We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Aly and Ian a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Aly and Ian, appreciate you joining us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey? What did they do right?
We were both raised in Queen Village, a vibrant and eclectic neighborhood in Philadelphia that, by the mid-1980s when we were coming up, had become home to a growing community of artists, makers, and creative professionals. Our parents were part of that wave, working in artistic fields and actively choosing to build lives rooted in creativity and self-expression. What they did right was not only to model that path for us, but also to make space for our own creativity to thrive: at home, in school, and eventually in our professional lives. Looking back, it’s clear how rare and special that was. When we reconnected during the pandemic, turning to creative projects was natural because it was the foundation we were both raised on.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
We love tiny things and we love collecting tiny things! We combine tiny things, found objects (both in trash and in nature), and arrange in them in tiny “flatlays,” which we then photograph. We call them “treasure troves” or “troves.” The troves are not digitally altered beyond enhancing the black background and removing small imperfections (stray dog hairs, schmutz, etc.). We also do not paint or alter the color of the objects themselves. You’re seeing actual objects from our collection.
What started as a way to pass the time during the pandemic turned into a creative outlet we both really love. Our shared habit of collecting tchotchkes and sentimental little objects fueled the whole thing–and now we have a studio full of carefully organized tiny stuff. We’re always experimenting with new ways to use it all to make art that’s fun, charming, and nostalgic. There’s something satisfying about seeing all these unrelated little things come together in a way that feels intentional, neat, and complete. Like Tetris meets iSpy at a stoop sale.
Our studio is in our home in Philadelphia, where we live with our two dogs, Macho and Nike.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
When we first showed our work, people didn’t really “get it” at first, as they had no frame of reference; they assumed it was digital. Without explanation, you can’t tell that our work is comprised of all real objects, not digital replications arranged on a computer. It was Aly’s mom who suggested that we show the actual tiny pieces alongside the prints of our artwork so that people could make the connection–and even find some of the pieces in the artwork like a real-life iSpy game! This pivot really helped people understand what exactly they were seeing when they looked at our artwork.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
We have been amazed at the power of our community and the resources you can find in friends and family–you just have to be willing to ask! We were reluctant to show our larger circle what we’d been working on at first, wondering whether or not it would resonate with people and scratch their brain the way it scratches ours. We have been amazed by and thankful for the outpouring of love and offers of support in a myriad of ways. Our earliest shows were at events that our parents either hosted or connected us to; our website was done by two friends-turned-fans… when you are excited about something it invites people around you to be excited about it, too.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ourtinytreasure.com
- Instagram: @ourtinytreasure
Image Credits
All credits to Our Tiny Treasure