Art Stud 2 Midterm Essay 2

The seashell parol hangs on the windowsill, slowly turning in the rare gust of wind. I stare at it and remember where and when I bought it: Hundred Islands, Alaminos, Pangasinan, during the summer break. It is on the small side, about the size of my open hand, made of little red and white seashells and strung together with twine. It is inexpensive, as far as consumer standards go, sold to tourists at the main car stop. Folk art, as defined by Encarta Encyclopedia, is, “carvings, paintings, needlework, decorated utensils, and other artifacts created by artists and artisans—often anonymous—who have no formal academic training in the arts.” This parol is Folk Art, and I realize I have taken part in one of the main factors that threaten its survival.

Today, more attention is certainly paid to popular, “high,” or even “fine” art. The cultures and traditions that espoused traditional art forms seem to no longer be in fashion, except perhaps as novelty items that hold no intrinsic value to the outsider. And that perhaps is one of the main challenges faced by folk art: it simply wasn’t created to withstand globalization.

Waters (2000) defines globalization as “a process in which the constraints of geography on social and cultural arrangements recede and in which people become increasingly aware that they are receding.” As globalization makes the global society more homogenous, the dominant, or Western culture, becomes more and more prevalent. Some cultures, especially marginalized ones, are perpetually in danger of becoming erased. On the one hand, less and less people will be interested in the traditional, and on the other, given the situation of Philippine indigenous tribes, members of these tribes themselves may find that “joining the tide” is an easier way to live. It is a question of acceptance versus non-conformity, and the opportunity cost is relatively higher when one is non-conformist.

Another threat to Folk Art is commercialization. The fast pace of supply and demand and the Age of the Stock Market attaches a price tag to everything. Even things that were dreamt up by men and women long before money was a word now have a market value. Objects that take a central part in rituals of birth, death and everything in between, like the T’nalak of the T’boli, can now be bought in souvenir shops as pen holders and purses, a far cry from their once sacred purpose, and indeed priceless position, in the society. As mentioned, indigenous tribes are often marginalized, and dire economic conditions often force them to sell their cultures and traditions. In the capitalist setting however, mass production is inevitable, and along with mass production comes a “diluting” of the traditional processes in the name of speed and quantity.

Globalization and commercialization meet in a hybrid of time and space called the World Wide Web, or the Internet. The ultimate torchbearer of the twenty-first century, the Internet has also become a venue for the exploitation of Folk Art. On websites one can see an authentic Igorot bahag for sale alongside the Agung of the Maguindanao, Maranao and Tausug. And not for a very high price either. But the Internet is not all detrimental: various groups advertise their causes to rehabilitate Philippine Folk Art online. Ironically, the largest and most prominent, like Kayamanan ng Lahi Philippine Folk Arts and KULTURA, are based in the United States (Los Angeles and California respectively) because they are headed by Filipino immigrants. According to their official website, Wheatonarts in Millville, New Jersey held a Philippine Folk and Glass Art Workshop. But it is cynicism to see it as a lack of interest of Filipinos in promoting Folk Art. “Interest” in art itself may be seen as a post-materialist concern that immigrants are able to engage in precisely because they have the privilege of economic stability But there are others here in the Philippines, like bloggers, who make travel journals that document Folk Art, and also help in promoting awareness about them. There is also the Ayala Museum that features a Gold of Ancestors exhibition of “Philippine pre-colonial gold artifacts.” But these are luxuries, not venues that the average Filipino can engage in. Lack of information about these art forms is also a vital threat: the average Filipino knows of the Ancient Egyptian mummy but not of the Taka of Paete.

Aside from globalization, commercialization, and exploitation, attempts to industrialize also threaten not only Folk Art but also the multitude of indigenous tribes. Ancestral land is taken away from locals to make way for factories or plantations of raw materials, or even condominiums and subdivisions. Yet other threats are pollution and climate change, because Folk Art utilizes materials taken from the land and the water. Pollution causes destruction of water sources and soil erosion, climate change causes alterations in the overall environment that causes many plants and animals to become extinct.

There are many other threats to Folk Art aside from the ones I mentioned above. The present global landscape is an ever-changing environment that spends little time and attention on cultures, traditions, and the art forms that represent them. Especially in a quintessential post-colonial state like the Philippines, there are far more pressing concerns because of the desire to modernize and become an industrialized society. One can hope that more people and institutions will take part in the preservation of Folk Art, but to hope is not enough. Grounding in history as the Filipino moves into the twenty-first century is vital, lest we run the risk of losing our identity. Information about Folk Art is, I believe, a solid base for its preservation. Proper and extensive documentation, establishment of exhibits and information drives through popular media; eventually, when the cause has become well-known, establishment of laws that will protect not only Folk Art, but also indigenous tribes, to guarantee their security and existence.