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The recent art exhibitions in the main building of PUP are surely head-turning and catchy not only for art enthusiasts but also for students and people who might have just on their own way and encountered the exhibit.

Among all the exhibited artworks, this one specific frame caught my attention the most. In my perspective as the viewer, it shows off a message while reflecting history and emotion of the artist who made the artwork. There was no further explanation and information posted for the artwork.  From a farther view it looks like a printed picture, a modified one, in a piece of paper, but when looked closely it is amazing how the painter gave value to the details of the frame and how it is meticulously done. On the technical aspects of the artwork the painter made it sure that the rainbow behind Rizal will stand out so he used plain and non-vibrant colors for the other parts of the painting. The Rizal character was obviously based on his statue in Rizal Park, which for me stands for historical background and views of the artist who painted the artwork. While the use of figures such as pentagon surely stands a deeper symbolism as for the perspective of the artist. While the rainbow might suggest its famous symbolism, the gay community. The crown symbolizes in m perspective the new generation as it is widely used by millennials. While the intriguing bar code on the mouth of Rizal might mean the value of the words that comes off whoever the character in the painting symbolizes.

As it is known, it always depends on the perspective of the viewer but there is also the perspective of the artist. And as for what I can provide for this article, in my perspective, the whole artwork shows the status quo of the country emphasizes on the younger members of the society. First, Rizal stands there as the member of the society, be it a normal citizen or a teenager, millennial specifically. Then the rainbow, the bar code, and the crown are the things that describes the character and his situation, which might also say a lot about what he wants and needs. The rainbow aside from gayness might become freedom or happiness after a dilemma, it is behind him so it might mean that he always want that happiness to be always with him. While the crown as it is only a trace, it might say that he wants the crown or he lost it and wants it back, crown signifies championship, being above others and ruling. While lastly. the bar code  on his mouth in my opinion, obviously implies the value of what comes out of his mouth, this might be a call for the characters saying that whatever comes out of their mouth must be of value.

Alfredo L. Prado, HUMSS 12-3

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[REVIEW] Philippine Contemporary Aesthetics by Alice Guillermo

               Alice Guillermo’s article entitled Philippine Contemporary Aesthetics serves us compact information with regards to the Philippines’ art history, aesthetics and future. A quote from the article says it all “art cannot set itself apart from human and social meaning.” With this given, we can foresee that the Philippines’ arts and aesthetics are mainly rooted to history and traditions, and will forever be tied with social happenings.

               One part of the article says that our art is somehow the carbon copy or linked with the western, further explained that it is because of the colonialization of western countries to us and we embraced this ‘alienation’ with open arms and hearts. This I believe is true, not just in terms of arts but large parts of our lives is ruled by this colonialized mindset, which is not good as it turns out. We forgot what we had before these colonizers, or simply who we are. I further agree to Guillermo’s answer to this, reeducation is what our country needs. We need reeducation in terms of not just displaying cultural stuffs and arts but imparting its sense to all the Filipinos, for us to gain or regain nationalism and a nationalist mindset.

               Guillermo also explained that there are no dominant aesthetics, it is socially and historically situated, that being said I think that the author was pointing out that our art and aesthetics should not and could not be the same with what the western countries have. Mainly because they have theirs and we should have ours, we have to build our own aesthetics which is historically and socially significant for us Filipinos.

               “Our traditional artistic expressions derive from an aesthetics different from that of the west.” The above quote from the article mainly states that in order to fully understand aesthetics it is vital to look at the tradition as it is the baseline of a country’s or a community’s aesthetics . the statement, in the context of the Philippines can be true, yes because Filipinos from highlands who are T’bolis, Maranaw and others have their own artistic expression which is solely linked in the Filipino culture this is because they resisted colonialization, and no for the reason that the remaining part of the Philippines is still colonialized and needs reeducation.

               Filipino artists surely are struggling in figuring out contemporary aesthetics of our country, from all the things that Philippines had been through, our national identity is at its own crisis, and so it is becoming more difficult finding out contemporary aesthetics. But as it is said in the article, what more better solution is than reeducation, knowing who we are, what we really have and what it looks like before all of these mess. After this being done, surely Philippines’ art aesthetics will bloom as the beautiful flower it is and should have been.  

Alfredo Prado, HUMSS 12-3