To make a significant splash with wall art, you might think that bigger is always better. But lately, some artists and designers are taking the opposite approach. The idea is that a petite piece in a prominent position will beckon guests farther into a room.
ArtNet reported on the small-art movement earlier this year. And Elle Decor recently examined the trend’s impact on interiors in an article quoting designer Ghislaine Viñas as remarking that juxtaposing tiny artworks with more sizable ones can create a “playful tension.”
In her own living room, 1stDibs 50 honoree Brigette Romanek hung a small artwork above the fireplace. “You would expect a really large piece there, and I’m like, ‘No.’ ” Romanek told Introspective. “What belongs there is this really tiny, beautiful, pencil drawing — it allows you to really focus on it.”
Whether you choose an antique oil or a contemporary piece, like artist Dani Humberstone’s pensive fruit paintings, small artworks add a touch of the unexpected.
