STUDY GUIDE: High School/College BATO BALANI WORKS BY RODEL TAPAYA ATENEO ART GALLERY 21 January -30 April 2014

A NOTE TO TEACHERS This study guide is designed for High School and College students visiting the exhibition Bato Balani. Included here are reference materials and activity sheets aimed at developing students’ creativity and visual literacy skills. Teachers are encouraged to initiate debates, elaborate on suggested discussion points, and relate the exhibition to broader topics for classes belonging to advanced secondary and tertiary levels. The guide may supplement discussions on the humanities or the social sciences. This study guide features two sections. Artwork Focus directs the class to five individual works. It has subsections: Know more and Alternatively trail the students to additional information and provide suggested activities for those belonging to upper year levels. The second part is called Looking On; it encourages students to view the works within the context of the exhibition and beyond. Teachers are encouraged to conduct a pre-visit and coordinate with the museum staff regarding the tour. The teacher or guide can lead the discussion during the museum visit based on the suggested questionnaire. Activities can be done during the students’ visit to the gallery, as homework, or inside the classroom as a post-visit activity. Terms which may need further explanation are italicized. This study guide can be reproduced. Visit the museum’s website to download the PDF and to find more information. For inquiries, please contact: Ria Aguilar at 4266488 or 4266001 local 4160 or [email protected] We hope you find your museum visit enriching!

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION Language enables us to convey ideas, feelings, and beliefs as well as to explain things happening around us. Folklore is an imaginative, insightful, and enduring form of storytelling. Narrative folklore includes myths, legends, and folktales. These stories are rooted in tradition and originate from a particular group or community. The Philippine Folklore scholar Dr. Mellie Lopez informs us that folklore is an expression of a group’s cultural and social identity. Passed on orally from one generation to the next, the levels of active exchange blur the identity of authors and allow innovations to flourish. These stories ignite the imagination, expose social critique, and teach valuable lessons that surpass the test of time. Rodel Tapaya takes us on an exciting exploration of Philippine folklore in Bato Balani. He opens portals to the fantastic world of gods and spirits. He recalls familiar characters like the mangkukulam performing witchcraft and the nocturnal manananggal. He activates animals and other mythical beings living in the same realm as humans. The artist’s works show these characters in legends about amulets shielding heroes from danger. Or about talismans that bring good fortune to the land. Like a storyteller adroit with language and responsive to the spirit of the times, Rodel Tapaya revisits these narratives and opens our senses to realities that shape our understanding of ourselves and the universe. ABOUT THE ARTIST

Rodel Tapaya (b. 1980) is a Filipino artist born in Rizal. He is best recognized for his vivid and colorful interpretations of Philippine folklore. As an artist, he would always experiment with various materials to create new forms. To date, he has worked with a wide array of media including murals, diorama, fiberglass sculptures, installation, video, and paintings framed using tin sheets. Did you know that he made under-glass paintings, too? He studied fine arts at the University of the Philippines (UP). He took up intensive drawing and painting at the Parsons School of Design in New York and at the University of Arts and Design in Helsinki, Finland. He has exhibited extensively both locally and abroad. He has won many awards in art competitions, among them, the Signature Art Prize awarded by the Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation in Singapore for his large-scale painting Baston ni Kabunian Bilang Pero Hindi Mabilang in 2011. He was the Grand Prize

Winner of the Nokia Asia Pacific Awards in 2001 and in the same year, he was recipient of the Kahusayan sa Larangan ng Sining Award given by the University of the Philippines. Rodel is married to fellow artist Marina Cruz. At present, they live in Bulacan where they work on paintings and other projects.

TO THE STUDENTS Learn about age-old stories and discover how the artist articulated them in visual form. Find out how art and folklore can harness each other so that both may speak to us more eloquently in contemporary times. With an open eye and mind, trail the exhibition and unlock the many layers of meaning imbued in each work. Take notes, research, and discuss with classmates or friends. Have fun!

I. Artwork Focus

1. Find this painting. This painting was inspired by the story Juan Wearing a Monkey’s Skin. It is based on a Kapampangan folktale. Juan is a monkey born from human parents. He got married to a beautiful princess after a long and adventurous journey searching for her. Juan shed off his skin and transformed into a handsome young man, seeing that the princess was unhappy being married to an animal. Because his appearance changed, it took some time before the princess believed it was he. He gained acceptance from the princess’s family only after his transformation. His beloved meanwhile, had sought his inner character as proof of his identity, realizing its lasting worth over sheer appearance. This painting reminds us about people’s desire to be young and beautiful. It questions the tireless efforts we go through just to improve our looks. What for you is a beautiful person? Do you think it is important to be one? What measures do people do to achieve a youthful and beautiful look? Give current examples. Name the animals that you find in the painting. What roles do they usually play in stories? What can you say about the way the artist depicted them? Think about what these animals could signify. Share your ideas with a classmate. Notice the figure on the right attached to the house and the sheep. What do you see? Look closely and name parts of your body that you recognize from the figure. What could this be? Why is the painting shaped like a teardrop? Why do you think is the color of the background pinkish? And why is the ground filled with flowers? What could these suggest? Rodel Tapaya uses a contemporary art technique called appropriation. Here, the artist may gather an existing image, text, or artwork and recreate it by altering selected elements, thereby changing its appearance and meaning; and making it the artist’s very own. In Monkey Beauty, Rodel interprets a folktale

in visual form and introduces new elements, as if recreating the story. Spot new elements that he added. How does the work appeal to you? Know more… Know more about artists who have used appropriation in their works. Research online or browse art books. What are the many ways by which appropriation can be done? What does this suggest about authorship or originality? Think about what implications this could have onimply on the nature and possibilities of art today. How would Juan look like as a man? Draw his portrait below.

