Beware the eyes…an intriguing and deftly executed new street art project from Barcelona.
Chronicled on tumblr at Ojo Senor
The Streets Have Eyes – Los Ojos de Barcelona
Snuff Bottles – China’s Historical Art and Culture
Snuff bottles were used to store snuff. This display was inside the Asian Civilizations Museum in Singapore. Snuff was powdered tobacco mixed with a blend of aromatic substances. This was rumored to be a magical panacea for common ills, including the cold. It was taken by breathing in the fragrant aromas which were emitted after effervescence. Snuff consumption was a habit that quickly developed into an addiction. It was a manifestation of the class and the upper and ruling classes used it to show off their status and re-instate their place in the social hierarchy.
This practice started in the Qing dynasty, in the 18th century, in China. Due to its reputation of possessing medicinal properties, snuff consumption slowly propagated all over China. China’s weather is humid and the snuff had to be stored in small, portable containers.
Each bottle had its own miniature spoon to scoop out the measured portions of snuff. This tobacco can be placed on a snuff dish or in the palm and slowly enjoyed through breathing in via the nose.
Common flavors of snuff included spearmint, cinnamon, raspberry, orange, rose, menthol, camphor, whiskey, bourbon and tonka bean.
It was insufficient to boast that one smoked snuff. The snuff bottles gained attention when workmanship distinguished their price and uniqueness. The more intricate the design, the more valuable it became and the humble functional snuff bottle became the trophy of merit.
The rich showed off their wealth, status and power by owning exquisitely hand crafted snuff bottles. Precious materials like jade, porcelain, lacquer, amber, coral, hornbill, bamboo or other natural resources were used to make snuff bottles. There is literally no limit in the types of snuff bottles that can be designed. The snuff bottle is the average size of a bottle of prescription medicine from the doctor.
http://artculture.com/culture/traditions/snuff-bottles
"street art on the reservation"
Chip Thomas is a man with multiple identities. He’s a longtime Indian Health Service physician working on the Navajo Reservation. He’s also a great photographer. He’s also the wheatpaste artist known asJetsorama, and his large, street art-style images of the people in his community resonate with striking power against the stark Arizona landscape.
A site-specific installation by French and Chinese contemporary artist Huang Yong Ping is on display at theOceanographic Museum in Monaco. Titled ”Wu Zei”, the work accompanies the museum’s “Méditerranée”exhibition dedicated to dwindling biodiversity of the Mediterranean Sea.
Wu Zei is a giant sea creature 25 meters across, meant to be a hybrid between an octopus and a cuttlefish. It hangs suspended from the museum’s famous Medusa chandelier–hence the glowing head–with tentacles reaching out into the exhibition space. The creature both evokes the life of the sea and refers to the looming, human-caused disasters that threaten marine life.
The installation is the latest an impressive series of efforts by the museum to link science–oceanography in particular–with art. The series includes last year’s Cornocopia exhibition by Damien Hirst, and an installation by Mark Dion coming later this year. Wu Zei will remain on view through May 2012.
A fast-rising star of theArgentinian art world,Adrián Villar Rojaswill represent his native country at this year’s Biennele in Venice. At just 31, he will be one of the youngest artists to be given the honors of national representation.
Adrián Villar Rojas emerged on the Buenos Aires art scene with exhibitions in 2004-2005, and achieved broader recognition in 2008-2009 in international exhibitions in Ecuador and Puerto Rico. In 2009 he produced his already iconic Mi familia muerta (my dead family), an enormous whale stranded in a forest, for the 2nd Biennial of the End of the World in Ushuaia, Argentina. Since 2010 his reputation has grown with the presentation of new large-scale works including Las mariposas eternas (the eternal butterflies) at the Kurimanzutto Gallery in Mexico City, and Mi abuelo muerto (my dead grandfather), a site-specific installation at the Berlin Academy of Art.
