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1RT -ij.rD so,atiI.tTl'

B"' Al:'i:+ G. G,-:illerrno

\lrhiie art res;lsts a universa-r and fixed definition and that the most that n'e can sa)'by way of a definition is that an is acogni-.-ive rno,Ce and process of signification or conveying nreaning, rvhat is indisputable is ihat art is prociuced in specificse'ttin5:, in p:::rticular sociel.es and historical periods. As Janet Wolffperspectival, errranating from an artist rvho is part ofa soci*-*'and who siiuates h:mself within the different productive fcrces of his socie\'.

The sanle is true f':;r aesthetics which is the philosophr. of art or horo' one thinks about afi. 'I|ere is no set ofaesthe:ic prir,ciples rlhich :--e good ior all n-ren and for all time. That rvas the assumptiop of Western classical art rshichlaiii c":'*'n th' canons of be;.utv which rvere advanced as universal, but it concealed tLe many different social conterts ofrrrt. i.-':reb-r' '-:p!:':i:ir :ss',:: .ir;g the hegemony of the Western artistic tradition even over non-westei.n societies.,r.ith their,,rvn:...aditior....

Affir,ming the cont=xtuaiist position, we thus view art, rvhether as visual arts, architecture, the traditional arts,, "nrusic- litera.i:-,rre, theater, film, and dance, within its social and historicai contert ro u, io be able to giasp its full meaning.

'' , Arl dc:-ives iL;-mat_erials, sui,rjects, therrng5, conventions, concerns, issues, r'alues, ideolcgies, influeices, and ilspirations' fi'ont :-;s soci;al and nafural environnrent. The images and productions of r.rt represent, recreate, or reconstmcl their

surro'=:tding reaiitl aad th::.s the1, proffer various ways of seeing ourseives and ihe rvorld around ds aud b1' doing scprolic': a coi,gnitive veiricle for better knowing ourselves and the rrorld. Opposite to the contextualist posiiion is theforrrralist one in which the r+'ork of art is viewed in as a separate and self-contained entity or text whiie blocking itsreiati,:rship i'o the reai rvorld. In this tbrmalist vie'ar, only the elements of the text and their reiationships to cach othei arebroug:t into {ocus; +-}rey are not made to interact with their referents in the rtjal world. The problem with this approach isthat it trut.t.:;tes the meanirg of art; it precludes drawing out its full meaning b1, not viewing the work within lts socialconditions of production al.d by not gi\ing valne to allusions, references, or stmbols since these are dismissed as "extra-artisi':" and :herefore outside the realm of consideration. It completely breaks off the relationship of the rtork anri tlieartist ,,r'ho is a mernber of society and \"fio represents, wittingly or unwittingly, padicular social, class or group interests.Needl=ss to sa;,r, such an approach to art is not humanly fulfilling because it does not lead to a well-rounded knoivledge arrdunder=tandinrg of the w-ork o{ art.

!lode ofProduction'iiir: ie-ifieu an:ii .trrlirorrr-rrelri nf art

In a broarl -sen.se- !$e stridv philippine art as Droduced within the context of national conclitions, soclal, ecolromic.and ;,.ditical irr a particular period of history, as for instance, the second hirlf of the 19rh cer-liutJ, tl:e Dosir;ar" period to iire6o's, o,;- the }llarcos regime- In a specific sense, we study Philippine art as produced by a particulal social group, whetherby }falila ulban artists with a "fine arts" background, by artists in the regions as in Bacolod, Davao, or Cebu, or b1'indigexous a.irtists belonging to a specific cultural community whicir has presen'ed its artistic tradiiions from precoloniiiiime:-

-'-:' Art irs pr'rducod under ciifferent conditions even within the >ame society rluring the same time. The urban midclle

' t'.1 ' class ;rtist o*trull;- iniported frorn Europe and the United States. When he finishes a series or body of work, he usuall-v

lovers and perrons.Con'f,1'.i6nr are quite different tbr a traditional artist, such as a weaver, a potter, a woodcarver or basket maker.

