Course Code: CORE

Course Title: CONTEMPORARY PHILIPPINE ARTS FROM THE

REGIONS
Course Type: CORE
Pre-requisite: NONE
Co-requisite: NONE
Quarter: 1st
Course Topic: INTEGRATIVE ART AS APPLIED TO
CONTEMPORARY ART
Module: #2 Week: 2
Course Subtopic: Art
Contemporary Art
Course Description: The subject covers various contemporary arts
practices of the region where the school is located. It
aims to provide students with an appreciation of a
broad range of styles in the various disciplines with
consideration on their elements and principles, and
engage them to an integrative approach in studying
arts. Through this subject, students will broaden and
acquire the necessary creative tools that open
opportunities in pursuing their individual career
goals and aspirations.
Course Outcomes (COs) and Relationship to Student Outcomes
Course Outcomes SO
After completing the course, the student must be a b c d
able to:
1. Presents a form of integrated contemporary art D D R
based on the region of his / her choice. e.g.
choreography, musical instrument, literary and
music composition, visual design, and/or
theatrical performance.
* Level: I- Introduced, R- Reinforced, D- Demonstrated

INTEGRATIVE ART AS APPLIED TO CONTEMPORARY ART

WHAT IS ART?
By Lumen Learning: Boundless Art History (2020)

Art is a highly diverse range of human activities engaged in creating visual,

auditory, or performed artifacts— artworks—that express the author‘s
imaginative or technical skill, and are intended to be appreciated for their
beauty or emotional power.

The oldest documented forms of art are visual arts, which include images or
objects in fields like painting, sculpture, printmaking , photography, and other
visual media . Architecture is often included as one of the visual arts; however,
like the decorative arts, it involves the creation of objects where the practical
considerations of use are essential, in a way that they usually are not in
another visual art, like a painting.

Art may be characterized in terms of mimesis (its representation of reality),

expression, communication of emotion, or other qualities. Though the

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definition of what constitutes art is disputed and has changed over time,
general descriptions center on the idea of imaginative or technical skill
stemming from human agency and creation. When it comes to visually
identifying a work of art, there is no single set of values or aesthetic traits. A
Baroque painting will not necessarily share much with a contemporary
performance piece, but they are both considered art.

Despite the seemingly indefinable nature of art, there have always existed
certain formal guidelines for its aesthetic judgment and analysis. Formalism is
a concept in art theory in which an artwork‘s artistic value is determined solely
by its form, or how it is made. Formalism evaluates works on a purely visual
level, considering medium and compositional elements as opposed to any
reference to realism , context, or content.

Art is often examined through the interaction of the principles and elements of
art. The principles of art include movement, unity, harmony, variety, balance,
contrast, proportion and pattern. The elements include texture, form, space,
shape, color, value and line. The various interactions between the elements and
principles of art help artists to organize sensorially pleasing works of art while
also giving viewers a framework within which to analyze and discuss aesthetic
ideas.

WHAT DOES ART MEAN?

By Lumen Learning: Boundless Art History (2020)

The meaning of art is shaped by the intentions of the artist as well as the
feelings and ideas it engenders in the viewer.

The meaning of art is often culturally specific, shared among the members of a
given society and dependent upon cultural context. The purpose of works of art
may be to communicate political, spiritual or philosophical ideas, to create a
sense of beauty (see aesthetics), to explore the nature of perception, for
pleasure, or to generate strong emotions. Its purpose may also be seemingly
nonexistent.

The nature of art has been described by philosopher Richard Wollheim as ―one
of the most elusive of the traditional problems of human culture.‖ It has been
defined as a vehicle for the expression or communication of emotions and
ideas, a means for exploring and appreciating formal elements for their own
sake, and as mimesis or representation. More recently, thinkers influenced by
Martin Heidegger have interpreted art as the means by which a community
develops for itself a medium for self-expression and interpretation.

