What is mixed media art?

Mixed Media Art can be defined in a few ways, here is the internet definition:

Mixed media tends to refer to a work of visual art that combines various traditionally distinct visual art media. For example, a work on canvas that combines paint, ink, and collage could properly be called a "mixed media" work, but not a work of "multimedia art."

If the above definition seems lacking, it's because it is. Mixed media art can involve metal, coffee grounds, paper, wood, canvas, plastic, sand, dirt, shoes, spoons, motors, wire, fishing line, cue tips... getting the idea? Mixed media art can involve anything... and that means human parts or animal or bugs, or whatever. Some will see a surreal work and categorize it as a surreal work, overlooking the fact that it is a mixed media work. On one of my many trips to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, I saw an exhibit that was one of my least favorites of all time as it displayed stuffed birds impaled on sharp sticks that were anchored by balls of mud or earth. It took a few seconds and I remember saying... "uh, let's get out of here". I had one of my kids with me so that display seemed a bit harsh for ther viewing.

To give you a better idea of how an artist will use various materials to create a work, I turn to the popular artist Clara Berta who has a studio in downtown Los Angeles.

Clara uses all types of materials in her works ranging from fabric to coffee grounds, here are a few examples:

"Whispers"

by

Clara Berta

The appeal of the above work is clearly the impressive texture of the work.

Quite alot of mixed media artists tend to look at a canvas and then do whatever...

Berta's works seem to have a more deliberate and thought out feel to them

as the form of the work and composition are telling a story without using

a traditional image. This style seems to fit well with todays interior designers

as her works are being placed in high profile locations.

Here is another example of Clara's work, notice again the texture and

feel of the work and the balance and composition.

"Symphony of Love"

by

Clara Berta

When you look at vintage mixed media art, you see for the most part

an assortment of Collage Art, or images that have been cut and mixed 

together, or a drawing that includes an image cut from a magazine etc.

As the years progressed and mixed media begain to take on new form, popular 

artists like Picasso, Dali or Warhol begain to change thier canvas, but not so

much the elements they put on the canvas. If you look back at works

by these artists, you will find that they painted with acrylic, oil, ink and watercolor,

and for a while it was canvas and paper, but that changed and became metal, ceramic, lucite,

lambskin, rice paper, wood and other materials.

If you are interested in learning more about mixed media art

or are an artist who is interested in creating mixed media art

that goes beyond what you tend to see in most galleries, contact

the artist Clara Berta for help.