Miniatures

Sound Production: David Birnbaum
Flute: Amélie Brodeur
Guitar: André Chalifour
Video: Rachel Dhawan
Staging & Choreography: Natàlia da Silva Peréz

The Miniatures Projects was a year-long collaboration between research assistants and faculty from Concordia and McGill University, with the goal of developing an approach to multimedia artwork based on the miniature art form. Here’s an explanation of what “miniature” means in the art world, from the website of the Miniature Art Society of Florida:

A miniature usually takes as long or longer to produce as a large piece of art. A fine miniature can be magnified many times and it will still hold together as a fine work of art of much greater size. Most artists can work large, but few have the skill and discipline to work miniature. This unique art form, based on a minute scale, traces its roots back to the book paintings and illuminated manuscripts of the 7th century.

There is much debate as to if there is a technique to be considered as the best, more accurate, or most correct technique… Techniques such as stippling, hatching and pointillism are sometimes only discovered under magnification. The answer is to study others from past to present. Whatever technique is used, it should meticulously handled and the workmanship flawless. Miniature art sometimes defeats the spectator’s belief as to what is possible for the artist to create in such a small space.

The result of the first project (Fall 2004) was a series of short music and video works. Each piece of music was a reinterpretation and/or rearrangement of a solo for acoustic guitar, Prelude no.1 in D minor, by renowned Spanish guitarist Franscisco Tárrega (1852–1909). (The recording entitled “Original” was made following the original score.)

The second project (Winter 2005) was not derivative, but instead consisted of several original performances, involving live music, video, choreography and staging. The music and video included here were only a small part of the live performance.

Funding for Miniatures was provided by the FCAR (Formation de Chercheurs et l’Aide a la Recherche) grant.