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What comes to your mind when you think about art? Maybe paintings, sculptures, or nudes? Or, maybe the Mona Lisa? Until the 20th century, high art was largely confined to mediums that had been in use since ancient Greece. One exception to this are oil paintings on canvas, which came along later.
Experimental art began to change this, however, as art became more time-based. Besides the subject matter, which may or may not be considered traditional art, the medium is the primary difference between traditional media and experimental media.
Land art, body art, performance art, and installation art are examples of experimental media, which is the use of any nontraditional medium. Unlike earlier, traditional works of art that were intended to last, experimental media often incorporates an element of impermanence. By using media that does not endure, artists shine light on the fact that no work of art lasts forever.
The landscape becomes the medium when an artist chooses to create land art. An artist creating body art uses a person’s body, often the artist’s, as the medium for the piece. Body art has existed in one way or another since before the earliest recordings of human history.
IN CONTEXT
Take a look at these examples of experimental art.
This is the Spiral Jetty, which is situated within the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Robert Smithson created this piece of land art in 1970.
Next is an example of the elaborate makeup used on the Kathakali dancers of Southwestern India.
In performance art the performance is the medium, but the action is the subject matter. The action is conveyed through the performance. When an artist creates installation art, the surrounding space becomes a part of the medium. An important aspect of installation art is that it is often designed for a specific type of room or space. Installation art differs from land art in that it is indoors, not outdoors.
IN CONTEXT
Take a look at the following examples of experimental art.
First, a picture of Marina Abramovic performing at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The title of this performance is The Artist Is Present, and the performance consisted of her sitting for hours on end staring at observers.
Below is an example of installation art where the surrounding space becomes a part of the medium.
Arte Povera, a modern art movement that explores the relationship between art and life, sometimes requires viewer participation and may use the surrounding space as medium. This movement emerged in the latter part of the 20th century in Italy. In a sense, artists creating Arte Povera take everyday materials and create something extraordinary and interesting out of them.
IN CONTEXT
The Other Figure, a slightly humorous example of Arte Povera, shows two busts looking down upon another figure, which happens to be shattered and in pieces on the ground.
Source: THIS TUTORIAL WAS AUTHORED BY IAN MCCONNELL FOR SOPHIA LEARNING. Please see our Terms of Use.