microscopic pin art the world's smallest and most wondrous works of art willard wigan

Microscopic Pin ArtMicroscopic Pin Art

The world's smallest and most The world's smallest and most wondrous works of art wondrous works of art

Willard WiganWillard Wigan

"Be original! Be creative! Be individual and make your mark!"

Willard was born in Birmingham, England, Willard was born in Birmingham, England, in 1957.in 1957.

He has a learning disability (dyslexia), but He has a learning disability (dyslexia), but has talented hands. has talented hands.

He makes sculptures out of dust particles, He makes sculptures out of dust particles, sugar crystals, grains of sand, rice, etc. sugar crystals, grains of sand, rice, etc.

He works only around midnight and can He works only around midnight and can only do some of the work between only do some of the work between heartbeats.heartbeats.

SMALL IS BEAUTIFULSMALL IS BEAUTIFUL

The best things come in small packages - they really do - The best things come in small packages - they really do - and artist and artist Willard WiganWillard Wigan is the only person in the world is the only person in the world who can put Snow White and her Seven Dwarfs or The who can put Snow White and her Seven Dwarfs or The Last Supper into the eye of a needle . . .Last Supper into the eye of a needle . . .

Some of his works are many times smaller than the Some of his works are many times smaller than the

period at the end of this sentence.period at the end of this sentence.

Many are even smaller still, with some Many are even smaller still, with some being completely invisible to the naked being completely invisible to the naked eye; yet, when viewed through high power eye; yet, when viewed through high power magnification, the effect on the viewer is magnification, the effect on the viewer is truly mesmerizing. truly mesmerizing.

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

The smallest sculptures can only The smallest sculptures can only be measured in thousandths of be measured in thousandths of an inch which is why they can sit, an inch which is why they can sit, very delicately, on a human hair very delicately, on a human hair three thousandths of an inch three thousandths of an inch thick. thick.

One work of art, a startled cat, One work of art, a startled cat, eyes wide, back arched, clings to eyes wide, back arched, clings to an eyelash taken from Wigan's an eyelash taken from Wigan's ex-girlfriend ("I hope she never ex-girlfriend ("I hope she never asks for it back," he says).asks for it back," he says).

When working on this scale he When working on this scale he slows his heartbeat and his slows his heartbeat and his breathing dramatically through breathing dramatically through meditation. meditation.

He then sculpts or paints at the He then sculpts or paints at the center point between heartbeats center point between heartbeats for total stillness of hand.for total stillness of hand.

He likens this process to "trying to He likens this process to "trying to pass a pin through a bubble pass a pin through a bubble without bursting it."without bursting it."

“Being a child I used to start making houses for ants because I thought they needed somewhere to live. I lived in a fantasy world and I thought they needed shoes and hats.”

The Statue of Liberty in the eye of a needle

Charles Dickens

Adam and Eve

Elvis Presley on pin top

Cassius Clay vs Sonny Liston

Titanic on the tip of a pin

Girl with balloon on an eyelash

This image shows Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

The Thinker on a pinhead

Zeus

The cast of Peter Pan on a fish hook.

Six wives of Henry VIII

The Wizard of Oz

Homer Simpson

String Quartet

Clown

Horseman

Golfer

Gold Ship

Chinese Dragon

Marilyn Monroe

Santa Claus

Scales of Justice

World Cup

The Last Supper

Visitors view art through a microscope

““. . . one of the worst things that has ever . . . one of the worst things that has ever happened to me," says Willard Wigan is when "I happened to me," says Willard Wigan is when "I was sculpting the whole cast of Alice in was sculpting the whole cast of Alice in Wonderland and I was really looking forward to Wonderland and I was really looking forward to finishing it because it was that good, it would finishing it because it was that good, it would probably have been my best piece so far.probably have been my best piece so far.

"But just as I was about to put Alice in place "But just as I was about to put Alice in place alongside the other characters," he pauses to alongside the other characters," he pauses to compose himself - sucking in his bottom lip to compose himself - sucking in his bottom lip to stop it trembling - "I inhaled her. I breathed in at stop it trembling - "I inhaled her. I breathed in at the wrong moment, and she was gone. In my the wrong moment, and she was gone. In my panic, I accidentally wiped out some of the other panic, I accidentally wiped out some of the other characters too."characters too."

His latest work is a His latest work is a startlingly accurate startlingly accurate reproduction of the reproduction of the Lloyd's building in Lloyd's building in London, perched on London, perched on the tip of a needle. the tip of a needle.

Former England Davis Cup captain turned Former England Davis Cup captain turned entrepreneur, David Lloyd, has purchased entrepreneur, David Lloyd, has purchased the remaining Willard Wigan collection of the remaining Willard Wigan collection of micro sculptured art, which has been micro sculptured art, which has been insured by Lloyd’s of London for £11.2 insured by Lloyd’s of London for £11.2 million. million.

http://www.snopes.com/photos/arts/microscopic.asp

http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=161155&fr

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjYaRCCpYSk