medium message

The Medium Is The Message

Marshall McLuhan’s quote that “the medium is the message” helps us understand the frontiers and limits of our tools. Artistic mediums are extensions of our creativity and avenues that help define changes in scale. For example, the introduction of painting extends by leaps and bounds what drawing could do. 

Using the art resources links below, find one example of each two-dimensional medium discussed in this subunit: drawing, painting, printmaking, and collage. Write a summary of how the nature of each medium dictates the artist’s expression of using it. In other words, what makes each medium unique, and how does it limit or expand what the artist can do with it?

Art Resources

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ART 21Links to an external site.: Includes interviews with major contemporary artists, studio visits and explanations of their work

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Google ImagesLinks to an external site.: A comprehensive search engine for images

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ArtcyclopediaLinks to an external site.: Good general art site, mostly image links to museums:

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Mark Hardin’s ArtchiveLinks to an external site.: Great link with alphabetical listing of artists, mostly contemporary and historical European

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Art History LinksLinks to an external site.: An amazing collection of links specific to sites related to the practice of art history, many are written, not visual, information

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Cities and Buildings CollectionLinks to an external site.: Over 5000 architectural images maintained by the architecture department at the University of Washington

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Web Gallery of ArtLinks to an external site.: Good reference for lots of art history images

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Saatchi Gallery, LondonLinks to an external site.: Cutting edge contemporary art, plus a site where any artist can post their work

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The National Gallery of Art, Washington, DCLinks to an external site.: Our national art museum

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Seattle Art MuseumLinks to an external site.

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Museum of Modern Art New YorkLinks to an external site.: A treasure trove of modern art

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Metropolitan Museum of ArtLinks to an external site.: Extensive collection database from many cultures and time periods

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Islamic art collectionLinks to an external site.: An extensive collection of Islamic art from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art

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Museum of Fine Arts, BostonLinks to an external site.: An extensive digital collection with text information

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Currier Museum of ArtLinks to an external site.: A smaller museum in Manchester, NH with a fantastic collection, much of it online

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Henry Art GalleryLinks to an external site.: The art repository of the University of Washington. An extensive image database and excellent search system

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National Galleries of ScotlandLinks to an external site.: Extensive collection of artwork from many cultures and

· time periods

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ARTstorLinks to an external site.: Nearly one million images here. For access to this site, please check with your campus library or public library

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CAMIOLinks to an external site.: 95,000 images of all kinds. For access to this site, please check with your campus or public library

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SmarthistoryLinks to an external site.: Smarthistory.org is a free and open, not-for-profit, art history textbook. We use multimedia to deliver unscripted conversations between art historians about the history of art

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Tibetan Book of the DeadLinks to an external site.: Literature and Artwork on Prayer, Ritual, and Meditation from the Religious Traditions of Tibet, India and Nepal. Special Collections Department at the University of Virginia Library

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Day of the Dead CelebrationLinks to an external site.: History and images from the Mexican “Dia de los Muertos” celebration.

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Frank Gehry sketchesLinks to an external site.: Initial sketches of building design ideas by architect Frank Gehry

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African Art: Death and RebirthLinks to an external site.: Sculpture images and text describing ritual beliefs from African cultures. Other themes included

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Burke MuseumLinks to an external site.: Artwork database from their ethnology collections. Administered through the University of Washington

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All Together NowLinks to an external site.: A digital collaborative and interactive music project

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AIDS Quilt Information WebsiteLinks to an external site.

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What is a Print?Links to an external site.: Interactive tutorial on printmaking processes, with images. Created by the Museum of Modern Art, New York

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Edvard Munch MuseumLinks to an external site.: Image database for many of Munch’s paintings and prints

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Nuxalk Sun MaskLinks to an external site.: Image and context for the Mask of the Sun from British Columbia Nuxalkculture

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Bradshaw FoundationLinks to an external site.: Excellent source for images and information on prehistoric rock art, Cycladic figures, the Pyramids, ancient temples and geometric signs

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The Art StoryLinks to an external site.: Movements, Artists, Theory and the Progression of Art History

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Francis Bacon EstateLinks to an external site.: A website devoted to the images and explanations of the important and idiosyncratic English painter

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Mayan TemplesLinks to an external site.: An excellent site for historical information about the Temples of Palenque in Mexico