Lesson Notes: Art, Ethnic Traditions, and National Artists (Pages 1-10)

ART AS DEFINED IN VARIED WAYS

  • PLATO ( 427-347\ \mathrm{BC} )

    • merely an imitation or a copy of reality

    • is an illusion, a collection of reflections

  • LEO TOLSTOY

    • the production of objects or elements from the external environment that pleases the senses

  • EUGENE VERON

    • external manifestation created and produced through lines, movements, sounds, colors and emotions

  • LEONARDO DA VINCI ( 1452-1519 )

    • the Queen of all sciences communicating knowledge to all the generations of the world

  • ARISTOTLE

    • claimed that humans have instincts for imitation and harmony

    • described that human beings are the “most imitative of living creatures”

ART

  • defn: creating visual, auditory or performing artifacts (artworks), expressing the author's imaginative or technical skill, intended to be appreciated for their beauty or emotional power

THE SUBJECT OF ART

  • Each artwork has a subject

    • A subject or topic is any person, animal, thing, or issue described or represented in a work

    • Every work of art regardless of period has a subject, the very core of its conceptions

  • Different ways or styles of depicting a subject:

    • REALISM

    • The subject is depicted as it actually looks

    • Example: painting of Araceli Dans below

    • DISTORTION

    • The artist uses imagination and alters the subject according to desire

    • A stylized work is a form of distortion (e.g., Norma Belleza’s painting)

    • ABSTRACTION

    • The subject is broken apart and rearranged in a different manner

    • Example: painting of Vicente Manansala

    • NON OBJECTIVISM

    • No subject at all

    • An interplay of pure elements like line, shape, color, etc.

ELEMENTS OF ARTS

  1. LINE

    • prolongation of a point, or a mark on a surface

  2. SPACE

    • area that is occupied by an object or a subject

  3. SHAPE AND FORMS

    • area with boundaries identified or drawn using lines

  4. COLORS

    • visual perception differentiating objects by reflected wavelengths of light

  5. VALUE

    • lightness or darkness of an area

  6. TEXTURE

    • feel or appearance of a surface

THREE KEY ELEMENTS

  1. FORM

    • The surface feature of an artwork

  2. CONTENT

    • What the artwork is about; contains the subject matter that carries the message

  3. CONTEXT

    • Clarifying a word or subject by describing relevant circumstances

    • Refers to varied situations in which works have been produced or interpreted

CLASSIFICATION OF ARTS

  1. VISUAL ARTS

    • Forms perceived by the eyes

    • Include painting, sculpture, architecture

    • Also called Spatial Art

    • Ex. GRAPHIC ARTS AND PLASTIC ARTS

  2. AUDIO-VISUAL ARTS

    • Perceived by both ears and eyes

    • Often called Performing Arts; artists render a performance in front of an audience

  3. LITERARY ARTS

    • Presented in written mode and intended to be read

LESSON 2: ETHNIC TRADITION

  • Ethnic tradition refers to art before the arrival of the first colonizers (pre-conquest); also described as indigenous

  • Integrated to ritual: marks significant moments in a community’s life (e.g., planting/harvesting, rites of passage, funerary ceremonies, weddings, etc.)

  • Literature, Theater, Music and Dance

    • Oral storytelling of hunts marks the beginning of literature

    • Imitation of animal movements marks the beginning of theater or play acting

    • Drum beats and rhythm in movements give birth to music and dance

  • Earliest Form of Theater (Ritual)

    • Mayvanuvanua — ritual for the start of the fishing season (Batanes) ext{(Mayvanuvanua, Batanes)}

    • Cañao — socio-religious ritual where chickens, pigs, and/or carabaos are butchered or feasted on (Cordillera Administrative Region)

    • Kashawing — to ensure abundance during rice planting and harvesting

    • Tagbanwa — belief that every thirteenth moon, three goddesses descend to bless rice planting

  • Ethnic Music Instrument

    • Kudyapi

    • Kulintang

    • Gansa

    • Agong

  • NATIVE DANCE FORMS

    • Pangalay — movement of sea birds (Sulu)

    • Tinikling — a popular Tagalog folk dance

ETHNIC ARTIFACTS AND FORMS (SELECTED ITEMS)

  • Bulul — from CAR; regarded as a granary god important in ritual

  • Habagi — a wooden bench marking socio-economic status of the owner (Ifugao)

