THE ART PROCESS: Miniature Art
On the same wave as Victoria’s previous post highlighting Aiba’s work with miniatures, let’s take a closer look at these little artist-created worlds (like, real close - these things can get pretty tiny).
Miniature and model art focuses on the thousand-year-old traditions of engraving and sculpting small-scaled objects mostly based on life-sized things. As this genre meshes in with the contemporary art world, some very interesting analysis of nature and architecture arise.
A great example of this which comes to mind is the meticulous work of Keisuke Tanaka. His process starts with large blocks of blank wood which he carefully and skillfully carves into incredibly detailed sculptures. The carvings are then hand-painted with extreme care. Weaved into his pieces, which are mostly comprised of trees and cloud-like wisps, you will find cityscapes, tiny wooden houses, and swirling trails.
These overall whimsical pieces come silver-lined with the beautifully ironic concept of trees being carved out of wood. What I like most about miniature work is how the artist can put a whole forest at your feet yet it will remain completely humble as if you were standing in the forest itself.
