Arts - reviewer - Arts from the pre-colonial period PDF

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Arts from the pre-colonial period...

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PREHISTORIC ART Prehistoric era is before the appearance of recorded history. Despite the absence of records, ancient man left artifacts such as tools, weapons, and other items vital to their survival.

PAINTING ANGONO PETROGLYPHS The Angono Petroglyphs are petroglyphs carved into a rock wall in Angono, Rizal, Philippines. It consists of 127 human and animal figures engraved on the rockwall probably carved during the late Neolithic, or before 2000 BC. They are the oldest known work of art in the Philippines. These inscriptions clearly show stylized human figures, frogs and lizards, along with other designs that may have depicted other interesting figures but erosion may have caused it to become indistinguishable. The engravings are mostly symbolic representations and are associated with healing and sympathetic magic. The site is sacred for indigenous Tagalog folk religion and is believed to be a home for anitos. The existence of a rock shelter was reported to the National Museum by the late National Artist of the Philippines Carlos V. Francisco in March 1965 during a field trip with several boy scouts along the boundaries of Angono, Binangonan and Antipolo of the province of Rizal. Since then, some rock carvings have been damaged due to neglect and vandalism. In 1973, by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 260, it was declared as a national cultural treasure by the Philippine government. During that time, a team led by the National Museum of the Philippines started archaeological site conservation and site development of the petroglyphs in which a mini-museum, view deck and stone path, among others, were constructed. It was included in the list of National Cultural Treasures in 1973 and World Inventory of Rock Art in 1985. In 1996, The World Monuments Fund included Angono Petroglyphs on its list of preservation projects and has helped with the installation of a drainage system and assigned a caretaker to protect the site. The site is also on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Philippines.

SCULPTURE MANUNGGUL JAR The Manunggul Jar is a secondary burial jar excavated from a Neolithic burial site at the Tabon Caves at Lipuun Point in Palawan made up of clay and some soil. A little sculpture is found on the lids of jar depicting two boatmen riding a banca on their way to the great divide the journey to the afterlife. Obviously, it is used for burial rites by the ancient people in palawan.. This Manunggul Jar is widely acknowledged to be one of the finest Philippine precolonial artworks ever produced and is considered a masterpiece of Philippine ceramics. It is

listed as a national treasure and designated at National Museum of the Philippines. It is now housed at the National Museum of Anthropology and is one of the most popular exhibits there. BULUL: A mythical piece of Ifugao structure Also known as bul-ul or tinagtaggu is a carved wooden figure used to guard the rice crop by the Ifugao. It is a highly stylized representations of ancestors and are thought to gain power from the presence of the ancestral spirit. Bulul are used in ceremonies associated with rice production and with healing. Bulul are nowadays mostly manufactured for the tourist trade. However, a local family may buy such bulul and use it for ceremonial purposes.

ARCHITECTURE BANAUE RICE TERRACES The Banaue Rice Terraces also known as hagdan-hagdang palayan located in the province of Ifugao are terraces that were carved into the mountains by the ancestors of the Indigenous people. Terraces were built with minimal equipment, largely by hand. The terraces are located approximately 1500 meters (4900 ft.) above sea level. These are fed by an ancient irrigation system from the rainforests above the terraces. It is said that if the steps were put end to end, it would encircle half of the globe. Anthropologist Otley Beyer has estimated that the terraces are over 2000 years old.

MARANAO'S TOROGAN - A good example of disaster-resilient house A Torogan is no ordinary home Specially to a regular Maranaw family because it was a symbol of high social status. Such a residence was once a home to a sultan or Datu in the Maranaw community. Nowadays, concrete houses are found all over Maranaw communities, but there remain torogans a hundred years old. The best-known are torogans in Dayawan, Marawi City and some others located around Lake Lanao. A Torogan is elevated above the ground by its columns cut from trees of huge girth. Its walls are covered with plywood sticks and the roof thatched with dried coconut leaves. There is no interior partition, so it appears as a huge hall. Apart from the basic elements of this structure, it is intricately engraved with the flowing geometries of the Maranaw design system called okir. A torogan will never be complete without the legendary bird, Sarimanok being displayed inside. Furniture is also common among Maranaos.

