Scale is relative. Large objects can loom over us and overwhelm. We shrink when confronted with a vast expanse, real or imaginary. Conversely, as our relative size grows larger, we surround, engulf, and contain smaller forms like a suitcase, a baby, or a grain of rice. Surprisingly, small spaces can also open portals to miniature worlds, while large forms can feel finite and contained.Artists take these effects seriously. Decisions about scale are often the first an artist makes when selecting the size of a canvas or a tool. The new exhibition Scale Shift: Large and Small Works features pairs of works with similar motifs that vary widely in scale. Visitors are invited to experience their own changing perception of relative size and imaginary space as they view these large and small works from the LUAG permanent collection.

Scale Shift: Large and Small Works continues until May 24, 2019 in the Siegel Gallery, Iacocca Hall. Hours are Monday through Thursday 9 AM – 10 PM and Friday 9 AM – 5 PM. 

Image credit: Naoto Nakagawa, Silent Vision, 1974, Acrylic on canvas