1. In the essay by Guillermo (1997), what examples did she provide to demonstrate how medium
forms part of the meaning of the work?
 Stained glass, which is a two-dimensional medium, is used during the Gothic era and is primarily
associated with the Gothic cathedrals of the 12-13th centuries with their rose windows and walls
of stained glass narrating religious episodes. Stained glass with secular designs of fruits and
flowers to adorn residential architecture.
 Mosaic, made out of large variety of materials-- bits of colored paper, postage stamps, eggshells,
and even butterfly wings. It uses such medium because a mosaic meant to fool the eye showcasing
the meaning of the artwork even more.
 Tapestry became an important art in Europe during the 15th century and it uses the medium fabric
with woven designs because in great medieval palaces, it adorns the walls and also served as a
warm buffer against the winter cold. Also, tapestries incorporate different indigenous weaving
techniques and combine different fibers as the medium for textual interest.
 Collages are also a form of 2D expression. George Braque and Pablo Picasso did the first collage
by pasting printed texts from newspapers and also used collage rope and pieces of oilcloth. They
used such medium because they wanted to incorporate actual textures as well as to initiate a play
between the simulated and the “real.”
 Imelda Cajipe-Endaya, on the other hand, creates large expressionist paintings with sawali panels,
old crocheted curtains, towels and denim pants to bring out a sense of familiar environment and
cultural identity.
 Some artists paint with a spray gun for a softly modulated ethereal effect
 For texture, some artists incorporate passages of frottage done by rubbing pencil over a piece of
paper which is placed on a textured surface such as floorboard to get its particular character.
 In sculpture, contemporary artists like Constantin Brancusi used different kinds of metal to convey
grace and harmony.
 Eduardo Castrillo also used metal sheets to show verve and dynamism in the abstract or figurative
mode
 Wood is also one of the mediums used in sculpture. Narra and molave are used because of its
extreme durability and also, they have a warmth of tone and a natural coloration, which ranges
from dark brown to yellow and reddish hues, as well as a fine-grained texture.
 Glass medium is associated primarily with Ramon Orlina who fashions it into free standing
sculpures or integrates it into a structural component.
 Naum Gabo used plexi-glass celluloid, nylon and lucite with stainless thread-like steel springs to
create sculptures in which space seems to flow through the transparent materials.
 The social realist Edgar Fernandez tightly wrapped a jumble of mannequins with a blanket in his
assemblage to convey the effect of figures smothered and suppressed, thus articulating certain
political connotations.
2. Cite your examples that reinforce or refute the argument that medium forms part of the
meaning of the work.
 A medium can literally be anything. At times, artists can become extremely creative about this
whole media and one may encounter things in art that defy belief. Since medium can be just
anything, sometimes artists incorporate human body or things derived from it as medium.
Although it’s quite interesting, it will also question one if the medium is really a part of the
meaning of the work. (refute the argument)
 Artists chose medium that are locally available in his place or artists chose materials that he/she
enjoy working with or those that work best for a particular piece of work. This would also make
me question if medium is an ingredient of the art’s meaning. (refute the argument)
 If I were to carve a statue, and used a sacred wood as my medium, it indicates that the particular
of art I am trying to make is extraordinarily special, thus proving that medium forms part of the
work’s meaning. Indeed, medium is a very significant part of how the piece of art is interpreted.
(reinforcing the argument)
3. Can you define the various techniques in graphic arts, sculpture, and architecture and give one
example for each?

Techniques in Graphic Arts:
Relief- one of the simplest types of printmaking, in which material is carved or taken away from
around the protruding design that is to be printed so that the only design appears.
o Ex: woodcut- Mother and Child, 1960 by Manuel Rodriguez

Intaglio- is the reverse of relief printmaking, wherein the surface does not print but the ink is
held in the engraved grooves of the metal plate. Intaglio includes etching, mezzotint, and
aquatint.
o Ex: Hilltop at Evening by Giorgio Morandi

Planographic or Surface Method- does not involve carving in relief or incising into plates but
instead, printing is done on a perfectly flat slab of stone, such as a limestone, or a prepared
metal plate. An example of this method is lithography, which is based on the antipathy of grease
and water, effecting the separation of areas receiving and areas rejecting the printing ink.
o Ex: Farrier at Work Lithograph by Theodore Gericault

Serigraphy or silkscreen- This process requires a screen of fine silk and masks of paper or lacquer
which I usually used for posters and t-shirt designs.
o Ex: Eight Elvises painting by Andy Warhol

Collography- refers to a combination of relief and print made on any flat surface using different
textured materials, leaves and so on, on the surface to be printed.
o Ex: Collograph #1 by Glen Alps

Plantigraphy- the process of using stencils
o Ex: Hallucinations of Dystopic Future by Czarnobyl

Thermography or embossing- is a printing process that causes text or graphics to be slightly
raised from the substrate.
o Ex: Wedding invitations, diplomas and packaging

Xerography or photocopy- is a printing and photocopying technique that works on the basis of
electrostatic charges. This technique is the dominant method in reproducing images and
printing computer data and is used in photocopiers, laser printers and fax machines.

