The Miniature

I usually make a scale model of the gallery space and my works in advance of any solo show of my paintings. I do it so I can think ahead about the arrangement of the paintings within the space: which ones should be included, which should be near each other, the amount of spacing in between, and what kind of syncopation of placement I want. Other artists I know make maquettes too, but many like to leave those choices to the gallery director or curator. I have been lucky to work with gallerists I trust, who have in fact taught me a lot, but even so I generally go into a hanging with my own plan in place (as well as openness to their ideas.) I like making these models for their own sake. I enjoy the scale shift. The miniature version can feel so real, even disorientingly so, especially when photographed.