Bringing Miniatures into the Modern Era

In the last decade, the clean lines, rich materials, and varied textures of mid-century design have had a renaissance. Since the miniature world takes its cues from the world at large, it naturally follows that mid-century modernism would take hold there as well. Contemporary miniature artisans show less interest in the Victorian buildings and dream mansions that once dominated the scene in the latter part of the 20^th century. Instead, today’s miniaturists are recreating the mid-century modern homes where they grew up or currently live. Far from pristine, today’s miniatures often feature the everyday details of a lived-in home– establishing a sense of familiarity that is inviting, encouraging the viewer to come in and put their feet up.

"The closer you look, the better it gets."

One miniature artisan propelling this new approach forward is Michael Yurkovic.  A former industrial designer and toy inventor, Yurkovic was introduced to the world of miniatures in 2013, when he was invited to attend a miniature show. He was inspired by what he saw but noticed that mid-century modernism, a design aesthetic dear to him, was lacking in the showroom. Using his design skills, he began creating 1:12 scale models of classic mid-century modern furniture by Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson, and Isamu Noguchi– among others. When he first began bringing his pieces to miniature shows, he was nearly the only one in the room with pieces from this era. His work was quite popular among collectors and sold out quickly. Nearly ten years later, mid-century modern and contemporary miniatures are gaining steam. You will readily find mid-century modern pieces being produced by other miniaturists as well as from commercial manufactures.

Alongside his passion for mid-century modern design, Yurkovic is also inspired by nature. In particular, he is fascinated with the concept of nature reclaiming the earth from the industrial age. Yurkovic masterfully melds these two disparate aesthetics to make miniatures depicting the detritus of everyday objects as they rust, wear, and weather when discarded. The results are both playful and thought-provoking. Gas Pump Diorama is a collaboration with South African miniaturist and nature artist, Beth Freeman-Kane. It features a 1950’s Hancock Gas Pump by Yurkovic rusting away only to be repurposed as a home for a family of sparrows, created by Freeman-Kane. In another more contemporary scene, Yurkovic presents the discarded remains of a Vespa left to rot in the desert with other junk. This piece calls to mind the role modern manufacturing and consumerism has played in the accumulation of waste that is polluting the planet. Vespa Diorama is a reminder of how the small-scale world of miniatures can carry poignant statements about the world at large.