Small
Recent trends in contemporary art have meant that we've grown accustomed to large scale pieces, be that huge canvases, enormous sculptures, or giant installations.
However, the miniature has always been an important part of contemporary art. Be it paintings, sculpture, or photography as well as small format drawings, the reduced dimensions of the artwork puts new constraints on the artist, forcing them to develop their techniques and artistic finesse.
Jeff Wall, an American photographer known for his large scale photographic prints on huge illuminated boxes, has said that “the scale of a piece is not about the dimensions of it, but about the internal tensions within the composition".
Believe it or not, miniature pieces have many advantages. Smaller formats allow the artists to show off a different range of talents and techniques, and sometimes even create the impression of a much higher quality piece – such as engravings or prints. Creating a miniature is a sure sign of precision and skill.
They are also more practical to exhibit than the enormous artworks: we've all got a little space on a shelf ready to welcome a miniature sculpture, photo or drawing.
Another very practical aspect of miniatures is the myriad possibilities for display: you could put together a full shelf of statuettes, or even a dedicated framing wall – which is an increasingly popular method for display, and makes for the perfect decorative addition to a living room or bedroom. It's a mixed composition made up of an array of pieces – you guessed it – all on the same wall. The diminutive size of the miniatures also makes it easier to make sure your favourite pieces are displayed in pride of place.
Even artists who are known for their monumental works are slowly getting into miniatures, like Jeff Wall in his exhibition at the Cartier Foundation.
The miniature is making a big name for itself as a growing trend across the contemporary art world; from Gaspard Mitz, who creates tiny versions of the interiors of famous art galleries in his 'Box Stories', to the photography of Samsofy, who recreates scenes from daily life with miniscule Lego 'actors'.
Last but not least, the small scale of the pieces means that even big names come with small price tags, meaning that miniatures make excellent presents. So, go on, what are you waiting for? Browse our selection of miniature works now…
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Something to lick mini #027
Hersk
Sculpture - 41 x 13 x 13 cm Sculpture - 16.1 x 5.1 x 5.1 inch
$833
Resurrectionem ex-mortuis Noise remix
Shepard Fairey (Obey)
Print - 46 x 46 cm Print - 18.1 x 18.1 inch
$345
Flacon Chanel n°5, l'amour éternel
Patrick Cornée
Sculpture - 27 x 20 x 6 cm Sculpture - 10.6 x 7.9 x 2.4 inch
$3,453
Bouteille Chanel n°5, l'amour fou
Patrick Cornée
Sculpture - 27 x 20 x 6 cm Sculpture - 10.6 x 7.9 x 2.4 inch
$3,453
Piaf Révolution L
Valerie Marty
Sculpture - 34 x 20 x 14 cm Sculpture - 13.4 x 7.9 x 5.5 inch
$1,607
Super Mario
Onemizer
Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 21 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.8 x 8.3 x 0.4 inch
$4,286
Wild Kong tagged
Richard Orlinski
Sculpture - 37 x 29 x 16 cm Sculpture - 14.6 x 11.4 x 6.3 inch
$14,881
Tropiques, jardin chinois
Bernard Marie Collet
Painting - 40 x 40 x 4 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 1.6 inch
$857
Iron Man Soup
Priscilla Vettese
Sculpture - 29 x 9.7 x 9.7 cm Sculpture - 11.4 x 3.8 x 3.8 inch
$464
Blue Afro
Yoann Bonneville (YBA)
Painting - 40.6 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Painting - 16 x 12 x 0.1 inch
$1,905
Wild Kong baril tag mate
Richard Orlinski
Sculpture - 45 x 25 x 13 cm Sculpture - 17.7 x 9.8 x 5.1 inch
$15,358
Wild Kong tag brillant
Richard Orlinski
Sculpture - 37 x 28 x 15 cm Sculpture - 14.6 x 11 x 5.9 inch
$13,572
Raw Complete Collection
Richard Orlinski
Print - 50 x 50 x 0.2 cm Print - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch
$5,953
Her Universe
Rakhmet Redzhepov (Ramzi)
Painting - 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch
$1,071
Piaf PopArt (Large)
Valerie Marty
Sculpture - 32 x 16 x 23 cm Sculpture - 12.6 x 6.3 x 9.1 inch
$2,083
One Dollar Miami Sky
Karl Lagasse
Sculpture - 17 x 39 x 1 cm Sculpture - 6.7 x 15.4 x 0.4 inch
$3,800
Urban Box Maison Perrier
Priscilla Vettese
Sculpture - 27 x 27 x 6 cm Sculpture - 10.6 x 10.6 x 2.4 inch
$345
Urban Box Pikachu
Priscilla Vettese
Sculpture - 27 x 27 x 6 cm Sculpture - 10.6 x 10.6 x 2.4 inch
$345
Urban Box Mario
Priscilla Vettese
Sculpture - 27 x 27 x 6 cm Sculpture - 10.6 x 10.6 x 2.4 inch
$345
Magritte X Mondrian
Priscilla Vettese
Painting - 33 x 41 x 2 cm Painting - 13 x 16.1 x 0.8 inch
$321
Kevinours Love Keny Arkana X Shadee K
Priscilla Vettese
Painting - 41 x 33 x 2 cm Painting - 16.1 x 13 x 0.8 inch
$226
