Digital painting in the Philippines: a preliminary study

Abstract

This study entitled “Digital Painting in the Philippines: A Preliminary Study” is a preliminary exploration on the esthetics and practice of digital painting, and the thoughts and opinions of local digital painters on the issues arising from this new art form. The concerns regarding digital painting as an art created with the help of computer technologies were determined and Filipino artists were asked to respond to these issues. This research also aimed to know how digital art and digital painting became an art practiced by artists; to identify the common problems being encountered when painting digitally; and to know the thoughts of Filipino artists on the future of digital painting in the Philippines. Several issues and critiques about digital painting as a mechanically-produced art were identified. First was Walter Benjamin’s (1935) theory in The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. According to him, due to mechanical reproduction, an art object loses its uniqueness and authority, which are significant characteristics of an artwork. There is also a decay of aura, or the art object’s sense of unapproachability. With these, an art object which was mechanically-produced seems to be depreciated. Second was painter-photographer and critic John Holloway’s (2004, as mentioned in Chu, 2007) comments with regard to the art object’s appearance. For him, the images produced in digital painting look too flat, too sterile, and too clean. With this, the art object’s ability to evoke a feeling a soul is being diminished or sometimes lost. Lastly, according to author Jonathan Raimes (2006), one of the primary issues posed on digital painting even from the beginning was the artist’s ability to ‘undo’. For other artists, art theorists and critics, this ability contradicts the ethos in art-making which relies on self discipline. These issues were used to frame the discussion of the study and to see how Filipino digital painters respond to the abovementioned critiques on the art they practice. In conclusion, Filipino artists view digital painting positively despite the issues being posed on it as a mechanically-produced art, though there was also a minority who still prefer the artistry of the traditional paintings. According to the resource persons, since Benjamin’s (1935) theory on mechanical reproduction are inherent characteristics of digital painting, Filipino artists agreed to such critiques. However, they strongly disagreed that these are valid reasons to devalue digital painting. In terms of appearance, the local artists also strongly disagreed to Holloway’s (2004, as mentioned in Chu, 2007) comments on flatness and inability to evoke emotions. For them, this must be attributed to the artist’s style and skills, not the medium he is using. Lastly, Filipino artists said that using the undo button is an artist’s discretion. Judging one’s self-discipline with this measly function is generalizing artists hastily. Nonetheless, using this ability to undo should not make an art less valuable and an artist less competent.