Rojas produces multimedia works that address broad, unanswerable but pressing questions about the nature of humanity and the fate of the world. His entry for theVenice Biennale 2011 promises to continue the line of monumental clay sculptures that began with Mi familia muerta, exploring themes of multiple realities and the nature of a civilization’s final aesthetic productions, “the last artwork of humanity.”Rojas highlights both his Argentinian creative heritage and metaphysical preoccupations in the title of his Venice entry: Ahora estaré con mi hijo (Now I shall be with my son) is a line from the Borges story “The Circular Ruins”. In the story a mystic spends years attempting to bring a boy to life by dreaming him into existence–only to discover, in the moments before his death, that he himself is the product of another’s dream. Rojas’s dream-become-real will soon be on display in the Argentina Pavilion at the Arsenale di Venezia.
“I build monuments because I’m not ready to lose anything.” Adrián Villar Rojas
I LOVE PAINTINGS
The festivities begin with the opening of Recent Paintings at Michael Kohn Gallery May 19. The show includes representative pieces from several recent bodies of work, in addition to a series of new paintings. Expect plenty of color and graphic complexity, in service of a world view that may or may not be illuminating.
THE FINE ART OF SURFING PHOTOGRAPHY
LA photographer and gallery owner Ed Freeman wants to takesurfing photography to a higher level. Which is not easy, given the vast cultural archive of imagery associated with perhaps the most photogenic of sports. Surf shots are fun to look at, documenting a unique convergence of raw natural beauty and human skill, grace and fortitude.
For his new show, Freeman tries to position his images outside the realm of documentary sports photography. He calls it “surfing photography as fine art”, and acknowledges up front that “this is not reportage photography…I’ve taken all the liberties in editing and retouching that are permitted to artists but forbidden to journalists.”
Freeman starts with a series of amazing images taken on Oahu’s North Shore. His artistic refinements and digital enhancements turn these into jaw-droppers. The stated goal is to capture not just the grace and beauty of surfing, but it’s spiritual heart and soul.
The show opens June 11 and runs all summer at the Ed Freeman Gallery. It’s at 945 Chung King Road in downtown LA.
Cultural Dance in Korea
This is one of the most popular and appealing Korean folk dances both at home and
abroad. This dance is performed by a troupe of youth with folding fans. The dancers
open and close the fans with a lighthearted smile to a flowing rhythm. The climax is
when the dancers form a big fluttering flower. They wear colorful costumes akin to
those once worn by dancers of the royal court. Note the crowns of peony blossoms
which are painted on their fans. It appears to have evolved under influence of both
shamanic and traditional Joseon Dynasty performance.
A JAPANESE DRESS
Kimono is a dress that the Japanese always wear. Kimono is a tradional dress in Japan. Like jere on our country we also have a traditinal dress we call it "Barong Tagalog"
Traditional clothing of the Edo period, (1600-1868), included the kimono and obi as we know them today. The obi did not, however, become a prominent part of a woman’s ensemble until the mid Edo period. It was then that designers, weavers and dyers all focused their talent on creating a longer, wider and more elaborate obi. Obi measurement was then standardised to 360cm long by 30cm wide.
Edo fashion was influenced by the design and style that courtesans and entertainers wear. Women of the samurai class continued to wear the simpler kosodekimono, tied together with an obi made of braided cords. Outside the samurai class, women experimented with a more elaboratekimono - the furisode, which is often seen on the Kabuki stage. Characterised by long, flowing sleeves, the furisode kimono was accented by a large, loosely tied obi.
For many years, the obi bow was tied either at the front or on the side. By the mid-Edo period, the obi bow was tied in the back position. It was said that this style started in the mid-1700s when a Kabuki actor, imitating a young girl, came on stage with his obi tied in the back. Another reason that the back position became more acceptable was that the sheer bulk of the wider obi became too cumbersome to be positioned in the front of the kimono.
