Lesson 3: Defining Contemporary Art The practice of selling paintings has also changed post-war for

contemporary art. With the rise of technology and social media, artists are
LESSON CONTENT 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
Characteristics of Contemporary Art 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
Contemporary art started in the 1950s, after World War II. Artists can be viewed in a given span of time. This means they will eventually be
started to experiment on different techniques and different ways of dismantled and cannot be sold.
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.

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 Many contemporary artists are self-taught and did not have formal Some contemporary artists also employ the help of fabricators, carpenters,
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
ana issue or disturbing reality that they want to react to.

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 the
construction to form their artworks.

Originality is not a big issue for contemporary artists. An

artist can use the image or idea od 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.

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 ad
film that is important.

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 India, China and West Asia. We briefly had encounters with Great Britain
Contemporary Art in the Philippines 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.
As discussed in the characteristics of contemporary art, artists are
very experimental when it comes to their materials, venue, process, and With this is true, on the other hand radically shaping the country’s
theme/concept. Their limit is their imagination when trying to share their demographic, sociological, economic and cultural charcter ahs been the
message. Artists are finding different ways to get their message across, trying steady movement of Filipinos to and from the Philippines into different parts
other styles and sometimes even trying different art forms, like a painter may of the globe. The effect of this is that Filipinos living within and outside the
choose to produce a short film using his or her paintings. Artists are now Philippines have been consciously exeting effort to rediscover and use pre-
becoming hybrids, expressing their sentiments in a variety of forms. This colonial imagery, motifs and non-western belief systems as a means toward
could be a reflection of Filipinos being able to travel and reside in different crafting identity in the midst of rapidly changing environments and cultural
parts of the globe and being able to discover new things. Filipino artists are displacement.
pushing themselves to be technically skilled in different art expressions.

As with other countries, the Philippines’ history has deeply

influenced its cultural identity. We have influences from Malay, Indonesia,

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 With these points given, it can be said that the Philippine Style dictates every artist’s art-making process. Style can have many
contemporary art consists of interplaying scales or variety of ideas and forms meanings. It can mean the art produced in a particular historical period. Also,
and the crossing of tradition and modernity. The contemporary Philippine art it can refer to the art of a nation or a region within a country. An artist’s
scene is complex, not just because we have influences from culturally diverse growth in his/her way of working can be referred to as “the evolution of
countries, but because the Philippine art operates within a culture that is style”.
dynamic, hybridized and thus resistant to being put in a single category.
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.

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.

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  Kinetic art  Op art This style uses lines or images repeatedly to create an optical
illusion.
This is a kind of sculpture that moves with the wind or powered
by a machine or electricity
 Performance art

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 This combines a variety of media and the human body to execute  Environmental art
an artistic theatrical expression before a live audience. This is
different from theater as this does not follow a plot, and instead a This involves the artistic creation or manipulation of space such
main concept or theme, and is mostly spontaneous. as landscape or achitectural design that may enclose its audience.
Earthworks, or works using natural objects like stones, leaves, trees,
grass are included in this category.

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  Feminist art  Video art

This emerged from female artists expressing their concerns This consists of images that are recorded through a video and
through art. They tackle issues of identity, sexuality, gender roles, viewed through television, computer or projection screen.
equality, and the ways which the female is treated in society, among
others.

 Graffiti art

This is a drawing, inscription or sketch done hastily on a wall or

other surface made to be seen by the public.

 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.

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  Postmodern art

This carries modern styles to extreme practices, often expressing

an idea through a mix of materials, such as found objects welded  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.

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

together.

 Body art 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
This is an art form that
to them where they collaborate in art-making and conduct workshops to
uses the body as the medium or
teach and involve children or specific groups about art.
main material. The body can be
painted or clothed and used to
Interactive art-making is also being practiced by some Filipino
perform an artistic act in public.
artists. Sometimes, visual art is combined with performance art to make a
Tattoing and piercing are also
statement or express a view about an issue. Film has expanded to include indi
considered body art.
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.

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 b. duration
8. Filipinos traveling to and from different parts of the globe affect the
contemporary art scene.
WRITTEN WORK NO.1 a. True b. False
Instruction: Choose the letter of the correct answer. 9. Horizontal lines express feelings of rest, peace, quiet and stability,
permanence or solidarity.
a. True b. False
1. Which element of drama is the arrangement of action and movement
in the play?
a. Action/plot c. music 10. Asymmetry is the same as formal balance.
b. language a. True b. False
2. Which is not a concept for dance to become art?
a. powerful impulse
b. the impulse to be channeled into skillfully choreographed set of
movements.
c. impulse to make music
3. The Philippine contemporary art scene operates within a culture that
is dynamic and hybridized.
a. True b. False
4. Which element of dance is the planned organization or pattern of
movement in time and space?
a. Music
b. Choreography
c. Design
5. A smooth texture reflects light evenly.
a. True b. False
6. Which art form consists of images that are recorded through a video
and viewed through television, computer or projection screen?
a. abstract expressionism c. video art

b. kinetic art
7. This property of tone becomes one of the bases of rhythm.

a. Tonality c. tempo

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