Art, in its broadest sense, is a form of communication. It means whatever the

artist intends it to mean, and this meaning is shaped by the materials,
techniques, and forms it makes use of, as well as the ideas and feelings it
creates in its viewers . Art is an act of expressing feelings, thoughts, and
observations.

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 WHAT IS THE PHILOSOPHIES OF ART?
By Lisa Marder: ThoughtCo. (2019)

The definition of art has been debated for centuries among philosophers.‖What
is art?‖ is the most basic question in the philosophy of aesthetics, which really
means, ―How do we determine what is defined as art?‖ This implies two
subtexts: the essential nature of art, and its social importance (or lack of it).
The definition of art has generally fallen into three categories: representation,
expression, and form.

 Art as Representation or Mimesis. Plato first developed the idea of art

as ―mimesis,‖ which, in Greek, means copying or imitation. For this
reason, the primary meaning of art was, for centuries, defined as the
representation or replication of something that is beautiful or
meaningful. Until roughly the end of the eighteenth century, a work of
art was valued on the basis of how faithfully it replicated its subject. This
definition of "good art" has had a profound impact on modern and
contemporary artists; as Gordon Graham writes, ―It leads people to place
a high value on very lifelike portraits such as those by the great
masters—Michelangelo, Rubens, Velásquez, and so on—and to raise
questions about the value of ‗modern‘ art—the cubist distortions
of Picasso, the surrealist figures of Jan Miro, the abstracts
of Kandinsky or the ‗action‘ paintings of Jackson Pollock.‖ While
representational art still exists today, it is no longer the only measure of
value.
 Art as Expression of Emotional Content. Expression became
important during the Romantic movement with artwork expressing a
definite feeling, as in the sublime or dramatic. Audience response was
important, for the artwork was intended to evoke an emotional response.
This definition holds true today, as artists look to connect with and evoke
responses from their viewers.
 Art as Form. Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) was one of the most
influential of the early theorists toward the end of the 18th century. He
believed that art should not have a concept but should be judged only on
its formal qualities because the content of a work of art is not of aesthetic
interest. Formal qualities became particularly important when art
became more abstract in the 20th century, and the principles of art and
design (balance, rhythm, harmony, unity) were used to define and assess
art.

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 ACTIVITY 1:
TIMELINE: ART MOVEMENTS

Instructions: See link below to navigate through the teaching tool

depicting art movements in Modern Art. Click on any movement for a
quick overview and further information.

https://www.theartstory.org/section-movements-timeline.htm

Then write your own reflection on a separate sheet of paper or/ word
document.
Paper Size: Short Bond Paper (Handwritten/Typewritten)
Font Style: Times New Roman/ Calibri (Body)
Font Size: 11

HISTORY OF ART
By Lisa Marder: ThoughtCo. (2019)

According to H.W Janson, author of the classic art textbook, The History of Art,
―...we cannot escape viewing works of art in the context of time and
circumstance, whether past or present. How indeed could it be otherwise, so
long as art is still being created all around us, opening our eyes almost daily to
new experiences and thus forcing us to adjust our sights?‖

Throughout the centuries in Western culture from the 11th century on through
the end of the 17th century, the definition of art was anything done with skill
as the result of knowledge and practice. This meant that artists honed their
craft, learning to replicate their subjects skillfully. The epitome of this occurred
during the Dutch Golden Age when artists were free to paint in all sorts of
different genres and made a living off their art in the robust economic and
cultural climate of 17th century Netherlands.

During the Romantic period of the 18th century, as a reaction to the

Enlightenment and its emphasis on science, empirical evidence, and rational
thought, art began to be described as not just being something done with skill,
but something that was also created in the pursuit of beauty and to express
the artist‘s emotions. Nature was glorified, and spirituality and free expression
were celebrated. Artists, themselves, achieved a level of notoriety and were
often guests of the aristocracy.

The Avant-garde art movement began in the 1850s with the realism of Gustave
Courbet. It was followed by other modern art movements such as cubism,
futurism, and surrealism, in which the artist pushed the boundaries of ideas
and creativity. These represented innovative approaches to art-making and the
definition of what is art expanded to include the idea of the originality of vision.

