Avellana, Severino Montano and Wilfredo Ma. Guerrero.
-Psychological realism and Social realism were the styles employed in the theater
arts. Psychological realism deals with the problems of individuals. An example
of this are the drama “Paraisong Parisukat” by Orlando Nadres and “Bayan-
Bayanan” by Bienvenido Noriega Jr. The social realism deals with the problems
of individuals considering their society an example of this is “The World is an
Apple” by Alberto Florentino.
-Other styles are Presentational Style which uses realistic portrayal through
dance, song, mime, etc. to summon ideas from the audience, example of this is
the “Theater of the Oppressed” by Augusto Boal. Another style is Documentary
Style which tend to discuss historical events. An example of this is “Mayo A-
biente Uno” by Al Santos.
-The National Theater Festival of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP)
involved performances of theater arts group established in the different regions
such as from Bicol, the Silay City’s Sarswela Group of Dumaans and Dagyaw
Theater and Dance Company from Visaya and Kaliwat Theater Collective and

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Sining Kambayoka Ensemble from Mindanao.
4. DANCE
-Dances like buck-and-wing, tap dancing, clog, skirt dancing were among the
dances being performed during the American period particularly when Vaudeville
or bodabil became popular.
-Ballet dance from Europe was introduced and ballet dance groups from other
countries went to the Philippines to perform. Filipino ballet dancers became
instructors and taught Filipinas like Leonor Orosa and Remedios de Oteyza.
-After the ballet dance, Modern dance became popular. It is revolutionary in
nature and does not conform to the rules of classical ballet. It is a mixture of a
wide range of dances, Western and Asian dances, traditional dances, and other
experimental dances.
-Folk and modern dances followed the rise of modern dance one of which is
Francisca Reyes-Aquino who did researches on Philippine folk dances. Her
researches ware established by the help of the Bureau of Education, Bureau of
Integrated Folk Dances in the educational system.
-Folk dance is still alive until this period and still perform especially during fiestas
and festivals like Sinulog, Maskara, Ati-Atihan, Sayaw sa Obando, Kadayawan
and many other festivals.
-Many dance groups from different regions were established like the Integrated
Performing Art Guild (IPAG) in the Mindanao State University in Iligan City, The
dagyaw Theater and Dance Company and Teatro Amakan in Iloilo City.
5. ARCHITECTURE
-The Philippine architecture was adopted from the modern Western architectural
style while taking into consideration the physical and socio-cultural of the country.
-The Filipinos who studied in American universities and introduced the
neoclassic style in building structure are Juan Arellano, Carlos Barreto and
Antonio Toledo.
-Metropolitan Theater by Juan Arellano is an example of structure built on this
period. It is designed with romanticism where it was decorated with native plants
and variety of colors employed in the building.
-“Tsalet” was developed in the 20th century. It is a type of house on stilts with a
front porch made of wood and concrete.
-During the Marcos era, expressways, convention centers, hospitals, hotels,
malls, high-rise buildings, amusement centers, etc. was constructed. Even
technological advancements like escalators, elevators, air-conditioning system
and computers came into reality.
-Cultural Heritage preservation were given attention like the heritage city of Vigan,
Intamuros, Dapitan, etc.
6. FILM
-The Philippine film industry was started in 1897 through foreign businessmen.
Swiss entrepreneurs were the first to feature film shows in Manila.
-In 1912, film became popular when Edward Gross and Harry Brown produced
the film about the life of Jose Rizal.
-Jose Nepomuceno was the first Filipino who produced film and dubbed as “The
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Father of Philippine Movies” with his movie entitled “Dalagang Bukid”.
-Films was also influenced by the different theater forms like zarzuela, sinakulo
and komeya. Even Philippine literature was a source of movie themes like the
adaptation of the works of Francisco Baltazar’s Florante at Laura and Jose Rizal’s
Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. Other adaptations were derived from
novels and folklores.
-Film companies are the following: Filippine Films, Parlatone Hispano-Filipino,
Excelsior Pictures, Sampaguita Pictures INC, LVN Pictures and X’otic Films.
-During the Japanese colonization particularly in 1944, movie production stopped
and went back to watching and producing stage shows.
-After the WWII, film production resumed, war stories and heroism were mostly
the theme of the movies.
-Prominent film studios are: LVN, Sampaguita, Lebran and Premiere.
-Award-giving bodies in movies were organized such as Filipino Academy of
Movie Arts and Science (FAMAS) and Maria Clara Awards.
-Filipino movies, directors and producers were started to be recognized not just
locally but internationally such as, “Ifugao” of Gerardo De Leon and “Anak Dalita”
of Lamberto Avellana.
-Independent films (Indie films) was also established. This film was produced
through lightweight technologies. One of which is Kidlat Tahimik.
-In the Marcos Era, they stablished the Board of Censorship Motion Pictures
(BCMP) wherein film scripts had to be submitted prior to production.
-During the Marcos Era, new young directors rose who started the so-called, New
Cinema and these are Catalino “Lino” Brocka, Celso Ad and Ishmael Bernal.

