Chapter 4 Lesson 1: the Media Of

LESSONLESSON 11 The Media of Art Every work of art begins with a thought or Other art is made to be appreciated in idea. Every work ends with a realization of that three dimensions. Statues and most objects of starting concept. What happens in between is applied art fall into this category. They are a result of many choices the artist makes. made to be seen from different sides and an- Some of the most important choices are gles. The same is true of works of architecture. the tools and materials that will be used to Like art itself, the media and processes create the artwork. For some projects, the ma- used in its creation can be categorized as terials may include clay and sculpting tools. being two- or three-dimensional. For others, the tools of choice may be crayons ● Two-dimensional media and processes. and paper. A computer screen and a mouse These include tools and materials used in might be used by others. These and other the various processes of picture making. tools and materials used to create works of art are Among these tools are pencils, pens, known collectively as art media. pastels, and paint brushes. Materials, or It is worth noting that that term—art surfaces, on which the two-dimensional media—is plural. It refers to more than one image appears include paper, parch- material or tool. When referring to a single ment, and canvas. Figure 4–1, which art material or tool, you use the term art opened this chapter on page 66, was medium. made using fairly uncommon two- dimensional media. These include ART MEDIA AND PROCESSES natural pigments and eucalyptus bark. Some art, as you have learned, is created What medium was used for the two- in two dimensions. Paintings, drawings, dimensional artwork in Figure 3–10 on and photographs are examples of two- page 56? dimensional art. The images they provide ● Three-dimensional media and can be seen only when looked at directly, or processes. These include tools and head-on. materials used in the processes that Figure 4–2 Spiral Jetty was created when the water in the lake was low. It is always visible from the sky, but it disappears when the water is high and reappears when the water is low. What is its status in this picture? Robert Smithson. Spiral Jetty. Long- term installation in Rozel Point, Box Elder County, Utah. 1970. Black basalt rocks and earth from the site. The coil is 460 m (1,500Ј) long and 4.6 m (15Ј) wide. Photo: Nancy Holt. Collection: Dia Art Foundation. Art © Estate of Robert Smithson/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY 68 Chapter 4 Exploring Art Media Making a Leaf Print Experimenting with Art Media. In this activity, you will select and use a variety of appropriate art materials and tools in experimental ways. You will try your hand at using an ordinary leaf to create an artwork. Find and bring to class several leaves with raised veins. Choose the most interesting leaf as your subject to Figure 4–3 Skoglund first created the dog sculptures interpret. Lightly coat the veins of the for this piece and then installed them on this beach site. The two people in the scene were part of her plan. After leaf with cold, melted candle wax. Be photographing the installation, she made lithograph prints careful not to get wax on the rest of the from the photos at a printmaking studio. leaf’s surface. Set the leaf aside, wax- Sandy Skoglund. Dogs on the Beach. © 1992. Lithograph printed side up, for about 10 minutes. This will 3 3 in color on Ragcote paper. 62.9 ϫ 56.8 cm (24 ⁄4 ϫ 22 ⁄8Љ). Smith College Museum of Art, Northampton, Massachusetts. give the wax a chance to harden slightly. Dip the leaf, wax-side down, in a shallow 1 pan containing ⁄4 inch of printer’s ink or acrylic paint. Press the inked side of the produce art in three dimensions. Among leaf against a sheet of scrap paper to these tools are chisels, knives, and absorb excess ink or paint. Now press mallets. Among the materials are marble, the leaf carefully on a sheet of drawing bronze, and wood. Examine Figure 4–2. paper. Make additional prints. The “media” used by the artist included a bulldozer and other heavy digging and Portfolio earth-moving equipment. What media Write a paragraph comparing and were used by the sculptor of the work contrasting the use of pattern in the first shown in Figure 1–3 on page 6? and later prints. Which best captured the design of the leaf? Which did you like Unconventional Art Processes best? Why? Save your favorite design Sometimes, the line between the processes with your notes and keep in your portfolio. used to make an artwork and the finished work itself becomes blurred. This is especially true in some contemporary art. Consider the fantasy work in Figure 4–3. The process be- hind this unusual creation had several steps. First, the artist sculpted the dogs. Then she Check Your photographed this beach scene, which in- cludes two live models. Finally, she made a Understanding series of fine art prints from the photo. 1. Name three media used in two- You will learn more about printmaking dimensional art. and other processes in the lessons that follow. 2. Compare and contrast two media used in The Studio Activity on this page will give you three-dimensional art. practice making a print of your own. Lesson 1 The Media of Art 69.

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