#willard wigan
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Willard Wigan, Sculptor. It's the Small Things that Matter.
Willard Wigan is a sculptor. His work does not live in the world as we know, but peer through the lens of a microscope at his work and prepare to be astonished at what Wigan has produced. Wigan grew up in the 1960s and as a child was cruelly told by his teacher, he was a failure. This led Wigan to become withdrawn from school and he would hide in his Mum's shed at the age of 5. Around this time Wigan saw ants crawl below him one day and did not want the ants to be homeless so with makeshift tools started to make miniature houses for the ants; then he realised he would have to make furniture for the ants. He also started to make small sculptures of his teachers that he did not like as it was his way of making them small as he felt they had made him feel. Wigan has been producing microscopic art ever since, with encouragement from his Mother who told him, that the smaller he made his art, the bigger his name would be. This would become prophetic, as he has since become a very successful artist and sculptor.
Wigan has autism and dyslexia, although was undiagnosed as a boy. The 1960s and 70s schooling system was a harsh environment to understand and nurture children like Wigan, he must have felt very small and unnoticed. Wigan's work is sublime, he has even produced the smallest piece of art in the world, a world record called The Beginning, an image of an embryo, sculpted inside a fine beard hair, which was almost invisible, to begin with. The foetus is made from a dust fibre mote he had plucked from the air. It is 53.88 microns in size or 0.053 mm and is an incredible feat of what the human is capable of; Wigan is quite an incredible sculptor. He also has to make his own microscopic tools, and paints with a hair from a dead fly; sometimes he may use a fine eyelash to paint with. He will cut with a tiny, broken, shard of a diamond. Everything is done, naturally, through a microscope on a molecular level, and his work normally has a setting within the eye of a needle or on a pin head. It is no small wonder that Wigan's work can take months to complete, such is the long arduous, and painstaking process that Wigan has mastered over the decades.
He has said that he really does not enjoy making his art. He loves the result of his work, but not the process of producing it. Wigan has to get into a calm and meditative state beforehand and begin the long processes necessary to create each masterpiece. He has to work in complete silence and will make each deft incision or paint in between each of his own heartbeats. Wigan has said that he will sometimes use a heartbeat as a kind of jackhammer to automatically puncture a fine hole needed in his art: a deep breath is needed for each tense manoeuvre as long as he does not mistime his intake of breath. He once accidentally breathed his tiny Alice in Wonderland sculpture in, when his phone rang, a psychedelic experience for the minute Alice, no doubt. It can be perilous; a fly once flew onto his microscope and its wings caused a draft that blew his artwork away. A harsh critic, the fly must have been, sending a million pound's worth of art into the ether.
Just some of Wigan's sculptures made over the years include The Last Supper, The Mona Lisa, Mount Rushmore, Einstein, and The Girl With the Pearl Earring, each inside a needle eyelet or much smaller than a pinhead. There are many cultural stars, musicians, and notables, such as Neil Armstrong standing on the Moon's surface. It may be one small step for man, but it is one smaller peep into Wigan's mind. There is humour in Wigan's work; his piece 14 gold camels, proving Jesus right, when he exclaimed that, 'it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to get into heaven.' There have been many major exhibitions, worldwide, of Wigan's art, and one could easily buy a ticket for his show and miss his entire life's work, if it wasn't for the individual microscopes and glass domed plinths laid out for exhibition goers to view his work. I have been lucky enough to view some of Wigan's work a few years ago in Liverpool, and I can tell you, it can feel like a spiritual experience when peering into the eyepiece. It felt like viewing the Pale Blue Dot photograph of Earth taken from the Voyager One space probe from nearly 4 billion miles away. There is something deeply humbling and beautiful about Wigan's work, and if anyone gets the chance to see some of his art, then take that chance and you can then ponder how infinitely small we all are.
