SIGNS AND SYMBOLS THAT CAN BE FOUND IN SURROUNDINGS

What is a symbol?

A symbol is something that someone intends to stand for something other than itself. A symbol is
something that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention. It does not have to
be an image: for example, a rose can be said to be a symbol oflove, a cup can be used as an Objects Of
Reference symbol for break time, and a cross a symbol of hope. However, on this page we will be looking at
one form of symbol in particular: atwo dimensional design, drawing, picture or sketch that is used to
represent another thing.
Symbols are all around us and we see them every day. Some are so commonplace that we takethem for
granted (see the six symbols below for example). Indeed, as you read this webpage there are probably tens
of symbols about your computer screen. Such symbols are typically called icons but for the purposes of this
page, at least, we will use the terms interchangeably.

In what ways does the (good) use of symbols (both with the individual and in theenvironment)
assist the Learner?

Symbols can help to:

- assist inclusion;
- provide a means of communication;
- help with conceptual understanding;
- promote greater independence;
- assist with the development of new vocabulary;
- develop emotional security (think of recognised symbols in an 'alien' territory, forexample);
- help to provide structure and routine;
- instill confidence;
- help individuals cope with change;

The development of symbolic understanding has not really been given the central importance it warrants in
the field of Special Education. Symbolic understanding is crucial for the development of the individual, for a sense of self,
for a sense of reality, for being able to consider things devoid of the here and now, for literacy, and for being human. We
cannot and should not neglect this area of development.
The very language we use is symbolic and, although we may believe each word to be transparent (see below)
the vast majority are actually opaque (see below). For example, we may believe there is a
between the spoken word 'dog' and the animals that the term represents. However, there is no link whatsoever. Indeed,
in another language, the same set of animals is represented by a completely different word and sound:
French is 'chien', Spanish is 'perro', German is 'Hund'. We simply learn to associate the opaque symbol (the
sound 'dog') with the four legged creature that is wandering around the house.
A linguistic sign is not a link between a thing and a name, but between a concept and a sound pattern. The
sound pattern is not actually a sound; for a sound is something physical. Asound pattern is the hearer's
psychological impression of a sound, as given to him by evidenceof his senses. This sound pattern may be called
a ‗material' element only in that it is the representation of our sensory impressions. The sound pattern may thus
be distinguished from the other element associated with it in a linguistic sign. This other element is generally of a
more abstract kind: the concept" (DE SAUSSURE F. 1912 pp 98)
"It's only for a small minority of words that we can give definitions without these fuzzy edges. Until recently,
the metre was officially defined as the distance between two particular scratches on a particular metal bar kept
in a particular vault in Paris, and, if you wanted to know if your metre stick was a metre long or not, all you had
to do was to take it to Paris and lay it alongside that bar.
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 This works pretty well for metre, but it wouldn't work for most other words: we could hardly keep a standard
dog in a vault to compare against candidate dogs, or a standard chair, or a standard smile." (TRASK R. 1995
Page 50)
However, it is achieved, a word is a symbol for the real item, for an aspect of the real item (adjective),
an action of an item (verb), a position of an item (preposition), a relationship between one item and another
... In order to learn language we must be able to both learn andmanipulate symbols.
In terms of literacy, many early letter recognition schemes link letters and phonics to images: cis for cat.
Aided and Unaided
There are a number of ways of classifying symbols; one such way is to define them as aided or
unaided.

Aided symbols refer to those that have a

physical presence in the world. Such symbols
typically relyon some form of external assistance
such as a communication board or an electronic
communication aid for their use. Examples of
aided symbols include real objects and line
drawings.

Unaided symbols refer to those that require no

external device for their production. These are
'signs' produced by the human body. Examples of
unaided symbols include manual signs, body
language including facial expressions, and natural
speech.