For a -iong tir:ne, the traditional arts were produced to meet a local corirmunity's ritual and functional needs. 1'hey werecircuis-Ied within the members of the community at the same time that the locai ciatus alrd sultans were the first bigpatro,:s. It is only in the past few decades that local entrepreneurs and tourist agents realized tl:eir commercial vaiue andbrougit thesr: local artistic productions tc the urban areas. The producers rvho live in renrote barrlos do not or cannotbdr:g -]eir.nrr:rks Cire ctly to the urhan nrarket but the entrepreneurs and their agents bring thesc to Manila, package tleminto more sal,eable commodities and sell them in cornmercial centers and boutiques. While the prodr.rcers sell the works irta rela:ively Low price. thel' are sold much higher in the urban malls. Likewise, not to be ignored are the parlicularll-difficdt rvorhng conditions of wear.ers and othertraditional artists. Victims of neglectr\nd prejudice, they'are caught upin the daily stmggle for surrival ancl are continually threateneti wth eviction from the ancestral lands by' speculators,subdir-ision oevelopers and industrial capitalists who want to build factories usually highly pollutirrg to the imrnediatet'nvirc"nment: they arc a'lso aasy prey to exploitations and abuse. As for lhe producers of folk art, rvho are nrostly farntt'rsirnd i hermca in the couni;-, side, nruch of their w,ork is seasonal, associated u'ith torvn fiestas and produced in relation tothe a;a:icuitrral cvcies. Thu-;. it is importarrt that the works of traditional and fblk art be viewed within its social sctting tobe abi,: to knr:,r.,,and undersi.anci the difficulties and problems that involved in their pr-oduction.

Historical cnntc.fls of a-rt1'hrr--,ughout art history, art has been produced within different r:rodes of production or social fornrations. Arts

L rr'hic;: answered the needs of the local group were produced in prinritive cornnrunal societies, as in clans and kinshipl, groupi rtitht-rut a strong political organization. In warrior societies, arlists specialized in designing weapons, such as thc

-.t k:is. -'l:itir c:ombined the e.esthetic and functioual aspects. In plutocratic societies aitd sultanates led by rvealth-v elite. I far:rii:,:s or gn-oups, artists catercrd to their need for status symbols and outstanding ritual objects. In the Cordilleras, the

hogaSi or ceremonial bench carved from a single tree tmnk signifies social prorninerlce. Among the Maranao in the South,an or:a;;ti:nt?l st1'le of brassware developed to meet the neecl for lavish gitts and dowries among the eiites. The okirlikexiie supplied the ornanrerrtation of the datLr houses, as well as nrarry articles of everyday use.

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rrt'ith Sr:,anish colonization, a feu<ial economy rvas instituted with the land divided into enconriendas given as

reward rrr; Spani>h ,of ai"ls o. "onquistadores,

una"iui". to haciendas or large plantations acquired br -l::]lht ^f'^l]I"^:The Ch,r.ch ivas .j.,en iti share of large tracts of land including tl're friar estates. The colonial Eovernment likervtse exacled

ta-xes an6 forcec iabor;.;;i;r; r.fr"io. from the indigenJus population. In feudal societies, as during the,European

Ntiddle Aqes an- i, th.'ip;i;l'c"i""i"f Period in the rf,ilippines, art was producedtnderthe patronage of the Church

and State which were ";;. ;ii*G;t,ut p".ioa in the Philippines, art wasiarnessed in the building and decorating of

churches" in the iarving oirui.,t, firthe iltars, *a i" tt" painti"g of images of Christ and the:.?i'tt: Tti:^l::]]l:"1tlrilarge boci. of coionial ."ligioi" aJ produce,t in the couritry. Entire town populations- were mobilized to contlibute to the

building ..}f chur.:hes in te"rms of material and labor. art wtrlctr was in.raiiably religious came uncier strict ecclesiastical

