May 2023 Handout

CONTEMPORARY PHILIPPINE ARTS FROM THE REGIONS

Lesson 11
“Local Materials Used in Creating Art”
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What’s In?
An artist has to conceptualize the artwork he or she will create. The choice of art materials is dependent on the art form that will
be created. After conceptualization, the process of selecting and acquiring the art materials in mind is considered a crucial step in creating
a work of art. The artist bears in mind that the conceived artwork will be created from choice materials deemed appropriate for the art
form.
Considering the wide and varied range of possibilities in creating contemporary art, the choice of local or indigenous art
materials are as wide and varied as well. The potential source of art materials coming from the different regions of the country will be
discussed. These local art materials can be used to create art forms wherever they are suited. The way these materials are used in creating
art will determine the outcome of the artwork.
An artist must be sensitive in selecting the right kind of art material and should have a discriminating eye in choosing what should
be and should not be used. This is the ability to see or make fine distinctions as to what is the right and proper art material to use.
What’s New?
The appropriateness of an art material has a telling effect in the process of creating art. When the chosen art materials are
suited for the artwork, it will adequately serve its purpose of creating art. Having the right and appropriate art materials can bring out the
best of the artist’s creativity.
Art materials abound everywhere. It is up to the resourcefulness and creativity of the artist to come up with an artwork from
seemingly unusable and ineffectual objects and things. In the eyes of a discerning artist, every object and thing can be used for art. The
following are pictures of places familiar to most Filipinos as these abound in the different regions of the country, answer the questions
after a moment of pondering. You can use a separate sheet of paper in answering this.

What Is It?
The choice of art materials is a vital part of the artist’s approach to his or her work and it is important to pick the right kind of
materials. As a new or budding student-artist, any artwork that you will be creating is considered as contemporary art provided that it is
an original concept. It should be conceived by the artist him or her self. Call it reproduction or personal rendition, copying somebody else’s
work is short of making some kind of artistic plagiarism. It’s duplicating an original artwork with or without insignificant changes.
In creating a unique and original contemporary artwork, many artists rely on the appropriate and adequate supply of art
materials. Local art materials are locally available materials from the region, province, city or town. The availability and accessibility of
local art materials make them convenient and easy to use in creating art. Local art materials in combination with the tools and equipment
used to create art are referred to collectively as art media. For example, paint and brush, paint is the material, and brush is the tool,
together they make art media.

“Every child is an artist; the problem is staying an artist when you grow up” – Pablo Picasso
May 2023 Handout
Local and Indigenous Art Materials
It is important to distinguish the difference between indigenous art materials and local art materials. Anything indigenous
naturally comes from the place or locality. It is not introduced to the place or imported from somewhere else. Whereas, anything local
also comes from the place or locality but may or may not be originally part of that place or locality. It could have been introduced to the
place or locality by colonists or settlers from other places.
Indigenous art materials are materials that are natural or inherent from the place or locality. It has been there right from the
start. All indigenous art materials are local materials but not all local art materials are indigenous. Local art materials could be a mix of
indigenous art materials and introduced art materials.

Kinds of Local Art Materials

The use of local art materials in creating various types of arts has become the showcase of Filipino creativity, resourcefulness, and
artistry. The following are kinds of local materials that can be found in the different regions and provinces of the country:
1. Abaca, also called manila hemp, is extracted from the leaf sheath around the trunk of the abaca plant known scientifically as Musa
textilis, which is related to the banana plant. Initially used as material for rope, the abaca found its way in 9 the arts. The plant can be
found in plantations in the Bicol Region and in the different regions of Mindanao.
2. Coconut Shells or bao, are actually used for wood carving, improvised cooking utensils and myriads of other uses. Laminated coconut
shells are considered as almost the same as the quality and appearance of turquoise shells or ivory. Coconut shells are bountiful anywhere
in the country where coconut palm trees, scientifically known as Cocos nucifera, are planted. These shells are byproducts of coconut fruit
processing.
3. Bamboo or kawayan, mistakenly identified as a tree, is actually a kind of grass. Classified scientifically as a plant of the subfamily
Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. It is found almost throughout the archipelago. The bamboo stem has plenty of uses and one of
its prominent use is in creating art.
4. Capiz or kapis shells come from the windowpane oyster, a bivalve marine mollusk in the family of Placunidae. They are abundant in the
Philippines, commonly found along the coastal waters. Cleaned and processed capiz shells are used for various artistic applications like
windows, lanterns, and walling.
5. Rattan is a naturally renewable palm belonging to the subfamily Calamoideae of climbing palms. It is widely used as furniture,
handicrafts, and building material. It is grown in plantations in Western Visayas and Mindanao.
6. Small or Cowrie shells or sigay, scientifically named Cypraea chinensi, measure about 2 centimeters each. They are often used in shell
jewelry and shell craft work. They are popular for their vibrant color. They are found on sandy seafloor around the Philippine islands.
7. Junk, which are old or discarded articles, are considered useless or of little value but for the creative eyes of an artist they are essential
in creating a well known art form called junk art. The discarded materials stored or hidden away inside homes or thrown in garbage bins
are usually made up of plastic, wood and metal.
8. Dried leaves falling off from branches of trees and plants are inexhaustible. Ranging from pale yellow to dark brown, dried leaves are
plentiful throughout the year. Dried leaves art is already considered a craft of its own. Palm, pandanus, or sea grass leaves are used to
create artistic mats or banig.
9. Plant seeds can be acquired from farms and rural areas. Others can be bought commercially like corn, sorghum, mung beans, sunflower
and the like. Seed art can be found in certain localities. They are distinct for their creative and colorful designs.
10. Rocks and sand of various types are abundant. They vary in size and color, allowing for varied art forms.

REMEMBER THESE:
1. The appropriateness of an art material has a telling effect in the process of creating art. The artist bears in mind that the
conceived artwork will be created from choice materials deemed appropriate for the art form.
2. An artist must be keen in selecting the right kind of art material and should have a discriminating eye in choosing what
should be used and what should not.
3. It is up to the resourcefulness and creativity of the artist to come up with an artwork from seemingly unusable and
ineffectual objects and things. In the eyes of a discerning artist, every object and thing can be used for art.
4. Local art materials are locally available materials from the region, province, city or town. The availability and accessibility
of local art materials make them convenient and easy to use in creating art.
5. Indigenous art materials are materials that are natural or inherent from the place or locality.
6. Local art materials could be a mix of indigenous art materials and introduced art materials.
7. The following are kinds of local materials that can be found in the different regions and provinces of the country:
 Abaca
 Coconut shells
 Bamboo
 Capiz shells
 Rattan
 Cowrie shells
 Junk
 Dried leaves
 Plant Seeds
 Rock and sand
8. Local art materials can be classified as traditional and non-traditional.
Traditional art materials available locally are those that are usually bought from department stores and bookstores. They include
crayons, oil pastel, watercolor, colored pencils and other usual materials used in school.
Non-traditional art materials are materials that are not usually used in creating art like coffee, plastic bottles and recyclable materials
that are similar to those used in junk art.
“Every child is an artist; the problem is staying an artist when you grow up” – Pablo Picasso