Hybrid Art?

hybrid |ˈhīˌbrid|

noun  a thing made by combining two different elements; a mixture : the final text is a hybrid of the stage play and the film.

• Biology the offspring of two plants or animals of different species or varieties, such as a mule (a hybrid of a donkey and a horse) : a hybrid of wheat and rye

• a hybrid car

We’re all familiar with hybrid cars, too many genetically modified seeds/ foods, and the mystifying array of dog breeds — but hybrid art?

I could argue, and argue well, that my art work is jam-packed with hybrids. I’ve used the “official” term, Mixed Media, for many years — but for my newest project hybrid seems a better fit.

A little more than a year ago I purchased an archival ink printer (Epson r2800). It’s an amazing, if somewhat temperamental, machine and it has paid for itself more than once over. To date I’ve created both paper and canvas prints of my original paintings and digital art. I’ve added hand sculpted elements to the canvas prints to make them more like my originals.

My newest series will go beyond that. I’ve painted a basic wine bottle still life and am about to start designing the individual labels. The planned labels revolve around ribbons/awards given in a dog show. There will be Best of Show Merlot, Best of Working Class Chardonnay featuring a boxer in plumber garb with a wrench, and Select Bitch Bordeaux featuring a sassy poodle in a  push-up bra. But I have more ideas for labels than the time needed to paint the bottles over and over again. And honestly — my work is MUCH more about the sculptural elements than the actual painting anyway 🙂  So — I’ve made a slightly smaller canvas print of the basic painting and will design a different set of labels to be painted directly onto the print.

Up till now, for lack of a better term, I’ve called my canvas creations “enhanced prints”, but the labels on the print will be originals in and of themselves, so what is the resulting work? And what do I call it? “Half Original, Half Print Hybrid” seems a bit cumbersome — and don’t even get me started on limited vs. open editions.

Suggestions anyone?

To see a selection of my work visit: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SilentMyloStudio