@SCALE

3/20-5/6

Kipp Gallery at Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Gallery Hours: Mon/Wed 4:30-6:30pm & Tues/Thurs 9am-4pm

@SCALE

Scale presents a range of challenges—and possibilities—when it comes to making, experiencing and commoditizing art.

Scale influences how a piece is developed by the artist and how it is perceived and engaged with by the viewer. A sculpture might demand your attention or quietly integrate into its surroundings, waiting to be discovered. A large, immersive canvas, or drawing, can saturate your visual field, inviting you to step into its world. In contrast, a small painting or print draws you in, requiring closer inspection and a more intimate interaction.  These differences are not merely visual, they affect how we relate to the work both emotionally and physically.

However, scale is not limited to physical dimensions. For an artist, scale can often manifest in generating quantity.

Creating one-of-a-kind work introduces the concept of scarcity—a traditional driver of perceived value in the art world. However, the economics of being an artist frequently necessitates the creation of limited or open editions. These may have a lower individual value but offer a different kind of return—one based on volume.

The same image reproduced on different-sized canvases, or across different mediums, can yield dramatically different price points—despite containing the same content. And when those reproductions are created through automated processes like printing, the perceived value can fluctuate even more. An early-career artist might sell original work for a fraction of what a more established artist commands for a reproduction—even if the former demonstrates greater conceptual depth or technical skill.

As an Artist and a Product Designer, I’m constantly grappling with the question:
“What is the line between art and product?”

That inquiry is at the heart of @SCALE.

In this exhibit, I explore the blurry space where art and product converge. Some might argue they are the same. Others see them as opposites. I believe the truth lies somewhere in between. My intention with @SCALE is to provoke reflection, dialogue, and thoughtful conversation around the commodification of creativity in a capitalist culture. In a society that “product-izes” anything with value, what is gained—or lost—through scale? Physically, materially, and economically?

Materiality is central to this investigation.

I work with ceramics, graphite, acrylic paint, and print media—both as artistic expressions and as a foundation for developing commercially viable products. 

The hand-built, the hand-drawn, the hand-painted all carry a perceived authenticity and value.

In contrast, canvas reproductions, slip cast ceramics, and print-on-demand offer accessibility and broader distribution, but often at the expense of exclusivity or monetary value.

@SCALE is an opportunity to formalize these explorations—to examine how physical and conceptual scale impacts value, perception, and meaning.