Friday, January 12, 2007

Willard Wigan

It has long been my belief that there is only one creative source in the Universe and artists are simply vehicles through which art appears. It is a theory that formed the story line of my novel, Prodigal Child. The Native American speaks of “hand magic” when the hand automatically follows what the mind is creating.

This was further brought home to me a few days ago when I discovered the remarkable work of Willard Wigan, born in Birmingham, England in 1957. He creates tiny sculptures measuring a few thousands of an inch. The following quote is from his website:

“His work is ground-breaking - partly because of the astounding beauty of vision which challenges the belief system of the mind and partly because it demonstrates that if one person can create the impossible, we all have the potential to transcend our own limiting beliefs about what we are capable of.”



The Statue of Liberty in the eye of a needle


The cast of Peter Pan on a fish hook


Child with a balloon on an eyelash


Adan and Eve carved from a pencil lead


Elvis on a pin head

Tiger in the eye of a needle



More of Willard's micro sculptures can be seen here.


2 comments:

VintageSpin said...

OK, you've incited everyone at work into relentless conversation about this amazing man.
Being used to working with small parts did not prepare any of us for something on this scale.
We wondered what tools he uses, and what does he use to paint with?
This is hugely inspiring to behold; his background only adds to the wonder.
Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

check out willards film from 1993, directed by respected birmingham artist pogus caesar.

www.oomgallery.net