The Meiji era, (1868-1912) witnessed a revolution in the textile industry with the advent of electric weaving looms and chemical dying techniques from the West. During this time, a woman's kimono ceased to be worn in the free-flowing style of the earlier days. The new fashion was to tuck the kimono at the waist to adjust the length of the kimono to the woman's height. These tucks and folds were visible and became part of the art of tying the obi.
Edo fashion was influenced by the design and style that courtesans and entertainers wear. Women of the samurai class continued to wear the simpler kosodekimono, tied together with an obi made of braided cords. Outside the samurai class, women experimented with a more elaboratekimono - the furisode, which is often seen on the Kabuki stage. Characterised by long, flowing sleeves, the furisode kimono was accented by a large, loosely tied obi.
For many years, the obi bow was tied either at the front or on the side. By the mid-Edo period, the obi bow was tied in the back position. It was said that this style started in the mid-1700s when a Kabuki actor, imitating a young girl, came on stage with his obi tied in the back. Another reason that the back position became more acceptable was that the sheer bulk of the wider obi became too cumbersome to be positioned in the front of the kimono.
The Meiji era, (1868-1912) witnessed a revolution in the textile industry with the advent of electric weaving looms and chemical dying techniques from the West. During this time, a woman's kimono ceased to be worn in the free-flowing style of the earlier days. The new fashion was to tuck the kimono at the waist to adjust the length of the kimono to the woman's height. These tucks and folds were visible and became part of the art of tying the obi.
GEISHA "A JAPANESE CULTURE"
Geisha (芸者 "person of the arts") are traditional Japanese artist-entertainers. The word Geiko is also used to describe such persons. Geisha were very common in the 18th and 19th centuries, and are still in existence today, although their numbers are dwindling. "Geisha," pronounced /ˈgeɪ ʃa/ ("gay-sha") is the most familiar term to English speakers, and the most commonly used within Japan as well, but in the Kansai region the terms geigi and, for apprentice geisha, "Maiko" have also been used since the Meiji Restoration. The term maiko is only used inKyoto districts. The English pronunciation ˈgi ʃa ("gee-sha") or the phrase "geisha girl," common during the American occupation of Japan, carry connotations of prostitution, as some young women, desperate for money and calling themselves "geisha," sold themselves to American troops.
The geisha tradition evolved from the taikomochi or hōkan, similar to court jesters. The first geisha were all male; as women began to take the role they were known as onna geisha (女芸者), or "woman artist (female form)." Geisha today are exclusively female, aside from the Taikomochi. Taikomochi are exceedingly rare. Only three are currently registered in Japan. They tend to be far more bawdy than geisha. Other public figures who contributed to the creation of the modern geisha were Oiran, or courtesans, and Odoriko, dancing girls. The Odoriko in particular influenced geisha to include dance as part of their artistic repertoire.
"THE LAST SUPPER"
Last Supper is Leonardo's visual interpretation of an event chronicled in all four of the Gospels (books in the Christian New Testament). The evening before Christ was betrayed by one of his disciples, he gathered them together to eat, tell them he knew what was coming and wash their feet (a gesture symbolizing that all were equal under the eyes of the Lord). As they ate and drank together, Christ gave the disciples explicit instructions on how to eat and drink in the future, in remembrance of him. It was the first celebration of the Eucharist, a ritual still performed.
Specifically, Last Supper depicts the next few seconds in this story after Christ dropped the bombshell that one disciple would betray him before sunrise, and all twelve have reacted to the news with different degrees of horror, anger and shock.
"LA GIOCONDA"
Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa is one of the most famous and most celebrated works of all time. The mastery of the painting lies in its subtle detail, including the faint smile, and Mona Lisa's distinctive gaze. The work is said to have been commissioned by a gentleman named Francesco del Giocondo, who hired Leonardo to paint a portrait of his wife, and this is why The Mona Lisa is sometimes referred to as La Gioconda. While this is a theory on the origination of the painting, scholars have disagreed throughout the ages about how factual this story really is.
