glossary

Medium refers to the physical material from which a work of art is comprised. In the case of prints or paintings, it is the pigment mixed in a binder and applied to a surface (oil on canvas) (ink on paper). In a sculpture, it is usually one material (marble) (wood) (bronze). In architecture, the medium refers to all of the materials from which the structure is constructed (brick, stone, glass, etcetera). Some works mix mediums. This is obvious in architecture but can also exist in sculptures and paintings. In the camera arts, film is the medium. In theater, the performers, script, and aspects of the mise en scene become the medium. In music, it is the composition and players that constitute the medium.