Art Media Types The nine units in this section represent a wide
variety of forms and media used by contemporary artists, ranging
from painting and installation art to performance and
architecture. These units are designed to familiarize students
with the tools, techniques, and rationale for using specific
media, a range of ideas they can be used to express, and the
impacts different art forms can have on viewers. Use these units
in any order and/or in combination with the Guide’s thematic
units to prepare for MOCA exhibition visits and to connect to
additional classroom learning goals. What makes a painting a
painting? It used to be simple—wet pigment applied to a flat
surface. This unit explores how contemporary painters continue
this tradition, but also push its boundaries by using not just
brushes, but also tools like ladles, rollers, and buckets. They
use paints that range from traditional tubes to industrial paint
gallons, and see nearly everything as a potential painting
surface. Everybody draws, whethe