The Mona Lisa, aside from being one of the most recognized works in the history of art, is also one of the most widely reproduced works ever. Of course there are numerous Da Vinci posters available, many of which are of The Mona Lisa, available in different hues and a variety of sizes, there are also many other reproductions of the work. For instance, Andy Warhol used the Mona Lisa in the creation of one of his prints, and Botero reproduced his own version of The Mona Lisa, a cartoon-like oil painting. In 1954,Salvador Dali created a self-portrait of himself as Mona Lisa.The use of The Mona Lisa does not end there; The Mona Lisa has been the inspiration behind countless novelty items including clothing, jewelry, houseware, as well as having been used in many modern day advertisements. La Gioconda has even been reproduced topless, and the Da Vinci poster has been turned into a mockery with the Mona Lisa in possession of marijuana, and even sporting hair curlers or braces.
THE MAN BEHIND MONA LISA
Leonardo da Vinci means “Leonardo from the town of Vinci,” and is generally referred to in short as “Leonardo” rather than as “da Vinci” He received a fresh burst of public interest in 2003 with the publication of The Da Vinci Code. Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most prominent artists around the world, and his fame will never cease.
Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452, near the village of Vinci about 25 miles west of Florence. He was the illegitimate son of Ser Piero da Vinci, a prominent notary of Florence.
When Leonardo was 15, his father apprenticed him to Andrea del Verrocchio, the leading artist of Florence and a characteristic talent of the early Renaissance. Verrocchio’s great skill and passionate concern for quality of execution, as well as his interest in expressing the vital mobility of the human figure, were important elements in Leonardo’s artistic formation. His earliest known painting is a product of his collaboration with the master as Leonardo stayed on as an assistant in Verrocchio’s shop after completing his apprenticeship. It was a standard procedure in the Italian Renaissance.
"HIS MASTERPIECE"
Lavendera. 1936. Oil on panel. 15 1/2 x 12 1/2 (replacement gold leaf frame 21 x 18). Professionally restored 2-inch vertical crack, lower center. Signed 'F Amorsolo' and dated, lower right. This painting comes with a certificate of authenticity from Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo, the artist's daughter and studio assistant. Illustrated: Maestro Fernando C. Amorsolo Recollections of the Amorsolo Family, page 139. Price upon request.
A woman wearing a red skirt and sash, and a white blouse and head covering, holds up the clothes she is washing with her left hand. According to Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo, "This scene could be in one of the streams in Marilao, or Sta. Maria, or Bocaue in Bulacan Province as these are the places he frequented spending time working on the spot. Marilao is the place where he saw and courted my mother. The tree at the back that has the color like of bamboo plants could be just wild bushes with the bright light of the sun striking it. One could a portion of this plant in between the rocks. The tree at the right side is definitely not a mango tree. With the vines hanging from it, it could be that of a balete tree.
( I really admire him for his creativity and love for his obra or his masterpiece)
-Fernando Amorsolo's Obra
"OUR ANCESTOR"
The first Filipino who was distinguished as the Philippines National Artist in Painting was Fernando Amorsolo in 1972. His paintings were exhibited on January 23, 1969 during the inauguration of the Manila Hilton's art center and he was named as the "Grand Old Man of Philippine Arts". Amorsolo's works covered a variety of subjects but he was especially known for ideal and romantic subjects that portrays the images of life in the countryside of Filipino women such as the Dalagang Bukid or Dalagang Nayon. He also painted historical paintings on pre-colonial and Spanish colonization and events of Filipino customs, fiestas, occupations and cultures.The technique of backlighting and the use of natural light were Amorsolo's trademarks.
"im an artist"
ROMEO V. TABUENA
Born in 1921, Iloilo City. UP Fine Arts. Learned his craft with the AAP, at the Students’ Art League in New York on a grand tour of Europe, and at the Academie de la Chaumiere in Paris. Shows and exhibits in Washington D. C., New York, LA, Chicago, New Mexico, New Jersey, Sao Paolo and in known European galleries. Works featured in publications like the “American Artists”, “Diplomat”, “Literary Review” and the “Reporter”.
