Mixed Media

Mixed media refers to the craft or art of combining two or more visual art mediums in the same piece of work: paint and tissue paper, photographs stitched onto a woven cloth, or textured clay painted and stamped with poetry, to give a few examples. With so many possibilities and approaches, the hobby has a long and interesting history. However, as a recognized artistic movement it came to prominence mostly in the early twentieth century, at the height of modernism in France.

Some of the cubist artwork created by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque were among the first works defined as multimedia pieces. The most notable include Picasso's Still Life with Chair Caning (1911–12), in which he glued oilcloth to the canvas and framed it with rope; Maquette for Guitar (1912), a cardboard figure of a guitar with wire strings; and Violin and Sheet Music (1912), with its sheet of printed music glued to the canvas. Braque is credited with the invention of the papier collé ("pasted paper") technique, using it to create collages such as Fruit Dish and Glass (1912) and Glass, Carafe, and Newspapers (1914). Soon after, the Dadaists and other European avant-garde artists used collage to promote political and social causes.

Contemporary mixed media is also rooted in the gouaches découpés (paper cut-out collages) created by Henri Matisse during the 1940s. That decade also saw innovations in textured surfaces as associated with Jean Dubuffet, who mixed sand, gravel, straw, and other natural materials with oil paint.

Mixed media also draws upon "combine" artwork done by the pop artists during the 1950s and 1960s, a term coined by Robert Rauschenberg. The style is exemplified in pieces such as Canyon (1959), a painted canvas to which Rauschenberg added a stuffed eagle, nails, buttons, paper, and other items, and Monogram (1959), a sculpture consisting of a stuffed goat, shoe heel, tennis ball, and other items. The term "assemblage," derived from assemblages d'empreintes, Dubuffet's title for a series of collages he made with butterfly wings, came to refer to "combine" sculptures or three-dimensional artwork made from found materials. However, just as modern artists had blurred the distinction between two-dimensional work and sculpture, so too, have "assemblage," "combine," "collage," and other terms morphed into the catch-all term of "mixed media."

Today's mixed-media artists borrow techniques and materials from many different mediums to express their ideas and creativity, including fiber arts, printmaking, and metalworking, while crafters tend to draw on stamping, scrapbooking, beading, and other popular crafts. (Works that extend beyond the visual arts and often include electronic or digital components may also be considered mixed-media, though this is often instead labeled "multimedia.") While there remains some distinction between mixed-media art and mixed-media crafts based largely on the intentions of individual pieces, the medium has tended to blur the division between art and craft. For this reason, mixed media is accessible to all levels of ability and talent and is one of the most expressive hobbies.

Mixed Media for Fun vs. Profit

Many people pursue mixed-media simply for their own pleasure, as a deeply personal form of expression with no commercial intent, or even as art therapy. However, there is also a substantial market for artwork, though it is considered very difficult to achieve significant recognition in the art world due to the intense competition, shifting tastes, and other factors. Talented artists and crafters can begin to sell their work at local arts-and-crafts fairs and stores, and then work their way up to regional and national events or prestigious galleries. Other outlets include online marketplaces such as Etsy and eBay, a personal website, and promotion on social media.

Mixed-media artists may earn extra income by teaching at local craft shops, workshops, summer camps, or community education programs. Those with education credentials can teach multimedia courses in schools and colleges. Writing and publishing offer other possible ways to earn additional income.

Learning More

Organizations  

Collage Artists of America <http://www.collageartists.org/>

International Society of Assemblage and Collage Artists <http://collagemuseum.com/society.html>

Society of Layerists in Multi-Media <http://www.slmm.org>

Society of Mixed Media Artists <http://sommartists.com/>

Books  

Baldwin, Ann. Creative Paint Workshop for Mixed-Media Artists: Experimental Techniques for Composition, Layering, Texture, Imagery, and Encaustic. Beverly: Quarry, 2009.

Carriker, Pam. Art at the Speed of Life: Motivation + Inspiration for Making Mixed-Media Art Every Day. Loveland: Interweave, 2010.

Cirincione, Giuseppina. Solder Technique Studio: Soldering Iron Fundamentals for the Mixed Media Artist. Cincinnati: North Light, 2012.

Cyr, Lisa L. Experimental Painting: Inspirational Approaches for Mixed Media Art. Cincinnati: North Light, 2011.

Lee, Stephanie, and Judy Wise. Plaster Studio: Mixed-Media Techniques for Painting, Casting and Carving. Cincinnati: North Light, 2011.

Mayer, Ralph. The Artist's Handbook of Materials and Techniques. 5th ed. New York: Viking, 1991.

McElroy, Darlene Olivia, and Sandra Duran Wilson. Image Transfer Workshop: Mixed-Media Techniques for Successful Transfers. Cincinnati: North Light, 2009.