The Mini Show
October 3 - October 25, 2015
The Lodge
1024 N. Western Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90029
Conjured up by fantasist and artist Clare Crespo (MFA Experimental Animation, California Institute of the Arts), who has created numerous other miniature and magical worlds, Crespo’s concept has come to life in this meticulous 10:1 scale model of The LODGE. Crespo and gallery director Alice Lodge invited artists to create art pieces to fit the miniaturized gallery space. In addition to scaling down the works of art, they are examining the theme of memory. On display will be new work by Louise Bonnet, Clare Crespo, Tierney Gearon, Shane Guffogg, Miranda July, Konstanin Kakanias, Janet Levy, Geoff McFetridge, Jon Pestoni, Rob Reynolds, Joe Prime Reza, Ed Ruscha and Mary Wigmore.
There is long history of miniatures and dioramas and our endless fascination can be seen in Ancient Greek and Roman cameos that were often worn on the body as jewelry, Persian miniature paintings dating back to the 13th century and the popularity of miniature books with the advent of printing press in the 15th century. In the book On Longing: Narratives of the Miniature, the Gigantic, the Souvenir, the Collection, author Susan Stewart analyzes the miniature: “…it is a signification which is increased rather than diminished by its minuteness.” Usually a private object, miniatures invoke memories and longing as they symbolize a person, place or event, bringing something or someone to life. They are associated with magic, reverence, intimacy and looking inwards.
While contemporary art has literally grown in size with larger canvases and objects being produced, some artists have played with the idea of the miniature from Marcel Duchamp’s La Boîte-en-valise (Box in a Suitcase) (1935-1941), Laurie Simmon’s work using dollhouses since the 1970s to a recent resurgence of artists working with miniatures such as Slinkachu and Thomas Doyle.
We invite guests to peer inside the exhibition space of this miniaturized The LODGE and engage with the works on a more intimate level than the typical museum or gallery. We hope the physicality of seeing through the magnifying glass will invite curiosity and provide a unique perspective on the act of observing art.
