Principle Gallery | 11/6-11/30 Charleston, SC

Balancing Scale

By Audrey Eagerton

An artwork’s scale can drastically change its impact. Smaller works draw viewers in to appreciate finer details and marvel at an artist’s skill, while larger-than-life paintings can overwhelm the senses and stop viewers in their tracks.

This November at Principle Gallery in Charleston, South Carolina, the invitational group show Scale Shift will explore the dynamic power of size. Selected artists’ work will focus on either small or large format pieces and are challenged to push the boundaries of conceptual weight. With the size of featured works being the only constraint, artists are free to dive into any subject of their choice, however large or small.

J Louis, Purple Crash, oil on canvas, 96 x 84 in.

“We challenged many of our artists to push this idea as far as they wanted to, pushing physical, conceptual and emotional scale within their show pieces,” says assistant gallery director Carson Reeder.

“One of my favorite responses when pitching the idea to the artists was from J Louis, whose immediate response was, ‘I would love to push this idea as much as possible if you don’t mind. What is the largest size you would be willing to consider?’ This kind of excitement from the artists and their willingness to give the concept room to be explored is what made this show come together so well.”

The work J Louis created for the show is titled Purple Crash and stands at 96 inches tall by 84 inches wide. The painting is a wash of purple hues, with a large magenta stroke comprising the body of the subject—a siren clinging to an abstract rock.

Carmen Drake, Secrets from the Garden, oil on canvas, 8 x 8 in.

Large-scale works like Louis' carry emotional impact, making viewers feel small and immersed in the drama. Meanwhile, smaller works like Carmen Drake’s Secrets from the Garden create an intimacy and sense of quiet that asks viewers to lean in and pay attention.

“The painting Secrets from the Garden is born like most of my body of work, from my deep connection to my gardens, my love of the natural world and capturing the simplest of moments,” says Drake.

“In an era of fast-paced lives and finding entertainment or distractions on computers or on the phone in one’s hand, I hope the portrayal of my granddaughter in this painting will direct the viewer to the beauty in the notice of a flower as simple as that of a violet and remind them of the wonderment through a child’s eye,” she says. “The incorporation of the antique 19th-century clothing is to give a nod to the Romanticism movement and their voice on nature as a beautiful, powerful subject in its own right.”

Jill Basham, Afterglow, oil on linen, 60 x 72 in.

Considering and prioritizing scale allows artists to play and experiment with their chosen scenes. By using relative scale and including small figures, artists can convey the grandeur of a landscape and create a perspective not often witnessed in everyday life.

Nathalie Lapointe’s painting Uncharted uses this technique, allowing viewers to take in a landscape dominated by jutting rocks and a flowing river, all put into perspective by a small group of figures looking out across the water.

Nathalie Lapointe, Uncharted, oil on wood panel, 40 x 60 in.

“Uncharted was inspired by a small 5-by-6-inch river study I created during the 12th Annual Plein Air Convention & Expo (PACE) in Lake Tahoe and Reno in 2025. That tiny piece sparked the desire to explore the subject on a much larger scale,” says Lapointe.

“With the theme of Scale Shift, I wanted to push that idea further: what first appears to be an intimate, close-up view of a river gradually reveals, through the fine details, an entire world unfolding—massive cliffs seen from above, with tiny birds and figures suggesting the immensity of the landscape,” she explains. “It also connects to the fantasy and video-game universes I love and have occasionally explored in my work. Created with rollers and brushes, the painting is ultimately about light, discovery and escape. I hope viewers can lose themselves in it for a moment, feel drawn into this imagined landscape, and perhaps experience that sense of wonder that comes with discovering somewhere unknown.”

Steven S. Walker, Liquid Nova 67, oil on canvas, 36 x 36 in.

Another landscape in the show is by Jill Basham. “I'm endlessly inspired by the natural world...For Afterglow, a big 60-by-72 inch, I focused on my love of skies and deep atmosphere. I believe that the sheer scale of Afterglow helps to put the viewer into the scene so that they can feel the magic of the last light,” says Basham.

Throughout the show, artists use scale to tell their stories—creating tension, contrast and visual hierarchies not only with the works themselves but with reality. Scale Shift opens Friday, November 6, with a reception held from 5 to 8 p.m. and runs through the end of the month. —