TABON MAN From the specie of Homo Sapien or known as modern man. They were able to cook for themselves, hunt built fire for cooking and keeping away from wild animals as security. Their species was one of the first inhabitants of the country, but was disappointed after discovering that Callao man were much more older than them, existed about 50000-70000 B.C. They are

involved in art history through their carvings on the walls, jars, even the tools they used were what they considered their kind of art.

SPANISH COLONIAL ART The history of the Philippines from 1521 to 1898, also known as the Spanish colonial period from 1565, was the period following the arrival of Magellan in the Philippines and during which Spain financed expeditions to the Philippine islands and then ruled them as the Captaincy General of the Philippines. Although the archipelago may have been visited before by the Portuguese (who conquered Malacca City in 1511 and reached Maluku Islands in 1512), the earliest documented European expedition to the Philippines was that led by Ferdinand Magellan, in the service of the king of Spain.

PAINTING The Spanish Friars introduced Western painting to the artisans who learned to copy two dimensional forms from religious paintings. Such paintings were paintings of Saints and the holy family included the passion of Christ, and the portrayal of the purgatory, heaven or hell. For example, is the Purgatory by Jose Luciano Dans that is found in Paete, Laguna.

ARCHITECTURE Many Philippine churches show the influence of the baroque style with a massive wall and a thick buttress to adept our geographical condition. Houses also that of native hut, wide windows, its utilization of ground floor is only for storage for carriages and animals. For example, is the Saint Augustine Church in Paoay, Ilocos.

SCULPTURE The sculptures during Spanish colonial period often depicts religious contents that shows Saints, images of God, Mother Mary, church designs and other church influences. For examples are Santos and Ratablos.

PERFORMANCE THEATER Komedya, sarswela and other drama was presented by the European civilization to the enriched language of lowlands. Religious drama, panunulungan, salubong, alay, cinaculo tibag are sometimes perfumed for religious events. Balitaw a song that is traditionally associated with the Visayas Region in the same way the kundiman and cumuntiang are associated with Tagalog. It possesses and 4 time and is danced too although it was something that is sung.

Harana originated from Spanish era and this is how men court the women from before. The idea is a man accompanied by a group of his friends visit the house of the women and sings love songs to make the woman fall in love to him. On the other hand, as a sign of rejection, the women can close the curtain or the window of their house or splash water to them.

LITERATURE Literature was mostly composed of poems are closely related to religion and talks about the magnificence of God and His influence to the people and but at the end of the Colonial period, many of the literature such as some of works or Jose Rizal was used as a tool of liberation against the Spaniards. In conclusion in the Spanish Colonial period is all about the depiction of Religious content in every art. Because of the Spanish influence and its affiliation to the Catholic Region many of the recorded Philippine art at that period is closely related to their teachings. However, art was also utilized by the Filipinos specially literature in the liberation and fight for the freedom of the Filipinos. Through this art, many lives were lost but also peace and prosperity were born.

PRESENTATION Juan Luna y Novocio was a Filipino painter, sculptor and political activist of the Philippine Resolution during the late 19th century. He became the first recognized Filipino artist. Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo y Padilla was a Filipino artist acknowledged as one of the greatest Filipino painters of the late 19th century and is significant in the Philippine history for having been an acquaintance and inspiration for the members of the Philippine reform movement. Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Reolonda was a Filipino nationalist and polymath during the tail end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. Rizal became the key writer and key member of the Filipino propaganda movement which advocated the political reforms for the colony under the Spain. Spolarium (Painting) by Juan Luna won the gold medal in Exposicion Nacional de Barcelona 1886. The Spoliarium takes the subject of a Roman Coliseum with its dead gladiators being dragged by the Roman soldiers while spectators watch and the family of the dead gladiatiors are seeking for their body Las Virgenes (Painting) by Felix Hidaldo won the silver medal in Exposicion Nacional de in 1886. The Las Virgenes takes the subject of the nude girls and a Roman soldier that are sexually thirsty. Sacred Heart (Sculpture) by Jose P. Rizal the sacred heart sculpture was a sculpture of Jesus Christ about nine inches long and is made upon the request of Fr. Jose Leonardo SJ in the intention of taking it with him to Spain.

AMERICAN COLONIAL ART The Americans brought in Education and Value Formation with both following the American Way of Life. Art illustration, advertising and commercial design gained popularity and incorporated in Fine Arts.

