ART

The American Period brought education to the Philippines. 


The Triumvirate introduced the concept of Modern Art in the PH. 

  1. EDADES, Victorio (1895-1985) had an art exhibition that showcased his different style in painting. Which had distorted human figures in rough strokes & standing tall with dull and dark hues. 

  • Known as the Father of Modern PH Art 

  • Led the Thirteen Moderns which had debates over the nature & function of art. 

  • Named National Artist in 1976. 

  • Prominent artwork: Fontainebleau & The Sketch 

  • Often featured laborers, workers, etc as his subjects

  1. FRANCISCO, Carlos “Botong” revived murals & had practiced it for 3 decades. Has a tropical sense of color, abiding by folk values. 

  • Known as the poet of Angono. 

  • Prominent artwork: Portrait of Purita & Harana which can be found in City Hall of Manila. 

  1. OCAMPO, Galo B. (1913-1985) embraced modernism in his paintings. 

  • Brown Madonna (1938) depicted Jesus and Mary as Non-Caucasian & Brown Filipinos

  • Prominent artwork: Moro Dancer & Igorot Dance.

  1. THIRTEEN MODERNS - After the Triumvirate introduced modern art it had 13 artists. 

  •  Subjects shifted from Rural to Urban in the American Period.

  • After WWII they had Proletarian Art (art of the experiences of the working class and promoted socialist and communist ideals), depicted life after war, economic problems, & social issues 

  • Institutions helped Modern Art become popular: Art Association of the Philippines (AAP) by Purita Kalaw & Philippine Art Gallery (PAG) by Lydia Villanueva-Arguilla 

  • NCCA Committe on Visual Art (CVA) has an education program for artists to participate in national & international exhibits. 

  • MEMBERS: 

1. Arsenio Capili

2. Bonifacio Cristobal

3. Demetrio Diego

4. Victorio Edades

5. Carlos "Botong" Francisco

6. Cesar Legaspi

7. Diosdado Lorenzo

8. Anita Magsaysay

9. Vicente Manansala

10.Galo Ocampo

11. Hernando Ocampo

12. Jose Pardo

13. Ricarte Puruganan.

Literature

In the field of poetry during the contemporary period, publication of young poets to campus journals emerged.


“Bagay” Movement

  • Kind of poetry that uses colloquial language & built on concrete images that describe experiences.

Examples:

“Ang Bayang Malaya” by Amado V. Hernandez - Oppression and fighting for human rights, main themes are social protest and social realism


Music

  • American Period (until 1950s) - mostly classical due to European influence

  • Avant Garde (1960s) - combination of classical and traditional/ethnic music

  • Decline of theater music due to radio, film, etc.

  • Pinoy Pop - ex. jazz, dance hits, folk song revival, rock and roll, rap, etc.


Difference between Pinoy Pop and OPM

  • P-Pop is Western-derived and often includes English lyrics

  • OPM is purely Filipino and composed by Filipino Musicians with traditional influences


Alternative Music

  • Emerged in the 1980s as a reaction against the prevailing trends of the time


Characteristics of Alternative Music

  • Indie roots: many bands started on independent labels giving more creative freedom

  • DIY ethic: self-produced music, booking own tours, and creating own artwork

  • Experimental approach: unconventional song structures, instrumentation and production

  • Lyrical focus: themes of alienation, angst and social commentary

  • Subgenres: grunge, indie rock, shoegaze, emo


Roots of Alternative Music in the Philippines

  • Influenced by the rise of punk and new wave in the west

  • Bands like The Eraserheads, Rivermaya and Sandwich played a mix of rock, pop and folk

  • Use of Tagalog and other local languages allowed for a greater connection with the local audience and a unique cultural expression


Philippine Alternative music

  • OPM was followed by another form of popular music called Alternative music

  • Folk balladeers influenced alternative music

  • Sprouted out of protest

  • Later included themes like Filipino values, political and environmental concerns, etc.

  • Ex. Anak by Freddie Aguilar, Tayo’y mga Pinoy by Heber


Notable Filipino Alternative Bands:

  • Eraserheads: one of the pioneers of Filipino alt rock, blending catchy melodies with insightful lyrics

  • Parokya ni Edgar: mixes alternative rock with humor, satire and Filipino pop culture

  • Sandwich: has a strong following, offering a mix of rock, punk and indie

  • Up Dharma Down: known for their ethereal, ambient sound, combining elements of alternative rock and electronic music

    Contemporary Filipino Theater (Alternative/British Spelling: Theatre)


    Legend:

    Name of Play/Type of Play

    Main Point

    Founded in/by


    Timeline/Origins:

    • Spanish Period - Dramas (Zarzuelas) used as a pedagogical tool on pagan tribes to teach about Christianity & religion.
      * pedagogical - pertaining to ‘approach to teaching’

    • American Colonial Rule - Main influence is the Bodabil (Vaudeville); they also translated plays/dramas into english. They introduced American life through education, media, and language.

    • Japanese (1940’s) - Comedia, Zarzuela, and Bodabil remained in the country as entertainment. However, the Japanese confiscated all film equipment and movie actors could no longer appear in films.


    Philippine Theater + Performing Groups

    Theater productions evolved; from original plays with Philippine themes/settings, to classics from past centuries, then contemporary musicals from Broadway or London’s West End.


    • Forefront of Philippine Plays - U.S. and European theater forms/scripts used due to American colonization (e.g. Shakespeare/American playwrights; local groups staged original zarzuelas similar to European Opera).

    • PETA (Philippine Educational theater Association) - Founded 1967, Cesile Guidote-Alvarez (Pamana, 2013)

    • Tanghalang Pilipino - Founded 1987; it is the resident theater company of the Philippines (Ibalong, 2012)

    • Other Philippine Theater Groups - Stages original & adapted plays as well as musical productions (primarily in English)

    • Repertory Philippines - Founded 1967, Zenaida Amador. Stages only English-language plays and musicals all year, and trains actors.
      Lea Salonga was a child lead in Rep Philippines, and then went international by being Kim in Miss Saigon.

    • Trumpets - Founded in the 1990’s, they focus on originally written musicals on mostly good values for children + the whole family. Examples of their plays include:
      1. Joseph the Dreamer
      2. First Name
      3. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
      4. Little Mermaid
      5. Honk
      6. N.O.A.H.
      7. The Bluebird of Happiness

    • New Voice Company - Founded 1994, Monique Wilson (was also in Repertory Philippines’ protégéé). Has a reputation for thought-provoking productions and deep topics such as women’s rights/violence against women, sexuality, poverty, amongst others.

    • Philippine Opera Company (POC) - founded in 1999, group of dedicated classically trained singers led by Karla Gutierrez (artistic directress). Develops performers and audiences for Filipino and foreign classical music performances.

    • Theater Down South - Founded 2007, Michael Williams (artistic director). Vision is to widen the reach of stage production.