1stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 2021
Mixed media is a term used to describe works of art that are made of different types of materials. For instance, some paintings may feature pieces of newspaper or clay.
Mixed media artwork is a combination of materials used by the artist to create a sculpture, painting, print, etc. Sculptors can use metal and stone together. Some works on paper include different printmaking processes (i.e. screen print, monotype, collograph, relief printing) as well as drawing with pastel, charcoal, pencil, etc., including painting with various kinds of paint and other materials can be added like paper, fiber or objects.
You've probably heard the term "mixed media" many times, but the truth is that it has had a place in art for many decades. As the literal meaning indicates, it refers to the use of two or more artistic techniques to create a single work. Therefore, there are multiple combinations. Among the most popular mixtures are acrylic and oil, airbrushing and fluid acrylics, engraving, and collage, acrylic, and pastel, or drawing and photography achieving a greater visual sensation and richness of textures.
Mixing techniques allows taking advantage of the advantages of each technique that may be associated with the luminosity, drying time, and formal characteristics of each one, so nuances impossible to obtain with a single technique can be achieved. Many artists even add elements found on the surface of the work, which gives sculptural dimensions to a two-dimensional piece. Others also work by combining different media, water-based paint, and pencil, for example.
But this is not new. Mixed techniques have been witnesses of the avant-garde in different periods. The most relevant example is cubism, a movement that, based on collage, transformed the approach to the work of both the author and the spectator. At the beginning of 1912, Picasso made the first collage by including in a still life a piece of oilcloth with a weave of a chair grid, whose frame is a braided rope.
This new way of representing reality was taken up and popularized by Robert Rauschenberg, who achieved great recognition by combining non-traditional materials in his creations. His works "Combines" are both paintings and sculptures. He also used found images such as traffic signs, light bulbs, or bottles in his paintings. These works had a strong influence on pop art.
Today, it is a growing trend, especially with the combination of technological techniques. Years will pass but the result of mixed media will always be a unique and personal piece, an ideal way to express creativity.
