alvinpatricio-blog

[alvinpatricio-blog]

Review on Philippine Contemporary Aesthetics of Alice G. Guillermo

The Philippine Contemporary Aesthetics is an article that talks about changes of Philippine art aesthetics from its most primal to its contemporary form, the article is written by Alice G. Guillermo a writer, researcher, art critic and professor in Philippine Art. There are three premises mentioned in the article to make a larger view from the productions of a hundred years. The first premise is about the definition and meaning of aesthetics. Originally, the meaning of aesthetics is only the formal, technical side of arts or the line, texture, composition itself. But being a branch of philosophy, it should be concerns with content. In my own view, aesthetic should mean as the nature of art or how the art (painting, sculpture, etc.) created, it is about the story behind the art not only the art itself. The second premise explains that art is dependent on what really is happening in our surrounding and its history. Art has its own distinction or specification and uniqueness. And the third premise is about the aesthetics itself. It is socially and historically situated and shaped by the social conditions of a particular time and place. It means that aesthetics is not universal or true for all men or society. Each society has its own unique culture so aesthetics differs for every place and time. Each society’s aesthetics is not the same because of its own historical experience, social conditions, cultural and artistic traditions. Historical experience of Philippines especially the colonization of other country to us affects our aesthetic norms and standards and even our national identity.