When is a Print more than a Print?

Art History #4: Grant Wood's American Gothic -- sort of....

I’ve written about this in the past (Hybrid Art?) but I continue to struggle with it. I am a Mixed Media artist. My originals are made of acrylic paint, polymer clay, sometimes wire, sometimes nails, sometimes metallic powders……  I have no problem labeling my originals: “Mixed Media Originals”. In turn, I make paper reproductions. They are flat — they are made of archival ink and paper, they are obviously “Prints”.

In between those extremes lurk my canvas prints with original polymer clay sculpture. Like this:

Art History #4: Grant Wood’s American Gothic, sort of….. #1/100 TravelGothicAnd these:

Original: 5 Wines

BLOG5WinesorginalPrint: 5 Wines: Dogs #2/100

BLOG5DogsOriginal: Art History #2, Moanin’ Lisa

BlagArt2Print: Art History #2, Moanin’ Lisa #4/100

Moanin' Lisa #4/100Original: The Usual Suspects

BLOGSuspwctsOrgPrint: The Usual Suspects #1/100

BLOGSuspewctsPRINTSo what are these things? The base images are limited edition prints on canvas. They are mounted on board, some are painted (all of the labels in my 5 Wines series are original little paintings in and of themselves), all are finished with original, hand sculpted faces, figures, animals, etc. Are they prints, a series of mixed media originals, or somewhere in between?

Joan Horn, a fellow Western New York artist, suggested I call them ” Hybriginals”. I like that. They are Hybrids. They combine 21st Century printing technology with old fashioned, hand made art work.

Whatever you choose to call them, please come and see them in person at one of my shows. Click here for my show schedule: Upcoming 2013 Shows

Or visit my online store at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SilentMyloStudio