Transparent, Translucent, and Opaque

In 1976, Edward Belugi & Ursula Klima in 'The Two

Faces of Sign: Iconic and Abstract' ( Evolution of
language and speech: New York Academy of Sciences,
Vol. 280, pp. 514-538) suggested three measures of
iconicity: transparency; translucency; and opaqueness.
The continuum from transparent to opaque covers the
degree of guessability of a symbol, with transparent symbols being the most guessable by an
untrained observer.
Transparent:The most guessable of all of the
symbols. These symbols can immeadiately
be recognised by the majority of people without
being provided with any additional cues. Typically
the most transparent symbolsare those that are
nouns: good quality drawings of objects are
normally easy to recognise.
Translucent: Transparent symbols require a
little explanation to the uninitiated.
Once the
symbol rationale has been made explicit, people
usually remember the rationale andwill continue
to recognise the symbol.

Opaque: Opaque symbols are themost

difficult to link back to their referent even with an
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 explanation of the symbol's rationale and therefore
the least guessable.

Fitzgerald Key
Back in 1929, Edith Fitzgerald wrote a book entitled 'Straight Language For Deaf' which, as its name
implies, is a manual on a method for teaching language and grammar to those people who have little or no
hearing. Although Edith divides sentences up into parts of speech, and hasa key system for doing this, at no
point in the book does she talk about a colour encoding system (Fitzgerald's original key was based on a set
of six symbols with each standing for a particular part of speech). However, such a colour encoding system
has been attributed to her and it has become known as the Fitzgerald Colour (colour) coding system. It is a
means to classify different parts of speech and to make them easily distinguishable from one another.
Though there appears to be no one set colour standard for every part of speech in the system,some colours
are consistently used: adjectives (blue), pronouns (yellow), nouns (orange), verbs (green)

beyond that there appears to be a variety of colours used inwhat

generally is referred to as a 'modified Fitzgerald key':

adverbials brown
conjunctions white
determiners grey
expletives red
interrogatives purple
negations red
prepositions pink

Text with Symbols

It is generally considered good practice to have a text label accompanying a symbol. While notall
symbol users will become literate, repeated exposure to the word with the symbol may eventually
lead to sight recognition. Generally, text should be above the symbol rather than underneath.
This is so that when Learners or others point to a symbol their hand does not obscure the text.
Text should generally be lower-case, well spaced, sans serif format, with a clear distinction
between the letters that many people confuse (b and d for example). A good text to use is the
Lexia font which is available for free download for non-commercial use here.

Iconicity: Primary and Secondary

Typically, the majority of people would recognise the symbol on the left as an icon. However, as
an icon is defined as 'a sign or representation that stands for its object by virtue of a
resemblance or analogy to it', all symbols used for the purpose of cognition and or
communication are icons.

Iconicity is defined as the degree to which any symbol visually represents its referent. By
definition, therefore, some symbols are more 'iconic' than others. Thus, some symbols' referents,

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 are more 'guessable' than others.

There are two forms of iconicty; primary and secondary. Simply put, primary iconicity is the
most common association that is made with regard to a particular image. Primary iconicity is
really a statistical phenomenon. As an example, take a look at the picture below and think about
what words come to mind when you look at it.

Primary iconicity may then be seen as what a symbol denotes and secondary iconicity as what a
symbol connotes.

There are different forms of iconicity; two of which are known as univocal (one voice) and polysemic
(many meanings).

When they are selected they always represent the same vocabulary. Thus when a symbol of a cat is selected, if it
has been programmed to say 'cat', it will always say 'cat' whenever it is chosen. Thus, an overlay comprising 60
univocal symbols can only generate 60 items of vocabulary unless the system has some way of switching between
levels (in which case, each level will have 60 items of vocabulary.

