Definition of terms

 Protest
- a social phenomenon or movement
which is oppositional vis-à-vis the state and
which seeks reforms economic and political
within the system but which can be
radicalized towards revolutionary movement
for change
- a complaint or objection against an idea,
an act or a course of action
 Protest Art
- sets itself against the prevailing
social, political and economic conditions,
it is an art which is primarily one of
exposure, showing striking images of the
inequitable, unjust and inhuman
conditions in which humans live
Levels of Protest Art:
4. Deals with current social issues in the
form
5. Reacts against a particular regime
6. Reacts against the political/economic
system
Realism
- style based on the keen observation
of reality

Social Realism
- a school or movement in art which
exposes the true conditions of society, as
based on the artist’s keen observation of
reality and proffers alternatives for human
betterment
 Three important
periods of protest art
1. Latter part of the nineteenth century
during the period of the Propaganda
movement and the revolution

► Propaganda movement
► Produced their artistic expression
► Mostly literary
► Juan Luna
► Illustrated Rizal’s novels
► “Spolarium”
► “Les Chiffoniers” (The Ragpickers)
► “Les Ignores” (The Ignored ones)
Spolarium
 Ang Spolarium ng Ating Panahon
NPAA ’71 artists’ version of Luna’s Spolarium
1. Beginning of the American Colonial
Period up to the Forties
► Visual art
► Protest  was not visible in the paintings of
Fernando Amorsolo and his followers which
constituted the dominant shcool of the period.
► Graphic arts
► Editorial Cartoons for The Independent, Lipang
Kalabaw and the Philippine Free Press by Jose
V. Pereira, Jorge Pineda, Ireneo Miranda, even
Amorsolo occasionally, were enlivened by the
spirit of satire
1. Prewar period of the late Thirties and the
postwar fifties when the concept of
proletarian art drew a number of
adherents among the first – generation
modernist painters. (After the second
world war)
► Rise of labor unionism and mass mobilization
of workers to struggle for their rights
► debate: “Proletarian art” VS “Art for art’s sake”
► Later part of the struggle between the
conservatives and the moderns.
► Socially conscious paintings appeared after
the war in the new modernist idioms
►Manansala did a number of dark paintings of
Pauper’s funeral and lines of mourners
unrelieved by any ray of hope expect the idea
that “life goes on” as is the title of one such work
►Beginning of protest art associated with
journalism
►Popular form of editorial cartoons appeared in
magazines
►Philippine Free Press
►Asia – Philippines Leader
►Period 1970 – 1972
►Formation of militant art organization
►A sizeable number of artist
►Colleges of fine arts and architecture
► Nagkakaisang Progresibong Arstista at
Arkitekto ’71 or NPAA ’71
►Formalized in 1971 as an organization
independent of the Kabataang Makabayan
(KM)
►Function: the cultural arm of the
propaganda movement
►Basic principle: “art for the masses”
►Art produced: illustrative and linked to
current issues and events
►Members spread out to the depressed
areas where they interacted with the people
and conducted workshops
►Active members: Fortunato Pascual,
Cesar Camacho, Carlos Soriano, Norma
Respicio, etc...
 Martial Law Period
►NPAA ’71 was reorganized as NPAA ’72 to
adopt the conditions of martial rule.
►NPAA ’72
►Made a more active effort to work in popular
forms, such as posters, comics and cartoons
for people’s publication
►They aimed for greater visual impact and
wider accessibility in art that supplemented
propaganda calls related to current issues.
►Kaisahan Group
►1976
►Consisting of painters and graphic artist
►Held workshops, lectures, and group
discussions on political art
►Pablo “Adi” Baens Santos, Edgar Talusan
Fernandez, Renato Habulan, Antipas “Biboy”
Delotavo, Papo de Asis, etc…
►Artist: came from different social classes and
backgrounds.
 End of Marcos Era
• After the Marcos regime, there was a significant
increase in the cases of arrests and detentions,
torture, extra-judicial killings, and
disappearances from 1983.
• These conditions were reflected in the visual arts
in paintings of repression and suffering.
• Such works include Malumbay si Ina by Baens
Santos and Hinagpis by Doloricon done in 1983.
• Several detained artist like Fr. Edicio de la
