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On the end of this auspicious finger is a tiny handbag, the smallest ever created in the world. It's made by a company by MSCHF. They do lots of mischief in the world of art. It occurred to me as I was reading the story that Nothing will fit in that handbag. So as a result, I offered Nothing to the MSCHF Art Collective in exchange for absolutely Nothing.
Product Description
Microscopic (657x222x700μm) tote bag created using 2-photon polymerization printing methods. The bag is viewable through a microscope, which also features a built-in digital display.
Product Year 2023
Product Materials Photopolymer resin, gel case, microscope
Product Dimensions 30 x 16 x 8 in. (76.2 x 40.64 x 20.32 cm.)
Here's the text of an article at CBS News about this new handbag, which recently sold in a Joopiter auction for $63,750.
ARTICLE:
A handbag bearing Louis Vuitton's signature monogram has sold for thousands of dollars – and you can barely even see it with the naked eye.
The bag, dubbed the "microscopic handbag" by its maker, the Brooklyn-based art collective MSCHF, measures at just micrometers. It was sold in a Joopiter auction this week for $63,750 – a high escalation after the initial bid of $15,000 – and comes with a microscope that has a digital display so that its buyer can enjoy the bag's design.
"Smaller than a grain of sea salt and narrow enough to pass through the eye of a needle, this is a purse so small you'll need a microscope to see it," MSCHF said in a post about the bag. "There are big handbags, normal handbags, and small handbags, but this is the final word in bag miniaturization."
The bag is made of photopolymer resin and was created with a 2-photon polymerization, a form of 3D printing, and appears to be a knockoff of luxury designer Louis Vuitton.
The microscopic bag is a fluorescent green tote and features the iconic LV in its center and a design similar to that of the luxury label's OnTheGo bags, which retail for between $3,100 and $4,300.
"As a once-functional object like a handbag becomes smaller and smaller its object status becomes steadily more abstracted until it is purely a brand signifier," MSCHF said.
Kevin Wiesner, MSCHF's chief creative officer, told The New York Times earlier this month that the group did not seek permission from Louis Vuitton to mimic its brand.
"We are big in the 'ask forgiveness, not permission' school," he said.
That rule applied even in this auction. The house hosting it was founded by Louis Vuitton men's designer Pharell Williams.
"Pharrell loves big hats, so we made him an incredibly small bag," Wiesner said.
CBS News has reached out to Louis Vuitton for comment and is awaiting response.
Tiny purses and bags have emerged as a star in the fashion world, with celebrities showing them off on red carpets. In 2019, Lizzo famously arrived at the American Music Awards with a tiny Valentino purse.
"Previous small leather handbags have still required a hand to carry them — they become dysfunctional, inconveniences to their 'wearer,'" MSCHF says in its auction listing. "Microscopic Handbag takes this to its full logical conclusion. A practical object is boiled down into jewelry, all of its putative function evaporated; for luxury objects, useability is the angels' share."
______________________________
And here is a copy of my letter to MSCHF. Let's hope they accept Nothing from me, which will only enhance the value of this already valuable and unique handbag. Or, should I say, finger bang.
From: Tom Miller
To:
Thu 6/29/2023 11:25 AM
Dear MSCHF,
My name is Tom Miller and I am impressed with your miniature bag, the size of a grain of salt.
Since clearly Nothing will fit in this bag, I would like to make Nothing available to you.
I, like many artists before me, use Nothing in my current artistic work. Recently, I made a sculpture of Nothing in 2016 which is widely regarded as the first sculpture of Nothing. Yes, other artists have utilized the "idea" of Nothing in their work, but in my case, I use absolutely Nothing. For example, there are no instructions, I'm not selling Nothing, Nothing isn't a description of what one might see. It's just there.
I was recognized by Euro Weekly News as the first man to make a true original sculpture of Nothing. And I had to threaten to sue a Nothing fraud in order to avoid damaging my reputation for Nothing.
https://euroweeklynews.com/2021/06/11/american-artist-tom-miller-the-genius-who-made-nothing-out-of-something/
American Artist Tom Miller: The First Man To Make An Invisible Sculpture
The Genius Who Made Nothing Out Of Something: American Artist Tom Miller
What I am proposing is that you accept Nothing from me and make Nothing available for use in your little green purse so people have something to put in there. I would not charge for this service, but you could charge as much as you like. I expect Nothing in return, just credit for providing Nothing to your organization.