supen'isi"on so tiat no pu!ur-o. t eretical elements could enter. At the same time, ihere was a greai demand for church

ornameniation .11 the form of wood antl .,on" "nttingr,

Sold una silverwork, fine tertiles and embroideries' Much of the

country's r+,ealtl in the for of art and ornamentationirnr"a""u*rlated bythe Church' The arts and culture of this period

l,, ere nial=rial er=, essions of the religious ideologl brought over by the colonizers'

ln the :econd half of the "rgtt centuri, the Piilippines was opened to international trade through cash crop

agricultu;e. a -"."rrrtli" .up;iai.t ..ono*y Uu..a on agti",rttur-e b_qs.an to appear although relations of production

rernained basica$, t"rraul *itli peasants still iargely iied to"ttre iand. Th'is o"* -orr.y econorny.led to the grouth of the

ilush-adc, ilass consistinl ollandlord. *ho .oru".J"d ricelands to export crops such as-sugar,.tobacco, copra, hemp, etc'

.,rith their new .^.ealth, tfi.i guir.a access to higher education, first irManila and then abroad ir.r F'urope rvith the opening

,:f the S*ez carJ. rhe1, ;i,iiiil;i. t.r,uy-nu,u"uio-*[i.ri tt "v

firrnished with amenities imported fron.r Europe. Ex.ngse.d

abroad i,) Europ€an culture, they conrmisslon"a urtirls io doiheir portraits in the rniniaturist style which ceiebrateci their

economic prosper-ity by rendering the rich d".o.uti"" details of theii costume, accessories and household setting' \Vith the

secularization or art which allow-ed new subjects sueh as portraits, landscapes, still lifes, and genre, the ilustrados soon

replaced the Chu-ch in t}le patronage of the arts'The Anerican Colonial period saw the expansion of trade, commerce, and indlstry. While this enhanced the

capitalist sector of the econom-v in the cities, p;-i;ir.ly Manila, u lu.g. percentage of the country persisted in feudal

relations.. The p"ublic school system was established atl ovcr the country andthe Ur;iversity uf the Philippines. was founded

in the fir.st decade of American colonial rule. The school of Fine Arts, one of the first units of the universit," instituted

courses * com:nercial art to meet the n""a, of ttrJr,"*.ntpo..tio". foi advertising and packaging products'.Illustrations

for scho,cl books, publications, and cornmercaf pori..r weie i ireat demand. During this time the firsI tourist brochures

appearerd, along rvith J.rarir featuring ru.,ari,af"s and geri. Ferirando AmorsJo art patrons and the artists of the

Amorsollo Scho..j catered to the tastes of tn" e*"ri*n uJ p"utronr for rural idylls. Americarl.colonization brouglit-into art

rhe iderdogv in consonance with the capitalist r;r;; thai art is a corr,modiq'which is packaged anci marketed like any

o*rer product.irr i9:-3. i:icdemisrn r..a.s introduced into th+ cDur^try with Victorio Eiiacles'homecoming exhibit at the Philippine

colunrblan cluh- efteriii. *rr, utr, tn. rounaing oi tt "

ririiippioo Art Gallery and theAt Assoiiation of the Philipoiner'

the support sls.m for art, especially .rroae*i.t u'.t, *". rria drro utong with the broadening of the base of art lovers arri

patrons- The rise of poflli"uf ionsci6usness in tir. oo's und zo's that carie with massive protest-s against the vietnam war'

tbe ecoaomic crisis, and the u.S. bases creatJ u "fi*"t" of politicai ferment thai was reflected in the various arts'

includirg paintuag, music, and theater. This period saw the emergence-of social and political themes in the visual arts' a

trend that was aed by iire Social Realists. Ii";.;;;;; b;ldft #;; during the Y:.t",ry::?1and the cuitural projects

and paironage of Irrelda Marcos stirnulated the art nrarket and Incouraged art catering to interior designers'

