DAY 59

ARTISTIC ODDITIES

The Smallest of the Small

TINY ART, BIG TALENT

How small is small? If a painting is too small to see with the human eye, can it still be appreciated? If no one could see it on the wall or anywhere in the house, would someone still buy it? Apparently, the answer to these last two questions is “yes.”

Micropainter Stefano Busonero creates paintings that are less than a square inch in area. He is also known for paintings done on the end of a syringe and inside sewing needles. All of his smallest works require a magnifying glass in order to appreciate them properly.⁷

Sculptor Willard Wigan is well known for his rendering of the Statue of Liberty inside the eye of a needle, as well as his rendition of Lloyd’s of London on the head of a pin. These pieces are also best viewed with the aid of magnification.⁸

Stepping down even further into the world of the small, artist J’Sha has pioneered a technique he calls “nanoentonography,” which allows him to create works smaller than a speck of dust, viewable only through a microscope.⁹

We can imagine, in the not too distant future, a time when it might not be the artwork itself that sets you back the big bucks but the equipment you will need to properly show it off. —GRG