In the past, people were forced to go to museums and art galleries to see unique pieces of work; however, with hybrid art on the rise, one is able to locate most any type of art right at their fingertips, online. Hybrid art allows people to express themselves in ways paper and pencil may not. It lets the “creative juices” flow. With the ever-changing and evolving opportunities digital media has to offer, hybrid artists can incorporate pretty much anything that comes to mind into their pieces. Creators are able to “fuse” together different images and media into creative expressions. This allows the “breaking” from traditional art and broadens the boundaries that many artists may feel too intimidated to cross.
While many pieces of hybrid art can incorporate characteristics able to be achieved in physical drawing, there is always one piece that is technology-based, classifying it as “hybrid.” Whether it be the use of digital color spectrums, light mediums, or unrealistic patterns and shapes, the slightest bit of technology-enhanced features ultimately makes it “hybrid.” These unconventional “extras” force the viewer to look deep into the art and create a significant meaning of their own. Although hybrid art, and online replicas in general, prohibit the viewer from being able to physically see the “mediums” and “depth” the original artists use to capture their paintings or drawings, it gives the audience a glimpse of the future and what technology is starting to allow. Mediums, including brush strokes, depth perception, and many other traits, greatly affect how an observer interprets and relates themselves to a piece of art. Hybrid art is targeting a greater audience, even if by doing so they leave a bit of tradition behind.
What I enjoy about hybrid art is that it takes effort on the viewer’s part to determine what significance it holds. In real-life drawings, although they are still able to be abstract, they don’t have the “power” that digital technology allows hybrid art to experiment with. Hybrid artists are able to use different colors, backgrounds, shapes, sizes, images, and multiple other techniques in order to produce an extremely unique piece of work. It allows anyone to be an “artist” in their own right. Hybrid art has the capacity to combine many types of settings, allowing it to “defy” logic. Pieces that would never be imagined to be classified with one another are intertwined to create a new sense of art.
The piece of hybrid art that I chose to focus on was a creation by Scott Mutter. He is a popular artist who implies the sense that all of the elements of each photo belong together in his art. His photographs, he says, have a poetic quality about them that invites the viewer to interpret it personally. I chose a piece entitled “Escalator” (link included below). Many artists refrain from naming their hybrid art as not to “give away” the intended meaning on the piece and preventing bias, which allows the viewer to make a personal connection. Mutter’s use of the title simply being “Escalator” opens the field for a range of interpretations. This is a photo of two escalators: one going up and one going down. A person is standing in a rush of water in front of the escalators, forced to make a decision. At the bottom of the photo is the lyric:
“I’m a pilgrim on the edge, on the edge of my perception, we are travelers at the edge, we are always at the edge of our perceptions.”
-Scott Mutter
This caption isn’t written to “define” the image, but rather to “speak to it,” in hopes of introducing a truism of human nature.
The photo can be classified as “hybrid” art in many ways. The first is the presence of the escalators appearing much larger than the person. The artist uses the technique of scale in order to present the implied message that the world is bigger than us, forcing us to make important life decisions. On the other hand, making the person smaller can also be viewed as a type of technological technique. Another quality about the photo that makes it a unique piece of art is the use of the rushing water. The artist includes a “wave-like” quality which radiates a sense of urgency and confusion. The lyric the author uses discusses perception and how, as humans, we must live on the edge and be ready for anything that comes our way. The use of the intense flow of water evokes a decision-making feeling in the viewer on whether to take the “high” road or “low” road in life.
Overall, I think hybrid art is a rising phenomenon in the world today, due largely to the recent technological advancements made available. Traditional artwork, including paintings, drawings, sketches, and sculpture, are being replaced by images online. These images are unique in that they are able to incorporate many different mediums and techniques in order to create a finishing piece. While many people still do not consider digital art “real,” it is an evolving industry that has little chance of decline.
Link to "Escalator" - Scott Mutter:
http://www.photographymuseum.com/mutter/escalator.html
