World's Tiniest Sculptures | FerrariChat

World's Tiniest Sculptures

Discussion in 'Creative Arts' started by REMIX, Jul 8, 2006.

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  1. REMIX

    REMIX Two Time F1 World Champ

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    #1 REMIX, Jul 8, 2006
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Willard Wigan was born in Birmingham, England in 1957 and is the creator of the smallest works of art on earth. From being a traumatised and unrecognised dyslexic child, he is now emerging as the most globally celebrated micro-miniaturist of all time and is literally capable of turning a spec of dust into a vision of true beauty.

    Even he is sometimes at a loss for an explanation as to exactly how he is able to create such treasures. He just gratefully acknowledges that he's been blessed with a God-given talent.

    Willard can create a masterpiece within the eye of a tiny sewing needle, on the head of a pin, the tip of an eyelash or a grain of sand. Some are many times smaller than the fullstop at the end of this sentence.

    He works in total solitude at a quiet retreat in Jersey mainly at night when there is a greater sense of peace in the world and less static electricity to interfere with the immeasurable precision and tolerances required to create the pieces.

    The smallest sculptures can only be measured in thousandths of an inch which is why they can sit, very delicately, on a human hair three thousandths of an inch thick. When working on this scale he slows his heartbeat and his breathing dramatically through meditation and attempts to harmonise his mind, body and soul with the Creator. He then sculpts or paints at the centrepoint between heartbeats for total stillness of hand. He likens this process to "trying to pass a pin through a bubble without bursting it." His concentration is intense when working like this and he feels mentally and physically drained at the end of it.

    http://www.willard-wigan.com/index.html
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  2. ryalex

    ryalex Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #2 ryalex, Jul 8, 2006
    Amazing!

    It's always pleasing to see someone overcome challenges to become expert in something.
     
  3. Asian1118

    Asian1118 F1 Rookie

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    #3 Asian1118, Jul 8, 2006
    what kind of tools do you use to make things this small in such detail
     
  4. ylshih

    ylshih Shogun Assassin
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    #4 ylshih, Jul 8, 2006
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Very cool sculptures!

    Reminded me of the McLellan motor. 1/64th of an inch on a side, *working* electromagnetic motor built in 1960 on a bet/challenge. William McLellan used toothpicks, watchmaker's lathe and watchmaker tools and spent 2.5 months to make the motor!
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  5. Webby

    Webby F1 Veteran

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    #5 Webby, Jul 8, 2006
    Awesome! That takes a lot of skill
     
  6. SRT Mike

    SRT Mike Two Time F1 World Champ

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    #6 SRT Mike, Jul 8, 2006
    A) I could do that, I just choose not to


    B) Were I to attempt such, I would just build a big-ass match stick, take a few pictures and make sure people paid with a wire transfer or some other form of non-disputable funds before they realized that it was not a small sculpture but rather a huge matchstick :)
     
  7. racespecferrari

    racespecferrari F1 Veteran

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    #7 racespecferrari, Jul 9, 2006

    Lol
     
  8. anunakki

    anunakki Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    #8 anunakki, Jul 9, 2006
    im a sculptor myself and Ive seen pics of these before..guy truely is a savant..amazing talent.

    I just hope that hes somehow being rewarded financially as well as creatively. Artists these days are not valued as in centuries past.
     
  9. racespecferrari

    racespecferrari F1 Veteran

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    #9 racespecferrari, Jul 9, 2006

    Unfortunately not until they're dead, then prices rocket up
     
  10. iceburns288

    iceburns288 Formula 3

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    #10 iceburns288, Jul 9, 2006
    A long time ago artists weren't valued at all.
     
  11. lesterm

    lesterm Formula Junior

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    #11 lesterm, Jul 9, 2006
    They weren't?
     
  12. rush109

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    #12 rush109, Jul 9, 2006
    .........................HOW???
     
  13. jonesn

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    #13 jonesn, Jul 10, 2006
  14. audihenry

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    #14 audihenry, Jul 10, 2006
  15. thepinkumbrella

    thepinkumbrella F1 Veteran

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    #15 thepinkumbrella, May 28, 2009
    Hi guys,
    Sorry to resurrect an old thread but I was in London over the last couple of days for the opening of Willard Wigan's gallery and was shocked when I searched to find a thread already relating to his work on FChat!!

    All I can say is wow, and I urge anyone who is in or around London to take the time to see these works, no words or images can convey how spectacular these pieces are and I still cannot comprehend the detail this guy attains in such small scale.
    I am not linked to Willard in any way but want people to see and experience what this man has achieved.
    The address of the gallery is:
    40a Museum Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1A 1LU
    (between Tottenham Court road and Holborn underground stations).
    http://www.willard-wigan.com/gallery.aspx

    He's off to the USA in two weeks to appear on the Oprah Winfrey show and if the opportunity arises to see any of his works, do it!!

    Paul
     
  16. jsa330

    jsa330 F1 Veteran
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    #16 jsa330, May 28, 2009
    This varied widely, fom culture to culture, time period to time period.

    Big generalization, but it's been 35 years since I did art and architectural history...the specifics are long-forgotten. :(
     
  17. jsa330

    jsa330 F1 Veteran
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    #17 jsa330, May 28, 2009
    Regarding the tiny sculptures, they're amazing, but I prefer to think bigger.
     

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