Choosing your art size. Tiny art. Huge art. Each brings out different feelings in us. Large scale art makes a big impact no matter how minimal the design. Tiny art is intricate due to its size. Tiny art can be more difficult to create, and is enjoying a lot of attention these days.
So, which kind of art is for you?
It is a question you may want to answer before starting your collection and making a huge investment. Will you go the way of big art or small art?
There are really only three questions to consider and you’ll have your answer.
1. Are you into modern minimalism or do you prefer more eclectic bohemian spaces filled with colors?
If you like lots of clean lines and little visual clutter, you might want to collect very large scale minimalist canvases. A gallery wall of small and medium sized art can create an abundance of visual stimulation. If you don’t like this vibe, you might feel the room is cluttered and messy even when it is spotless.
On the other end, some people find a minimal neutral palette with only a couple large scale pieces to be stark. They might see it as cold and uninviting, or might even find the lack of visual stimulation to stunt their creativity.
Neither preference is right or wrong, it is just a difference in personalities.
2. Are you a perfectionist? Does it drive you crazy if your framed photos are crooked after someone slams a door? Do you need all the books on the shelf to be straight?
A gallery wall of multiple pieces of tiny art can be difficult to hang perfectly. Each item requires two hooks installed with a level, and any pieces being even one degree off from another will be noticeable. Also, your perfectionist nature might want to reconfigure the vignette over and over to find the perfect arrangement. (Ask me how I know!) Not to mention, more to dust.
With large art, there are fewer items to consider and fewer options. You only need to measure for a few pieces and locations. You just don’t need it to be as perfect.
3. Are you all about the end result, or are you more interested in the journey to get there?
This might be part personality and part lifestyle philosophy.
If you care most about the end result, you can achieve an amazing result with one to three large scale artworks. That is just one to three paths to travel before you are finished and content. It means less research, less searching, and less waiting to be “finished”.
But………if you are all about the journey, then that long road of searching is your jam. You relish the hunt. Rummaging through estate sales, haggling with art brokers, scouring flea markets, researching artists…….these adventures are the part that bring you the most joy. And in that case, go for the smaller art. Smaller art takes less space and costs less money, so you can collect more of it. Collecting more art means collecting more adventures and more memories for you. Enjoy the journey!
After you answer these questions, the answer to whether you should stick to big art or small art should be clear.
And keep in mind, you don’t have be married to the decision. You can go one direction in one room and choose a different direction for another room. And never ever underestimate the impact of negative space. The right small art in the right large location can be very impactful. Just like a huge piece can look amazing in a tiny room. The size and era of your home is unimportant. Your focus in choosing scale should be all about YOUR personality and happiness.
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