Relations nf production: artist and publicAn arEist works wrthin a society's relations of production which includes, in the production of art' the artist and

the audience or- public of art consisting of art lovers and collectors. At the economic bise, the relations of production

involv-e labor o.:-worker/producer, on one h""d,;;;;,iui * put.or7n"u".let on the other hand; in a feudal system' it

involves Church or landlord, on one hand, and peasint -on

the "th";-;;;;: -Witt'in

the capitalist system in rvhich

everything is commodifiable, art, which is., [lra'"ipi"duct,.that js, an artistic product, is regarded primarill'as a

**sy6,.dity to 'o. uorgiii-u,i ,ora'in the ma"ket ano ii. iuru" reckoned in terms of mirket value and investment potentral'

Its desir-abilia- as a commodity is measur.o uy ttr.-J"g.ee in which it unr*Lrc particular consumer needs' such as the need

for star,as s,nbols, for social imenities, ror roluult-.1*;.*i"rt, r". otnu*.,itution' Ilowever, the rvork of art' since it is

not pure decoration b;i;; r"f,i.f. fo..onr.yi,ig"fi;;;;;lr.;, and emotions, in faci' a vision of life and realitl" goes

be1'ond H'Jt*'yJ;ilI.".t. to convey meaning which is a complex of ideas, feelings, values, attitudes, atmospheres

thro,gl his w,r..k. He/she has a view if life and-reality that is "*pressJ

it .orgt artiitrc form' . when he/she holds an

exhibit in a gailery, he avails of it as providing ,'p-i"t't;"""f '-t'l'",fot ti'otl'g'*o'ts of ar1 and h"nes that the buyer is

one rvho will slare and appreciate his/her interpretation of life and society. d. the contrary-, a ''''inter is conrnrercially

m,tir-aied if .e/she deliberately caters to the tastes of collectors ,ri uti'.tt ,,a ii-ti.rl t'"rk is cleterrnined bv

consideration,* of saleability. As such, the pai.,te. i',as no independent coircepis to convey but is a n.rere technician n'ho

skillful\ renders current taites and fashions or creates them' , L, rL:^ i^ L^.., +[.a n,But ri:ere is ,.et a deeper issue in tn" Ji.t;, .elationship with society. This is how the artist positions hinrself in

the relations of production. on one hand, he/Je ;;t;iil himself/heiseH *itt, tt'r" basic producers and n'orkcrs which

constift.rte the large majority or, on the oth". t unJ, h" '*uyir.u*" the inilrests of the elite ciass of patrorrs and financiers-

tlis cla.ss affinries r'"il;;;;ih-rsh frir rr;j;;;;,h;;es, attd content in general' The social rerrli"ts' for inshnce' takc

up soci;at and s.oritical issues affecting th. ro.e. ;roj';;-y, ffii;;;,h;; ;.ti;i; sfrecialize in doing idealized portraits of ruling

class wonten.

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Support S]-sterns of the ArtsFor ar-t to fiourish in a socielv, it needs a support s)'stem. Art is produced ar,d disseminated through institutions

and b'odies .,rhich constitute its support system. Arnong these are the academe, community organizations, the museums.the g;ellsdgs- cultural organizations, religious entities, mass niedia, and the art market. Of these, institutions which have todo w-rth educating ard raising public consciousness and knorvledge of art are the academe and the museum network. Allaspe(as of art are learned from the academe and the museum in its thematic exhibits: art theory and practice, art history.aesthetics, and criticism. Comnrunity organizations, cultural organizations, religious entities, and the mass media sen'e tobroarien the base ot art appreciation in society. Galleries, and art dealers, along with the recent entry in Asia of the big

i aucticn hou-:es Christie's-and Sotheby's, *uk" rp the art market. Government cultural institutions and prc,grams o1\r patro"nage, aiso forrn part of the support s).stem, but. as in the case of Imelda I'{arcos, may be used lbr government image-

buik.l:.a g and propaganda.Malll'actiwe institutions and bodies are Manila-based; others, while centered in Manila have national netrr'orks,

and :--till othe:s are ETrssrocts instituticns rvhich mal be linl:ed tc non-government organizations.