Polysemic icons have the potential to have more than one meaning. When selected, the symbol may say any one of
a finite number of things depending on what other (prior) symbol(s) has been selected. There are different
approaches to the use of Polysemic Iconicity. One approach is known as 'Semantic Compaction' or 'Minspeak'.
Minspeak is defined as 'the systematic exploitation of secondary iconicity to provide large vocabularies within a small
icon space'. In a Minspeak system, vocabulary output is provided through the conjoining of symbols. For example, in
the Language, Learning, and Living Minspeak system (Jones 1990) when HOUSE (building) is selected followed by
the NURSE, the resultant output is 'hospital'. However, when the WORK symbol is followed by the NURSE the output
is 'nurse'. The first symbol typically sets
the category or part of speech, while the second symbol selects the vocabulary required. Thus, any symbol is
capable of conveying many meanings. For a full description of the Minspeak system visits the Semantic Compaction
website.

Minspeak is not the only form of Polysemic Iconicity. It is possible to generate alternative outputs from a single
symbol by using a system of syntactic rules. Such a system looks at what vocabulary has already been generated

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(as opposed to the Minspeak approach of looking at what symbols have been selected) and allowing a symbol to
output vocabulary accordingly. Thus, if the symbol was one that normally generated the pronoun 'I', it could, when
proceded by a
vocabulary selection that read 'give it to', say 'me' or 'my' (as 'Give it to I' does not make sense

in English). Such 'iconic syntactical polysemy' was developed by Jones while lecturing at Bridge College (1997) and
utilised in the later ViP communication system.

Symbol Sets

It may surprise you to know that there are, at least, 50 different symbol sets out there for use in AAC! While most
people know of two or three sets there are many other choices open to us. I have compiled a page that lists what I
have been able to find out about each of the sets. I do not claim that this is totally comprehensive or that I have
every fact absolutely correct ... if you know of another set, or know of a mistake, or you can complete a missing
piece of information, please contact me using the form provided at the bottom of this page and I'll update the form
so that all may benefit.

Is any one set better than any other? That is very difficult to say. Some contain a bigger range of symbols than
others; some are cheaper (some are free for non-commercial use); some are more accessible and not locked away;
some have associated software which can help produce communication boards and overlays; some are more widely
used. In the end, it may be a matter of best fit to the Learner and personal preference.

The cartoon shows a school that has decided to go with all the sets! There are those who will state that an
establishment should select one set for all Learners and those that will state it should be on an individual basis. I
have heard it stated that it is better for children to learn that there can be more than one image of a horse (for
example) as they will encounter many
images of any one item in their lifetime. Thus, it is not ideal to go with just one symbol set. Others will argue that it
is less confusing for the Learner, easier for staff to create resources, assists transition, and more inclusive when a
single symbol set is selected. While I can see logic and value in both sides of the debate, I would probably (unless
you can convince me otherwise) come down on the side of a single system if pushed. However, there may be
drawbacks to a single system:

- What happens if a Learner comes from a different establishment already using a

- How are Learners enouraged to transfer skills with only one image?
- What happens if a 'better' set of symbols suddenly comes on to the market?
- What if the chosen symbol set does not contain the symbol for a required word?
- If a piece of software uses a different set, is it excluded from the establishment?

On the other hand, in order to begin promoting a symbol set, the Learner should be experiencing it in his/her daily
life (around the school). If there are several symbol sets displayed, that could be very confusing but, if one is used
consistently then, it might begin to form associations prior to any direct teaching taking place

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6
 These four relationships of a work of art are the bases for the
to art criticism and appreciation. These four approaches are:

1. mimetic (based on the subject matter)

2. expressive (based on the artist)
3. pragmatic (based on the audience)
4. aesthetic or formal (based on the form) succeed in conveying the meaning of the
work?

