Inside the Weird and Wonderful World of Miniatures | Esquire

I was thrilled to have been mentioned in a story written by Scott Huler for Esquire entitled "Inside the Weird and Wonderful World of Miniatures" which was published on November 20, 2023. Read the full article here.

This article is one of the most comprehenive and consequencial (and best written!) stories written about the subject of miniatures. Mr. Huler takes the reader on his personal journey as he emerges himself in the tiny world we love so much and provides terrific insights from an outsider's perspective which help bridge the "golden era" of miniatures with what we are seeing happening today in the mini world, especially with the explosion of pupularity that the discipline is enjoying with hobbyists, makers, artists and enthusiasts across the globe. (Below: Mr. Huler with Bob Off)

"Well, lockdown and TikTok, according to Darren Scala of D. Thomas Fine Miniatures, which skews toward Off-level fine-art miniatures, boasting more than 130,000 Instagram followers and a YouTube channel that features interviews with miniature artisans. According to Scala, the explosion started before COVID on Reddit, Pinterest, and especially Instagram, where miniaturists can share images of their work, teach and inspire one another, and swoon. Miniatures “allow you to see objects in a different way,” he said. (Below: Andi Vinciquerra Trial Size Dove Bar)

“It makes you sort of super focus, takes you away from yourself and makes you feel something.” That illusion, the sense of elsewhere: “the illusion that there is something behind that door.” You can do that in a painting or a full-size sculpture, but it’s not the same. With a miniature, “You have to go like this,” he said, craning. “You have to move to get the treat, and then, you know. You have the possibility.” And while Scala shows off mostly higher-end miniatures—“fine” miniatures in the argot, the artisanal furniture and objects that run in the hundreds of dollars per piece—once you’re online, you’ll find that as miniatures have spread, so has their subject matter. A decade ago, the focus was stately homes. Not anymore." (Below: Emma Waddell Dolls House Grand Designsl)