Mode of ReceptionThe social cortexts of reception

Art is produced and received in a wide range of social contexts. The audience or public of a society ma-v- be quiteuneven. This unewenness is due to several factors. The first is social class and the disparilv of educational and culturaloppo.tunities. Thepovertyof;rlargepartofthepopulationisdrretothecxploitationofworkers,peasants,andempioyees

-- by c':,rporations and other elites. Many do not have the leisure to enjoy and to study art bui engage in other ibrrns o[diver<ion.

The second has to do with the differences betlveen urban and rurai, particularly in occupations and rreeds. Peoplein urban ceot3rs have a wider exposure to other cultures irr terms of education and cultural exchange and thus can interactwith the cultures. lhere is a greater concentration of schools, galleries, museums, and publications in the city. People inthe n:ral ar s are mainly engaged in agricultural work, their lives revolving around planting and harvesting and tie manyparffu:ular chorcs that go with these. The folk arts that they traditionally produce aie related to their occupations: basketsas co.otainers for agricultural produce of different kinds, pottery as vessels for indigenous liquor, bamboo traps for fishing,weaprons for hunting. These are likewise folk arts that revolve around the fiestas, the paper mache tako of Paete, thepastf,les lrrrapperc of San Miguel de Mayumo,lhe kiping of Lucban and Sariaya, the porol of San Fernando, Pampanga.Folk rheater, such as lhe kome.dya and sarstuelo, is performed in the town plaza during fiestas. The Pasyon is still surgdurlrg the l-entcn s€ason.

Thirdly, one cannot fail to recognize the pluralistic character in Philipine society that arises fronr the rnanycuitr.i:'ai cornrnuni;:ies ail over iire ccuntry isiih ti:.ii specif.c thor:gh cfter, interrelatcd, culturai and artistir forms anderpr:ssicns- The r-a:'icus cultr..ral ccmmuniiies that are grouped in the Cordiileras. such as the Ifirgao, Eontoc. Kalitrga,

, erc- the Mangran of l\{indoro, the T'buli of Cotabato, and t}le many Musiim communities, the Maranao, ilagintianao '.'i'i llinganoo, anfl the Taosug of Sulu were people who resisted the onslaught of Spanish and American colonization. Because

i of this, ther- have p.e."*6d their ancient culture, including rituals and arts and their lMng traditions give us an idea ofI precolonial art and its forms which the Philippines shared with the rest of Southeast A,sia. The arts of these different' cultr:ral communities contribute tu and enrich our national culture.

Because of the distinct contributions of the urban aad the rural, the folk, and the cultural coi;rmunities r,'ith a',. strong ethnic character, Philippine culture has a rich and broad range. There have been exchanges among the diffelent- gro*4r.; folk art and the living ethnic traditions have become familiar in the urban context. Liltewise, regional painters as

those of Bacoiod. Iloilo, and Cebu have ey}libited and interacted with artists in Manila.These exchanges, hon ever, have not been entirely without problems. For one, the exhibit of a textile ci an Ifugao

bulu.t- in a gallery o., ,iu.".r* removes it from its originai context and easily leads to a p.urely formalist appraisal. Ideally,

these works should be vierved in their original sites, aid regional museums are to be supported, but there are indisputablegain-< in exhibiting them in otlrer conteis in order to familiarize the larger Philippine snciety with the productions ofFiliploos in differe-nt ethnic contexts, and even abroad to show the fulI range of our art. However, it is important that these