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The idea of originality in art persists, leading to ever more genres and
manifestations of art, such as digital art, performance art, conceptual art,
environmental art, electronic art, etc.

PURPOSE OF ARTS
By Lumen Learning: Art Appreciation (2020)

Art has had a great number of different functions throughout its history,
making its purpose difficult to abstract or quantify to any single concept. This
does not imply that the purpose of art is ―vague‖ but that it has had many
unique, different reasons for being created. Some of the functions of art are
provided in the outline below. The different purposes of art may be grouped
according to those that are non-motivated and those that are motivated (Lévi-
Strauss).

Non-motivated Functions of Art

The non-motivated purposes of art are those that are integral to being human,
transcend the individual, or do not fulfill a specific external purpose. In this
sense, art, as creativity, is something humans must do by their very nature
(i.e., no other species creates art), and is therefore beyond utility.
1. Basic human instinct for harmony, balance, rhythm. Art at this level
is not an action or an object, but an internal appreciation of balance and
harmony (beauty), and therefore an aspect of being human beyond
utility.
2. Experience of the mysterious. Art provides a way to experience one‘s
self in relation to the universe. This experience may often come
unmotivated, as one appreciates art, music or poetry.
3. Expression of the imagination. Art provides a means to express the
imagination in nongrammatic ways that are not tied to the formality of
spoken or written language. Unlike words, which come in sequences and
each of which have a definite meaning, art provides a range of forms,
symbols and ideas with meanings that are malleable.
4. Ritualistic and symbolic functions. In many cultures, art is used in
rituals, performances and dances as a decoration or symbol. While these
often have no specific utilitarian (motivated) purpose, anthropologists
know that they often serve a purpose at the level of meaning within a
particular culture. This meaning is not furnished by any one individual,
but is often the result of many generations of change, and of a
cosmological relationship within the culture.

Motivated Functions of Art

Motivated purposes of art refer to intentional, conscious actions on the part of
the artists or creator. These may be to bring about political change, to
comment on an aspect of society, to convey a specific emotion or mood, to
address personal psychology, to illustrate another discipline, to (with
commercial arts) to sell a product, or simply as a form of communication.
1. Communication. Art, at its simplest, is a form of communication. As
most forms of communication have an intent or goal directed toward

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 another individual, this is a motivated purpose. Illustrative arts, such as
scientific illustration, are a form of art as communication. Maps are
another example. However, the content need not be scientific. Emotions,
moods and feelings are also communicated through art.
2. Art as entertainment. Art may seek to bring about a particular emotion
or mood, for the purpose of relaxing or entertaining the viewer. This is
often the function of the art industries of Motion Pictures and Video
Games.
3. The Avante-Garde. Art for political change. One of the defining
functions of early twentieth-century art has been to use visual images to
bring about political change. Art movements that had this goal—
Dadaism, Surrealism, Russian constructivism, and Abstract
Expressionism, among others—are collectively referred to as the avante-
garde arts.
4. Art as a “free zone,” removed from the action of the social censure.
Unlike the avant-garde movements, which wanted to erase cultural
differences in order to produce new universal values, contemporary art
has enhanced its tolerance towards cultural differences as well as its
critical and liberating functions (social inquiry, activism, subversion,
deconstruction…), becoming a more open place for research and
experimentation.
5. Art for social inquiry, subversion, and/or anarchy. While similar to art
for political change, subversive or deconstructivist art may seek to
question aspects of society without any specific political goal. In this
case, the function of art may be simply to criticize some aspect of society.
Graffiti art and other types of street art are graphics and images that are
spray-painted or stenciled on publicly viewable walls, buildings, buses,
trains, and bridges, usually without permission. Certain art forms, such
as graffiti, may also be illegal when they break laws (in this case
vandalism).
6. Art for social causes. Art can be used to raise awareness for a large
variety of causes. A number of art activities were aimed at raising
awareness of autism, cancer, human trafficking, and a variety of other
topics, such as ocean conservation, human rights in Darfur, murdered
and missing Aboriginal women, elder abuse, and pollution. Trashion,
using trash to make fashion, practiced by artists such as Marina DeBris
is one example of using art to raise awareness about pollution.
7. Art for psychological and healing purposes. Art is also used by art
therapists, psychotherapists and clinical psychologists as art therapy.
The Diagnostic Drawing Series, for example, is used to determine the
personality and emotional functioning of a patient. The end product is
not the principal goal in this case, but rather a process of healing,
through creative acts, is sought. The resultant piece of artwork may also
offer insight into the troubles experienced by the subject and may
suggest suitable approaches to be used in more conventional forms of
psychiatric therapy.
8. Art for propaganda or commercialism. Art is often utilized as a form
of propaganda, and thus can be used to subtly influence popular

