The heteronormative dimension of selected paintings at the National Museum of the Philippines

College

College of Liberal Arts

Document Type

Article

Source Title

PAPSCU Excellent Academic Research Link (PEARL) Bulletin 2018

Volume

2

Issue

2

Publication Date

5-2018

Abstract

Aside from taking good care of the precious historical artifacts of a nation, museums also complement the formal educational institutions in socializing or teaching the public about, for instance, the Filipino history and pride. Museums, however, are not necessarily ideology-neutral. Some feminists argue that art functions as a repository of patriarchy which means that it privileges heteronormativity, particularly masculinity. As a contribution to the discourse on visual art and gender and sexuality in the Philippine context, the researchers examine, in this paper, whether the National Art Gallery of the National Museum of the Philippines is truly a heteronormative space. The critical textual and visual analyses of the selected 283 paintings revealed that men dominate the Philippine painting scene at the 2nd floor of the National Art Gallery. 97% of the Filipino painters were men who painted 99% of the paintings. A closer analysis of the paintings also revealed that there were more men as subjects (40%) than women (20%). Conclusively, what the paintings say about men and women vary according to galleries (by implication per Philippine historical era), but some common and dominant themes are overall evident. Men were generally portrayed with “names” and “titles.” They were generally seen as active or key players and leaders, politically and religiously, while women were generally reduced to being beautiful. The date/era (being relatively old or more recent) of the painting does not mean that women are becoming more visible (or at least more “titled” and less as beautiful). The date of the paintings also does not necessarily translate to a more favorable or inclusive portrayal of women. The researchers argue that museums can and have the opportunity to serve as equalizers of the playing field and can be the mediator in making the Filipino consciousness, pride, and heritage more inclusive for women and other gender categories.

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Disciplines

Arts and Humanities

Keywords

Sex and art—Philippines; Painting—Sex differences—Philippines

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