- - cx[ibits be accotnpanied by edrrcationa] material such as texts, videos, and documentation, along with books and

pubiications on the subject, so that the art is resituated in its setting of the people who produce it along with their-beliefsystems, mlths and rituals, and common occupations. This information should also include updates- on the.problemsencc'untered b1,the ethnic groups and their struggles against exploitation, nrilitarization, and landgrabbing. The goal ofslch information is to invo"lve more Filipinor in espouiing the causes of the indigenous Filipinos and seeking ways by

which these varictrs groups can be enrporvered to change their conditions'Gther factois *hi.h huu" led to a distorted reception ofthe traditional arts in urban contexts is business allied to

tounsm w,hich feeds on the arts of the cultural comntunities. ',Ve know, for instance, that within the'I'boli beli.-f s-vstcrr

the i nolalr 'rteave shoulcl not be arbitrarily crrt and if its must be cut that there are ritualistic obsetvances rvhich ntrtst be

satisfied. But once ir the hands ofentrepieneurs, they are ruthlesslv cut to be made into all sorts ofaccessories. Likeuisc,

a re!:e1t developnrent in the globalist trend is the coinmissioning ofrveavers by foreign-based corporations to do single-

hued t'nalak rviihout the tradltional ikot designs. Since the weavers'time and energy are spent on meeting their quotas,

the d,ay ma-\-not be far offwhen their ikat weave will disappear.Tourism and the sending of cqltural entertainers abroad also often leads to distortions as in the example of

cultr:ral dancers wearing Ifugao blinkets in Japan. For the problem, as we all know, is that they do,not sho*'case authenticIfugao dance-s but do iru"fr d.b"."d forms of exotica citering to pmrient tastes. A wide educ,ational c?r,rpaign io

apf,neciate tlrese liring traditions and to instill respect for them cin be-conducted in schools and public for a, althoug,h this, " *iil ,l*oy,t go against business interests which comntodifies and debases even the finest examples of our nraterial culture.

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I ffiffi;-"i.,.j"i';;#J: ffi:iJ'#i: hffiXj;;i;;;;,; ;h;;, ;' j;;; ;"g" t'u' pointed out' the imagery or artI p.*rippo."* i *ut" gaze, taro"rs male iniereSts and perspectives, and perpetuates the subordination 3f,l]"1]]."1 __^*:-.^_' Rac=u1a"itl"iJi;;;;;;;;i""i*"i,iu"ieckonedwittr. wniteracemaynotseemtotakemuchprominence

i i., philip;i"*:;."t, n enie.s in the form ot:racirl attitrrdes which n'ere ingraineci by centuries.of mle b, 'tlh]l: t"l"-lf".it:il' l"#;;#;L;';;;fiil';;e;;ilili;h;il;t" h;' increasingly"r,alorized fair complexions associated with the

prhileged .*i*r"., as well as in advertisL-"rt" *tri"t invariably haie mestiza models. At the base' this leads to a

distortion of our national identity as a people.In ,our country, both race and ethnicity have given rile to prejudices, overt and-covert, conscious and

subcrrmscious. Again these preju<iiciai attitudes-#re instiiied by' the Spanish and -{merican cclonizers: the prejudice

against natn-e dark .ti.,-,-ti,.'p."ludice against the non-Chriitian and non-Westernized rnembers of the national

; poprdation- But these prejudices have *ort?J against our interests as a people. and the long alrd continuing process of:/ iecolonizati.m and libeiatioo involves the breakdown of these prejudices for a trulv just society.

Ref:gious and political betief are aiso iactors that piay-a part i-n art. tsut again, these are interestlinl<ed and

perspectival "Religion, as lfuked to big social institutions, is noi a nlutral aspqct of people's lives. It may seFe the status

quo, ev'en support autho;itarian and right-*ing loiu...ir'"r in the case of the erstwhile Mindanao vigilante groups rvhich

harniassed indigenous folk beliefs towaids un ""*t

.*" and militant conservatism. This came into conflict with grassroots

religious organizations of a liberative goul, as in the theolory of stmgg-le that beccme popular amung the-Basic Christian

r- Co#rruniti& of the 7o's and 8o's. Tf,is came with the im"portant rJalization by the progressive clerry that the Bible as