According to subject matter, art may be classified into two types:

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8
 BASIC APPROACHES FOR READING VISUAL ART
SEMIOTICS
Semiotics (also called semiotic studies) is the study of sign process (semiosis). It includes
the study of signs and sign processes, indication, designation, likeness, analogy, allegory,
metonymy, metaphor, symbolism, signification, and communication. It is not to be confused with
the Saussurean tradition called semiology, which is a subset of semiotics.[1][2]
The semiotic tradition explores the study of signs and symbols as a significant part of
communications. Different from linguistics, semiotics also studies non-linguistic sign [Link]
the nineteenth century, Charles Sanders Peirce defined what he termed "semiotic"
(which he sometimes spelled as "semeiotic") as the "quasi-necessary, or formal doctrine of
signs", which abstracts "what must be the characters of all signs used by ... an intelligence
capable of learning by experience",[14] and which is philosophical logic pursued in terms of
signs and sign processes.[15][16] The Peirce scholar and editor Max H. Fisch[17] claimed in
1978[18] that "semeiotic" was Peirce's own preferred rendering of Locke's σημιωτική.
Charles W. Morris followed Peirce in using the term "semiotic" and in extending the
discipline beyond human communication to animal learning and use of signals.
Ferdinand de Saussure, however, founded his semiotics, which he called semiology, inthe
social sciences:
It is... possible to conceive of a science which studies the role of signs as part of social life.
It would form part of social psychology, and hence of general psychology. We shall call it
semiology (from the Greek semeîon, 'sign'). It would investigate the nature of signs and the laws
governing them. Since it does not yet exist, one cannot say for certain that it will exist. Butit has a
right to exist, a place ready for it in advance. Linguistics is only one branch of this general science.
The laws which semiology will discover will be laws applicable in linguistics, and linguistics will
thus be assigned to a clearly defined place in the field of human knowledge.

MULTIMODAL ANALYSIS
In its most basic sense, multimodality is a theory of communication and social semiotics.
Multimodality describes communication practices in terms of the textual, aural, linguistic, spatial,
and visual resources - or modes - used to compose messages. Where media are concerned,
multimodality is the use of several modes (media) to create a single artifact. The collection of
these modes, or elements, contributes to how multimodality affects different rhetorical situations,
or opportunities for increasing an audience's reception of an idea or concept. Everything from the
placement of images to the organization of the content creates meaning. This is the result of a
shift from isolated text being relied on as the primary source of communication, to the image
being utilized more frequently in the digital age.[2] While multimodality as an area of academic
study did not gain traction until the twentieth century, allcommunication, literacy, and composing
practices are and always have been multimodal.
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MARXISM
Marxism is a theory and method of working-class self-emancipation. As a theory, it relieson
a method of socioeconomic analysis that views class relations and social conflict using a materialist
interpretation of historical development and takes a dialectical view of social transformation. It
originates from the works of 19th-century German philosophers Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.
Marxism uses a methodology, now known as historical materialism, to analyze and critique
the development of class society and especially of capitalism as well as the role of classstruggles
in systemic economic, social, and political change. According to Marxist theory, in capitalist
societies, class conflict arises due to contradictions between the material interests of the
oppressed and exploited proletariat—a class of wage labourers employed to produce goodsand
services—and the bourgeoisie—the ruling class that owns the means of production and extracts
its wealth through appropriation of the surplus product produced by the proletariat in the form of
profit.
This class struggle that is commonly expressed as the revolt of a society's productive
forces against its relations of production, results in a period of short-term crises as the bourgeoisie
struggle to manage the intensifying alienation of labor experienced by the proletariat, albeit with
varying degrees of class consciousness. In periods of deep crisis, the resistance of the oppressed
can culminate in a proletarian revolution which, if victorious, leads to the establishment of
socialism—a socioeconomic system based on social ownership of the means of production,
distribution based on one's contribution and production organized directly for use. As the
productive forces continued to advance, Marx hypothesized that socialism wouldultimately be
transformed into a communist society: a classless, stateless, humane society based on common
ownership and the underlying principle: "From each according to his ability, to each according to
his needs".