PAINTING Painting themes still largely favored. Genre painting, Landscape and still life; portraits are reserved for high ranking officials with a more academic approach to make the subject more formal. FABIAN DELA ROSA The brightest name in the Philippine painting after Luna and certainly the leading Master of genre in the 1st quarter of the century. (Woman Working in a Rice Field, A remembrance of the Villa Burghese, Young Filipina)

FERNANDO AMORSOLO A portrait and painter of rural landscapes. He is best known for his craftsmanship and mastery in the use of light. His art styles are impressionism, luminism, realism with subjects inspired by Philippine genre and historical, nudes and society portraits. He is the first awardee of the National Artist Award in 1972. (Palay Maiden, Dalagang Bukid, The Making of the Philippine Flag)

JORGE PINEDA Pineda's series of nature indoor games painting capture the intimate, leisurely spirit of the domestic life of the period. (Sungkaan, Las Buyeras)

IRENEO MIRANDA Known as a watercolorist, illustrator and cartoonist, he was at one time called the "Dean of Philippine Cartoonist". (Tausug Princess, Portrait of a Lady, The Fruit Vendors)

DOMINADOR CASTANEDA His paintings diverged from the characteristic style of the Amorsolo's school and a different direction especially in terms of color. Well known for landscapes rendered in color tone of white and blue. (The Doomed Family, Death March, Bahay Kubo on the River Bank)

PABLO AMORSOLO Younger brother of the Philippine National Artist, Fernando Amorsolo. (El Ciego (The Blind Man), Limpia Botas, Fruit Vendor)

SCULPTURE During the American period, sculpture was used to commemorate Filipino heroes. Monuments of heroes like Rizal and Bonifacio were built. Among the prominent Filipino Sculptors during the American period were Guillermo Tolentino and Graciano Nepomuceno. Tolentino stated that there should be no distortions in sculpture. He was known of his design of the Bonifacio monument in Caloocan, Sanduguan and the famous "Oblation" of the University of the Philippines. Nepomuceno's subjects were the characters of Rizal's Noli Me Tangere like Crisostomo Ibarra, Filosofo Tasio, Sisa, and Maria Clara. These were made of wood. Guillermo Estrella Tolentino was born in Malolos, Bulacan on 24 July 1890. He was the fourth of eight children. His father was a tailor whose only artistic trait is the love of playing the guitar. Guillermo or Memong, as his family called him, inherited this artistic skill. Sculptor and painter Graciano Nepomuceno was born on Dec. 18, 1881, in Binondo, Manila. Nepomuceno was a leading sculptor and santero (icon maker) during the early 1900s. His famous works include the figure of San Francisco in Quiapo Church and the bust of Jose Rizal done in bronze relief.

GUILLERMO TOLENTINO (1890-1976) He represents the National Artist Awards for Sculpture in 1973. He is consider as the "Father of Philippine Arts" because of his great works like the famous "Bonifacio Monument" symbolizing Filipinos cry for freedom located in intersection of EDSA and Rizal Avenue and "The Oblation" in UP signifying academic freedom. Bonifacio Monuments The Bonifacio Monument recalls the Philippine Revolution which was spearheaded by Andrés Bonifacio who had urged his men to raise against the colonial rule of Spain. His call to take arms against the Spanish rule was given on 23 August 1896, which is widely known as "Cry of Pugad Lawin." The monument 45 feet (14 m) in height with symbolic images and other features known as the "Cry of Balintawak" is acclaimed as one of the best monuments in the world.

The Oblation A concrete statue which serves as the iconic symbol of the University of the Philippines. It depicts a man facing upward with arms outstretched, symbolizing selfless offering of oneself to his union. The idea for the Oblation was first conceived during the presidency of Rafael Palma, who was the one to commission Tolentino to make the sculpture. Palma requested that the statue would be based on the second verse of Rizal's Mi Ultimo Adios; The concrete sculpture painted to look like bronze, measures 3.5 meters in height, symbolizing the 333 years of Spanish rule in the Philippines. The sculpture is replete with references of selfless dedication and service to the nation, and as Tolentino himself describes it.

