The eye of a needle.
Jan 21st 2009, 6:13 am
#1
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 5,786
The eye of a needle.
This guy is amazing.I saw him on telly a while ago showing some of the art he has done and I was gobsmacked.Everything he does is just from his own sight..no microscopes or anything.He sculpts them with a shard of broken diamond.
Christ,I strain to see the tv without my glasses on!!
To commemorate Barack Obama's inauguration one artist has made a sculpture of the US President and his family so small, it fits in the eye of a needle.
These microscopic figures are smaller than a full stop on a newspaper and took seven weeks to make.
Creator Willard Wigan said he wanted to design "the smallest tribute possible" to commemorate the "massive occasion" of the inauguration of America's first black president.
The minute figures are made from a tiny piece of hard nylon which Mr Wigan painted using a hair from a dead fly.
He then took one of his own eyelashes to position the figures on a specially-made gold needle and worked between heartbeats to avoid making mistakes.
Mr Wigan, who has been awarded an MBE, said: "It's something I never thought would happen in my lifetime. I thought I would do the smallest biggest tribute to mark the occasion."
Mr Wigan would love his work to be displayed at the White House and said Mr Obama would be "knocked unconscious" if he saw the sculpture.
In his 46-year career Mr Wigan has made sculptures of The Wizard of Oz characters in the eye of a needle and Elvis on a pinhead.
The fascination with small art began aged five when he built an adventure playground for ants in his parent's garden.
"It's the most punishing work in the world," said Mr Wigan. "I've got better over the years but you've not seen the best of me yet."
Christ,I strain to see the tv without my glasses on!!
To commemorate Barack Obama's inauguration one artist has made a sculpture of the US President and his family so small, it fits in the eye of a needle.
These microscopic figures are smaller than a full stop on a newspaper and took seven weeks to make.
Creator Willard Wigan said he wanted to design "the smallest tribute possible" to commemorate the "massive occasion" of the inauguration of America's first black president.
The minute figures are made from a tiny piece of hard nylon which Mr Wigan painted using a hair from a dead fly.
He then took one of his own eyelashes to position the figures on a specially-made gold needle and worked between heartbeats to avoid making mistakes.
Mr Wigan, who has been awarded an MBE, said: "It's something I never thought would happen in my lifetime. I thought I would do the smallest biggest tribute to mark the occasion."
Mr Wigan would love his work to be displayed at the White House and said Mr Obama would be "knocked unconscious" if he saw the sculpture.
In his 46-year career Mr Wigan has made sculptures of The Wizard of Oz characters in the eye of a needle and Elvis on a pinhead.
The fascination with small art began aged five when he built an adventure playground for ants in his parent's garden.
"It's the most punishing work in the world," said Mr Wigan. "I've got better over the years but you've not seen the best of me yet."
Jan 21st 2009, 6:44 am
#2
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Riyadh.
Posts: 1,899
Re: The eye of a needle.
First read about this guy some time ago on the BBC web site. Some of his work has fetched big money, people buying them privately to add to their collections.
IIRC , he didn't do well at school , but has since hit the - ahem - BIG time with his work.
Its amazing, absolutely fantastic.
IIRC , he didn't do well at school , but has since hit the - ahem - BIG time with his work.
Its amazing, absolutely fantastic.
Jan 21st 2009, 6:54 am
#3
why ayeeeee man!
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Disco Gardens...
Posts: 11,370
Re: The eye of a needle.
This guy is amazing.I saw him on telly a while ago showing some of the art he has done and I was gobsmacked.Everything he does is just from his own sight..no microscopes or anything.He sculpts them with a shard of broken diamond.
Christ,I strain to see the tv without my glasses on!!
To commemorate Barack Obama's inauguration one artist has made a sculpture of the US President and his family so small, it fits in the eye of a needle.
These microscopic figures are smaller than a full stop on a newspaper and took seven weeks to make.
Creator Willard Wigan said he wanted to design "the smallest tribute possible" to commemorate the "massive occasion" of the inauguration of America's first black president.
The minute figures are made from a tiny piece of hard nylon which Mr Wigan painted using a hair from a dead fly.
He then took one of his own eyelashes to position the figures on a specially-made gold needle and worked between heartbeats to avoid making mistakes.
