Material world: how an artist’s medium reveals hidden meanings
From animals in formaldehyde to COVID antigen tests, artists have used weird and wonderful materials to create art throughout history. Ancient civilisations would adorn themselves with animal bones, and many modern artists are incorporating recycled materials into their work to support environmentalism.
Whether the materials define the artwork, enhance the storytelling, or are chosen for texture and interest, they have been selected by the artist to serve a purpose. So, we must question what the materials symbolise and what the artist is trying to convey with them. Breathing new life into age-old materials, artists take risks and push boundaries to constantly innovate new techniques, adding layers of depth and meaning to their artwork.
Here we will dive into the world of materials, exploring the context behind the mediums of some of our own artists.
Featured Art (L-R): 'All You Need (Collector's Edition)' by Nic Joly
Textiles
Textile art has been around almost as long as civilisation itself due to an innate human desire to express ourselves through our clothing. Adding beads, embellishments and pattern to blankets and clothes, people of ancient civilisations paved the way for modern textile art. Everything from resourceful war-time fashion to the ‘DIY’ style of 1970s and 80s punks is inspired by these early pioneers of textile art.
King of the DIY punks, Boy George, showcases an archive of materials from his studio in many of his original pieces, with a highly tactile application method and an organic sense of spirit. As a teenager, Boy George would handmake his clothes and still handcrafts his costumes to this day. He would go ‘mudlarking’ along the banks of the River Thames searching for animal skulls, bits of rubber, or antiques that could be incorporated into his elaborate outfits. No material is off limits in Boy George’s artwork as he intricately hand sews and adds beading, diamond dust, studs, zippers, and more to many of his original pieces.
“There are no rules at all about what I do.” - Boy George
Featured Art: 'Punky Doodle Dandies 2025 | Framed Set of Four'. Hand-signed Mixed Media with Glitter Gloss Limited Edition Framed Set by Boy George.
Image courtesy of David Parry PA Media Assignments.
Bronze
Bronze sculptor Steve Winterburn’s family-run foundry uses techniques that were first introduced in the Bronze Age. Part of a long legacy of foundrymen, Winterburn has used the traditional ‘lost wax’ method to cast his March 2025 collection of highly detailed animal sculptures. Experiencing his subjects in the wild, Winterburn captures the true dynamism and energy of the animals, sculpting 'Wisdom’, ‘Country Solitude’ and ‘Waiting for Spring’ with a lifelike precision and sense of movement that could not be gleaned from a captive animal.
The artist’s method and material both have a rich history; at its core, the bronze is a living, breathing medium as old as the technique by which it is sculpted. Hand-pouring every sculpture, Steve Winterburn is self-taught and is the only artist in the UK that can complete every step of the lost wax process under one roof, from sculpting to the finishing touches, creating bronze sculptures designed to remain for centuries to come.
“Sculpture is true art; it lives in every dimension and through the ages. You live with it, engage with it. Bronze is as eternal as diamonds.” - Steve Winterburn