His creative output are much in demand and paintings are in the collection of known international art connoisseurs and museums. Considered today as the most prominent living Filipino painter, acclaimed in both Europe and the Americas. Listed in “Who’s Who in American Art.” Residing in Mexico for the past two decades with his Norwegian wife Nina.
Born in 1921, Iloilo City. UP Fine Arts. Learned his craft with the AAP, at the Students’ Art League in New York on a grand tour of Europe, and at the Academie de la Chaumiere in Paris. Shows and exhibits in Washington D. C., New York, LA, Chicago, New Mexico, New Jersey, Sao Paolo and in known European galleries. Works featured in publications like the “American Artists”, “Diplomat”, “Literary Review” and the “Reporter”.
His creative output are much in demand and paintings are in the collection of known international art connoisseurs and museums. Considered today as the most prominent living Filipino painter, acclaimed in both Europe and the Americas. Listed in “Who’s Who in American Art.” Residing in Mexico for the past two decades with his Norwegian wife Nina.
( i am not very much familiar of this man but when i saw his painting i feel that i am also an artist, and i'm proud i'm a Filipino)
The Art of MIni
(source:http://www.abcarticledirectory.com)
Summarized briefly, miniature painting is a form of painting that is deeply rooted in many cultures and spans centuries. The Lathams are a family of American artists practicing it in today’s modern art market of galleries and exhibitions. As an artist, Rebecca Latham as well as her mother, Karen, and sister, Bonnie, strive for detail in their painting. Studying with a Flemish master, they have developed their styles for painting extreme realism. Their works, both large and small, are painted “in miniature”.
Early Beginnings
Miniature painting is a traditional style of art that is very detailed, often referred to as painting or working “in miniature”. Because of their origins as illuminations, they are also painted to have as smooth of a surface as possible. (It is also suggested that miniature art may have been influenced by the medals of ancient Rome as well) Miniature art can be traced back to ancient Egyptian manuscripts on papyrus scrolls. Monks are also often highlighted for their contributions to early miniature painting with their beautifully illuminated manuscripts such as the Celtic Book of Kells and England's Lindisfarne Gospels (both of which measure around 9" x 12"). Some early manuscripts contain miniature paintings on their pages that depict beautiful arrangements of life sized flower arrangements on their borders. The history of miniature painting is also seen throughout the world in various other cultures.
Miniature painting began out of necessity for illustrating documents and manuscripts to aid those reading them during a time when many were not able to, before printing was invented. The miniature helped to convey the story and meaning of the written word. Therefore, the art of miniature painting is directly connected to the book arts. The various sized illuminations (pictures) were cut out of these books or documents so that they could be carried more easily. Later, developing from the carried miniature, portrait miniature artists were commissioned to paint small portraits – paintings that were used as we use wallet sized photographs today. These sizes of miniature paintings became popular with collectors and are often referred to as “hand held miniatures”. Portrait miniatures were painted in larger sizes as well, for example master miniaturist, Nicholas Hilliard, Peter Oliver, and Sir Charles William Ross all painted works that were of a larger size.
Sizes
Miniature painting is sometimes confused and assumed that the pieces must be small or depict subjects on a smaller scale to be considered miniature art, though this is not the case. It is helpful to keep in mind that the origins of the term "miniature" have nothing to do with a size. The word miniature comes from the terms 'minium' (used for the red lead paint used in illuminated manuscripts) and 'miniare' (Latin for 'to color with red lead').
Miniature painting is a style and technique of painting, and as such, a wall sized work could be painted “in miniature”. Authors of the Yale University Press publication, “The English Miniature” have stated that miniatures have been painted large and some works are even considered to be gigantic. Numerous faculty members of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London confirm that miniature paintings are not restricted to smallness. Larger sized miniature paintings are documented throughout history and are recognized today, though painting larger works in miniature is more difficult and time consuming than a smaller piece if the same attention to detail is observed. Miniature art is also unique in that it was and is often used on objects, such as the Russian lacquer boxes that are beautiful examples of Russian miniature painting.
