"To consider the small, in all its detail, is to journey inward, knowing the greatest depths."
"~Cheryl, A Smallist creator"
We, the Smallists, believe in the vast capacity of the small. Gaston Bachelard said, "The cleverer I am at miniaturizing the world, the better I possess it. But in doing this, it must be understood that values become condensed and enriched in miniature." We could not agree with Bachelard more. Engaging in a miniature creates a sense of intimacy for the viewer that allows him or her personal importance. While large works immediately announce themselves to all, only the curious and engaged viewer truly appreciates the small. Although a sense of power or domination can be derived from viewing a tiny and contained world, miniature works call attention to details and can highlight the delicacy, promoting sensitivity and reflection on one.s actions. Conversely, in the large, one often finds a lack of attention to detail and a lack of quality. This is to say, the large is less .enriched. than the miniature. We find the .Big Mac. esthetic, which can manifest in many ways, to be a reflection of the shallow and ultimately misguided search for satisfaction in a consumerist society. Instead of looking for fulfillment in superficially impressive quantities, one should seek and demand quality, or concentrated value. By miniaturizing all aspects of our existence, our physical and mental realms, we thereby make them, as Bachelard would say, more enriched. In America we are forced to bear witness to the search for the largest flat screen TVs, the largest homes, the SUV and the HUMMER, Los Angeles. urban sprawl, to the artists who gains celebrity status based solely on the fact that they create large works. We find it repulsive that anyone would want to own unnecessarily large cars or homes. Owning a truck would be appropriate if one had a job that demanded one, or a very large family. These vehicles are so large as to become ridiculous; a family of five in India might be happy to live in what an American family casually owns as a second or third .recreational. vehicle. The SUV and the Hummer are testaments to the growing isolationism brought on by the large. Although large works or objects may seem to draw people into themselves, creating worlds, they actually dull the senses and encourage the habitation of fantastical spaces of social and economical isolation. Small works will train the senses to consider detail and examine one.s world, while the large draws one into a quiet falsity. This affect is reflected in housing as well. It is disturbing that upper and middle class Americans are continually demanding larger homes, ignoring efficiency concerns which have an affect on the community and environment as a whole. We are advocates of the compact cityscape. A horizontally expanding city, such as Los Angeles, creates many transportation problems that have not yet been fully addressed, while a more vertically expansive city like New York, is enriched and intricate. A compact city limits concerns such as transportation, as daily necessities are close at hand, and promotes the development of community and cooperation.
As artists, our most important Smallist endeavors exist in the conception and making of our artwork. We make art that celebrates the small in everything. We do not overlook the ground we tread upon, or become confused by the vast sky we walk under. In the night sky we might focus on a single star and in the midst of a grassy field we may concentrate on one blade of grass. There are many of theories and perceptions of miniaturization. We miniaturize objects, scenes, or ideas to make them more accessible and appealing to children (i.e. dollhouses, toy cars), to diversify and give consumers options that best suit them (motor vehicles, TVs, refrigerators), for convenience and portability (cell phones, laptops, mobile homes), as well as for hobby, craft, or challenge (bonsai trees, small books, miniature art). We also miniaturize to fulfill our desire for the fantastical ("Thomas Thumb," "Honey I Shrunk the Kids"). Often overlooked, however, is our NEED to miniaturize in order to understand. We rely on an internal mechanism to miniaturize the world around us so that we can begin to understand it. In our imagination, the earth, or any planet for that matter, exists as a small sphere. We cannot actually imagine the earth in its entirety--its real size is inconceivable to us. We depend on aerial pictures and perspectives or games to put immensities into a readable language. We break large units into smaller, more approachable ones--we miniaturize what we cannot accurately conceive of in its true size. These methods of understanding space have become so engrained into the human experience that we often think in accordance with what we have already seen miniaturized. Each person relies on internal, miniature models of space; therefore everyone engages and affirms the value of the small, without hesitation. A city, for example, can be thought of as a whole (with accurate proportions, as well as correct distances and overall structure), only because its inhabitants have repeatedly viewed maps. We need not have personally witnessed a bird.s eye view of a city to have it engrained in our memory and used as a reference.
The value of the small is practical, fantastical, and spiritual. To consider the small, in all its detail, is to journey inward, knowing the greatest depths. It is a drawing inward, a paring down to essentials, to purity of form and to purity of purpose. Smallism will draw the community together through the promotion of a greater awareness and through affirming individual responsibility and importance.