Richard McMahan's Miniature Art Museum

September 15, 2008 6:41 PM

Richard McMahan's Mini MuseumFor the past 18 years, artist/art historian Richard McMahan has been making tiny replicas of the world's masterpieces, from ancient Egyptian tombs and Lascaux cave paintings to Joseph Cornell and Marcel Duchamp. Charleston's Halsey Institute of Contemporary art has an online exhibit and 8-minute mini documentary. A short interview.

(In case it's not obvious, just click on any pic in the gallery to bring it closer and click again to send it back.)

posted by mediareport (12 comments total)

hmmmm.... interesting.
posted by R. Mutt at 6:45 PM on September 15, 2008

The objects themselves are very cool, but the pointlessly whiz-bang interface makes me want to punch someone in the dick.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 6:48 PM on September 15, 2008 [4 favorites]

*hmmmm.... interesting.
posted by R. Mutt at 6:50 PM on September 15, 2008

*hmmmm.... whatever.
posted by R. Mutt at 6:51 PM on September 15, 2008

*hmmm.... lovely.
posted by R. Mutt at 6:56 PM on September 15, 2008

*actually, on closer examination, they kinda really suck.
posted by R. Mutt at 7:05 PM on September 15, 2008

Hate the interface, and would it have killed him to label the works, I only recognize about half of them.
posted by orthogonality at 7:41 PM on September 15, 2008

Awful. Just ... awful.
posted by mrnutty at 7:47 PM on September 15, 2008

I think this is really cool, I sort of loved how crappy the paintings were. The interface is annoying, but they were labeled for me...
posted by youthenrage at 8:22 PM on September 15, 2008

It's just like, it's just like, it's just like a mini museum...
posted by BaxterG4 at 8:41 PM on September 15, 2008 [1 favorite]

Kind of reminds me of Duchamp's own La boîte-en-valise. This "box in a suitcase" was a portable museum, kept in suitcase and filled with miniature reproductions of his art.
posted by twoleftfeet at 8:47 PM on September 15, 2008

Agreed about the interface, but ortho, each work is clearly labeled below after you click it.

And the Egyptian tomb bits are fantastic, really.
posted by mediareport at 5:37 AM on September 16, 2008