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 conceptions or mood. In a similar way, art that tries to sell a product also
influences mood and emotion. In both cases, the purpose of art here is to
subtly manipulate the viewer into a particular emotional or psychological
response toward a particular idea or object.
9. Art as a fitness indicator. It has been argued that the ability of the
human brain by far exceeds what was needed for survival in the
ancestral environment. One evolutionary psychology explanation for this
is that the human brain and associated traits (such as artistic ability and
creativity) are the human equivalent of the peacock‘s tail. The purpose of
the male peacock‘s extravagant tail has been argued to be to attract
females. According to this theory superior execution of art was
evolutionarily important because it attracted mates.

FUNCTIONS OF ARTS
By Esaak, Shelley (2019)

Ideally, one can look at a piece of art and guess with some accuracy where it
came from and when. This best-case scenario also includes identifying the
artist because they are in no small way part of the contextual equation. You
might wonder, "What was the artist thinking when they created this?" when
you see a piece of art. You, the viewer, are the other half of this equation; you
might ask yourself how that same piece of art makes you feel as you look at it.

These—in addition to the time period, location of creation, cultural influences,

etc.—are all factors that should be considered before trying to assign functions
to art. Taking anything out of context can lead to misunderstanding art and
misinterpreting an artist's intentions, which is never something you want to do.

The functions of art normally fall into three categories: physical, social, and
personal. These categories can and often do overlap in any given piece of art.
When you're ready to start thinking about these functions, here's how.

Physical
The physical functions of art are often the easiest to understand. Works of art
that are created to perform some service have physical functions. If you see a
Fijian war club, you may assume that, however wonderful the craftsmanship
may be, it was created to perform the physical function of smashing skulls.

A Japanese raku bowl is a piece of art that performs a physical function in a

tea ceremony. Conversely, a fur-covered teacup from the Dada movement has
no physical function. Architecture, crafts such as welding and woodworking,
interior design, and industrial design are all types of art that serve physical
functions.

Social
Art has a social function when it addresses aspects of (collective) life as
opposed to one person's point of view or experience. Viewers can often relate in
some way to social art and are sometimes even influenced by it.

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For example, public art in 1930s Germany had an overwhelming symbolic
theme. Did this art exert influence on the German population? Decidedly so, as
did political and patriotic posters in Allied countries during the same time.
Political art, often designed to deliver a certain message, always carries a social
function. The fur-covered Dada teacup, useless for holding tea, carried a social
function in that it protested World War I (and nearly everything else in life).

Art that depicts social conditions performs social functions and often this art
comes in the form of photography. The Realists figured this out early in the
19th century. American photographer Dorothea Lange (1895–1965) along with
many others often took pictures of people in conditions that are difficult to see
and think about.

Additionally, satire performs social functions. Spanish painter Francisco Goya

(1746–1828) and English portrait artist William Hogarth (1697–1764) both
went this route with varying degrees of success at motivating social change
with their art. Sometimes the possession of specific pieces of art in a
community can elevate that community's status. A stabile by American kinetic
artist Alexander Calder (1898–1976), for example, can be a community
treasure and point of pride.

