Book Review: Think Small
Let’s face it, we’re getting tiny—we struggle to survive on smaller paychecks, communicate on tiny devices, and aspire to live in tiny, minimally decorated homes. Why not read a tiny book, as well? With Think Small: The Tiniest Art in the World, author Eva Katz delves into the creations of 24 contemporary artists who prefer to work in miniature. Despite the reduction in scale, a good chunk of the artwork in this book abounds with playfulness and ingenuity.
The variety of artwork pictured in Think Small runs the gamut, although the cover image of a tiny Eiffel Tower carved out of a pencil lead (by self-taught artist Salavat Fidai) gives a good indication of the contents: marvelously detailed, not too socially relevant or political, yet clever and cute. Among the more talented artists showcased:
- Joe Fig, a Connecticut sculptor who creates insanely detailed dioramas, precise replicas of the cluttered studios belonging to fellow artists.
- Rosa de Jong, a former advertising art director who now channels her creative energies into microscopic buildings that fit inside standard-sized laboratory test tubes.
- Taylor Mazer, a comic book enthusiast who renders moody, exquisitely detailed landscapes with a (very) fine-tipped pen.
- Dina Brodsky, a more traditional landscape painter who nevertheless excels in enigmatic, weirdly compelling outdoor scenes (her pictured art is done on plexiglass discs, measuring about two inches in diameter).
The interviews in Think Small contain a lot of insights on what compels these artists to make postage stamp-sized mini masterpieces. Although a few of them chose to go smaller out of necessity (lack of space or money), most admitted that working smaller just spoke to them—going against the traditional “bigger is better” career trajectory that many creative people inevitably go on. A majority of the artists, it appears, just kinda tried out working small on a whim—surprising themselves by enjoying the challenge. Some of their methods are quite inspiring, such as the landscape painter who fits all of her materials and work in a single Altoids tin. Easy to carry around, no muss, no fuss.
While Think Small was printed at an appropriately small size (the hardback measures 5 by 6.25 inches), the artwork gets lovingly showcased throughout. Many pieces are photographed alongside everyday objects, allowing the reader to grasp exactly how tiny this stuff is. In that respect, I especially loved the detail in Danielle Clough’s needlepoint portraits, and the impeccable craftsmanship in Shay Aaron’s teensy-weensy food sculptures. If I had a quibble with this book, it’s that a couple of the artists do what I cynically refer to as “Instagram Art”—cloying images engineered solely for getting maximum likes and shares on social media. In my opinion, however, just two of the 24 artists here fit that description. The rest of it fits the bill for being clever and inspiring on a hyper-diminutive scale.
Think Small is published by the Chronicle Books, who supplied a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. Purchase here at Amazon.com.