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Alice's unexpected adventure: artist accidentally inhales tiny sculpture
Dr. Willard Wigan MBE, a renowned micro-sculptor, is known for his astonishingly tiny sculptures that fit comfortably within the eye of a needle. In a recent video profile, Wigan shares a fascinating story about the time he was recreating the Mad Hatter's tea party from the beloved classic Alice in Wonderland. — Read the rest
https://boingboing.net/2023/03/29/alices-unexpected-adventure-artist-accidentally-inhales-tiny-sculpture.html
#Video#alice in wonderland#art#Dr. Willard Wigan MBE#Mad Hatter#micro-sculpture#miniature art#Mark Frauenfelder#Boing Boing
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Will Graham has autism
I’m watching the scene in Oeuf where Beverly walks into Will’s lecture hall and he’s looking at the photos of the missing boys. He doesn’t pay attention to Beverly and says they’re small for their age, and most likely on Ritalin or Focalin for their possible ADHD diagnosis. He’s so focused that he doesn’t even notice that Beverly was talking about Willard Wigan, a British sculptor and son of Jamaican immigrants that has a diagnosis of Asperger’s.
She was clearly pointing out the similarities between Will and Willard Wigan - their attention to detail, their intense focus, their ability to see patterns.
Most of season 1 hints at Will’s Asperger’s diagnosis but this scene really canonized it for me.
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will’s so relatable in the willard wigan scene in oeuf lol like its the zoning out everything until someone says something that is relevant to your interests or point of focus atm for me
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Dandi March Micro Sculpted in the Eye of a Needle
Micro Sculptor by passion Ajay Kumar Mattewada Micro Sculpted - in the Eye of a Needle: the Dandi March Scene with Mahatma Gandhi Leading a Group of Seven People. This micro sculpted creation has been donated by Ajay Kumar to the historic National Salt Satyagraha Memorial dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary on Wednesday 30 January 2019 at Dandi in Gujarat; and had found a place at the memorial. Prime Minister Modi exclaimed ‘amazing!’ after seeing the sculpture under the microscope.
- Micro Sculpted Dandi March led by Mahatma Gandhi during India’s struggle for freedom is a wax depiction that Ajay Kumar micro sculpted on the occasion of the 150th birthday of Gandhi.
- Replica of the statue originally on a ceramic base built in Delhi, has been micro sculpted by carving Gandhi and his seven followers inside the eye of a sewing needle!
- It is not visible to the naked eye and requires a microscope to view it.
- Each of the eight models, built between the dimensions of 0.18mm and 1.09mm in length and 0.21mm to 0.18mm in width, have been given finesse from the intricate fold on Gandhi’s dhoti to the wisp of hair on the woman following him.
- It took 30 hours through 11 days for Ajay to complete the Dandi March models.
“It’s a lot of strain to look through a microscope and carve models. Hence, I do not work more than 4-5 hours on a sculpture in a day. The Dandi statues are a tribute to my father who was also a freedom fighter,” said Ajay Kumar who learnt the art of micro-sculpture from his father Mattewada Venkatachary, also a goldsmith
“I began doing micro-art on rice granules where I painted faces of famous personalities on grains of rice. Later on, I started experimenting with matchsticks and then started sculpting with gold.” “It takes hours to create a micro sculpture. I can work for two hours at a stretch before taking a break as the eyes strain so much. The work demands holding of breath at times as finer details cannot be achieved even with a small disturbance.” The works demands absolute attention and one has to forget the surroundings. “The tools I work with are so delicate that if you blow air, they will bend. You can understand the dexterity involved in it,” explained Ajay the Micro Sculptor.
Ajay Kumar Mattewada, aged 45, a Goldsmith by profession of Warangal city in Telangana, has been into making miniature items since his childhood and has been practising micro-art for the past 28 years. He holds several records including an entry in the Limca Book of Records for his amazing micro items that are functional and made of gold such as the world’s smallest fan, a pair of miniature scissors, and violin. For the last few years, he had taken up creating sculptures in the eye of a needle and on a pin head with a specially made wax.
Ajay Kumar Mattewada stands ‘tall’ amongst a very few micro artists in the world who create micro statues and is the third micro artist in the world after 61-year-old Willard Wigan and 46-year-old Yury Deulin to sculpt inside the eye of a needle.
Combining the patience of Job and concentration of a rishi, Ajay has created objets d’art that include: Ganesha, Jesus, Horse rider with the national flag, Statue of Liberty, Elephant, Gautama Buddha, Mountaineer, Camel herder, Bird and are some his works done in the eye of a needle.
