What are the characteristics of modern arts?

What are the characteristics of Asian arts?

• Answer:

  Asian Arts We don't get much respect. In many Asian art festivals-be it for painting, sculpture, dance or theater-the Philippines is often unrepresented. They don't know what to make of us. The most reluctant of Asians, the most westernized of Asians and the un-Asian of Asians is what we are known to be. They don't know where we're coming from. We fail categorization. Those looking for art that is distinctly representative of each Asian nation-showcase stereotypes that define national identity by the exclusion of any foreign influences-cannot comprehend our culture-a young nation born of a mix of numerous civilizations, one defined not by purity but by inclusion and mutability. They just don't get us. We freak them out. "In the US, when they say Asian art, they mean Japan, China, Korea and India. The Philippines is often marginalized. Our art tends to be dismissed as a parochial copy of western forms because they are not aware of our long tradition we have of western academic painting. They tend to dismiss us as simply a colony because they don't see the overarching history and development. We are a transnational culture that has for the last 500 years been an accommodation of eastern and western forms, therefore a legitimate expression they need to recognize," attests Florida Capistrano-Baker, doctor of art history and director of the Ayala Museum. This poor world is deprived of our art. They don't know what they're missing. But that is about to change. And we are calling upon no less than three of the greatest Filipino painters of all time-Juan Luna, Fernando Amorsolo and Fernando Zobel-to set them straight. "Pioneers of Philippine Art: Luna, Amorsolo, Zobel," a traveling version of the new Ayala Museum's inaugural exhibit, opens at the Hambrecht Gallery of the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco (AAMSF) from October 20 to January 7, 2007. Curated by Baker, the exhibit showcases 18 paintings by Luna, some 40 by Amorsolo and more than 50 by Zobel. The exhibit includes notably iconoclastic and highly revealing pieces, such as forays into social realism by Luna, a painting of an American lady in Filipiniana costume by Amorsolo and realistic portrait of Jose McMicking in the grand academic manner by Zobel. Fernando Zobel de Ayala, president of Ayala Corp. who bares the name of one of the most influential painters in Philippine history, declares, "This will be a great way to showcase to Philippine art not just for the Filipino-American communities, many of whom reside in the California area, but also to all Americans." He adds, "We have been bringing collections from abroad. But now we can showcase our art to some of the major institutions in the United States." Baker explains that the exhibition narrative seeks to portray the evolution of Philippine art. The exhibit is but the first of many. In an exclusive agreement, the Ayala Museum is set to organize an exhibit for the AAMSF every two years. "I suppose over time, I see no reason why more recent artists would not be introduced," reveals Zobel. Baker explains, "One of the focuses of the exhibit is on the experimentation of Juan Luna with social realism which was a 100 years ahead of the movement in the Philippines." A Filipino of the 1800's hell bent on proving his race the equal of its colonial rulers, Luna focused at besting his Spanish contemporaries at the then-accepted grand academic manner at a time when the likes of Claude Monet and Edward Degas dared ridicule and ostracism with their then-radical impressionistic approaches. This new insight into his forays into social realism with its grim scenes of daily hardship reveals the man was braver in more ways than one. "Fernando Amorsolo's exhibit focuses on his pioneering work on the use of impressionistic techniques, his use of beauty as a statement of identity, as a statement of resistance against American colonial rule," elucidates Baker. By providing truly Filipino archetypes of beauty with his idyllic rural landscapes glowing tropical light and with his glamorized morena women, National Artist Amorsolo defined and differentiated as early as the 1920's our national identity from American pop culture hegemony. Elucidating on Fernando Zobel, Baker reveals, "His work metamorphosed into nonobjective art where he tried to distill the essence of his subject through abstract expressionism." Zobel, along with his contemporaries such as National Artists Cesar Legaspi and Victorio Edades were part of the famed 13 Moderns, the pioneering painters who broke free from conventions in the 1950's with abstract expressionist, social realist and cubist works. Baker reveals that already the impending exhibit has ignited discussions on Internet message boards among foreigners and locals about Luna, Amorsolo and Zobel. The world will soon know them better up close and personal. Long ago, they showed us the way to back to ourselves. Now, they are set to lead the world into rediscovering our artistry. Then as always, Juan Luna, Fernando Amorsolo and Fernando Zobel are the pioneers of Philippine painting. --------------- Asian Art Museum in San Francisco is located 200 Larkin Street, San Francisco, California, USA. For details, call 4155813500, log-on to www.asianart.org or visit the Ayala Museum at Greenbelt Park Makati Avenue, call (+632)7577117 to 21or log-on to www.ayalamuseum.com.