Viscosity printing- allows the application of several colors simultaneously on a metal plate while
color separation is achieved by a chemical method.
o Ex: Jellyfish by Krishna Reddy
Techniques used in Sculpture:

Carving- is the act of using tools to shape something from a material by scraping away portions
of that material. An example would be wood carving.
o Ex: In Maranao, they have their okir and the Tausug ukkil woodcarving traditions.

Modeling- is an additive process, as opposed to carving, in which portions of a hard substance
are cut away to reveal form. Unlike carving, corrections are possible and the result is not as
permanent as a stone or wood carving.
o Ex: Recumbent Figure by Henry Moore

Casting- involves making a mould and then pouring a liquid material, such as molten metal,
plastic, rubber or fiberglass into the mould.
o Ex: Untitled (Twenty-Four Switches) by Rachel Whiteread

Glazing- an important technique in pottery which imparts a smooth finish, color, and decorative
effects.
o Ex: Pottery

Sand casting- it involves making a mould of special sand from an original model of plaster of
paris, inserting a core and pouring in the molten bronze.
o Ex: Bronze sculpture

Cire perdue or “lost-wax” method- in this process, the space between the model and the
enclosing mould, both often made of clay, is filled with wax fashioned with the desired design,
while the soft outer mould assumes its shapes as it hardens.
o Ex: Figurines and jewelries of T’boli made of alloys of bronze, brass and copper

Process developed by the Caedo father and son sculptors- in which the figure is buit from
bronze shavings pulverized and passed through a sieve until they have the fineness of talcum
powder.
o Ex: Himlayang Pilipino
Architectural Methods:

Lashed construction- this kind of construction prevalent in the tropics is assembled by manual
skill alone, without the aid of fabricated tools for sawing, mortising, and so on.
o Ex: Bahay-kubo – the roof of which can be assembled on the ground then mounted and
lashed on tightly to the posts by means of strong ligaments made of flexible roots or
stems of rattan.

Post-and-lintel construction- this circular megalithic structure consists of three stones in which
two upright stones support a third stone spanning the two.
o Ex: Bahay-na-bato made of stone, wood and tile

Arch and Vault Construction- the construction in stone based on the arch permits a greater span
between the supporting posts or columns than that afforded by the post-and-lintel system.
o Ex: San Augustin Church in Intramuros

Skeleton Construction- This type of construction was made possible by the development of two
modern materials: structural steel and reinforced concrete which combines the strength of
concrete under compression.
o Ex: Philamlife Building on U.N. Avenue in Manila

Cantilever construction. This type of construction also makes use of steel and reinforced
concrete but is particularly characterized by the projection of a unit of the architectural design
beyond its support.
o Ex: Cultural Center of the Philippines building on Roxas Boulevard
Source: (www.britannica.com, www.tate.org.uk>art>sculpture)
4. What is the relation between your impression of the artworks and the techniques used in them?
We can learn to analyze the essence and meaning of an artwork by breaking it down to its component
parts and by breaking it down, we will learn to understand and appreciate the skill and imagination that
was invested in the artwork. Those parts include the visual elements, medium and the techniques used
and with that, viewers come up with an impression and a realization.
The relation between my impression of the artworks and the techniques used in them is that it made me
appreciate the artwork and the artists even more most especially that they devote time, sweat and tears.
In three-dimensional arts, the techniques that were used were a lot more complex and difficult compared
to 2D arts and personally, it only takes a real artist to superbly carve a statue made of wood or stone, or
modeled something out of soft clay material. The artists also emphasized through their techniques the
seemingly strong emotions towards political content synthesizing community’s history, issues and
concerns in their sculptured statues placed in monuments and parks. It brought me to an understanding
of appreciation and the sweeping impulse for change. Whatever technique the artist used, its goal is to
convey meaning in the context of the work’s total meaning and not just insignificant or incidental aspects
of the work.