Most painters measure their work in feet or centimeters. Remington Robinson measures his in inches. The American artist has built a distinctive body of work by creating highly detailed miniature paintings on an unconventional surface: the lids of Altoids tins. What might initially seem like a novelty quickly reveals itself as an impressive exercise in precision. Working on a space small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, Robinson captures expansive mountain ranges, quiet forests, city streets, coastlines, cafés, and fleeting moments of everyday life with a level of atmosphere and depth that feels far larger than the surface allows.
One of the most fascinating aspects of Robinson's work is the contrast between subject and scale. Landscape painting has traditionally been associated with large canvases capable of conveying the grandeur of nature. Robinson does the opposite. Vast mountain ranges, dramatic skies, busy city blocks, and entire coastlines are compressed into surfaces barely larger than a business card. The result forces viewers to reconsider how much information a painting actually needs to communicate a place. Scroll down to see his newest miniature works.
