We’re headed to Chicago, one of our favorite cities, for a conference (and a whole lot of fun with some wonderful people), then off to vacation, so the next dozen posts are going to be on the brief side. I am sure you will enjoy them just as much without my blah, blah, blah…
Artist Jonathan Saiz created 10,000 tiny paintings in just 150 days for the Eyes On exhibition at the Denver Art Museum. The paintings cover a single 33-foot-wide pillar in an installation he calls #WhatIsUtopia. Once the exhibition closes on November 17, 2019, Saiz is giving away all 10,000 of the paintings!
“Money has a way of ruining everything—it turns everything that is magical and beautiful into a commodity, and it turns artists into robots. To explore a truly utopian vision, I wanted to revolt against that system with this work—I wanted to give all these artworks away for free as a way to express my love and respect for as many people as I possibly could, and to celebrate the idea of a truly free world. My work on this project won’t just end after these 10,000 pieces are given away—it’s a long-term project where I plan on giving 100,000 artworks away in different and experimental projects.”
-Jonathan Saiz interview with MyModernMet
The 2″ square paintings are wonderful and quirky and all very different, I’m sure painting all those tiny works of art was a colossal amount of work, but I think coming up with 10,000 different subjects must have been even more difficult than painting them. Saiz used many different mediums in his paintings including oil paint, clay, gold leaf, and even sometimes gems and pearls. People requesting a painting will get whichever one the artist feels belongs to them. He calls the giveaway process “an emotional transaction instead of a monetary one.”
You can see more of the tiny masterpieces by Jonathan Saiz (and get in the running for a free painting) on the project’s Instagram account. You can also follow the artist on his own Instagram, and the Denver Art Museum on their Instagram, too!
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July 27, 2019 at 6:58 am
O h my. coming up with that many subjects is mind boggling. great idea to advance art.
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July 27, 2019 at 7:15 am
I really can’t imagine it!
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July 27, 2019 at 8:51 am
Amazing.
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July 27, 2019 at 10:48 am
I am such a believer in ‘good things come in small packages.’ these are wonderful!
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July 27, 2019 at 11:29 am
Me, too. I always say if it’s wee, it’s for me!
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July 27, 2019 at 12:49 pm
What a great art idea, Donna 🙂
This way, as the artist wish to spread the love for his art is amazing.
Enjoy your vacation.
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July 27, 2019 at 2:42 pm
I think it’s a lovely idea, too, and thank you for the bon voyage!
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July 27, 2019 at 4:26 pm
I love every single aspect of this project. What a wonderfully generous act of creativity and public art. Coming up with subjects for all those tiny paintings must have taken some brain power. I have tried the art of “twinchies” so have made an attempt at painting on this scale. Drawing I can just about manage but painting required just too much of a steady hand. I, therefore, also appreciate the skill and patience required. This is real dedication to public art. Wow.
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July 27, 2019 at 11:16 pm
He’s a marvel. And he wants to keep going! I’m so glad there are people like this artist in the world.
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July 27, 2019 at 7:23 pm
That’s an amazing amount of stellar work for 150 days! I love the Blake quote he used on his Instagram: “To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour.” #williamblake
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July 27, 2019 at 11:39 pm
I missed that. Love it, too!
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