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POLITICAL THEORY - Karl Marx

Marxist concepts are diametrically the opposite to capitalism and some believe have created a mentality of a society that is very much a 'them and us' one. Marxism believes that capitalism can only thrive on the exploitation of the working class. This movement  fights for the self-emancipation of the working class, subjecting all forms of domination by the bourgeoisie, its institutions and its ideology, to theoretical and practical critique. His thought was that this class struggle would result in workers taking power. He believed that no one should have power over another, that everyone should be equal.

This was also tackled in class that in order to free a man completely, we must first abolish Marxism that hinders this possibility.

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“Itak sa Puso ni Mang Juan” by Antipas Delotavo

Mang Juan’s posture and stance, described by a side view, angled bowing head, an anxious and disturbed face, a passive slouching back, and a seemingly-weak right-hand holding his left elbow through his back, suggests his complete submission to the rules enforced by the dominion of the influential and selected few in this game of survival. One obeys his master, as the saying goes. The emergence of imperial tycoons and political dynasties strengthen economic ties whereby its effects seemed detrimental for most of the Filipino people. The sparkles and flash of light observed in the painting symbolize the glamour associated with foregoing one thing for Coca-Cola. The artwork itself reflects market deception homogenized with the company’s bargain of introducing its satirically commendable products to the Filipino people. The company’s primal objective, to grant everyone access to self-fulfillment, manifests itself in the hazy cloud-nine-like feature in the work, as witnessed by character Mang Juan and the viewer.

Itak sa Puso ni Mang Juan is a feedback on the negative impacts of globalization or commercialization in the Philippines. As perceived, a dagger-like tail of the letter C in the company’s title is pointed at the heart of Mang Juan. This exposes the struggle of an average Filipino worker, the embodiment of the Filipino public or the “masa”, against the agonizing monopoly and economic control of international corporations, most of which are offering products and services that entice consumers to live life according to wants, and not needs.The painting depicts a slouched man passing by an overwhelmingly large billboard advertising the famous product Coca-Cola. The man is a portrayal of us Filipinos as one can derive from the way he looks: tan sin and clothes. On the other hand, the Coca-Cola logo is the symbol of capitalism and in Delotavo’s own words, of cultural enslavement.Coca-Cola has been already touted as the poster boy of globalization.

It reminds me of the past when the Marcos regime rules the Philippines. That time when the United States of America manipulates a third world country like us. I may not be born around that time yet however I knew how tough those years were. Filipinos had to fight for their right as they were getting punished by foreign soldiers.

The artist’s artwork reflects on the negative effects the Coca-Cola Company has brought about to a Third world country, the Philippines. Filipino artists like Delotavo applied on his skills the concept of deja vu, where history kept on repeating itself, captured through preservation by art, depicting outrageous elite power-grabs and manipulations which dumped the larger bulk of burdens on the lowest sectors of the society, the labor force, pulling them down below the poverty line. Profit-oriented control of prices of goods, falsified media exposure of stocks downfall, irrational downgrade of wages, elevation of additional task, and workers pullout, all followed a cyclic path still existing up to now. The artwork figuratively encases itself as an effect of continuous, unchanged processes caused by man himself, which then inspired more artists to use brushes, paint, and canvass to portray happenings in their time that would be history in time.

In his work, it may be seen that he emanated the natural colors of existing entities to instill on viewers that keen sense of familiarity over the subject and sequentially, to elicit points of view from different Filipino backgrounds.The sharp tip of the C in the logo appears to be subtly stabbing Mang Juan in the chest. The splashes of red then appear to me as blood spatters on a fabric. The sharp tip of the C may refer to colonialism and capitalism, and perhaps even the cancer of the society. 1ince there is a small gap between the tip of the C and Mang Juan’s chest, this can be interpreted as a slow death for Mang uan.

Asymmetrical balance is used in the painting with regular rhythm and emphasis on the logo of the Coca-Cola and Mang Juan’s body to draw attention to a certain parts and easily attracts the attention of the viewer.

The painting Itak sa Puso ni Mang Juan was painted by Antipas Delotavo in 6789. It was painted on a paper using watercolour during the Marcos Regime which aims to put emphasis on Nationalist Art in the 5uest for national identity and on the need to break away from the western-oriented culture.

Mang Juan appears to me as if he is being held back by himself or an intangible presence. This may be read as a symbolism of us Filipinos not being able to move forward because of our own faults. We are being held back not only by an intangible presence, neo-colonialism, but also because of our mental colonialism. We are being enslaved by the foreign country not in terms of violence and warfare but in terms of our culture and economy. Itak sa Puso ni Mang Juan is a realist depiction of the abstract thought of what capitalism, globalism, colonialism is doing to our country. The artist managed to bring into focus the economic and political relationship between the logo and Mang Juan’s body.

