Luke Butler

Atticus Adams was born in John Day, Oregon and grew up in West Virginia. As a kid he was never exposed to fine art but developed a love of crafts like macramé. While in college, he was given a camera and he took a trip to Washington D.C., a retrospective of Picasso was showing at the National Gallery. He was stunned by the collages, he had never seen anything like them. In 1992, Adams attended an architecture program at Harvard. He was not an architect, but that he loved making models and he discovered metal screens as an artistic medium for the first time. Adams then took art and design classes, first at Tidewater Community College in Virginia, then at RISD, and finally in 2004 at the Yale School of Art. In 2006, Adams moved to Pittsburgh and now shares a loft with his husband Garry.

Mixed media is a type of art that sees artists using a range of materials or more than one medium. Find a range of mixed media paintings and other artworks for your space today on 1stDibs.

Mixed media is distinct from multimedia, which describes art involving electronic media, including video, computers and digital elements. Artists combine painting, drawing, photography and sculpture for mixed media art. Instead of sticking to one form, they aim to break boundaries and create unique pieces. Pop art is one of the vibrant periods for mixed media art, with Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg among its most fabled producers. Rauschenberg, like many mixed media artists, used found objects in his work, from cast-off furniture to newspapers.

Collage is one of the most well-known areas of mixed media. Artists use various types of paper, fabric, photographs and more to create one cohesive work. A type of collage is assemblage, which involves 3D objects.

While artists may use fabric in collage, it can be the very substance of the art itself. Fabric art makes extensive use of texture. Artists may paint or embroider on fabric to create layers of texture and color to evoke a specific feeling. They can also transfer photos onto fabric for innovative ways to display visuals.

Resin-based art has clean, sharp lines and a definitive shape. Resin is a liquid that hardens to a high-gloss surface and is used to seal wood, counters and floors. Resin can also seal artwork, and many artists tint it using pigment powder, ink, spray paint and other vivid materials. If water is added, the resin will turn milky instead of being completely transparent. It’s common for artists working in mixed media to use resin on nontraditional surfaces like glass, wood, metal and stone. This creates a shine that’s perfect to brighten a dull space in the home or office.

Find mixed media paintings and other art for sale on 1stDibs.