The medium has a message

Choosing an appropriate medium that is best suited to your intentions is like finding the right words to express your ideas. The materials and techniques an artist uses, the way the medium is handled, the surfaces, the kind of mark making, all of these contribute to the mood and meaning of the work. Each medium has its unique visual qualities, but it also has conceptual connotations related to the physical nature of the material and to its’ cultural, historical and social significance.

A well-chosen medium can give an artwork further layers of associated meaning. An artist may intentionally reference an aspect of culture or history through the choice of a particular medium or style.

A material or medium may also have its own set of social or political signifiers: for example, embroidery carries associations with the feminine, gold symbolizes wealth and power, or the divine, depending on the cultural context. Artists may also use materials that have strong associations to personal experiences.