Personal
The personal functions of art are often the most difficult to explain. There are
many types of personal functions and these are highly subjective. Personal
functions of art are not likely to be the same from person to person.

An artist may create a piece out of a need for self-expression or gratification.

They might also or instead want to communicate a thought or point to the
viewer. Sometimes an artist is only trying to provide an aesthetic experience,
both for self and viewers. A piece might be meant to entertain, provoke
thought, or even have no particular effect at all.

Personal function is vague for a reason. From artist to artist and viewer to
viewer, one's experience with art is different. Knowing the background and
behaviors of an artist helps when interpreting the personal function of their
pieces.

Art may also serve the personal function of controlling its viewers, much like
social art. It can also perform religious service or acknowledgment. Art has
been used to attempt to exert magical control, change the seasons, and even
acquire food. Some art brings order and peace, some creates chaos. There is
virtually no limit to how art can be used.

Finally, sometimes art is used to maintain a species. This can be seen in

rituals of the animal kingdom and in humans themselves. Biological functions
obviously include fertility symbols (in any culture), but there are many ways

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humans adorn their bodies with art in order to be attractive to others and
eventually mate.

WHO IS AN ARTIST?
By Lumen Learning: Boundless Art History (2020)

An artist is a person who is involved in the wide range of activities that are
related to creating art.

An artist is a person who is involved in the wide range of activities that are
related to creating art. The word has transformed over time and context, but
the modern understanding of the term denotes that, ultimately, an artist is
anyone who calls him/herself an artist.

In ancient Greece and Rome, there was no word for ―artist.‖ The Greek word
―techne‖ is the closest that exists to ―art‖ and means ―mastery of any art or
craft.‖ From the Latin ―tecnicus‖ derives the English words ―technique,‖
―technology,‖ and ―technical.‖ From these words we can denote the ancient
standard of equating art with manual labor or craft.

Each of the nine muses of ancient Greece oversaw a different field of human
creation. The creation of poetry and music was considered to be divinely
inspired and was therefore held in high esteem. However, there was no muse
identified with the painting and sculpture; ancient Greek culture held these art
forms in low social regard, considering work of this sort to be more along the
lines of manual labor.

During the Middle Ages, the word ―artista‖ referred to something resembling
―craftsman,‖ or student of the arts. The first division into ―major‖ and ―minor‖
arts dates back to the 1400s with the work of Leon Battista Alberti, which
focused on the importance of the intellectual skills of the artist rather than the
manual skills of a craftsman. The European academies of the 16th century
formally solidified the gap between the fine and the applied arts, which exists
in varying degrees to this day. Generally speaking, the applied arts apply
design and aesthetics to objects of everyday use, while the fine arts serve as
intellectual stimulation.

Currently, the term ―artist‖ typically refers to anyone who is engaged in an

activity that is deemed to be an art form. However, the questions of what is art
and who is an artist are not easily answered. The idea of defining art today is
far more difficult than it has ever been. After the exhibition during the Pop Art
movement of Andy Warhol‘s Brillo Box and Campbell’s Soup Cans, the
questions of ―what is art?‖ and ―who is an artist?‖ entered a more conceptual
realm. Anything can, in fact, be art, and the term remains constantly evolving.

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 LOOSEN UP!
TIMELINE: ART CRITIQUE
(National Gallery of Art, What Is Art? Gr ade Level: 9–12
Curriculum Connections: Language Arts)

Instructions: Read the article below then answer the question that
follows.

In the 1960s customs agents in Canada seized Andy Warhol‘s Brillo

Boxes, insisting that it was subject to normal duties applied to the
cleaning product. They refused to recognize it as a work of art that was
constructed to mimic a commercially available product. Divide the
class into two teams, one assigned to each side of this dispute. They
should prepare their arguments to justify the position that Brillo
Boxes either is or is not art. Answer the following questions:

 Does it reflect artistic skill?

