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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Atomos 9 - Génome 0
Guillaume Roche
Sculpture - 40 x 30 x 20 cm Sculpture - 15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 inch
$2,861
Bikini Girls with Machine Guns
Thierry Corpet
Sculpture - 28 x 36 x 5 cm Sculpture - 11 x 14.2 x 2 inch
$715
Centaure origine (LC74)
Landry Clément
Sculpture - 38 x 26 x 2.5 cm Sculpture - 15 x 10.2 x 1 inch
$930
Centaure natural (LC72)
Landry Clément
Sculpture - 38 x 26 x 2.5 cm Sculpture - 15 x 10.2 x 1 inch
$930
Oval - violet & yellow - (UV print: large)
Go Segawa
Sculpture - 35.2 x 16.9 x 16.9 cm Sculpture - 13.9 x 6.7 x 6.7 inch
$1,431
Formes abstractives bleues
Jonathan Pradillon
Painting - 50 x 40 x 1.5 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.6 inch
$417
Éclat concentrique bleu violet irisé
Jonathan Pradillon
Painting - 30 x 30 x 1.5 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.6 inch
$119 $101
Place Within Reach 32.
Petr Strnad
Painting - 42.2 x 29.7 x 0.1 cm Painting - 16.6 x 11.7 x 0 inch
$346
Illusive Stability 24.
Petr Strnad
Painting - 39.9 x 29.9 x 0.1 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$370
Illuminations
Strashevich Alexander
Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$763
Hommage à Otto Freundlich IV
Aurélie Nemours
Print - 40 x 30 x 0.1 cm Print - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$954
Sin título (Todos los caminos) (2)
Miquel Ponce
Painting - 50 x 37 x 4 cm Painting - 19.7 x 14.6 x 1.6 inch
$834
Centaure white (LC73A)
Landry Clément
Sculpture - 38 x 26 x 2.5 cm Sculpture - 15 x 10.2 x 1 inch
$930
Form with ribbon
Strashevich Alexander
Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$763
Warm still life
Strashevich Alexander
Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$763
Relativity of the world
Strashevich Alexander
Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$763
String theory
Strashevich Alexander
Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$763
Metamorphosis
Strashevich Alexander
Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$763
Playing with shapes
Strashevich Alexander
Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$763
Yellow blue vase
Strashevich Alexander
Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
$763
The American girl
Matthew Langley
Painting - 45.7 x 35.6 x 0.1 cm Painting - 18 x 14 x 0 inch
$1,834
Black coffee blues
Matthew Langley
Painting - 45.7 x 35.6 x 0.1 cm Painting - 18 x 14 x 0 inch
$1,834