PSYCHOANALYSIS
Unconscious
The basic assumption is that the personal unconscious is a potent part — probably the
more active part — of the normal human psyche. Reliable communication between the
conscious and unconscious parts of the psyche is necessary for wholeness.
Also crucial is the belief that dreams show ideas, beliefs, and feelings that individuals are
not readily aware of but need to be, and that such material is expressed in a personalized
vocabulary of visual metaphors. Things 'known but unknown' are contained in the unconscious
and dreams are one of the main vehicles for the unconscious to express them.
Analytical psychology distinguishes between a personal unconscious and a collective
unconscious. The collective unconscious contains archetypes common to all human beings. Thatis,
individuation may bring to surface symbols that do not relate to the life experiences of a single
person. This content is more easily viewed as answers to the more fundamental questions of
humanity: life, death, meaning, happiness, fear. Among these more spiritual concepts may arise
and be integrated into the personality.
Collective unconscious Jung's concept of the collective unconscious has often been misunderstood.
To understand this concept, it is essential to understand Jungian archetypes.
Archetypes
The use of psychological archetypes was advanced by Jung in 1919. In Jung's
psychological framework, archetypes are innate, universal prototypes for ideas and may be used
to interpret observations. A group of memories and interpretations associated with an archetype
is a complex, e.g. a mother complex associated with the mother archetype. Jung treated the
archetypes as psychological organs, analogous to physical ones in that both are morphological
givens that arose through evolution. Archetypes are collective as well as individual, and can grow
on their own and present themselves in a variety of creative ways. Jung, in his book Memories,
Dreams, Reflections, states that he began to see and talk to a manifestation of anima and that
she taught him how to interpret dreams. As soon as he couldinterpret on his own, Jung said that
she ceased talking to him because she was no longer needed.

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Self-realization and neuroticism
An innate need for self-realization leads people to explore and integrate these disowned
parts of themselves. This natural process is called individuation, or the process of becoming an
individual.
According to Jung, self-realization is attained through individuation. His is an adult
psychology, divided into two distinct tiers. In the first half of our lives, we separate from
humanity. We attempt to create our own identities (―I‖, ―myself‖). This is why there is such a
need for young men to be destructive, and can be expressed as animosity from teens directedat
their parents. Jung also said we have a sort of "second puberty" that occurs between ages 35
and 40: outlook shifts from emphasis on materialism, sexuality, and having children to concerns
about community and spirituality.
In the second half of our lives, humans reunite with the human race. They become part of
the collective once again. This is when adults start to contribute to humanity (volunteer time,build,
garden, create art, etc.) rather than destroy. They are also more likely to pay attention totheir
unconscious and conscious feelings. Young men rarely say "I feel angry" or "I feel sad." This is
because they have not yet rejoined the human collective experience, commonly reestablished in
their older, wiser years, according to Jung. A common theme is for young rebels to "search" for
their true selves and realize that a contribution to humanity is essentially a necessity for a whole
self.
Jung proposes that the ultimate goal of the collective unconscious and self-realization isto
pull us to the highest experience. This, of course, is spiritual.
If a person does not proceed toward self-knowledge, neurotic symptoms may arise.
Symptoms are widely defined, including, for instance, phobias, psychosis, and depression.
Shadow
The shadow is an unconscious complex defined as the repressed, suppressed or disowned
qualities of the conscious self. According to Jung, the human being deals with the reality of the
shadow in four ways: denial, projection, integration and/or transmutation.[citationneeded]
According to analytical psychology, a person's shadow may have both constructive anddestructive
aspects. In its more destructive aspects, the shadow can represent those things
people do not accept about themselves. For instance, the shadow of someone who identifies as
being kind may be harsh or unkind. Conversely, the shadow of a person who perceives himself to
be brutal may be gentle. In its more constructive aspects, a person's shadow may represent
hidden positive qualities. This has been referred to as the "gold in the shadow". Jung emphasized
the importance of being aware of shadow material and incorporating it into conscious awareness
in order to avoid projecting shadow qualities on others.
The shadow in dreams is often represented by dark figures of the same gender as thedreamer.[3]
The shadow may also concern great figures in the history of human thought or even
spiritual masters, who became great because of their shadows or because of their ability to live
their shadows (namely, their unconscious faults) in full without repressing them.[4]