 Would you say that the artist used his imagination in creating
the work?
 Do you believe the work expresses an idea?
 Do you find it interesting? Beautiful?

Then write your own reflection on a separate sheet of paper or/ word
document.
Paper Size: Short Bond Paper (Handwritten/Typewritten)
Font Style: Times New Roman/ Calibri (Body)
Font Size: 11

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 WHAT IS CONTEMPORARY ART?
By International Studies In History & Business Of Art & Culture (2020)

A reference to Contemporary Art meaning ―the art of today,‖ more broadly

includes artwork produced during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. It
generally defines art produced after the Modern Art movement to the present
day. However, modern artwork is not just art produced during a specific time-
frame. This genre of art does have its own approach or style that distinguishes
it from others.

Yet, this style of art is difficult to define because it includes such variety. Some
argue that the basic approach and goal of modern Art is to challenge the
nature of artwork itself. It can also make the viewer question what it is that
defines art. Therefore, this style of art is not particularly uniform, and it may
be more challenging to precisely describe than any other genre of art.
Additionally, there are several major reasons to why contempory art is
important to society, for instance it is a mean to express oneself as it is way to
provide social and cultural commentary.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART

In the English language, ‗modern‘ and ‗contemporary‘ are synonyms.

Unfortunately, in the art world, these two terms describe two different times of
creation and two different approaches to art making and the functionality of
art, and more often than not they create the biggest confusion. For the
understanding of the Contemporary Art category, we must first understand the
difference between the two.

The term Modern Art is usually associated with art made during the period
extending roughly between the 1860s and 1970s. The art made during this
period celebrated experimentation and placed traditions of the past aside.
Experimenting with different materials and ways of seeing art, the functionality
of art developed with the move away from the narrative, characteristic of the
traditional arts, towards abstraction. This newfound freedom and revolutionary
way of relying on the inner visions and expression of such visions marks the
biggest influence of Modern Art. This reflected not only the move towards non-
figuration but also influenced the approach to real life, social issues and
images of modern life.

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 HISTORY: MAJOR MOVEMENTS AND ARTISTS
By Richman-Abdou, Kelly (2019)

Pop Art

Andy Warhol, “Flowers” (Stock Photos from Radu Bercan/Shutterstock)

Intended as a reaction to preceding modern art movements,

contemporary art is thought to have begun on the heels of Pop Art. In
post-war Britain and America, Pop Art was pioneered by artists
like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. It is defined by an interest in
portraying mass culture and reimagining commercial products as
accessible art. While the movement lasted roughly from the 1950s
through the early 1970s, it was reborn as Neo-Pop Art in the 1980s
thanks to artists like Jeff Koons.

P hotorealism

Portrait of Chuck Close (Stock Photos from Rushay/Shutterstock)

Much like artists working in the Pop Art style sought to artistically reproduce
objects, those involved with Photorealism—a concurrent movement—aimed to
create hyperrealistic drawings and paintings. Photorealists often worked from
photographs, which enabled them to accurately reproduce portraits,
landscapes, and other iconography. Chuck Close and Gerhard Richter often
worked in this style

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Conceptualism

Ai Wei Wei, “Circle of Animals/ Zodiac Heads,” 2010 (Stock Photos from
Alisa_Ch/Shutterstock)

In turn, Pop Art also helped shape Conceptualism, which rejected the idea of
art as a commodity. In conceptual art, the idea behind a work of art takes
precedence. Major conceptual artists include Damien Hirst, Ai Wei Wei, and
Jenny Holzer. Though this experimental movement is rooted in art of the early
21st century, it emerged as a formal movement in the 1960s and remains a
major contemporary art movement today.

Minimalism

Donald Judd, “Untitled,” 1973 (Stock Photos from Todamo/Shutterstock)

Like Conceptualism, Minimalism materialized in the 1960s and is still

prevalent today. According to the Tate, both movements ―challenged the
existing structures for making, disseminating and viewing art.‖ What sets
Minimalism apart, however, is that its simple, abstract aesthetic invites viewers
to respond to what they see—not what they think a given work of
art represents. Donald Judd, Sol LeWitt, and Dan Flavin are some key
Minimalist artists.

