Take Me For A Ride!

Vargas Museum, UP Diliman with my Teammates

The class had a trip at UP Diliman and we had a certain activity called the “Amazing Race” in which groups were tasked to go to places and answers some questions. Aside from that, there are special tasks that we need to do like taking our picture with this kind of action. It was really fun and after the activity, we got a chance to go and view the Vargas Museum there. There were many artworks that can be seen from it. Among all the artworks in the Vargas Museum, Daniel Coquilla’s “Drawing on Board” caught my attention the most. This was the first artwork I saw inside the Vargas museum and it really captured my interest.

Drawing on Board by Daniel Coquilla

Aside from the fact that it was big enough to see inside the museum, when I went to look up on it, it was different drawings of different places here in the Philippines. Daniel Coquilla did was to draw them on a ceiling of a jeepney and he all did this while standing. According to the description, he wanted to show to the viewers how populated urban cities here in our country and how does it feel to live in those places. The drawings were top view of the places and it really shows what the places looks like. Basing on Historical Contexts, we can see urban changes from this artwork. Before, the places he drew were not like that, overpopulated for example. There were changes because he based it to our context now. Another thing, he wanted to relate himself to the audience or in public that is why he made his output in a ceiling of a jeepney because he also said that the passengers in our jeepneys sometimes look up that is why he placed it there. He was an expressionist and it is the reason why he drew al of these places. Almost everyone could relate themselves to it because many of us experience commuting and going to these places.

The Outline of Drawing on Board with places labeled

Top View of Quiapo, Espana

Top View of Welcome, Rotonda

Top View of Philcoa

Daniel Coquilla used his artwork to show what Filipinos are.  Like other Filipino artworks, Filipino Aesthetics is all about details, information, and facts. Since the Philippines were colonized by different countries, we tend to incorporate our works with their art and design. We make artworks that Western Art was present. For example, we had an activity around UP Diliman and we were tasked to go to different places. As we look on the different structures and paintings, Western Art is present. One painting in a church has a Cubism style of painting. Some churches there were dome in structure.  

Filipino Art is truly something we’re supposed to be proud of. All of the outputs of our artists should be shown to all because it is worth the watch and it is worth to learn them. The next generation could really learn from the past artworks especially for the aspiring artists. I can’t wait for the next set of artworks of the Filipinos from the next generation because I know it would make us all proud.