Congratulations on the purse, and if I can provide Nothing to you now or in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Kind regards,
-- Tom Miller
American Sculpture and Performance Artist
Product Description
Microscopic (657x222x700μm) tote bag created using 2-photon polymerization printing methods. The bag is viewable through a microscope, which also features a built-in digital display.
Product Year 2023
Product Materials Photopolymer resin, gel case, microscope
Product Dimensions 30 x 16 x 8 in. (76.2 x 40.64 x 20.32 cm.)
Here's the text of an article at CBS News about this new handbag, which recently sold in a Joopiter auction for $63,750.
ARTICLE:
A handbag bearing Louis Vuitton's signature monogram has sold for thousands of dollars – and you can barely even see it with the naked eye.
The bag, dubbed the "microscopic handbag" by its maker, the Brooklyn-based art collective MSCHF, measures at just micrometers. It was sold in a Joopiter auction this week for $63,750 – a high escalation after the initial bid of $15,000 – and comes with a microscope that has a digital display so that its buyer can enjoy the bag's design.
"Smaller than a grain of sea salt and narrow enough to pass through the eye of a needle, this is a purse so small you'll need a microscope to see it," MSCHF said in a post about the bag. "There are big handbags, normal handbags, and small handbags, but this is the final word in bag miniaturization."
The bag is made of photopolymer resin and was created with a 2-photon polymerization, a form of 3D printing, and appears to be a knockoff of luxury designer Louis Vuitton.
The microscopic bag is a fluorescent green tote and features the iconic LV in its center and a design similar to that of the luxury label's OnTheGo bags, which retail for between $3,100 and $4,300.
"As a once-functional object like a handbag becomes smaller and smaller its object status becomes steadily more abstracted until it is purely a brand signifier," MSCHF said.
Kevin Wiesner, MSCHF's chief creative officer, told The New York Times earlier this month that the group did not seek permission from Louis Vuitton to mimic its brand.
"We are big in the 'ask forgiveness, not permission' school," he said.
That rule applied even in this auction. The house hosting it was founded by Louis Vuitton men's designer Pharell Williams.
"Pharrell loves big hats, so we made him an incredibly small bag," Wiesner said.
CBS News has reached out to Louis Vuitton for comment and is awaiting response.
Tiny purses and bags have emerged as a star in the fashion world, with celebrities showing them off on red carpets. In 2019, Lizzo famously arrived at the American Music Awards with a tiny Valentino purse.
"Previous small leather handbags have still required a hand to carry them — they become dysfunctional, inconveniences to their 'wearer,'" MSCHF says in its auction listing. "Microscopic Handbag takes this to its full logical conclusion. A practical object is boiled down into jewelry, all of its putative function evaporated; for luxury objects, useability is the angels' share."
______________________________
And here is a copy of my letter to MSCHF. Let's hope they accept Nothing from me, which will only enhance the value of this already valuable and unique handbag. Or, should I say, finger bang.
From: Tom Miller
To:
Thu 6/29/2023 11:25 AM
Dear MSCHF,
My name is Tom Miller and I am impressed with your miniature bag, the size of a grain of salt.
Since clearly Nothing will fit in this bag, I would like to make Nothing available to you.
I, like many artists before me, use Nothing in my current artistic work. Recently, I made a sculpture of Nothing in 2016 which is widely regarded as the first sculpture of Nothing. Yes, other artists have utilized the "idea" of Nothing in their work, but in my case, I use absolutely Nothing. For example, there are no instructions, I'm not selling Nothing, Nothing isn't a description of what one might see. It's just there.
I was recognized by Euro Weekly News as the first man to make a true original sculpture of Nothing. And I had to threaten to sue a Nothing fraud in order to avoid damaging my reputation for Nothing.
https://euroweeklynews.com/2021/06/11/american-artist-tom-miller-the-genius-who-made-nothing-out-of-something/
American Artist Tom Miller: The First Man To Make An Invisible Sculpture
The Genius Who Made Nothing Out Of Something: American Artist Tom Miller
What I am proposing is that you accept Nothing from me and make Nothing available for use in your little green purse so people have something to put in there. I would not charge for this service, but you could charge as much as you like. I expect Nothing in return, just credit for providing Nothing to your organization.
Congratulations on the purse, and if I can provide Nothing to you now or in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Kind regards,
-- Tom Miller
American Sculpture and Performance Artist
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