Venus This stunning sculpture in Plaster of Paris was made by no less than National Artist for Sculpture Guillermo Tolentino in 1951. Entitled “Venus,” this work of art was inspired by The Birth of Venus by Italian painter, Sandro Botticelli, who made it in 1486 for the Medici Court. Unlike Botticelli’s version which shows the goddess Venus emerging from the sea and covering her private parts with her hands, Guillermo’s sculpture is much more daring–it portrays Venus with her hands in her hair as if flaunting her nude body.

ARCHITECTURE During three hundred thirty years of Spanish colonialization, the Philippine architecture was dominated by the Spanish influences. The Augustinian friars, along with other religious orders, built a large number of grand churches and cathedrals all over the Philippine Islands. During this period the traditional Filipino Bahay na bató (Filipino for "stone house") style for the large houses emerged. These were large houses built of stone and wood combining Filipino, Spanish and Chinese style elements. After the Philippines was ceded to the United States as a consequence of the Spanish– American War in 1898, the architecture of the Philippines was dominated by American aesthetics. In this period, the plan for the modern City of Manila was designed, with a large number of neoclassical architecture and art deco buildings by famous American and Filipino architects. During World War II, large portions of Intramuros and Manila were destroyed. Many heritage districts in the provinces were burned down by the Japanese before the end of the war. In the reconstruction period after the Second World War, many of the destroyed buildings were rebuilt, however, a majority of heritage structures, especially in the provinces, were lost and never rebuilt. Most of the structures that were lost are considered a focal properties of former heritage towns.

THE BURNHAM PLAN The United States occupation of the Philippines in 1898 ushered a new phase in Philippine architecture. America established an American-style of government and urban planning that served the needs of secular education and public services. In 1904, the Chicago-fame architect Daniel H. Burnham came to the Philippines on an invitation from the government to plan a modern Manila. The city then had a population of only a hundred thousand, but Burnham envisioned it as a metropolis inhabited by millions, with multilaned avenues radiating from its central districts. He proposed that the old moat around Intramuros be reclaimed, that Luneta be enlarged into a 30 acre-park, and that a seaside boulevard be built from the Manila waterfront to Cavite. Burnham’s vision for Manila was a government center occupying all of Wallace Field, which extends from Luneta to the present Taft Avenue. The Philippines Capitol was to rise on the Taft Avenue end of the field, facing toward the sea, and would form, with the buildings of different government bureaus and departments, a mighty quadrangle, lagoon in the center and a monument to Rizal at its Luneta end. The Burnham Plan, which the London Times called “a miracle by an Alladin,” was approved by the Philippine Legislature, which agreed to set aside two million pesos every year for the execution of the plan. When the fund had reached some 16 million, however, President Manuel L. Quezon decided to use the money on irrigation projects instead. Quezon noted that rice fields were more important than fine structures for Manila. Of Burnham’s proposed government center, only three units were built: the Legislative Building (originally intended as the National Library) and the building of the Finance (currently the Museum of the Filipino People) and Agricultural (Tourism Department) departments, which were completed on the eve of the War. By then, Mr. Quezon had doomed the Burnham Plan by creating a new capital outside Manila, which was named after him –Quezon City. The Legislative Building was started early in the 1920s. Construction was sporadic, lasting until 1926, and cost about six million pesos –a bargain price today. When the building was half-finished, the Philippines solons decreed that it was to house, not the national library, but the legislative session halls and offices. Later, the national library was allowed to occupy the basement. According to Nick Joaquin, the building (Legislative) along with the old Jones Bridge was undoubtedly our happiest achievement in the neo-classic manner. For a moment in our history, the style of the Romans suited our temper perfectly and we created a structure that had grace and dignity. The postwar edifice still glows with the serene spirit of the original and stands as a memorial to Burnham’s glorious dream and to the days when we felt like noble Romans, gravely founding a republic.

CONTEMPORARY ARTS Philippines welcome the birth of Contemporary art when the world opened up the idea of postmodernism in the late 1900’s. First appearance: After the WW II & during Martial Law Era (1970).

PAINTING Whang-od Oggay, born February 17, 1917), also known as Maria Oggay, is a Filipina tattoo artist from Buscalan, Tinglayan, Kalinga, Philippines. She is often described as the "last" and oldest mambabatok (traditional Kalinga tattooist) and is part of the Butbut people of the larger Kalinga ethnic group. She has been tattooing headhunters and women of the indigenous people of Butbut in Buscalan,...