Arts I

     176 Gifts/176 Dispossessions by Angelo V. Suarez and Donna Miranda is an eye-opening essay on a phenomenon we Filipinos blindly and continuously negligently allow. The article conveys the exploitative acts hidden in the cultural generosity of the collecting class. Seemingly unconditional gifts are given by those of power to maintain and garner their dominion over the public. They are using Art as an instrument of their so-called philanthropy to disguise their dispossession and to flaunt their hoax generosity.      Patronage, to put it simply, is to give and to support. A patron of the arts is for the arts; however, that statement seems very far from the reality of art patrons in the Philippines. As expressed in the essay of Suarez and Miranda, Art Patrons in the Philippines focus on the investment they gain as it perpetuates their own power and influence. This means continuous money filling their pockets despite the hurt it may cause people of oth...

  Above is a concept map of Bourdieu's Cultural Capital. It discusses how Cultural Capital is the accumulation of a person's social phenomena dictated by their social groups. This includes the forms of Cultural Capital, which are the objectified and embodied state.  Objectified Cultural Capital harbors the understanding and knowledge of the world, which is objectified into objects such as books and art or places of learning such as museums and schools. This objectified state serves as an instrument for the embodied state. However, the objectified state is not accessible to all. Only those of privilege and high social status have infinite accessibility to these sources given they have the money, time, and connections. This is a prominent problem as it creates a divide and "gatekeeps" knowledge from those who are underprivileged. To put it simply, it is an anti-poor system. On the other hand, the underprivileged still seek knowledge. They use their sources, experiences,...

Alexander McQueen x Damien Hirst.      Fashion is everywhere, from your mismatched socks to your favorite fluffy sweater and even to your butas-butas pajamas. Fashion is the art of self-expression. It is a statement that a person chooses to carry through clothing, shoes, accessories, and overall style and manner. 

  Perforomed by Syd Hartha   Produced by Sony Music Entertainment Philippines Directed by Dino Placino Choreographed by Patricia Ann Rivera and Therese Rivera "Ayaw" is a song written and performed by Syd Hartha that addresses apparent issues of sexual assault, harassment, rape, and victim blaming. The song is accompanied by a music video that shows Syd with a group of men. It is saturated with symbolism and depicts the central themes by means of the lyrics and choreography. The song narrates a woman's experience of harassment that proceeds the seemingly diaphanous word "ayaw." And even with the many no's and disinterest, it will always be the woman's fault because of the many notions embedded into society, namely that a woman wanted it because of how they acted or moved, or they were simply just being "pabebe;" hence, the lyric "Ako pa rin ba ang puno't dulo nito?". This is not merely a narration but is very much a universal real...