The Oblation statue of the University of the Philippines has always been its icon-- a physical thing that once seen, instantly reminds us of a free institution it represents. The Oblation is a work of art by National Artist Guillermo Tolentino that shows a selfless offering of oneself to the country. The masterpiece fits the definition of art by Suzanne Langer, "Art molds our actual life of feeling; by giving form to the world, it articulates human

nature, sensibility, energy, passion, and mortality." Seeing the oblation statue 2 years ago for the first time made me feel an intense pride and honor. The Oblation allowed me to feel a burning passion for connecting all the skills I acquired to empower the calls of the masses that we must truly serve.

• Art is undeniably a representation of something. However, art is also subjective where we cannot impose what we see, feel, and believe to a certain art to others since we all have different interpretation of things, just like art. For me, instrumental music and the abstract art by Kandinsky can still be considered as an art. For some, it might not represent something due to some reasons but for some, it still represents something.

Art as “expression.” Among the key concepts, this is likely the well-known dimension of art. You hear people say,

“I paint (or dress) this way to express myself.” How does ‘expression’ relate to the artistic process, in general, or the

artist, in particular? How does this compare with art as representation?

• Art is an expression in the same way as it is a representation. Since it is a representation of something, the way someone express themselves in different forms like fashion, aesthetics, and the like, allows them to represent themselves and this is also seen in their own artistic process.

- As per Lopez, art was a utilitarian device, and by that, it is useful by all means and should connect with society. In Literature and Society, he emphasized that not all artists write about the struggles and oppressions experienced by society and would rather opt out from it saying that they have nothing to do with that certain struggle. Some say that the world is already too much, and we can use art as an escape and rather focus on creating beautiful products from our imagination. It was even argued in the commentary that a poem may be a plain poem and though it is plain, it could still potentially uplift someone’s inner self and push a change within to begin. The thinking that the world is too ugly so we must at least find something beautiful in it is the concept that some think when they separate art from society. I agree that we must not only focus on the negativities in this world because indeed, we all need to see the beauty of something. However, that does not mean that we must neglect the oppression, violence, injustices, and the like that surrounds us. I don’t think art should be separated from society because what we see, hear, and experience in this world transcends to the art that we do, and it is through our art that we can contribute to opening up the minds of the fanatics and shaking the untouchable fascists.

2. Why is it detrimental to believe that art is a form of escape?

- In “Literature and Society,” some view art as a form of escape, a reason why the purpose of a pen was different from the purpose of a sword. For some, art was meant to be simply crafting something beautiful and not political in any sense. Thinking like this is one of the many manifestations that our country has not learned from the past. If we can remember our history, it was a pen and a revolutionary mind that allowed us to be independent from our colonizers. Though it is different from a sword, a pen could still be our way of attacking our oppressors making sure that people will be free from their manipulations. As an artist, you can either use your art as an escape or as a platform to make a change. Escaping instead of using your skills is also the same as turning a blind eye to what’s happening around you. Believing that concept will only do more harm than good. Surely, you rejected negativity in your life, but the atrocities around you will just continue.

3. Why is it important for art to address the “problems of the artist’s time”?

- In the commentary, it was argued that writing about social issues is not a permanent thing since these issues will certainly be just part of the past in years to come unlike creative writing, the piece you make is immortal and universal. Based on what Lopez was trying to say, art that addresses a societal issue or a problem in the artist’s time is an act of selflessness. It is at this time that the skills one is blessed with are used to bless the minds of others who are caged in a rigged system of society. Hopefully, the problems of today are just past in tomorrow’s time, but art can be used as proof that these problems happened, a thing that will constantly remind us of what atrocities transpired in the past and how the past was able to overcome them. Our country as an example is in a saddening cycle of cruelty, that what happened in the past continuously happens in the present as people never learn from it. That is already a testament to how important it is to write about the current issues to ensure that revisionism and distortion have no place in our collective memory and history.