  • Carving Santos — sculptures of saints in Laguna and Pampanga

  • Manunggul Jar — discovered at Manunggul Cave, Lipuun Point, Palawan; late Neolithic period dating 890-710\ \mathrm{BC}; Burial Jar; Palayok, Banga, Tapayan

  • Textile — weaving as a living tradition; not only functional but conveys belief systems

  • Malong — woven by Tausug of Sulu

  • Pis Siyabit — headpiece woven by Tausug of Sulu

  • Boxer Codex — ethnolinguistic groups; BAYANI — a person of high status and dignity

  • Tattoo — symbolizes maturity and bravery; believed to protect from evil spirits; Islas de los Pintados region described by tattoos

  • Jewelry — considered pleasing to the gods

  • T’boli — wear brass chains, bells, and colorful beads as part of attire

  • SPANISH COLONIAL PERIOD (1521-1898) introduced art forms described as: Religious art, Lowland Christian Art, Folk Art

  • Plaza Complex — relocating as a means of organizing and controlling native populations

  • Municipio — local government office and the church

  • Examples of Baroque Churches (survivors): San Agustin Church (Manila); Morong Church (Rizal); Paoy Church (Ilocos Norte); Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Church (Miag-ao, Iloilo)

  • NUESTRO SENOORA DEL ROSARIO, BOHOL — Deity of mercy in East Asian Buddhism

  • RETABLO — decorative altar niche

  • VIA CRUSIS — Station of the Cross

  • KOMEDYA — a local theater form during this period depicting conflicts between Muslims and Christians

    • Two types:

    • Komedya de Santo — religious, centered on the life of Christ or saints

    • Secular Komedya (Moro) — secular love or conflict themes involving Christians and Moros

  • Carta Hydrographica y Chorographica de las Yslas Filipinas — Mother of the Philippine maps

  • Flora de Filipinas — extensive plant compilation (1878) by Fr. Manuel Blanco

  • Nominations led by: National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), and conferred by the President of the Philippines

NATIONAL ARTIST FOR MUSIC

  • DEFINITION: Vocal or instrumental sounds combined to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion

  • ELEMENTS OF MUSIC ( 10 )

    1. PITCH – the relative highness or lowness of a tone

    2. VOLUME/INTENSITY – loudness or softness of a sound

    3. TEMPO/RATE – speed of a composition or sections

    4. DURATION – length of time a sound is produced

    5. TIMBRE – quality of sound distinguishing it from others

    6. RYTHM (RHYTHM) – the pattern or succession of identical or similar sounds

    7. MELODY – series of consecutive tones with varying pitch and duration forming an expressive line

    8. HARMONY – simultaneous sounding of two or more tones

    9. TEXTURE – number of tones heard simultaneously

  1. FORM – overall organization of the composition

  • ANTONINO R. BUENAVENTURA

    • Spanned seven decades of advancing Philippine music; popularized folksongs from various ethnic groups; revived Philippine Army band

    • Notable works: Ode to Freedom; Echoes of the Past; Echoes from the Philippines; History Fantasy; Triumphal March

  • ERNANI J. CUENCO

    • Music teacher, musical director, film scorer; composed film music for several films including Wild, Wild Jess and El Vibora; Best Music Award at MMFF 1982

    • Known for Filipino love ballads; integrated kundiman into his songs

    • Notable works: Kalesa; Bato sa Buhangin; Gaano Kita Kamahal; Inang Bayan

  • JOSE MACEDA

    • Renowned composer and ethnomusicologist

    • Works informed by cultural anthropology and ethnomusicology

    • Notable works: Ugma-Ugma (1963); Pagsamba (1968); Udlot-Udlot (1975)

  • LUCI D. SAN PEDRO

    • Educator, master conductor, prominent composer

    • Motto: evoke folk elements of Filipino heritage; led Banda Angono Numero Uno, The San Pedro Band of Angono, Peng Kong Grand Mason Concert Band as master conductor

    • Notable works: The Devil’s Bridge (orchestral); Sa Mahal Kong Bayan (choral); Lahing Kayumanggi (band); Sa Ugoy ng Duyan (vocal lullaby)

  • LEVI Celerio

    • Renowned lyricist and composer; prolific output (over 4000 songs)

