Quarter 3 – Module 2

Contemporary Philippine Arts

for the Region

NAME:_______________________________________________________
SECTION&GRADE: _______________________________________________
STRAND/COURSE: ______________________________________________
GRADE 12 |Contemporary Philippine Arts for the Regions

UNIT 2
Classification of Various Art Forms in the Philippines

In this unit, we will discuss the materials and approaches used by the artist. The material or medium.
The material or medium refers to what the artist uses in his creation, while the approaches or
techniques deal with the methods involved in the process of artistic production. This unit aims to give
you a better analysis of artworks and disciplines through an understanding of the materials and
approaches that make each unique.

Fig. 1. Filipino Struggles Through History (1963) by Carlos Francisco (left) and Bonifacio Monument by Guillermo
Tolentino (right)

The pieces above feature the same subject of heroism and nationalism of Bonifacio, yet convey this
message through different forms. What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of each form?

Learning Target
In this unit, you should be able to classify various art forms found in the Philippines.
Lesson 1: Performing Arts in the Philippines
Often, people define performing arts as the type of art that is performed. While that definition is true, it
is also circular and simplistic. Performing arts is a complex form that requires a thorough discussion. In
this lesson, you will develop a more in-depth knowledge of performing arts, its kind, materials,
approaches, and elements.
Think-Pair-Share
Think of the most memorable skit you have performed in the class. In pairs, discuss what makes it
memorable for you, and talk about the following questions: How did you prepare for the skit? What were
the materials and approaches you needed to fulfill in order to make the performing art piece successful?
Learn about It!
Performing arts involve a performer (usually a person) undertaking certain actions and movements
usually accompanied by sound in a particular space and time for an audience. What sets performing
arts apart from other art forms is how it uses the human body as part of its medium and its
dependency on time and space. Moreover, performing arts is defined by its interdisciplinarity and how
it integrates various art forms.

There are three kinds of performing art forms classified according to the material used.
1. Auditory for music, which has the following elements:
a. Rhythm - movement, fluctuation, or variation marked by the regular recurrence or
natural flow of related elements
b. Pitch - highness or lowness of sound
c. Melody - a rhythmic succession of single tones organized as an aesthetic whole
d. Musical Notations - the act, process, method, or an instance of representing by a
system or set of marks, signs, figures, or characters used in music
e. Harmony - the combination of simultaneous musical notes in a chord
f. Timbre - the perceived sound quality of a musical tone which sets it apart from other
tones. This may be described as soft, rough, hoarse, cold, and other similar adjectives.
2. Kinesthetic for dance, which has the following elements:
a. Human body - the body is the center of the performance activity. It performs the actions
and movements necessary to the piece. With that, it is considered to be the main
medium in performing arts.
b. Arrangement or pattern - the movements and steps which enable the performers to
perform in an organized manner.
c. Time and space - performing arts depend highly on time and space. The other elements
must all come together to complement the available and selected time and space.
3. Dramatics for theatre, which has the following elements:
a. Stage direction - instructions indicating movement, blockings or positions, and other
nuances in the performers’ speaking, movement, and acting
b. Narratology - the narrative structure of the piece
c. Scenic design - the artistic design that creates the background or scene to
complement the performances
In the Philippines, performing arts is shaped by the country’s long history of colonization and
characterized by the diverse cultural practices within the nation. In general, Philippine performing arts
have its roots in the indigenous practice of rituals. It is believed that the rituals of early Filipino ancestors
are the very origins of theatre arts in the country. After all, it fulfills all the necessary materials needed in
theatre. The shamans or babaylans perform a ritual that involve going through a trance; its
choreography usually involves the partaking of an animal sacrifice. This is accompanied by the
chanting of the crowd or even rhythmic playing of indigenous musical instruments. Further, it is
done usually in front of an audience or the entire community.
As you learned in the previous unit, art in the Philippines is influenced by the various colonizers that
came and went to the country. These elements prevail until today. For example, the pasyon is still
performed especially in rural areas, and the elements of bodabil manifests in the various noon time
television shows.

Check Your Understanding

Recall
1. What do you call the quality of a musical tone which sets it apart from other tones?
2. Which dramatic element referring to the instructions indicating the movement of performers
within a given space?
3. What is believed to be the origin of theatre in the Philippines?
Application
4. What are the quality and elements that distinctly set performing arts apart from other

disciplines?
Synthesis
5. Why is performing arts highly dependent on time and space?

Lesson 2: Visual Arts in the Philippines

In Unit 1, you learned the various elements and principles of arts and design. These elements remain
when understanding visual arts, however there are more to that in visual arts. In this lesson, you will
learn about other considerations in visual arts, and the various materials and approaches that makes it
distinct from other disciplines.

Think-Pair-Share

Take a good look at your school campus. Consider its architecture and interior design and, in pairs,
discuss the following questions: what do you think was the main design consideration when they were
building your school? What mood were they trying to convey? Further, how do the materials and
techniques used contribute to the overall appearance?

Learn about it!

Some works of art are considered visual in nature. In order to understand and appreciate the nature of
visual art, it is important to distinguish the different forms of visual art. Mainly, there are three types of
visual arts categorized according to their materials and approaches used.