Exhibitions
Today, there are miniature art societies in western society to help promote and preserve traditional miniature art and the “spirit of miniature”. Their exhibitions feature the hand held miniature paintings (or sculptures) and each exhibition has its own unique guidelines and rules for artists showing in their exhibit. Some of these rules limit the size of work to be no larger than a set square inch. Others limit the size of a subject, such at the 1/6th scale rule that a subject may not be painted larger than 1/6th of it's natural size, or the 2” rule, that an object in the painting may not exceed 2”. Scale rules were initially put in place as a guide for artists starting out in miniature art. There are also many framing restrictions for society miniature works as well. All of these rules are put into place by each show for their own individual and unique exhibitions, and do not define what miniature art is.
Artists painting miniatures throughout history were not restricted in their artwork by scale as their subjects were painted to any measurement or scale that the artist deemed pleasing to the eye and their patrons, for both manuscripts and other miniatures. Subjects that are naturally small in size, such as butterflies and insects, were painted life sized. Thus the 1/6th scale rule that is used by some shows and societies today unfortunately causes a bit of confusion to those new to the art form who commonly assume that is it a part of a mechanical criteria of the miniature's definition. The world's experts in miniatures do not recognize the rule as legitimate, and view those embracing it as unknowledgeable, and dismiss them.
The term "miniature", as it addresses miniature painting, is often confused with "miniaturize" and some miniature art exhibitions do not refer to miniature as it's initial meaning of techniques, but rather the size of the painting (miniaturized painting). They are two very separate descriptions.
Miniature painting is an art form that is very rich in history that continues today by artists from around the globe. The beautiful ornamental qualities of the miniature should be preserved whether it be the intricate large pieces, or intimate hand held works.
Early Beginnings
Miniature painting is a traditional style of art that is very detailed, often referred to as painting or working “in miniature”. Because of their origins as illuminations, they are also painted to have as smooth of a surface as possible. (It is also suggested that miniature art may have been influenced by the medals of ancient Rome as well) Miniature art can be traced back to ancient Egyptian manuscripts on papyrus scrolls. Monks are also often highlighted for their contributions to early miniature painting with their beautifully illuminated manuscripts such as the Celtic Book of Kells and England's Lindisfarne Gospels (both of which measure around 9" x 12"). Some early manuscripts contain miniature paintings on their pages that depict beautiful arrangements of life sized flower arrangements on their borders. The history of miniature painting is also seen throughout the world in various other cultures.
Miniature painting began out of necessity for illustrating documents and manuscripts to aid those reading them during a time when many were not able to, before printing was invented. The miniature helped to convey the story and meaning of the written word. Therefore, the art of miniature painting is directly connected to the book arts. The various sized illuminations (pictures) were cut out of these books or documents so that they could be carried more easily. Later, developing from the carried miniature, portrait miniature artists were commissioned to paint small portraits – paintings that were used as we use wallet sized photographs today. These sizes of miniature paintings became popular with collectors and are often referred to as “hand held miniatures”. Portrait miniatures were painted in larger sizes as well, for example master miniaturist, Nicholas Hilliard, Peter Oliver, and Sir Charles William Ross all painted works that were of a larger size.
Sizes
Miniature painting is sometimes confused and assumed that the pieces must be small or depict subjects on a smaller scale to be considered miniature art, though this is not the case. It is helpful to keep in mind that the origins of the term "miniature" have nothing to do with a size. The word miniature comes from the terms 'minium' (used for the red lead paint used in illuminated manuscripts) and 'miniare' (Latin for 'to color with red lead').
