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Martial law
Former President Ferdinand Marcos signed Proclamation 1081, which declared martial
law throughout the Philippines, on September 21, 1972. He made the official
pronouncement on television on September 23 at 7:15 p.m. Marcos cited the
increasing threat of communism to justify the declaration.
Aside from the suspension of your right not to be held against your will without
legal basis, the right of artists to express themselves is withdrawn.
A lot of artworks were banned during the martial law -
it may be in a form of book, film, music or paintings.
“The dictatorship fuelled the creative
expression of artists, and they sought to
expose the political, cultural and social
situation under it,”
- Emily Abrera (2012)
Sabbath of
Witches
Jaime de Guzman
Oil Canvas, 1970
aBOUT THE ARTIST
A painter and potter, who hails from the province of
Laguna.
Known for his mural-size surrealist paintings that
are commentaries on Philippine society
Graduated from the Ateneo de San Pablo, and would
move to Manila to study economics at the Ateneo de
Manila
Travel to Mexico to study mural painting under
Jaime Arevalo masters, such as David Alfaro Siqueiros (José de
De Guzman Jesús Alfaro Siqueiros, 1896-1974)
Work with local clays and teach local communities
how to create their own pottery.
The works of Jaime de Guzman encapsulate terrifying visions in the
expressionist style. His long, abstract strokes come together to create
figures with a distorted anatomy. He examines historical narratives
through a dark surrealist lens, often as a response to post-
colonialism. They capture the imagination with folk symbols, icons,
creatures of myths and personal motifs - elements that are visible in
the skeletal figures in Sabbath of the Witches.
- Art-list.com (2020)
meanings
Factual Conventional Subjective
A scene with
Portraying the
Indeed, it was difficult and
cruelty of martial
uncomfortable under the
skeletons devouring
Marcos administration.
law to the Filipinos
Between the citizens and the
a man squirming
who endured
administration, there were
miserably with the
hardship and
frequent problems, such as
image of Rizal 's
horrific part of their
unlawful arrests, the
continuous imprisonment
character of Elias lives, also it shows
without charges, and the
how the power over
alleged torture, assault, and
the poor other heinous mistreatments
that were likely carried out
by military officials and staff
that crossed the line
rEFERENCES
https://lakansining.wordpress.com/2020/10/23/quezon-avenue-quezon-city-the-history-and-artists-of-
the-bantayog-ng-mga-bayani/comment-page-
1/#:~:text=%201970%20Sabbath%20of%20Witches%20by%20Jaime%20de,express%20his%20hidden%20co
mmentaries%20on%20society%20and%20politics.
https://varsitarian.net/circle/20120729/martial_law_horrors_evoked_in_exhibit#:~:text=Edicio%20de%20la
%20Torre%20said%20he%20painted%20%E2%80%9CNotes,of%20the%20giant%20Marcos%20bust%20in%2
0the%20Ilocos.
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/142723-martial-law-declaration-
philippines/#:~:text=Proclamation%201081%20which%20placed%20the%20entire%20Philippines%20under
,increasing%20threat%20of%20communism%20to%20justify%20the%20declaration.
https://www.facebook.com/923328561166216/posts/artlistfeatureartist-jaime-de-guzmantitle-sabbath-of-
the-witches-1970size-617-x-/1483621948470205/
https://sway.office.com/ebMyvDz4NAYGDMeB?ref=Link
https://www.bing.com/images/search?
view=detailV2&ccid=SIB7JktB&id=592A21B3F5E5AB5BC6E413F0446F1FC8FAE810B5&thid=OIP.SIB7JktBp