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Performance Art

Photo: Wikimedia Commons Public Domain

Another movement with Conceptualist roots is Performance Art. Beginning in

the 1960s and retaining its popularity today, performance art is a drama-
inspired approach to art. While the art form is performed by artists (as the
name suggests), it is not solely intended as entertainment. Instead, its goal is
to convey a message or idea. Predominant performance artists include Marina
Abramović, Yoko Ono, and Joseph Beuys.

Installation Art

Yayoi Kusama, “Gleaming Lights of the Souls,” 2008 (Stock Photos from ephst/
Shutterstock)

Like performance pieces, installation art is an immersive medium of art.

Installations are three-dimensional constructions that transform their
surroundings and alter viewers' perceptions of space. Often, they're large-scale
and site-specific, enabling artists to transform any space into a customized,
interactive environment. Well-known installation artists include Yayoi
Kusama, Dale Chihuly, and Bruce Munro.

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Earth Art

Robert Smithson, “Spiral Jetty” (Photo: Wikimedia Commons Public Domain)

A unique spin on installation art, Earth Art (or Land Art) is a movement in
which artists transform natural landscapes into site-specific works of art.
Robert Smithson, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, and Andy Goldsworthy are
celebrated for their avant-garde earthworks.

Street Art

Keith Haring, ―The Pisa's Mural, 1989 by Stock Photos from

peepy/Shutterstock

As one of the most recent contemporary art movements, street art is a genre
that gained prominence with the rise of graffiti in the 1980s. Often rooted in
social activism, street art includes murals, installations, stenciled images, and
stickers erected in public spaces. Key street artists include figures from the
1980s, like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring, as well as practicing
artists like Banksy and Shepard Fairey.

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 WHAT IS A CONTEMPORARY ARTIST?
By: The J. Paul Getty Museum (2020)

Strictly speaking, the term "contemporary art" refers to art made and produced
by artists living today. Today's artists work in and respond to a global
environment that is culturally diverse, technologically advancing, and
multifaceted. Working in a wide range of mediums, contemporary artists often
reflect and comment on modern-day society. When engaging with
contemporary art, viewers are challenged to set aside questions such as, "Is a
work of art good?" or "Is the work aesthetically pleasing?" Instead, viewers
consider whether art is "challenging" or "interesting." Contemporary artists may
question traditional ideas of how art is defined, what constitutes art, and how
art is made, while creating a dialogue with—and in some cases rejecting—the
styles and movements that came before them.

Since the early 20th century, some artists have turned away from realistic
representation and the depiction of the human figure, and have moved
increasingly towards abstraction. In New York City after World War II, the art
world coined the term "abstract expressionism" to characterize an art
movement that was neither completely abstract, nor expressionistic.
Nevertheless, the movement challenged artists to place more emphasis on the
process of making art rather than the final product. Artists like Jackson
Pollock brought art-making to choreographic heights by dripping paint in
grand yet spontaneous gestures. As one critic noted, the canvas was an arena
in which to act—"what was going on in the canvas was not a picture but an
event." This notion of art as an event emerged out of the movement called
abstract expressionism, which greatly influenced the art movements that
followed, and continues to inspire artists living today.

Contemporary artists working within the postmodern movement reject the

concept of mainstream art and embrace the notion of "artistic pluralism," the
acceptance of a variety of artistic intentions and styles. Whether influenced by
or grounded in performance art, pop art, Minimalism, conceptual art, or video,
contemporary artists pull from an infinite variety of materials, sources, and
styles to create art. For this reason, it is difficult to briefly summarize and
accurately reflect the complexity of concepts and materials used by
contemporary artists. This overview highlights a few of the contemporary
artists whose work is on view at the Getty Museum and the concepts they
explore in their work.