Miniature painting is a style and technique of painting, and as such, a wall sized work could be painted “in miniature”. Authors of the Yale University Press publication, “The English Miniature” have stated that miniatures have been painted large and some works are even considered to be gigantic. Numerous faculty members of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London confirm that miniature paintings are not restricted to smallness. Larger sized miniature paintings are documented throughout history and are recognized today, though painting larger works in miniature is more difficult and time consuming than a smaller piece if the same attention to detail is observed. Miniature art is also unique in that it was and is often used on objects, such as the Russian lacquer boxes that are beautiful examples of Russian miniature painting.
Exhibitions
Today, there are miniature art societies in western society to help promote and preserve traditional miniature art and the “spirit of miniature”. Their exhibitions feature the hand held miniature paintings (or sculptures) and each exhibition has its own unique guidelines and rules for artists showing in their exhibit. Some of these rules limit the size of work to be no larger than a set square inch. Others limit the size of a subject, such at the 1/6th scale rule that a subject may not be painted larger than 1/6th of it's natural size, or the 2” rule, that an object in the painting may not exceed 2”. Scale rules were initially put in place as a guide for artists starting out in miniature art. There are also many framing restrictions for society miniature works as well. All of these rules are put into place by each show for their own individual and unique exhibitions, and do not define what miniature art is.
Artists painting miniatures throughout history were not restricted in their artwork by scale as their subjects were painted to any measurement or scale that the artist deemed pleasing to the eye and their patrons, for both manuscripts and other miniatures. Subjects that are naturally small in size, such as butterflies and insects, were painted life sized. Thus the 1/6th scale rule that is used by some shows and societies today unfortunately causes a bit of confusion to those new to the art form who commonly assume that is it a part of a mechanical criteria of the miniature's definition. The world's experts in miniatures do not recognize the rule as legitimate, and view those embracing it as unknowledgeable, and dismiss them.
The term "miniature", as it addresses miniature painting, is often confused with "miniaturize" and some miniature art exhibitions do not refer to miniature as it's initial meaning of techniques, but rather the size of the painting (miniaturized painting). They are two very separate descriptions.
Miniature painting is an art form that is very rich in history that continues today by artists from around the globe. The beautiful ornamental qualities of the miniature should be preserved whether it be the intricate large pieces, or intimate hand held works.
Below is a video featuring miniature paintings done by a Filipino- Nelson M. Castillo, the father of Philippine Miniature Paintings.
I AM A FILIPINO
by: Carlos P. Romulo
I am a Filipino - inheritor of a glorious past, hostage to the uncertain future. As such I must prove equal to a two-fold task- the task of meeting my responsibility to the past, and the task of performing my obligation to the future. I sprung from a hardy race - child of many generations removed of ancient Malayan pioneers. Across the centuries, the memory comes rushing back to me: of brown-skinned men putting out to sea in ships that were as frail as their hearts were stout. Over the sea I see them come, borne upon the billowing wave and the whistling wind, carried upon the mighty swell of hope- hope in the free abundance of new land that was to be their home and their children's forever.
This is the land they sought and found. Every inch of shore that their eyes first set upon, every hill and mountain that beckoned to them with a green and purple invitation, every mile of rolling plain that their view encompassed, every river and lake that promise a plentiful living and the fruitfulness of commerce, is a hollowed spot to me.
By the strength of their hearts and hands, by every right of law, human and divine, this land and all the appurtenances thereof - the black and fertile soil, the seas and lakes and rivers teeming with fish, the forests with their inexhaustible wealth in wild life and timber, the mountains with their bowels swollen with minerals - the whole of this rich and happy land has been, for centuries without number, the land of my fathers. This land I received in trust from them and in trust will pass it to my children, and so on until the world no more.
I am a Filipino. In my blood runs the immortal seed of heroes - seed that flowered down the centuries in deeds of courage and defiance. In my veins yet pulses the same hot blood that sent Lapulapu to battle against the alien foe that drove Diego Silang and Dagohoy into rebellion against the foreign oppressor.