Torre Allan Jasminez, Noel Etabag and
Manuel Mario Guzman held a group show
in Sining Kamalig.
• Their works have nightmarish images with
themes of death and resurrection and the
hope for freedom.
• After Ninoy was assassinated, murals
proliferated. Most works paid tribute to the
martyrs.
• Mural works include:
– Justice for Ninoy Justice for All – shows
faces of Ninoy and martyrs like Macli-ing
Dulag, Dr. Bobby de la Paz, Edgar
Jopson, and Dr. Johny Escandor.
– Fight for the People’s Right to Know,
Fight for the Press Freedom (1986) –
painted by Manuel Gutierrez
– Alay sa Bagong Bayani (1884)– done by
Baens Santos as a homage to the
martyrs.
• Then artists shared spirits of regeneration
in their works. Paintings have images of
people’s aspirations for freedom and
sovereignty.
• Works having such themes were:
– Bagong Pinay – Baens Santos
– Arko ng Pag-asa – Fernandez
– Hanap ay Laya (1984)– Edgar
Fernandez, mother –and-child.
• During this period, symbols were very apparent.
Popular symbols present in the art works
include:
– fists – symbol of struggle . Hand Series by Al
Manrique.
– birds – symbols of freedom and aspiration.
– Philippine flag – symbol of many martyrs of
the struggle.
– confetti strips – cut down from PLDT
“yellowed pages”. Employed in some of the
works of Edgar Fernadez.
– Ancient Malay scripts – symbol for
nationalist spirit.
• Color symbolism was also strong during the
period. These were noticeable in the banners of
the rallyists of different groups.
– red – national democratic organizations
– yellow – moderate urban, middle-class
groups supportive of Mrs. Aquino.
• Ninoy assassination became a subject of
numerous paintings.
• During this period, most entries for national art
competitions like the Metrobank painting
competition dealt with this subject.
– During this time also, there was a number
of paintings with a “united front”
message. Images convey unification of
the different social classes. Such works
include Martsa ng Bayan by Edgar
Fernandez – feet of people from different
social classes.
– When Pres. Corazon Aquino came into
power in 1986, there was euphoria
among the middle class. This found visual
expression in two celebratory exhibits:
Piglas – at the CCP and a similar one in
the Museum of Philippine Art.
– These shows political art became a
celebration of the overthrow of Marcos
and the coming to power of Aquino. One
work was Congratulations to the Liberal
Democrats (1983) where Cory was
shown.
– During this time, hundreds of birds were
released in paintings and sculptures.
Many including a number of artist
entertained the illusion that freedom had
finally been achieved.
– Aquino government was back to old
condition of corruption, feudalism and
US imperialism. Images of euphoria,
celebratory paintings paled, dwindled
and were replaced by grim even
shocking images.
– The Mendiola assassination of
peasants by marine in July 1987 gave
way to photo exhibits and posters
reflecting brutality during that incident.
• Paintings of this time include Favali at iba
pang Biktima by Ana Fer in 1987. Edgar
Fernandez replaced his images of birds of
celebration to an incisive series.
• The works are Seeing Red in the Target
Range and Laying their Cards. Both
portrayed contending elites – Aquino
camp, Honasan coup plotters and the
loyalist with military backing- striving to
win the favor of the United States.
– The protest art of the Marcos period
produced by the social realist and other
protest artists showed how art reflects the
events and issues of the time.
– It expresses the true sentiments of the
people in struggle, and contributes to
social change through powerful images
drawn from the people’s experiences.
Contemporary
Protest Art
 KARATULA
• Kabataang Artista Para sa Tunay na
Kalayaan
• September 16, 2006
• A group of artist for social change
• Flourished during the Erap Administration
• Had 3 murals with concepts of protest.
 Alay Sining
• 1994
• Members are fine arts students and theater artists.
• 4 collectives:
1. visual art
2. music
3. theater
4. creative writing
• Forms of protest art:
1. comics
2. editorial cartooning
3. photography
4. posters
 CAP
• Concerned Artists of the Philippines
• Artists include:
1. Neil Doloricon
2. Antipas Delotavo
3. Tence Ruiz Cruz
4. Papo de Asis
 Ugat Lahi
• Another organization practicing
revolutionary art.
• Most arts are 3 dimensional
• Famous for protest effigies