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 CATEGORIES OF CONTEMPORARY ART

VISUAL ARTS

According to The Britanicca (2020) these are the arts that meet the eye and
evoke an emotion through an expression of skill and imagination. They include
the most ancient forms, such as painting and drawing, and the arts that were
born thanks to the development of technology, like sculpture, printmaking,
photography, and installation art, the latter a combination of multiple creative
expressions. Though beauty is in the eye of the beholder, different eras in art
history have had their own principles to define beauty, from the richly
ornamented taste of the Baroque to the simple, utilitarian style of the Prairie
School.

As stated by Esaak, Shelley (2019), The visual arts include mediums such as
drawing, painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, film, and printmaking.
Many of these pieces of art are created to stimulate us through a visual
experience. When we look at them, they often provoke a feeling of some sort.
Within the visual arts is a category known as the decorative arts, or craft. This
is art that is more utilitarian and has a function but retains an artistic style
and still requires talent to create. The decorative arts include ceramics,
furniture making, textiles, interior design, jewelry making, metal crafting, and
woodworking.

Performing Arts

According to World University Ranking (2019), Performing arts is a form of

creative activity that is performed in front of an audience, which includes
drama, music, and dance. Degrees that focus on performing arts are highly

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S.Y. 2020-2021 Page | 17
practical, and actively immerse you in cutting-edge, interdisciplinary practice
which prepare you to enter the competitive industry.

Performing arts tends to include a wide range of specialisms, including acting,

dance, voice, physical theatre, music theatre, sound design and digital video.
Courses celebrate the array of possibilities within live and digital arts in a
range of contexts.

SELF-ASSESMENT

Encircle
your
Answer

FORM
Read each statement and check ( ) the box that reflects your work today.

Name: Date:
Section:
Strongly
Disagree Agree
Agree

1. I found this work interesting.

2. I make a strong effort.
3. I am proud of the results.
4. I understood all the instructions.
5. I followed all the steps.
6. I learned something new.
7. I feel ready for the next assignment.
www.ldatschool.ca/executive-function/self-assessment/

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S.Y. 2020-2021 Page | 18
Reference Book:
Arch Carlos Luis C. Ganzon (2018), Journey Contemporary Arts of the
Philippines

Online References:
 Lumen Learning: Boundless Art History (2020), What is Art?
Retrieved from: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundlessart
history/chapter/what-is-art/
 National Gallery of Art (2020), What Is Art? Grade Level: 9–12
Curriculum Connections: Language Arts
Retrieved from: https://www.nga.gov/education/teachers/lessons-
activities/modern-art/what-is-art.html
 Marder, Lisa (2019), What Is the Definition of Art? Retrieved from
ThoughtCowww.thoughtco.com › Art & Artists › Art History
 Esaak, Shelley (2019), The Most Important Functions of Art
Retrieved from: https://www.thoughtco.com/what-are-the-functions-of-art-
182414
 Lumen Learning: Art Appreciation (2020)
Retrieved from: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/masteryart1/chapter/
oer-1-2/
 The J. Paul Getty Museum (2020) About Contemporary Art
Retrieved from: http://www.getty.edu/education/teachers/classroom_
resources/curricula/contemporary_art/background1.html
 By Richman-Abdou, Kelly (2019), What is Contemporary Art? An In-
Depth Look at the Modern-Day Movement
Retrieved from: https://mymodernmet.com/what-is-contemporary-art-
definition/
 Silka P (2016) Widewalls, What is Contemporary Art and How Can We
Define it Today?
Retrieved from: https://www.widewalls.ch/magazine/what-is-
contemporary- art
 Britanicca (2020) Visual Arts
Retrieved from: https://www.britannica.com/browse/Visual-Arts
 Esaak, Shelley (2019) What Are the Visual Arts?
Retrieved from: https://www.thoughtco.com/what-are-the-visual-arts-
182706
 World University Ranking (2019)
Retrieved from: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/subjects
/what-can-you-do-performing-arts-degree:

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