How does our society show how much we value physical beauty? What are our standards of beauty? At home, create a collage showing an ideal beauty. Using a clean sheet of paper, paste cut images from printed media like magazines. The teacher will ask you to explain your work in class. Alternatively… At home, make a digital collage on the same subject using graphic design software such as Photoshop. Save as a .JPEG file and share the image on Facebook or other social networking sites. Exchange comments with your friends.

2. Spot the painting with the large bee and flower. Notice the interesting shape of the canvas. Rodel Tapaya is also known for framing his paintings in various shapes and materials. Rodel patterned these shapes after objects believed to attract good fortune or protect us from harm. The wish that the person we love would love us in return is age-old. We find the expression of this wish in many stories, from books, to TV shows, and movies we have seen. Notice the closeness of the bee and the flower. Describe their size in relation to the other figures in the painting. Oftentimes, we getain the impression that certain figures are more important than the others because of the space they occupy in the composition. Larger figures tend to attract our attention first. The principle of organization applied here is called emphasis. Name other details in the painting that point to the bee and the flower as emphasis. This painting is based on a folktale that tells the story of an unattractive woman who changes her appearance to lure the man into liking her. Describe the two faces of women at its center. Which do you find more interesting? Why do you say so? Look closely at the bee and its body. Notice how the artist implied texture in the painting. How did he use the lines to suggest roughness or smoothness? If you were to think of another title for the painting, what would it be? Also think about whathow you would name the characters. Why do you think did the artist features the bee and the flower to represent the main characters in the folktale? What is the bee holding? Could it be a gayuma given by the woman to make him love her? What does this gesture say about our current values and preferences? What about our attitudes toward getting the

things we want the easy way? At home, write your own ending to the story. Use the names you suggested beforehand. The teacher will ask you to share this in class. Alternatively… Imagine that you are one of the characters in the painting. Write a poem dedicated to the other character. The teacher will ask you to read your poem in class.

3. Search for this oblong-shaped painting. Amulets are objects we carry to protect us from harm. The artist says this painting is based on an amulet that shields hunters from dangers in the forest. Rodel’s canvases teem with color, inventive figures, and elements that are both decorative and symbolic. Look at this artwork. The canvas seems to be completely filled up. Observe how the artist arranged the composition to create the illusion of space and depth in two-dimensional painting. Depth allows us to perceive the relative distance among objects. What creatures and objects do you find in the forest? In your mind, dissect the painting and list down what you find in the foreground, middleground, and background.

Foreground

Middleground

Background

1. 2. 3.

What are your impressions of the forest as shown in the artwork? Spot the lion and its outlined, phantom-like body. A similar treatment can be found in other paintings. In which other paintings can you find them? How do you feel that these figures were rendered as such? Think about your personal amulet. Is there an object you believe has the power to protect you from harm? If you have one, bring it toin class. The teacher will ask you to describe the object and tell the class about its history, as well as its value to you.

Alternatively… Reflect on what could be considered as present-day amulets. Ask your family members if they have any. When you visit the mall, try to go to souvenir shops like Kultura. You can even observe places of worship, and see if there is a stand or office nearby that sells these things. Interview custodians or family members about these objects. The teacher will ask you to share your findings in class. At home, search for news articles that inform us about the current state of our ecology. Our natural environment is home to many creatures, including plants and animals, and even spirits as many of the folktales suggest. Even though the forest has its dangers, the consequences of our actions have changed its condition. What can we do to protect it? With a partner, design a poster that campaigns for environmental protection. Ask your teacher if you canould post your work on your bulletin board. If you made a digital poster, share it on social media.

4. Look for this large painting. Paintings as big as an entire wall are described as mural¬-sized. Murals are huge paintings directly applied on the wall or ceiling. They give us a sense of scale, or how big or small we are in relation to the artwork. Large paintings overwhelm us, don’t you think? This painting combines several stories explaining how the world began. The artist takes inspiration from creation stories and legends originating from various parts of the Philippines. The huge size of the canvas seems to approach us, inviting us to enter a spectacular dimension where events appear to happen all at once. Know more… In the Handbook of Philippine Folklore written by Dr. Mellie Lopez in 2006, she explains that myths are “prose narratives which, in the society in which they were told, are considered to be truthful, usually sacred accounts of what happened in the remote past. Their main characters are not usually human beings, but they often have human attributes; they are animals, deities or culture heroes, whose actions are set in an earlier world when the earth was different from what it is today, or in another world such as the sky or underworld. Myths account for the origin of the world, of mankind, of death, or for characteristics of birds, animals, geographical features, and the phenomena of nature.” What myths do you recall? Your teacher will ask you to share this in class. Find the man holding a bow. He is Ukunirot. He is a sky dweller who went down from the heavens to live on earth. The beauty and richness of nature attracted him. Describe Ukunirot. Ukunirot’s gaze is directed to the right side of the painting. At the center, we find a hole. It is like a window where gods could view their creations on earth. This is linked to something else, as can be observed in many of the artist’s paintings. In which other paintings can you find this formal device? What does it imply?

