Miniature Art, Huge Impact

By HEATHER HART

(All images by Heather Hart, 2012.)

DSOA Digital Media student’s piece depicting a dancer in the woods.

Today I visited the Dreyfoos School of the Arts’ Miniature Art Show and found that the art was anything but small. Each work was a mini-master piece that was simply in an itsy-bitsy package.

I thoroughly enjoyed the artwork by the DSOA students. I was particularly interested in the picture of a girl dancing in the woods. Placed in a cluster of equally tiny photographs, I was captivated by the graceful ballerina dancing alone in the forest. Oddly enough, the size of the piece seems to be perfect for the image itself. The first adjectives that pop into my head when someone says “ballerina” are “nimble”, “lovely”, and “dainty.” This dainty little picture is perfect in dimension for this scene.

DSOA Digital Media student’s piece that captures a forest

The reverse side to this picture is that it contains the typical “girl in the woods” subject, even though the photograph is beautiful. I also think that the perspective could be changed a little to make the picture more interesting. I can see the effort in the piece, but I feel like the camera should explore different angles instead of showing the ballerina in full. Plus, the rule of thirds could also be considered.

The layout of the gallery could be improved. The decision to week certain types of works together was a smart choice, but when you walk into the gallery you might wonder if you are in the right place. The size of the pieces make you want to go closer and look deeper into each piece, but they are spread out across the room. This would usually be a brilliant idea, to give each piece its space, but the effect on this gallery makes the view feel the gallery is sparse.

The talents of the visual and digital media students of Dreyfoos are defiantly displayed. The show makes it obvious that even the small pieces of art must be appreciated. While a large canvas is very “in your face”, a petite canvas is a more understated way to display a piece. So the next time you go to a gallery of all sizes,

don’t cut out the little guy. The small painting in the corner. The tiny sculpture in its own spotlight. Everybody enjoys a fun-sized candy bar, right?