'Minis' are in: miniature art niche is growing

Art Business News, May, 2005 by Jane Hart

America's culture today may embrace all that is large--"super-sized meals," hypermarkets, and six-bedroom "cribs" are all the rage. Rarely do the media emphasize entities that are small, detailed and refined. But when it comes to the art world, miniature is "in." A gallery in North Carolina, for example, reports that its annual miniature art show has grown from about 100 works of art to 500, with prices ranging up to $2,000. And a leading "miniaturist" confidently predicts that the value of contemporary art will continue to grow steadily.

For buyers and collectors, the attraction to these works of art lies not only in the beauty of detail and refinement, but in the uniqueness, preciousness and particularly in today's society--the rareness and practicality of something small.

History

Marilyn Peck, one of Australia's leading miniaturists who helped establish four Australian Miniature Art Societies, states that miniature art was probably first identified around the 7th century. Perhaps one of the more well-known traditions of miniature art is the work of Italian "illuminators"--those who created illuminated capital letters formed from gold leaf that are often found in Bibles or other religious manuscripts. These illuminations, as they were called, depicted letters, biblical scenes, activities from everyday life, Christ, angels and saints. Examples of these detailed illuminated manuscripts can be viewed at the "Masterpieces in Miniature: Italian Manuscripts from the Middle Ages and Renaissance" exhibit at the Getty Museum in the Getty Center in Los Angeles, CA, through June 12. The exhibit showcases decorated manuscripts and features 13 new acquisitions in addition to selected pieces from the Getty collection of illuminated manuscripts. These works are characterized by meticulous attention to detail and fine brush strokes.

But the tradition of miniature art has evolved throughout the centuries and out of a variety of cultural traditions including England, Canada, Persia, India, Russia and others according to Peck, and she points out that all of these traditions have had a "direct influence on the contemporary miniaturist" today.

Defining Miniature Art

As miniature art has evolved as a niche in today's art market, so has its definition and presentation. Purists of miniature art honor a strict set of criteria for defining this art as specified by a number of miniature art societies around the world. Traditional criteria for defining miniature art varies among cultures and miniature societies. On the World Federation of Miniaturists Web site, The Hilliard Society of Miniaturists, UK, requires that paintings be no larger than 5 x 7 inches, inclusive of framing. Sculptures should not be larger than six inches in any direction. There are also specific definitions and limitations around the size of content within the painting, such as the fact that portrait heads not be larger than two inches. Additionally, there are specifications for the frame around a piece of miniature art.

One of the roles of these societies is to set traditional standards for miniature art, which sets a boundary between that which is a classic piece of miniature art vs. that which is just small. Peck, who has won more than 100 Australian and international awards for her art, holds this traditional view. "If you can see all there is to see with the naked eye, it is probably a small painting," says Peck. "If you use a magnifying glass after your moment of aesthetic arrest and find there is layer upon layer of finer detail--then you have a miniature."

But as she points out, miniature art may be more loosely defined in the contemporary art gallery scene in this country. In fact, for nontraditionalists, the difference between small and miniature may hold less meaning. Melanie Smith, co-owner of the Seaside Art Gallery in Nags Head, NC, a knowledgeable seller of miniature art, is holding her gallery's 14th annual, juried International Miniature Art Show from May 7 to June 4, 2005.

When it comes to defining miniature art, Smith says, "What is small vs. miniature matters a great deal to [miniature art] societies, but not so much to me as a gallery owner. In our show, we require that paintings be no larger than 40 square inches, including the frame. No sculpture may be larger than six inches in any one direction." When developing the concept of her miniature art show, Smith and her gallery, did however, look to miniature art societies and their definitions for guidance and then adapted their own criteria.

Michael McCormick, owner of Michael McCormick Gallery in Taos, NM, also appreciates a looser interpretation of that which is miniature. McCormick held a 2004 Winter Solstice Miniature Fun Show, in which he asked artists to submit miniatures and "smallish" works. McCormick says the smallest work was 2 x 2 1/2 inches and was titled, "The Ranchos Church," by Pat Woodall. Another piece titled, "Ava," by Miguel Martinez, was 2 x 6 inches, or about the size of a bookmark.