Anima and animus

Jung identified the anima as being the unconscious feminine component of men and the
animus as the unconscious masculine component in women. However, this is rarely taken as a
literal definition: many modern-day Jungian practitioners believe that every person has both an
anima and an animus. Jung stated that the anima and animus act as guides to the unconscious
unified Self, and that forming an awareness and a connection with the anima or animus is one of
the most difficult and rewarding steps in psychological growth. Jung reported that he identified his
anima as she spoke to him, as an inner voice, unexpectedly one day.
Often, when people ignore the anima or animus complexes, the anima or animus vies for
attention by projecting itself on others. This explains, according to Jung, why we are sometimes
immediately attracted to certain strangers: we see our anima or animus in them. Love at first
sight is an example of anima and animus projection. Moreover, people who strongly identify with
their gender role (e.g. a man who acts aggressively and never cries) havenot actively recognized
or engaged their anima or animus.
Jung attributes human rational thought to be the male nature, while the irrational aspect is
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 considered to be natural female (rational being defined as involving judgment, irrational being
defined as involving perceptions). Consequently, irrational moods are the progenies of themale
anima shadow and irrational opinions of the female animus shadow.
Wise old man / woman
"After the confrontation with the soul-image the appearance of the old wise man, the
personification of the spiritual principle, can be distinguished as the next milestone of inner
development." As archetypes of the collective unconscious, such figures can be seen as, "in psychological
terms, a symbolic personification of the Self."

Psychological types
Analytical psychology distinguishes several psychological types or temperaments.
Extravert
Introvert According to Jung, the psyche is an apparatus for adaptation and orientation, and
consists of a number of different psychic functions. Among these he distinguishes four basic
functions:
Sensation – Perception by means of the sense organs
Intuition – Perceiving in unconscious way or perception of unconscious contents
Thinking – Function of intellectual cognition; the forming of logical conclusions
Feeling – Function of subjective estimation
Thinking and feeling functions are rational, while the sensation and intuition functionsare
irrational.

Complexes
Early in Jung's career he coined the term and described the concept of the "complex".
Jung claims to have discovered the concept during his free association and galvanic skin
response experiments. Freud obviously took up this concept in his Oedipus complex amongst
others. Jung seemed to see complexes as quite autonomous parts of psychological life. It is
almost as if Jung were describing separate personalities within what is considered a single
individual, but to equate Jung's use of complexes with something along the lines of multiple
personality disorder would be a step out of bounds.
Jung saw an archetype as always being the central organizing structure of a complex.
For instance, in a "negative mother complex," the archetype of the "negative mother" would be
seen to be central to the identity of that complex. This is to say, our psychological lives are
patterned on common human [Link] saw the Ego (which Freud wrote about in German
literally as the "I", one's conscious experience of oneself) as a complex. If the "I" is a complex,
what might be the archetype that structures it? Jung, and many Jungians, might say "the hero,"
one who separates from the community to ultimately carry the community further.

SOCIOLOGY
Sociology is the study of society, patterns of social relationships, social interaction and
culture of everyday life using the principles of psychology neuroscience and network science. Itis a
social science that uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop
a body of knowledge about social order, acceptance, and change or social evolution.
While some sociologists conduct research that may be applied directly to social policy and
welfare, others focus primarily on refining the theoretical understanding of social processes.
Subject matter ranges from the micro- sociology level of individual agency and interaction tothe
macro level of systems and the social structure.
The different traditional focuses of sociology include social stratification, social class, social
mobility, religion, secularization, law, sexuality, gender, and deviance. As all spheres of human
activity are affected by the interplay between social structure and individual agency, sociology has
gradually expanded its focus to other subjects, such as health, medical, economy, military and
penal institutions, the Internet, education, social capital, and the role of social activity in the
development of scientific knowledge.
The range of social scientific methods has also expanded. Social researchers draw upon a
variety of qualitative and quantitative techniques. The linguistic and cultural turns of the mid-20th

