"Still-life"
Tom Wesselman
This is a mixed media piece I saw once in the Albright Knox gallery in Buffalo, and that has come to be the face of mixed-media art in my mind. The piece's title hints that it may be a painting or photograph, however upon immediate close inspection it becomes inherently obvious that this is, in fact, a collage. The primary colour balance and overall composition of the piece is what immediately takes the interest of the viewer, however it's strange and slightly unnatural status is what makes them decide to stay. As collages typically incorporate already crafted images and compositions in their own composition, their true power as an art form is in their ability to create another idea entirely from the ones used to create it. A perfect example of this is the way this piece incorporates one of the paintings of Piet Mondrian, but instead of showcasing it, the piece assimilates it into it's form, as it does with the pentagram and the food on the table, all of which are something entirely separate when individually segregated, but together formulate the unified body that is this piece; a formula that I find makes collages successful.
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