4. What does Lopez mean when he said that writers and artists should be “teachers of men”?

- In Lopez’s work, he emphasized the point of using art as a way to reveal truth, encourage discourse, reveal injustices, and the like. He then compared artists based on who was better than who, like Shakespeare being a better artist than Marlowe, Shelly than Keats, and the like, saying that their works are not merely beautiful but also something vulgar and brave, thus being teachers of men. I bet Lopez was trying to say that their work of art is something that teaches artists the beauty of art that is used not only to imagine beautiful things but also to be critical about something, to reveal a thing that is beneficial to society and not just to the artist himself. These artists, or any other that does something selfless, using the power they hold as a platform to be catalysts of change, should be an inspiration when we do art.

5. Why does Lopez think that the highest form of art is emancipatory?

- Upon reading his work, I can say that Lopez thinks that the highest form of art is emancipatory since art has the power to free us from the atrocities of society. The skills and beauty of what artists do should not be just merely imaginative and beautiful. It must also be brave enough to talk about the problems of the present times. The knowledge one can bring through his art is already a huge thing as this allows minds who are under control to be free and for people to be wary of reality.

The K-drama series "Save Me" was released in 2017, following the plot of a family moving to a rural town and lured into a facade of a "peaceful church" that turned out to be a cult full of violence, harassment, and the like. To be specific, we'll focus on Episodes 6-7, where the main character Sang-mi, was sexually assaulted by the cult leader. Though Sang-Mi has already doubts about the church, her parents continuously support it. In that certain episode/s, Sang-Mi became the "spiritual mother" who will be partnered with the cult leader who was regarded as the "spiritual father." The episode, or even the entire series, depicts what the material says that the Church is one of the biggest Ideological State Apparatuses. The beliefs of one individual are often used and manipulated, like what the cult leader did, for their own gain.

The series and certain episodes are not my favorites at all. Something as cruel as that is not supposed to be enjoyed but rather be critical of. Though violence is present in the series, it is still an Ideological State Apparatus since it is the ideology that turns those individuals into subjects to be controlled. Watching it before already made me feel uncomfortable, but watching it again after having a brief knowledge of what ideology is, allowed me to have a deeper understanding of it. Such ideology is indeed at risk, given that one normal individual can use it to do something bad to you.

Reflect on why contemporary artists move away from the modernist styles of the 20th century such as Expressionism, Cubism, and Pop Art?

• As time passes, art forms evolve, too. Comparing expressionism, cubism, and pop art to other old art forms, it is indisputable that they have progressed to something more artistic and meaningful. Different forms, styles, and techniques are used in crafting art that conveys deep meaning. According to Alice Guillermo's Art and Society, the content of art conveys different ideas, feelings, values, and socio-political contexts in which art is created. It was said that art resists a universal and fixed definition, and with this, it does not stick to one form or period only. Contemporary artists deviate from the other art forms of the past, like modernist styles, due to different realities seen and experienced in society by the artist. Different forms and creativity are now experimented with and used to convey a deep socio-political meaning in their art. Personally, I think one factor as to why there is the rise of contemporary art in the Philippines apart from us being in the contemporary world is also due to the long era of censoring and limiting art with socio-political contexts. The new era of art is now more open and diverse, where bravery can be seen in every bit of art.

Upon reading Walter Benjamin's text, I learned that what I did does not immediately mean that it is not an art, but rather reproduced and only lost its aura that originally came from the thought and overall feeling this painting should convey based on its artist. It was also stated that reproducing an art is not entirely a bad thing as it gives the art more interpretations based on how it was reproduced.

However, for me, even though it is still technically an 'art', the fact that it was not originally from my mind, the message is missing, and an art without a message feels emotionless. This is the problem with the lack of originality and piracy in the field of art or even in other forms where it exists, we tend to lose the value and meaning of a thing if it is stolen. Apart from that, it is also disrespectful to the original artist and unethical in all forms. We can make art from our own experience, so why not simply do our own art, with original feelings, message, and value instead of copying someone's art and changing it a bit to make it yours.