    • Notable songs: Saan Ka Man Naroroon; Ikaw; Misa de Gallo; Pasko Na Naman

  • FELIPE PADILLA DE LEON

    • Multitalented: composer, conductor, scholar; forged Filipino roots by Philippineizing Western forms

    • Notable works: Mariang Makiling Overture; Orchestertuk; Lupang Tinubuan; Opera adaptation of Noli Me Tangere

  • LUCRECIA R. KASILAG

    • Composer; sought to discover Filipino roots through ethnic music fused with Western influences

    • Notable works: Son, Jose, Sisa; Legend of Sarimanok

  • ANTONIO J. MOLINA

    • Dean of Filipino composers; multi-talented musician, writer, educator; mentored future artists

    • Notable works: Kung sa iyong Gunita; Awit ni Maria Clara; Larawan Nito Pilipinas

  • ANDREA O. VENERACION

    • Founded the Philippine Madrigal Singers; spearheaded development of Philippine choral music

    • Created Liturgy and Music (AILM) Chorale; contributed to choral tradition (as a leading founder)

  • FRANCISCO FELICIANO

    • Prolific composer; studied in Berlin and Yale; John D. Rockefeller Award in Music Composition (1977)

    • Notable works: La Loba Megra; Ashen Wings; Sikhay Sa Kabila ng Paalam; Yerma

NATIONAL ARTIST FOR DANCE

  • FRANCISCA R. AQUINO

    • Pioneer of Filipino folk dances; first Filipina National Artist for Dance; known as the Mother of Philippine Dancing

  • LEONOR O. GOQUINGCO

    • Trailblazer; Mother of Philippine Theater Dance; Dean of Filipino Performing Arts Critics

    • Pioneered blending of folk dance and ballet; notable choreographies: The Firebirds; The Clowns; Noli Dance

  • RAMON OBUSAN

    • Dancer, choreographer, stage designer, artistic director; founded Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group (ROFG)

    • ROFG reflects Filipino culture through dance and music

  • LUCRESIA REYES-URTULA

    • Dance director of Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company; Bayanihan Dance Company is the oldest in the country

    • Notable dances: Singkil; Vinta; Tagabili; Pagdiwata; Salidsid

  • ALICE REYES

    • Founder of Ballet Philippines; trained abroad (Colorado College, Sarah Lawrence College)

    • Notable works: Amada; Itim-Anu; Bayanihan Remembered; Mga Babae

  • (Note: Page also references other key figures in Filipino dance and theatre leadership.)

NATIONAL ARTIST FOR THEATER

  • DAISY AVELLANA

    • First Lady of the Philippine Theater; classic Filipino and foreign plays; notable works: Othello; Macbeth in Black; Casa de Bernardo Alba; Tatarin

  • LAMBERTO V. AVELLANA

    • The Boy Wonder of Philippine Movies; founded Theater Guild; notable works: Kandelerong Pilak (first Filipino film at Cannes); Sakay; Anak Dalita; Badjao

  • HONORATA ATANG DE LA RAMA

    • A leading kundiman advocate; national recognition for theater and music; notable works: zarzuelas Marina, Mascota, Sueno de Un Vals; Anak ni Eba, Aking Ina, Puri at Buhay

  • ROLANDO S. TINIO

    • Known for translating classics into Tagalog; artistic director of CCP's resident theater; notable adaptions: Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice; Miller’s Death of a Salesman; Beckett’s Waiting for Godot; Strindberg’s Miss Julie

  • SALVADOR F. BERNAL

    • Known for maximizing use of raw materials in theater production (bamboo, abaca fiber, gauze, cacha)

  • WILFRIDO MA. GUERRERO

    • Child prodigy playwright; notable works include No Todo Es Risa; theater campus tour; Half an Hour in a Convent; Wanted: A Chaperon; Forever; Condemned; In Unity; Three Rats; Our Strange Ways; The Forsaken House

  • SEVIRINO MONTANO

    • Titans of Philippine Theater; established Arena Theater at Philippine Normal College; notable works: Sabina; But Not My Sons Any Longer; Gabriela Silang; The Merry Wives of Manila

NATIONAL ARTIST FOR VISUAL ARTS

  • NAPOLEON ABUEVA

    • Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture; used materials from hardwood to coral and adobe

