Portrait  Miniatures By Gray

 
 Edward Albee 2010   
 3 x 2 inches 

"From an objective view, all human activities, no matter
 how small or how big, are equal in how they are done. 
The "how" represents the meaning we impose on what we do."
Albert Camus.




Gray is an English portrait miniaturist living in New York City. From the sixteenth to the mid-nineteenth centuries, finely painted portrait miniatures were collected by art patrons. Often they were worn or displayed to show political allegiance or commemorate a loved one. Following this artistic tradition, Gray paints little  portraits. His miniatures reveal secrets about a person’s appearance, their personality and our society’s contemporary concepts and beliefs.  While the portraits focus on contemporary subjects, they retain a historical connection to European portrait miniatures by using the same techniques of stippling and cross-hatching. Though small (sized in a miniature scale of two to three inches), Gray’s pieces require the same amount of time one needs to execute a larger picture. Each individual miniature can take weeks to months to even years to complete. 




MISSION

The Museum's mission is to collect and exhibit  miniature art,
while  building the  public's understanding  and appreciation of the  art  form.
The Museum aims to accomplish its mission by building  and conserving a
permanent  collection  of  contemporary  miniature  art, holding  exhibitions, 
providing  educational  programming and publishing catalogues that include 
timely articles relevant to the field. Thank you.