Portraits Abdul Kalam, PV Narasimha Rao and Vajpayee painted on rice granules were sent by Ajay Kumar to them and for which he received appreciation from these personalities.
Gautama Buddha statue carved by Ajay in the eye of needle is 0.52 mm tall and 0.16 mm wide. It has a 24 carat gold chain and features such as eyes, mouth and nose are clearly distinctly visible.
Bird in the eye of needle is 0.41 mm tall and 0.18 mm wide and a 0.3 mm tail with all features clearly visible including eyes and feathers.
Statue of Liberty created in the eye of needle is 0.92 mm tall and 0.24 mm wide. The folds of the dress, crown with seven sharp needles, flame and book in the hand are all distinctly visible.
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Artist Willard Wigan makes the smallest sculptures in the world
http://dlvr.it/SpJsng
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Man with autism creates tiniest handmade sculptures that fit in the eye of a needle using a microscope
Willard Wigan, a British artist, creates one of the world’s most mind-boggling masterpieces by sculpting the tiniest handmade sculptures. Even though…Man with autism creates tiniest handmade sculptures that fit in the eye of a needle using a microscope
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Man with autism creates tiniest handmade sculptures that fit in the eye of a needle using a microscope
Willard Wigan, a British artist, creates one of the world’s most mind-boggling masterpieces by sculpting the tiniest handmade sculptures.
Even though Willard has sculpted for sixty years, you could hold all his works in one hand.
He uses a microscope and homemade tools like hypodermic needles, shards of diamonds, and human eyelashes to craft his art. These tools are so small they are almost…
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rtist Willard Wigan is famous for his recreations of famous paintings like the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, as well his depictions of famous figures like William Shakespeare and Robin Hood.But in order to view them, you’ll need a microscope.Wigan’s new show, “Miniature Masterpieces,” is currently on display at Wollaton Hall in Nottingham, England. The free exhibition features 20 tiny sculptures, each of which sits in the eye of a needle.
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The world’s greatest micro-sculptor, Dr. Willard Wigan is amazing.
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Bibliography
Cos Ahmet. (n.d.). Cos Ahmet. [Accessed on 20th April 2024] Available at https://www.cosahmet.com/
David Nash | Artist | Royal Academy of Arts. (n.d.). [Accessed on 20th April 2024] Available at https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/art-artists/name/david-nash-ra
Tate. (n.d.). You get a car [Everybody gets a car]: RESOLVE Collective | Tate Liverpool + RIBA North. [Accessed on 20th April 2024] Available at https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-liverpool/you-get-a-car-everybody-gets-a-car-resolve-collective
The Wonderful World of the Ladybird Artists: an exhibition • Ladybird Fly Away Home. (2024, January 20). [Accessed on 20th April 2024] Available at https://ladybirdflyawayhome.com/the-ladybird-artists-exhibition/
Vivian Maier Photographer (n.d.) Vivian Maier Portfolios, Prints, Exhibitions, Books and documentary film. (2013) [Accessed on 20th April 2024] Available at https://www.vivianmaier.com/
WIllard Wigan MBE. (n.d.) [Accessed on 20th April 2024] Available at [Website]. https://www.willardwiganmbe.com/
Yorkshire Sculpture Park. (2024, April 22). Yorkshire Sculpture Park. [Accessed on 20th April 2024] Available at https://ysp.org.uk/
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Times had reviews of the new Anna Wintour bio and The Staircase/DI Ray/The Terror: Infamy plus a bit on upcoming TV adaptations of novels which mentioned they’ve done Funny Woman + Queenie (which I’m really looking forward to seeing). Also had a bit on Jim Moir (aka Vic Reeves) + his upcoming art exhibition plus Willard Wigan (who makes these incredible miniature artworks + is a judge on that dollshouse/miniature show w/Sandi Toksvig) + John Simm + the DJ, Fat Tony.
They also had a big interview w/Steve Jones, Paul Cook + Glen Matlock to discuss the upcoming series, Pistol, which I want to see soooo badly!
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Miniature sculptures by Willard Wigan
•••
“My inspiration is underestimation, because people underestimate”
✨ neurodivergence is magic ✨
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size doesn’t matter
© Willard Wigan
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