I disceurse &]ntai;;;'*ai.rf potential that could be drawn out in support of people;s cau."*. ^re such section is the

i },i;;#;"ii" *t i"r, theme a number oi social realists made a seriei ifter the Aquino assassination. The Magnificant,

I iro,i=uer, wH appropriated by Mrs. Aquino in her political campaign'

I """- "' erTri"rioriucal belief, there is no-doubt tirat it backs eith"er privileged interests or dominant ideologies backed bv

i p"..o=.i.r.il"*Jaf *:y grorrps an.l the opp*iti*A il*ologies alrva,.'s itrivrng to win greater popylal l"lfST 1|T: n]o"'',r-- i:;;;;;f;;;. iadirecily these ccmpetinip"uti""r poiitions

"tiJ in ttiri.nse th-ey ha"e-undeiif ir,gllnl$ r"'ith p'iiiticai

- alii *':r;olomjc inierest for s*cial ccnsen'atisin or c-hange' i

Art and social relationships .- ,In the productio.,

"oi1.""ption ofart, one necessarily ta.kes into account the social relationships of class, gender,

race- chnici:r', religion, "ra

p"fltl*iU"fl"f. if,L "ra".rto"ain!

of art is not complete if it is not viewed in the Iight of these

factoc-s. Alt is not a'n inno.eit and neutral p*",1"" U"t contain-s ideologies whicti are perspectival and interest-linked' The

element of ciia.ss unde.lies-th" t;1",,;i;i;;i;;;"g" and exists in thJ inherent ideoiogical contents of the n'ork and horv

it is situateC uithin the relations of p.oarrctio, l?T.o.i"tj. Do-9s i,t align with the interests and aspirations- of the large

majo*-ity orr-ith the self-perpetuatiog i.rt"."ri", oiifr" ..oro.ni. elite? Liklewise, the understanding of art should be infused

i-- tt-itl-g.;J.r=*r-i-tlU.r* ln tte anatys;i of i*^ges and art discourses. Production and reception here comes to the fore' The

| ;;;;;il'=;;;;;'*d it. ut"."oqfins or g.id.i;a.. rr"t long been prejudicial to the development of rvomen's art' The

Art and Saial TransforaationArE that conve),s meaning and that derives from the artist's vision and interpretation.of life and reality is not a

me-ue demcsstration of t"&;ili ;.t";";ty m a*ilng -r pul"iirg; it is not *"." orriurrt"otation the li,es and colors of

rvhirh are par-t o{ a larger scheme of interior d"r6-}-?r:.ilx*pp6int"a houses; it is not a -mcre -paltry commodity to be

bcwht and sold and measured by its *ark"t_rJie; it is not inere part-of a fashionable lifesti'le of press releases and

cor:ktails. snch art woufa a"i.ut tf* r^reaning of art because'it is al.ienated fron the vitality.of peopie's lives'

B{ircause art is not neutral and derives its-er"rgies from the dynamism and conflicts ef society, it is also an ag,en[

of change- As it tacides social and political tfr.-u., lf.f;o*s its affinities.and sympathies- with one or the other pole of the

productive relations. Its approach to these tnu#"r *"v ,oi necessariiy le alrect and unmediated, but it may be the

derelopmeut of a social or political the*. in-se.rerul *J.rc. or in a body of work which takes up different aspects' Its

approach may be a.u*uj. ;l;; k"y, ."", *brt;;;;phi;ii;;t"d ;"J highi.v cemplex with lavers of allusions and svrnbois'

Th,rougho*t the history of art, some cf the most -L*l.uur" works deal irith poliiical issues, as..Picasso did in Guernica or

Francisco Gova did in rres de Mayoor in his "";;;;;;-rh. ri".p or-t"uton breeds monsters" agai;rst the background of

the Napoleronic invasion of Spain. Art as an ug.rii or roliur change wili always be the challenge for serious artists because

they want to affirm ttre *af-iofe of art in sociiry and social translormation und it. part in the making of history towards a

5,,..an and -just order which still eludes our Srasp at the preseni'