    • Notable works: The Transfiguration at Eternal Gardens Memorial Park; water buffalo sculpture; bronze Image of Teodoro M. Kalaw (National Library façade); Death mask of notable figures

  • ANG KIUKOK

    • Born to immigrant Chinese parents; notable works: Geometric Landscape (1969); Dog Fights, Pieta (1962) bronze; The Seated Figure (1979)

  • VICTORIO C. EDADES

    • Father of Modernism in Philippine Art; juxtaposed impressionist tendencies; notable contrast with Amorsolo; themes centered on Filipino laborers

  • CESAR LEGASPI

    • Pioneer of Neorealism in the Philippines

    • Notable works: Tree Planting Man and Woman; Reclining Nude; Gadgets

  • VICENTE S. MANANSALA

    • Cubist Painter; trained in Paris and Los Angeles; notable works: Jeepney and Birdman; Madonna of the Slums

  • HERNANDO R. OCAMPO

    • Focus on social realities; bold colors and movements; notable works: Nude with Candle and Flower; Ina ng Balon; Kasaysayan ng Lahi

  • FERNANDO C. AMORSOLO

    • First National Artist; Grand Old Man of Philippine Art; rural landscape focus; notable works: Rice Planting; Defense of a Filipino Woman’s Honor

  • CARLOS “BATONG” V. FRANCISCO

    • Large-scale murals; historical depictions; notable works: Blood Compact; Bayanihan sa Bukid; First Mass at Limasawa

  • ARTURO “ART” R. LUZ

    • National Artist for Visual Arts (1997); printmaker, sculptor, art administrator; geometric abstraction; notable works: Bagong taon; Man with Guitar; Self Portrait

  • JERRY ELIZALDE NAVARRO

    • Painter and sculptor; graphic design, printmaking, maskmaking in hardwood; fusion of human and animal forms

  • GUILLERMO E. TOLENTINO

    • National Artist for visual arts for influential sculpture; Obelation; Bonifacio Monument

  • JOSE T. JOYA

    • Initiated abstract impressionism in the country; inspired by tropical landscapes; notable works: Nanking; Hills of Nikko; Mariveles

  • BENEDICTO “BENCAB” R. CABRERA

    • Painter who emphasizes the primacy of drawing; melancholic symbols of dislocation, despair, and isolation; subject: dignity amid life’s vicissitudes; notable works: Madonna with Objects; Studies of Sabel; People Waiting

  • ABDULMARI ASIA IMAO

    • Native of Sulu; incorporated native motifs such as sarimanok into works

  • FRANCISCO COCHING

    • Comic book creator; prolific output (53 comic books)

SUMMARY OF CONNECTIONS TO FOUNDATIONS, ETHICS, AND RELEVANCE

  • The varied definitions of art reflect different epistemologies: imitation, expression, emotion, and form

  • Subject matter in art is never purely aesthetic; it is tied to culture, ritual, and identity

  • The elements and principles of art provide a foundational language for analysis across periods and cultures

  • Ethnic traditions reveal how art intersects with ritual, community life, and social status

  • The Spanish colonial period shows how external forces shape artistic forms, curricula, and theater

  • National Artists illustrate how artistic excellence can shape national identity and cultural memory

KEY DATES AND TERMS (for quick reference)

  • Plato: 427-347\ \mathrm{BC}

  • Leonardo da Vinci: 1452-1519

  • Manunggul Jar dating: 890-710\ \mathrm{BC}

  • Baroque churches surviving today (examples listed)

  • Flora de Filipinas: 1878 (Fr. Manuel Blanco)

  • John D. Rockefeller Award in Music Composition: 1977 (Francisco Feliciano)

  • Pre-conquest / indigenous terms: Mayvanuvanua; Cañao; Kashawing; Tagbanwa

  • Komedya types: Komedya de Santo; Secular Komedya (Moro)

  • Notable instruments: Kudyapi; Kulintang; Gansa; Agong

  • Notable figures across disciplines: Buenaventura, Cuenco, Maceda, San Pedro, Celerio, De Leon, Kasilag, Molina, Veneracion, Feliciano, Aquino, Goquingco, Obusan, Reyes-urtula, Alice Reyes, Avellana, Tinio, Bernal, Guerrero, Montano, Abueva, Edades, Manansala, Amorsolo, Joya, Cabrera, etc.