Mixed media and alternative methods – Level 3 Art and Design Practice BTEC Revision

Mixed Media Art: Domain where artists employ different mediums, such as painting, drawing, and collage, within a single piece. Famous examples include works by Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns.
Assemblage Art: A specific type of mixed media involving the use and integration of three-dimensional objects, often found or recycled. Important artists include Joseph Cornell and Louise Nevelson.
Digital Art: Involves creating artwork or effects using digital technology. Techniques include digital painting, digital photography, and digital illustration.
Installation Art: Focuses on entire spaces, not just individual pieces. It allows the viewer to physically enter the artwork, often created site-specifically. Notable artists are Yayoi Kusama and Olafur Eliasson.
Performance Art: A live presentation by the artist, often encompassing a variety of media, from spoken word to physical movement. Groundbreaking artists include Marina Abramović and Joseph Beuys.

Layering: Involves applying multiple levels of different materials, often creating a noticeable physical depth on the artwork’s surface.
Collage: The process of adhering separate images or materials, like fabric, paper, or photographs, onto a unified piece.
Transparency and Translucency: Creating effects where layers beneath the surface can be visually accessed, often achieved with materials like glass, transparent paper, or thin fabrics.
Texturing: The creation of physical or visual surface characteristics, which can add dimensionality and a tactile aspect to a piece.

Depending on the methods and materials, it is essential to adhere to safety precautions like wearing protective clothing, using respirators, and understanding safe tool handling.
Certain materials, especially when mixed, may produce fumes, dust, or other hazards that require adequate ventilation or specialised extraction equipment.
Safe disposal practices are crucial when using non-biodegradable or potentially hazardous materials.

Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) applications, such as 3D-artworks and interactive exhibitions, are emerging and reshaping the boundary between traditional and digital art.
Found and Recycled Art, where new meaning is given to discarded objects or materials, continue to push the boundaries of creativity and environmental consciousness.
Evolving BioArt practices employ living tissues, bacteria or living organisms as the canvas, medium, or both, leading to thought-provoking, often controversial, explorations of life and art.