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 century led to increasingly interpretative, hermeneutic, and philosophic approaches
towards the analysis of society. Conversely, the end of the 1990s and the beginning of the
2000s have seen the rise of new analytically, mathematically, and computationally rigorous
techniques, such as agent-based modelling and social network analysis.
Social research policy makers, educators, planners, legislators, administrators,
developers, business magnates, managers, social workers, non-governmental organizations,
non-profit organizations, and people interested in resolving social issues in general. There is
often a great deal of crossover between social research, market research, and other statistical
fields.

History of Philippine Art

Pre-Colonial or Pre-Conquest Period
900 - 1521
The Pre-Colonial Period is when our indigenous ancestors inhabited the Philippines and the time before the
coming of our first colonizers. Arts in this time were for ritual purposes or everyday use only. As local
communities were established, art starts to go beyond mere craft, i.e., stone weapons or jewelry but starts
to have decorative elements, meaning, and context.

LITERATURE - It can be in written and oral form. Cave drawings and writings are the earliest forms of
written literature, and rituals, chants, and storytelling are the earliest forms of oral literature.

VISUAL ARTS - Sculpture, paintings, and pottery were the widely known forms of visual arts in the Pre-
Colonial Period, such as the tattoos from the pintados in Panay, the Bulul that is a wooden sculpture of the
rice God of Ifugaos, and the Manunggul burial jar that was found in Palawan.

ARCHITECTURE - Earliest Filipinos are known to be dwelling in caves.

MUSIC - They used wind instruments.

DANCE - They imitate the movements of animals and nature.

In the 13th century, traders and missionaries introduced Islam religion in the Philippines, specifically, Sayyid
Abubakar of Arabia. Islamic art meshed with ethnic culture and produced a Filipino Muslim art that reflects
the ethnic background and Islamic identity.

LITERATURE - Quran reading was introduced, and the Arabic language and writing were taught.

ARCHITECTURE - Early mosques were built made of light materials such as wood, bamboo, and cogon
grass.

SCULPTURE - The traditional art form of this era was known as Ukkil/Okki. It uses geometric and floral
artwork. One popular motif of this art form is the use of imagery of a dragon or serpent.

Islamic Colonial Period

1201 – 1300

In the 13th century, traders and missionaries introduced Islam religion in the Philippines, specifically, Sayyid
Abubakar of Arabia. Islamic art meshed with ethnic culture and produced a Filipino Muslim art that reflects
the ethnic background and Islamic identity.

LITERATURE - Quran reading was introduced, and the Arabic language and writing were taught.

ARCHITECTURE - Early mosques were built made of light materials such as wood, bamboo, and cogon
grass.

SCULPTURE - The traditional art form of this era was known as Ukkil/Okki. It uses geometric and floral
artwork. One popular motif of this art form is the use of imagery of a dragon or serpent.

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Spanish Colonial Period
1521 – 1898

When the Spaniards arrived in the Philippines in 1521, the colonizers used art as a tool to propagate the
Catholic faith through beautiful images. With communication as a problem, the friars used images to explain
the concepts behind Catholicism and to tell the stories of Christ’s life and passion.

LITERATURE - Baybayin from Mangyans of Mindoro was one of the only preserved traditional writings of
the Filipinos, and the Doctrina Christiana (the teachings of
Christianity) was introduced by the Spaniards.

