Author(s)

Ying Sun

Corresponding Author

Ying Sun

Abstract

The digital age has profoundly reshaped the boundaries of painting through sustained technological intervention, resulting in a radical expansion of its material language and a reconfiguration of its modes of artistic expression. Traditional media—once constrained by the tangible properties of canvas, pigment, and brush—are now integrated with or even supplanted by digital tools, synthetic compounds, algorithmic processes, and immersive virtual interfaces. These innovations have not only diversified the formal and material aspects of painting but have also catalyzed a conceptual shift in how painting is conceived, produced, and perceived. This paper investigates how new digital and hybrid materials are redefining contemporary painting practices, challenging conventional aesthetic paradigms, and reconstructing the very notion of the artist’s creative identity. By adopting a multi-perspective analytical approach—encompassing material experimentation, perceptual reorientation, and broader cultural and technological implications—the study seeks to articulate the transitional dynamics that characterize painting in the digital era. It examines how these shifts influence the viewer’s sensory engagement, the artist’s role as a mediator of meaning, and the broader cultural narratives that frame the evolving discourse of contemporary art.

Keywords

Digital Art, Painting Materials, Material Language, Artistic Expression, Media Transformation, Technological Aesthetics