Skip to main content

Non-Western

 Artists of the Philippines

In my first blog, I introduced myself as an immigrant from the Philippines. As a part of the diaspora, I find myself confused about my identity in terms of nationality. In an effort to reconnect with my birth country and my family's ancestry, I consume Filipino literature and media. For my last blog, I will share three works of contemporary artists of the Philippines.

 

APEC-Boracay 2, Leeroy New

Boracay, Philippines, 2015

Mixed media

Leeroy New is trained as a sculptor. His works blend "theatre, fashion, film, production design, and public art" (Bhandari). This installation was for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) which was hosted in Boracay, Philippines. This installation appears as though we were brought deep below the sea's surface where bio-luminescent fish wander. There are more photos in the daylight where it is not lighted and it still perfectly captures an aquatic atmosphere. The curved frames wrap around the stage bringing the spotlight directly to its center. New designed the perfect stage for the APEC conference that embodies the seafaring nature of its participants.


Too Clean Living, Kawayan de Guia

Cromwell Place, London, 2020

Mixed media

Kawayan de Guia draws on "popular culture, the media, and consumerism" (Bhandari). This piece is part of an exhibition titled "The Possibility of an Island at Cromwell Place." The exhibition celebrates contemporary art practices across Southeast Asia. In this piece, de Guia "reflects on collisions between past and present" (Moldan). This can be seen in the contrasting elements of flora and machinery. I enjoy the collage-like appearance to the piece as if this were found in a hobbyist's journal. The stark contrast between the penciled plants and leaves and detailed modern additions emphasize the conflict of past and present. At a larger scope, de Guia captures the conflict between traditional Filipino practices and the continuous progress of modern conveniences.


The Castle in the Pyrenees, Patricia Perez Eustaquio
 
Unknown, 2010

Mixed media

Patricia Perez Eustaquio is an installation artist with a focus on mixed media. Many of her works are sculpted from molds, fabrics, and resin. Her work "examines the idea of perception and memory" (Bhandari). In this piece, Estaquio freezes a crochet lace in time with resin. The light that shines down onto the piece only illuminates the lower section. The shadows of the lace fall down on the wood below it. This piece is a bit too abstract for me. Eustaquio "considers the ways in which we use and consume objects, through discourse, utility and adornment" ("Patricia Perez Eustaquio"). The crochet lace is a standard household item in any Filipino household, and in this piece, Eustaquio transformed an everyday item into a piece of art.

 

Works Cited

Bhandari, Shirin. “10 Contemporary Filipino Artists to Know.” Culture Trip, The Culture Trip, 1 Sept. 2016, theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/articles/top-10-filipino-contemporary-artists-where-to-find-them/.

“Patricia Perez Eustaquio.” Gasworks, www.gasworks.org.uk/residencies/patricia-perez-eustaquio-2018-01-08/.

Moldan, Tessa. “Southeast Asia Focus at London's Cromwell Place.” Ocula the Best in Contemporary Art Icon., Ocula, 13 Dec. 2020, ocula.com/magazine/insights/the-possibility-of-an-island-at-cromwell-place/.




Comments

  1. LuanneApril 23, 2021 at 4:13 PM

    I really your post! As a Filipino-American, who only has visited the Philippines a few times, his helped me feel more connected to my culture. I enjoyed each of the various works that you presented and provided the artworks' background information to help us understand their meaning. Of all the works you displayed, the second one caught my attention the most, due to its concept and interesting art elements. And when it comes to the Philippines, they possess such diversity when it comes to art, and I always love seeing different mediums and works that aren't known in western art. Nice Work!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Daniel Luna-SánchezApril 26, 2021 at 3:04 PM

    Fantastic post, I think it's great how you went full circle with your blog, starting off with your Filipino heritage and ending with Filipino art. Of the three, The Castle in the Pyrenees is my favorite piece because of how the shadow that the fabric looks and I can just imagine it changing with the change in sunlight. Its great to see another medium introduced and seeing how different cultures have interpreted the overarching concept of art. Thanks for you blog!

    ReplyDelete
  3. LauraApril 26, 2021 at 7:58 PM

    Very nice post, Gerald! It's ironic that I randomly chose your blog because my husband is currently deployed in the Philippines! I really enjoyed the pieces you chose, they were all very different and interesting to learn about. My favorite was the first one, APEC-Boracay 2, because it was just so interesting and cool to look at. I would LOVE to see it in person. I am a huge ocean girl and wish I could explore the deep sea (I probably never will, though). This piece instantly reminded me of the hidden bio-luminescent world and and really does capture the aquatic atmosphere well. Awesome job!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Post Modern

 The Art of Video Games To consider video games as a form of art is to stir controversy. The nature of video games was hotly debated as arcades boomed in the 1980s. As the technology improved and video game consumers became more abundant, the diversity of video games expanded. Games were no longer two-dimensional and 8-bit pixels on a screen. In just a few decades, video games evolved into something greater. However, that growth invited a call to regress the ever-changing landscape of video games. It was not until 2012 that the Supreme Court declared video games as a form of art and were protected under the first amendment as creative works. The Smithsonian American Art Museum held an exhibition titled "The Art of Video Games" that celebrated 40 years of the genre that included video-game screenshots, videotaped interviews with game designers, and vintage consoles (Tucker). This blog is a showcase of video games as a form of art. All presented works are screenshots of users p...
4 comments
Read more

Who is Gerald Montuya?

I am ... an immigrant. I was born in Cebu, Philippines but was raised in Anchorage, Alaska. I am the fifth son out of six, born to Levy and Honorena Montuya. I enjoy spending time with my friends and family. I particularly enjoy cooking large and niche meals to share. My philosophy on cooking is that we "eat with our eyes first," so I take a meticulous step to plate my meals so that they have an appetizing appearance. I am looking forward to learning more about art this spring semester. Maybe the knowledge will improve my plating skills.   The New American Gothic by Criselda Vasquez     To view more of Criselda Vasquez's work, please visit the Instagram page @criselda_vasquez . My relationship with art is lackluster. When I was younger, I enjoyed tracing pencil art. My favorites to trace were dragons and mythical creatures. Now a bit older, I do not find myself with a pencil in hand and a paper in front of me. Rather than participate, I observe. Now I enjoy going to museu...
3 comments
Read more

Classical

Morality in Art Morality is the distinction between what is right and wrong, just and unjust. Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher of the Classical era, states that those who are capable of reason are sovereigns in the moral domain. According to Kant, women were not included as those who are capable of reason. Kant remarks that "[a] woman who has a head full of Greek, like Mme Dacier, or carries on fundamental controversies about mechanics, like the Marquise de Châtelet, might as well have a beard" (Mosser, Kurt.). To Kant, a scholarly and accomplished woman might as well be a man. The female artists of the Classical era were subdued by the European patriarchy that was amplified by Enlightenment thinkers like Kant. Female artists struggled and underwent greater magnitudes of difficulty to achieve recognition. In this gallery, I present three different artists who, despite the patriarchy, established themselves as artisans in their own right and paved the way for the women afte...
2 comments
Read more