That seed is immortal. It is the self-same seed that flowered in the heart of Jose Rizal that morning in Bagumbayan when a volley of shots put an end to all that was mortal of him and made his spirit deathless forever; the same that flowered in the hearts of Bonifacio in Balintawak, of Gergorio del Pilar at Tirad Pass, of Antonio Luna at Calumpit; that bloomed in flowers of frustration in the sad heart of Emilio Aguinaldo at Palanan, and yet burst fourth royally again in the proud heart of Manuel L. Quezon when he stood at last on the threshold of ancient Malacañang Palace, in the symbolic act of possession and racial vindication.
The seed I bear within me is an immortal seed. It is the mark of my manhood, the symbol of dignity as a human being. Like the seeds that were once buried in the tomb of Tutankhamen many thousand years ago, it shall grow and flower and bear fruit again. It is the insigne of my race, and my generation is but a stage in the unending search of my people for freedom and happiness.
I am a Filipino, child of the marriage of the East and the West. The East, with its languor and mysticism, its passivity and endurance, was my mother, and my sire was the West that came thundering across the seas with the Cross and Sword and the Machine. I am of the East, an eager participant in its struggles for liberation from the imperialist yoke. But I also know that the East must awake from its centuried sleep, shape of the lethargy that has bound his limbs, and start moving where destiny awaits.
For, I, too, am of the West, and the vigorous peoples of the West have destroyed forever the peace and quiet that once were ours. I can no longer live, being apart from those world now trembles to the roar of bomb and cannon shot. For no man and no nation is an island, but a part of the main, there is no longer any East and West - only individuals and nations making those momentous choices that are hinges upon which history resolves.
At the vanguard of progress in this part of the world I stand - a forlorn figure in the eyes of some, but not one defeated and lost. For through the thick, interlacing branches of habit and custom above me I have seen the light of the sun, and I know that it is good. I have seen the light of justice and equality and freedom and my heart has been lifted by the vision of democracy, and I shall not rest until my land and my people shall have been blessed by these, beyond the power of any man or nation to subvert or destroy.
I am a Filipino, and this is my inheritance. What pledge shall I give that I may prove worthy of my inheritance? I shall give the pledge that has come ringing down the corridors of the centuries, and it shall be compounded of the joyous cries of my Malayan forebears when they first saw the contours of this land loom before their eyes, of the battle cries that have resounded in every field of combat from Mactan to Tirad pass, of the voices of my people when they sing:
Out of the lush green of these seven thousand isles, out of the heartstrings of sixteen million people all vibrating to one song, I shall weave the mighty fabric of my pledge. Out of the songs of the farmers at sunrise when they go to labor in the fields; out of the sweat of the hard-bitten pioneers in Mal-ig and Koronadal; out of the silent endurance of stevedores at the piers and the ominous grumbling of peasants Pampanga; out of the first cries of babies newly born and the lullabies that mothers sing; out of the crashing of gears and the whine of turbines in the factories; out of the crunch of ploughs upturning the earth; out of the limitless patience of teachers in the classrooms and doctors in the clinics; out of the tramp of soldiers marching, I shall make the pattern of my pledge:Land of the Morning,Child of the sun returning…Ne'er shall invadersTrample thy sacred shore.
"I am a Filipino born of freedom and I shall not rest until freedom shall have been added unto my inheritance - for myself and my children's children - forever.
(a proud filipino i am, a descendant of one once called damn. But still, i will stand dignified, for in my vein runs the filipino blood. Below is a video portraying the beauty, elegance, finesse and uniqueness of filipinos in terms of arts, music and dance.)
Our Culture
We are all just
Just here looking all around
Around the world, we have come
Come to a land
Land of fortune
Fortune to all, we are all different
Different we dare, show us your culture
Culture is all around us
Us be taught, us be educated
Educated we will survive
Survive as many peoples
Peoples are very dear
Dear to our country
Country is our home
Home to very many
Many different cultures
Australian culture, of course.
- by: Paul Barratt
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