VISUAL ARTS - Most of the artworks express a hidden desire for rebellion against Spain, such as the Basi
Revolt that is a series of 14 paintings by Esteban Villanueva; the Carta Hydrograpica y Chorographica de
Ias Yslas Filipinas that is the first scientific map of the Philippines by Francisco Suarez and Nicolas deal
Cruz Bagay; the Spolarium of Juan Luna that won as the Gold Medalist in Spain; and the Virgenes
Christianas expuestas al Populacho of Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo that won as a Silver Medalist in Madrid,
Spain.

ARCHITECTURE - Plaza Complex was introduced; churches were built in cruciform

following the shape of the Latin Cross; Churches are baroque in design but Filipino design was
incorporated; and houses are known to be Bahay na Bato/Bahay na Tisa.

SCULPTURE - Santos are made of ivory or wood; relleves are known to be the facade of churches; and the
Carroza or the plateria that is a pedestal used in religious Catholic procession where an image is loaded.

MUSIC AND DANCE - Pasyon or Pabasa that narrates about the passion of Christ is introduced in 1742;
the kundiman Filipino love song flourish; and the Opening of the Suez Canal -
Galleon Trade was performed with the dances Pandanggo, tango, polka, dansa, rigodon, habanera, and
jota.

THEATRE - Zarzuela of Sarsuela was developed. It is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates spoken
and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular songs, as well as dance. Another is the
popularly known Easter pageant, Senakulo, or the Passion Play that is a dramatic presentation depicting
the Passion of Jesus Christ: his trial, suffering, and death. It is a traditional part of Lent in several Christian
denominations, particularly in the Catholic tradition. Lastly, the Komedya that was created by Spanish
priests in 1637. It is a play written to dramatize the recent capture by a Christian Filipino army of an Islamic
stronghold. It has different versions which are the Moro-moro of the Tagalogs and the Araguio or Arakyo of
Nueva Ecija.

American Colonial Period

1898 – 1940

The American Colonial Period was classical in nature, and the artworks are in neo-classical and modern
form. One of their greatest contributions to the Philippines is the educational system.

ARCHITECTURE - All architectural designs are classical in nature, including art deco design on buildings
and houses. City planning was a huge step in the development of Manila, where major buildings are Neo-
Classical in designs the same designs used in Washington DC. During this time, Daniel Burnham
commissioned to design Manila and Baguio, while William Parsons implemented the Burnham plans.

THEATRE - Vaudeville is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 1 9th
century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical
situation: a dramatic composition or light poetry, interspersed with songs or ballets. Vaudeville was popular
in the Philippines during the American period up to the Japanese occupation.

VISUAL ARTS - Fernando Amorsolo became famous during the American Period because of his paintings
that depict Filipino culture and Guillermo Tolentino with his famous sculptures, the UP Oblation (1935) and
the Bonifacio Monument (1933).
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Japanese Colonial Period
1942 – 1945

The arrival of the Japanese caused tremendous fear, hardships, and suffering among the Filipinos. The
Filipino way of life was greatly affected during the Japanese period. The Filipinos lost their freedom of
speech and expression. The development of art was also stopped resulting in being the dark period of
Philippine history. It is also during this period where modern art slowly penetrating the art world. Most of the
artworks depict the sentiments of artists during the war. Modern
artists emerged, such as Victorio Edades together with Carlos "Botong" Francisco and Galo Hernandes
who were considered as the "'Triumvirates" that pioneered modern arts in the country.

70's to Contemporary Period

1970 – Present

Contemporary art mirrors contemporary culture and society, offering the general audiences rich resources
to consider current ideas and rethink the familiar. The work of contemporary artists is a dynamic
combination of materials, methods, concepts, and subjects that challenges traditional boundaries and defies
easy definition. Diverse and eclectic, contemporary art is distinguished by the very lack of a uniform
organizing principle, ideology, or -ism.

In this time, culture and art became highlighted during the Marcos regime when Imelda Marcos thought of
having a home for the arts, and the Cultural Center of the Philippines was built.

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