56 Henry is pleased to present Small format painting, an exhibition curated by Josh Smith and Leo Fitzpatrick. Each of the 34 artists included in the exhibition was given a 10 x 8 in canvas by the curators. No further instructions were provided. In contrast to the practices of many of the artists in this show, these works are minuscule—an impression underscored by their number and linear installation.

This type of painting finds its roots in Icon painting, which date back to the 3rd century. Early Christians would have small images of the saints or Jesus in their homes as objects of veneration. They were considered windows or portals to the divine. In the context of the gallery, the scale of these paintings forces viewers to approach the work in order to see them, foreclosing any kind of easy, direct relationship between audience and artwork.

The uniform canvases act as both limitation and proposition. Mandatory close-looking foregrounds the subtleties of the work, its palette, texture, and expression. Without the hierarchy of size, each artist’s voice can be read as equal. Established artists hang next to emerging ones, their interplay uncorrupted by status or stature. Coincidentally, the uniform canvases urge the viewer to focus on all but scale.