The said window is connected to the eye of Kabunian. The Bontocs, a group from the northern part of the Philippines, believes he is their supreme god. This is based on a legend or a type of prose narrative like myths, but here the setting is more familiar, as in the breathtaking rice terraces of the Mountain Province. What How does Kabunian look like? Describe the elements that jut out of his head. Kabunian’s mouth is open, ready to receive grains from the hands of Lumawig, his second son. Legend tells us that Lumawig had wanted to live on earth. His father agreed, provided that he brings some things with him so that human beings could partake of them. Look at Lumawig. What is he carrying? Also look at the figure connected to Lumawig’s right foot. She is a sun goddess, offering him a precious object. The goddess thought he could give it to the woman he wants to marry on earth. What is it? Why should Lumawig present a gift to the woman she wants to marry? Reflect onabout the symbolic gesture of giving gifts. How do we locate this practice in Philippine tradition? At home, think of your own creation story. What kind of world will you create? Write a simple script that highlight an important scene in your story. Alternatively… Depict your version of creation by drawing or graphic design.

5. Find the installation which looks like the artist’s drawing below.

Go to this installation and walk past it to see its many surprises. How does your experience of viewing the installation differ from that of looking at paintings? Which do you like better? Explain your preference. Know more… An installation is an artwork comprised of sculpture, found objects, and other components like sound or video. Installations often occupy wide spaces in museums, galleries, and other public spaces. They can also be placed inside cramped spaces. When we view installations, there is a feeling that we are part of the work. When we move about this type of artwork, we physically experience space and the objects that occupy it. Here, we do not only activate our sense of vision, but also our sense of touch, smell, and sound. What other installations have you encountered before? Describe the work and recall your experience viewing it. You can also research online or browse through art books to see more varieties of installation. It is highly encouraged however, that we view the actual work in order to fully appreciate or grasp its potential. Ask a family member or a friend to accompany you to a contemporary art museum/gallery to find more installation art. What are the components of the installation? What materials did the artist use? How are the components installed? The artwork is based on the manananggal figure in Philippine mythology. How are these creatures depicted in movies? How are these different from Rodel Tapaya’s intepretation? Note down how the artist appropriated the manananggal figure. Also observe the details found on the bodies.

Exposing the struggles of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) is a recurring and poignant theme in Philippine art. In your school’s library or at home, research on about one Filipino artist who has done works on such theme. Your teacher will ask you to share your findings in class. Alternatively… At home, contemplate on the plight of OFWs. Watch any of the following films: Minsa’y Isang Gamu-Gamo (1976, Nora Aunor) Anak (2000, Claudine Barretto,Vilma Santos) Caregiver (2008, Sharon Cuneta) Write a reflection paper about the theme. Cite how OFWs are portrayed in Rodel Tapaya’s art and on screen.

II. Looking On 1.

After viewing the exhibition, reflect on the title. Why do you think is it titled such?

2. What are our earthly wishes and desires? Revisit the following artworks below and spot recognizable figures. Some of these are characters interpreted from folklore. Some objects, characters, and features are instrumental to the artist’s appropriation of the story, to express complex and meaningful messages that we could relate to. Talk with a partner and together, fill out the table below. Note down striking figures or visual elements that suggest our wishes and desires. Later, you can seek out the help of the museum guide so they can provide you with helpful information about the folk narratives from which the paintings take inspiration.

Artwork Title Visual elements a. Monkey Beauty (please insert thumbnail here) b. Faithful Lover (please insert thumbnail here)

c. The Gift (please insert thumbnail here)

d. The Attraction (please insert thumbnail here)



Our wishes and desires

e. Business Prosper (please insert thumbnail here)

Can you name other artworks in the exhibition that reveal our wishes and desires? 3. What uncertainties or dangers are we most fearful of? What do we need protection from? Revisit the works and fill out the grid as you have done previously. Artwork Title Visual elements a. She’s from the Sky (please insert thumbnail here)

Our fears

b. Luck Fight (please insert thumbnail here)

c. Protection from the Forest (please insert thumbnail here)

Can you name other artworks in the exhibition that reveal our fears?

4. What is the significance of folklore in contemporary times? The teacher will divide the class into two groups. Debate on the relevance of folklore to our society at present. 5. What do you think is the role of the artist in the society? How does this reflection affect your current ideas/notions about art?

6. E-mail your friend about your museum visit. Talk about the artwork thatwhich you liked the most. Convince him/her to visit the exhibition. Write your draft below.

Reference: Lopez, Mellie Leandicho. A Handbook of Philippine Folklore. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press, 2006