Itak sa Puso ni Mang Juan which symbolizes by the bladelike tail of the Coca-Cola sign seems to stab the old man’s heart, drained of blood and vigor symbolically depicts the harsh reality of transnational corporations.

The painful Truth about the Coca-Cola Company would have felt the agony and pain of Mang Juan, too. The fact that transnational corporations are ruling in the Philippines shows that we are not yet free.from the hands of our foreign oppressors. The negative effects of globalization and commercialization directly affects the lives of ordinary Filipino workers.

Delotavo explains that he was drawn to the Coke icon because for him it incarnated the ubiquity of the US in the Third world; its internecine interventions in Southeast Asia;and  its support for the Ferdinand Marcos regime in the Philippines,which hosted two of the US’s largest foreign military bases. Also crucial here is advertising as a vehicle of imperialism, in guaranteeing theUS’s hegemonic presence in the economy and culture of the Philippines even after it gained independence.

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Group Tableau

This picture was taken right after our class in ARTS 1 as we were given grace time to shoot this. We shot this under the newly built building in CEM which we called “Red Staple wires” for fun. We chose the place because it was aesthetically pleasing to each of the members and it was already planned beforehand. We asked some help from the pther group who finished their shoot before us.Our concept was the diversion of our personalities that collide with another personality. I think we did a great job representing ourselves through this kind of art.

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I crammed this activity if I have to be honest. All the ideas I put into this mask were all brainstormed in an hour which I don’t regret. I like what I did here. IT was exactly the same thing that I and on my mind. I wanted to create a ‘doble kara’ in this work which symbolizes my personality when I’m alone and around people.

You can see that the other side is filled with vibrant colors that exude so much of my personality when I’maround people, friends,and classmates. People usually perceive me to be “unapproachable” and “masungit” becuse of my strong feature. This is why I try to be friendly and jolly around everyone so I wouldn’t show this natural side of me. I didn’t want people to misinterpret me to be someone I’m not. ON the other side, it is filled with white and black colors that symbolizes my other personality. When I’m alone, by myself, I love to spend me-yime andshut myself down to the world. I’m an introvert. When I’m around people, I easily get drained if I’m too social which happens on school days but the instant that I set foot on my apartment, I would lock my door and rest. I’m more quiet than I am being friendly.

This does not meean that I’m two-faced. I think, personally, these two personalities are my North and South Pole that doesn’t meet to balance my lifestyle. I enjoy being both. The reason I came up with the name of this mask: Night and Day is the same as these two opposes each other but needs to exist consequently.

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This activity was by far the best and funniest we’ve ever done in class. To me personally, I collect memes and I enjoy looking at them on social media. It didn’t occur to me that I would be given a chance to make myself a meme of my own. What makes it even more enjoyable was the topic of our meme: Martial Law and Marcos.  

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This was our group’s collection of Japanese artists on their take of “What is Art?”

These are the famous works of artists like Takashi Murakami, Yasumasa Morimura, Midori McCabe, and Saori Kashimura. Their ideals and perspective on art were compiled in the pictures above. Given the cultural difference and ideals, it was interesting to understand how many Japanese artists rely on their knowledge of what art is for them based on their experieces--historically speaking. Many of their works were represent their gods and dieties they praise with their religions. Some were highly based on their imaginations and creative juices.

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In relation to our first activity when were asked to prepare and activity that can evidently present our definition to the class with regards on our stand to “What is Art?”.

So what we did is prepapre a simple kids game called “Simon Says Draw...”. The mechanics of the activity is simple, one of our member will become Simon who gets to command the students on what they should do. Before the presentation, we had grouped the class into a group and echa group will be given a blank bond paper and a crayon set. Each members must have a piece of crayon in their hands to properly play the game. As Simon commands the students to draw, the paper must move from one member to another member per command. They were asked to draw circles, squares, flowers, guitars, and many more until Simon says stop.

Through this activity, we were able to express our argument with an evident answer.

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On our next activity, the professor told us to calm ourselves and free our minds in preparation of the activity. He made us shut our eyes completely, to exhale and inhale, and listen to the music flashed on the room’s tv screen. I don’t exactly know the know or who produced it, all I know is that it is instrumental and soothing. On top of our desk were a blank bond paper and a crayon of our choice. Mine was black. We were told to follow the rhythm of the music and scribble anything on our paper. I was following the high and low keys of the piano as to why the strokes were sometimes rugged upwards or downwards. In my mind I have pictured my work to be better than that but it doesn’t matter because I still find it unique from the works of my other classmates. It was like you got lost to the sound of the music and you continuously follow through the beat of it together with your hand.

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This was our first activity as a group where we were given enough time to brainstorm our own ideas and knowledge of what art really is. I thought it would be easier to articulate the meaning of the questions given that there are a lot of minds working together. However, it was that moment when I realized how vague and how wide the question can cover. The picture above was the idea I came up with which majority of my members approved. We submitted it to our professor and defended our statement to our class.