Mr Wigan, who has been awarded an MBE, said: "It's something I never thought would happen in my lifetime. I thought I would do the smallest biggest tribute to mark the occasion."
Mr Wigan would love his work to be displayed at the White House and said Mr Obama would be "knocked unconscious" if he saw the sculpture.
In his 46-year career Mr Wigan has made sculptures of The Wizard of Oz characters in the eye of a needle and Elvis on a pinhead.
The fascination with small art began aged five when he built an adventure playground for ants in his parent's garden.
"It's the most punishing work in the world," said Mr Wigan. "I've got better over the years but you've not seen the best of me yet."
Christ,I strain to see the tv without my glasses on!!
To commemorate Barack Obama's inauguration one artist has made a sculpture of the US President and his family so small, it fits in the eye of a needle.
These microscopic figures are smaller than a full stop on a newspaper and took seven weeks to make.
Creator Willard Wigan said he wanted to design "the smallest tribute possible" to commemorate the "massive occasion" of the inauguration of America's first black president.
The minute figures are made from a tiny piece of hard nylon which Mr Wigan painted using a hair from a dead fly.
He then took one of his own eyelashes to position the figures on a specially-made gold needle and worked between heartbeats to avoid making mistakes.
Mr Wigan, who has been awarded an MBE, said: "It's something I never thought would happen in my lifetime. I thought I would do the smallest biggest tribute to mark the occasion."
Mr Wigan would love his work to be displayed at the White House and said Mr Obama would be "knocked unconscious" if he saw the sculpture.
In his 46-year career Mr Wigan has made sculptures of The Wizard of Oz characters in the eye of a needle and Elvis on a pinhead.
The fascination with small art began aged five when he built an adventure playground for ants in his parent's garden.
"It's the most punishing work in the world," said Mr Wigan. "I've got better over the years but you've not seen the best of me yet."
Jan 21st 2009, 7:27 am
#5
100% British Beef
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: In A Field
Posts: 1,102
Re: The eye of a needle.
I viewed some of his work that was on display at Microworld in Jersey in the Channel Islands, was really intersting, they had microscopes over all of the exhibits, obviously it was quite a small museum 
I think it's closed down now.
B
I think it's closed down now.
B
Jan 21st 2009, 7:32 am
#6
hmmmm...nice
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 27,923
Re: The eye of a needle.
I just think...why
Jan 21st 2009, 7:39 am
#7
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 7,646
Re: The eye of a needle.
First read about this guy some time ago on the BBC web site. Some of his work has fetched big money, people buying them privately to add to their collections.
IIRC , he didn't do well at school , but has since hit the - ahem - BIG time with his work.
Its amazing, absolutely fantastic.
IIRC , he didn't do well at school , but has since hit the - ahem - BIG time with his work.
Its amazing, absolutely fantastic.
There seems to be a connexion between kids with mild autism thru to Aspergers who have an incredible gift for doing things like this.......
I did some work and research with kids with this condition yonks ago and the work some of em produced was quite stunning.
From detailed drawings on a minute scale to car 'art', i.e spraying/painting the bodywork of vehicles;amazing artwork-again patterns done on the smallest scale...............
Jan 21st 2009, 7:49 am
#10
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 5,786
Re: The eye of a needle.
These ones are good..
Jan 21st 2009, 8:03 am
#11
A bubbly-jock...
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Teneriffe
Posts: 6,262
Re: The eye of a needle.
..why?..money I think !
A Wiltshire bargain-hunter, who snapped up three micro sculptures for £20 at a Swindon car boot sale, discovered that they were in fact stolen works of art by micro-sculptor Willard Wiggan and worth £500,000.
A Wiltshire bargain-hunter, who snapped up three micro sculptures for £20 at a Swindon car boot sale, discovered that they were in fact stolen works of art by micro-sculptor Willard Wiggan and worth £500,000.
Jan 21st 2009, 8:18 am
#12
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 5,786
Re: The eye of a needle.
when you hear those stories about people picking up these amazing things worth a fortune at car boot sales,but whenever you get dragged to one it is always cold,raining and full of tat!
Jan 21st 2009, 12:48 pm
#13
why ayeeeee man!
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Disco Gardens...
Posts: 11,370
