Modern art has seen a new style emerge that is really just the blending of several styles. Multimedia art portrays an artist’s subject through several mediums, such as painting, sculptures, dance, film, and music. It’s often confused with “mixed media,” but there’s a clear difference. Mixed media is usually visual art that combines different materials in a collage. Multimedia art, however, can tap into not only the visual sense, but into sound, touch, smell, and taste.

Unlike other forms of art, there’s no such thing as one way to make multimedia art. It can be nearly anything, from an interactive exhibit to a kinetic sculpture to a collage of photographs and ceramics. Even video games are beginning to be accepted as art. What’s consistent between all multimedia artwork is that it engages its audience in a dynamic way and may not even require passive observation like a painting on a wall would.

Much of the theory and practice of multimedia began in the early twentieth century. Artists like Pablo Picasso and Marcel Duchamp appropriated “found objects” (mass-produced items like newspaper clippings, pieces of cloth, or trash cans) into their work. They sought to break away from a purely visual aesthetic and create a whole new context.

One example of modern multimedia art is the work done by Hex, a collaborative project by London-based artists and DJs. In the 1990s, they created audiovisual performance art using personal computers and interactive CD-ROM. Hex earned its success through the partnership of visual artist Robert Pepperell and programmer Miles Visman, while the DJ duo Coldcut mixed and created music tracks to accompany the rest. Though the group later disbanded, their efforts lived in a creative duo called Hexstatic, who continue to stage live AV performances worldwide.

Another such artist is Sean P. Healy, known for his postmodern sensibilities. With an eye for exploring the nature of society and power structures, Healy uses a creative variety of surfaces for his public art: resin, chewing gun, suspended sculptures, and sliding glass doors. In his own words, the purpose of his elaborate and eccentric art is educational: “Through the play of reflection, interpretation, and dreaming, public art can teach us about ourselves while enriching the world around us.”

Although multimedia artists aren’t required to be fluent in programming, the field is increasingly associated with digital media and electronic platforms. The goal of multimedia artists is to find a new way to express themselves in forms that will both attract and enthrall their audience, entirely liberated from traditional concepts of art.

You can find examples of multimedia art in many fine art galleries and museum. One place to consider is the Museum of Modern Art in New York or its counterpart in San Francisco.

Image Credit: Timothy Vollmer on Flickr