CONTEMPORARY ART VS. CONTEMPORARY PERFORMANCE

Contemporary Art Contemporary Performance

-Refers to current and very recent -It is hybrid work that integrates text, dance,
practice. It also refers to works of art objects, music, costumes, lighting, image,
made by living artists. sound, sets, and vocal expression into
-Tends to be assessed thematically complex interactive systems.  
and subjectively, drawing on an -Contemporary performance collages are
expanded range of theoretical and often non-narrative, technically rigorous, and
practical disciplines. carefully orchestrated anarchic chaos. They
-Can be driven by both theory and unsettle perception, demand critical
ideas, and is also characterized by a engagement from audiences, address
blurring of the distinction between art conceptual debates within aesthetics, draw
and other categories of cultural on a diverse range of cultural interests, and
experience, such as television, bring pleasure to populations across the
cinema, mass media, entertainment globe.”  (Morgan v. P. Pecelli)
and digital technology.

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NAME: ____________________________ CLASS NUMBER: ______
GRADE AND SECTION: ______________ SCORE: ______________

ACTIVITY SHEET IN CONTEMPORARY ARTS FROM THE REGIONS

SLK NO.1 – MELC 1, 2 & 4

ACTIVITY NO. 1
Direction: Give your thoughts about the questions below.

1. What does Philippine Arts all about?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

2. What is the difference between Traditional Arts to Contemporary Arts?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

3. What is the difference between Visual Arts to Performance Arts? Cite

an example.
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

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ACTIVITY NO. 2

Local Cultural Mapping

Direction: In your respective community, look for at least three (3) local
contemporary art forms, techniques or performance practices. Take a
picture/draw and put some descriptions on those art forms.

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NAME: ____________________________ CLASS NUMBER: ______
GRADE AND SECTION: ______________ SCORE: ______________

ACTIVITY SHEET IN CONTEMPORARY ARTS FROM THE REGIONS

SLK NO.1 – MELC 1, 2 & 4

ART LISTING
Direction: Enumerate the different Contemporary Philippine Art
forms and give at least three (3) examples of well-known Filipino
Artist with their craft. Copy and follow the format below.

Art Forms Artist Craft

1.
1. 2.
3.
2.
3.

A. Write E if the statement belongs to the Ethnic Tradition, S if it

belongs to Spanish Tradition, and AC if it belongs to American
Colonial and Contemporary Tradition.

1. Painting and sculpture were the most popular forms of visual arts.
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2. Filipinos studied abroad and later on introduced new ideas in art
making.
3. Avant-garde artworks entered the scene.
4. Bricks and stones were predominantly used in constructing buildings.
5. The geographical location and experiences of the Filipinos were the
main factors in art production.

B. Write True if statement below is correct and False if it is

incorrect.

1. Modern art is totally the same with contemporary art since modern
and contemporary are synonymous to each other.
2. Valse, fandango, polka, and minuet are examples of theatrical
performances in the Spanish period.
3. Before Colonization, the Philippines already has its indigenous arts.
4. Modern art continuously develops even after WWII, which led to the
contemporary way of art making today.
5. Artists used wood carvings and metal works with intricate decorative
designs as embellishments for buildings in the pre-colonial period.

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