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| Unfinished...a little closer to reality |
Sometimes a piece really does require a larger surface...sometimes an image becomes something totally different when the scale is changed...sometimes size just seems like a ploy for attention.
There are a lot of times that I start a piece wishing it was gigantic...that I had a warehouse somewhere I could house 12 ft tall canvases and monumental compositions...that I had the means to make whatever I wanted at whatever size I want...and then there are times I'm thankful I have none of that.
While I love working large, always getting what you want doesn't force you to really figure out how to execute what you want a piece to say. If you want a piece to get attention, making it 20 feet tall would work, but so does infusing the piece with emotion and meaning. If you want a piece to be effective, making it big might make people more initially interested, but that doesn't mean it accomplishes its goals. If you want people to remember a piece, large size might be an easy way to go, but it doesn't mean the viewer will really have any connection.
I love working large and do so whenever I can, but that doesn't mean small work isn't as, if not more, valuable. It forces you to create work that people actually engage in instead of simply marveling at the size. It requires a more intimate viewing instead of standing 20 feet back where you can't even tell the medium. It forces the artist to pay more attention to the surface they cover and leave bare, knowing that space is limited and easily over-worked...it's not that making large work is easy, it's not, but it's forcing yourself to limit your opportunity...to get yourself into a situation that requires problem solving...to avoid handing you exactly what you desire, but force you to think on your feet. It's not a question of what scale is better, but what is more appropriate for what you're trying to do...
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| Unfinished. A large version of a recent piece. |
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