1. Two-Dimensional Expression - It is mainly flat because it only has length and width as its
dimensions. There are several techniques that utilize this, namely:
a. Alla Prima - also known as wet-on-wet or when you paint over a layer of wet paint
b. Encaustic - also known as hot wax painting or when you add pigment to beeswax and
use it to paint
c. Tempera Painting - adding pigment to water-soluble binder medium such as egg yolk
d. Fresco - a mural painting technique that involves painting over fresh plaster
e. Water Color - when pigments are suspended in a water-based solution
f. Oil on Canvas - adding pigments to drying oil for binder
g. Mosaic - when small pieces are assembled together (such as glass, stone, seeds, etc) to
form an image
h. Stained Glass - when an artwork is made with coloured glass
i. Tapestry - textile art woven on a vertical loom
j. Drawing - using a writing material (pen, pencil, marker, etc) to mark a two-
dimensional canvas such as paper and form an image
k. Printing - when an image is formed using a master template
l. Photography - creating images with light
2. Three-Dimensional Expression - Apart from length and width, three-dimensional objects
also have volume. There are several techniques under this category, namely:
a. Molding - reshaping a three-dimensional object such as marble or plaster to create
a new form
b. Carving - scraping off parts of a material (often wood) to create a new form
c. Etching - using a strong acid on a surface to create a design
d. Installing - a site-specific artwork designed to transform and include space in its
message
3. Multi-Dimensional Expression - Multi-dimensional expression uses length, width, mass,
time and space as its dimensions and it uses various techniques. The techniques are as follows:
a. Lashed construction
b. Truss Construction
c. Post and lintel construction
d. Cantilever
 e. Arches
In the Philippines, visual arts is characterized by the manifestations of a wide array of cultural influence
to the country. Specifically, it is marked by ethnic, Spanish, American, and contemporary traditions.

As you learned in Unit 1, early artworks by the indigenous peoples of the Philippines usually had a social
and communal function. As early as then, they were involved in sculpting, pottery, weaving, and other
practices. Apart from social utility, their visual artworks also usually had a spiritual significance. For
example, the patterns in their textiles suggested their religious beliefs.

As for the colonizers, their influence in the Philippine visual arts is significant and it remains prominent
until today. The Spaniards added a religious dimension to painting and sculpting by making saints and
Biblical events the focus of its subjects, while the Americans saw a push and pull between liberated and
conservative beliefs as it saw the rise of more secular themes.

Today, contemporary visual art is marked by how it rebels against the rules of form; with the rise of new
media and advanced technological tools, more people are becoming open to experimentation and the
mixing of forms.
Check Your Understanding
Recall
1. Two-dimensional expression has the dimensions and .
2. Three-dimensional expression has the dimensions , , and .
3. Multi-dimensional expression has the dimensions , , , , and .
Application
4. What are examples of two-dimensional medium and techniques?
5. What are examples of three-dimensional medium and techniques?
6. What are examples of multi-dimensional medium and techniques?
Synthesis
 7. What effect does the added volume in a three-dimensional artwork gives that is absent in a
two-dimensional piece?

Let’s Create!

In this activity, you will create your own visual art piece using a tool that is becoming more and more
prominent today. The goal is to create an artwork that uniquely portrays and showcases individual
perception. For this unit’s performance task, you will take photographs strictly using a smartphone.
Remember: the goal here is not to come up with the highest quality image, but to create a photograph
that conveys the most meaningful message. Do not let technological limits affect your work. You may
do this in pairs or groups of three depending on the availability of resources. Observe the following
guidelines:
● Use only the camera native to your smartphone.
● Editing and post-processing is prohibited.
● The photographs (3-5 photos) shall follow the prompt: Home.
● You may interpret the prompt however you like, as long as you can explain how you arrived
at your interpretation during a show and tell in class.

Your work will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

 4 3 2 1
Traits:

100-75 75-50 50-25 25-0

The photographs The photographs The photographs The photographs

Overall are aesthetically are slightly are barely are not at all
presentation pleasing and have aesthetically aesthetically aesthetically
and creativity significant impact pleasing and pleasing and pleasing and
on the viewers. have impact on have little have no impact
the viewers. impact on the on the viewers.
viewers.

Use of The output The output The output The output

medium shows significant shows awareness barely shows suggests little to
mastery of the of mastery of the no
medium and unity the medium and a medium and has awareness of
between medium slightly united little unity the medium
and material. relationship between medium and lacks unity
between medium and between medium
and material. and
material. material.

Relevance to An interesting The interpretation The outcomes The outcomes

the theme and clear of the theme, suggestan feel disconnected
interpretation of though not ambiguous from the
the theme is necessarily novel, interpretation of theme.
manifested in the is the theme.
outcomes. manifested in
the outcomes.

Total:

Comments and Remarks:

Check and Reflect

I think I need more I have a minimal I am confident that I

Skills
time and assistance. understanding of it. can do this with ease.

I can identify the

difference between
performance and visual
arts.

I can classify visual

artworks into the
different expressions of
visual arts.
I can name the
various art materials
necessary in producing
a performing art piece.

Reflect

I find the most interesting because . I got checks

because .
I need to improve on because . I need to practice
because . I plan to
.

Wrap Up