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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Small

Sans-titre

Sans-titre

The Sunrise I

Untitled

Gaudi II

Heart

Meta Sculpture acier / Meta Sculpture steel

Face

Grid number 5

The Joy 1971 La Joie

Siria

Sharp Gray Sphere

Balance #4, Hand Printed Work, Linocut

Bicycle, Painting, Oil on Paper

Composition

Movimientos geometricos 3

Le Théâtre électrique

Procesos Nº5

Forbidden fruit I

Monuments

Epreuve sans titre

Chaise architecturale

Inversion

Orbital #3

Habitaculo

Rainbow Star of David

Traffic light

Le cube

Intitled

Sans Titre

Como una mariposa

untitled

Nothing Changes Until It Does

untitled

Conjura

Pardes, 5761, for The Jewish Museum

Paysage

Trikota

Collage construit

N°7

untitled

Tetracubes

Double V

Small Grey N°3

Lesson about the cube

Orest

Cazumba

Untitled

Detail, inside / outside nr. 9, 2009

1 of infinite possibilities of seeing a particular rectangle a little different

Dawn

Blue and red

Fractal #008

Corba contínua 20 4

Deep sea

The Tor

Geometric abstraction

Geometric Composition

Small circles with blue, red and green circles

Linkage

Dedicato a... No. 6

The Flames Dance Between Past Present & Future

Vivre

Sans titre

The Likes of Us

Composition with Cigarettes

TV clock. The broadcasts are over

Hako III