Artistic works crafted from "mixed media" represent the limits of modern self-expression. Basically, the rules of mixed media creation is that there are no rules. Of course, general parameters might be followed to protect a mixed piece's structural integrity. For instance, it makes sense to lay down big, cumbersome pieces first and to add limited touches, like glaze paint and oil paint, after the large components are set in place. Many mixed media sculptures employ sound and electronic stimuli in coordination with their three-dimensional form. For instance, a papier-mâché sculpture of a child escaping an igloo may be counterpointed by the recorded sound of a roaring polar bear. Oftentimes, modern sculptures juxtapose visual and audio images ironically--in the spirit of the Surrealists--to evoke unclear reactions from spectators. Performance artists, almost by definition, employ mixed media techniques in their works. While some critics dismiss certain mixed media affairs as ostentatious, purposeless attention grabbers; others laud the inventiveness of the form. Contemporary spaces, like the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, house many permanent displays of mixed media masterpieces. With the advent of digital artistry, some cutting edge young artists have designed their own new types of mixed media sculpture. Witness the rise of the Massurealist school in New York City. "Found artists" like to designate so-called natural mixed media formations as their own creations. Given how pliable this new form is, taxonomists have trouble processing and classifying certain advanced, esoteric works from the mixed media school. |
