Willard Wigan
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Willard Wigan, MBE (born 1957) is a sculptor from Birmingham, England, who makes microscopic art. His sculptures are created in the eye of a needle or placed on the head of a pin. One work can be as small as 0.005 mm (0.0002in) and some of his most recent works do not exceed the size of a human blood cell. In July 2007 Willard Wigan was honoured by HRH the Prince of Wales with an MBE for his services to art.[1] Wigan's work is currently on display at My Little Eye Gallery [1] in Central London.
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[edit] Life and work
As a child suffering from dyslexia and learning difficulties, Willard Wigan struggled at school. He found solace in creating art of such minute proportions it could not be seen with the naked eye and therefore not be criticised. Wigan has since been on a quest to make even smaller artworks. His celebrated sculptures have recently become so minuscule that they are only visible through a microscope.
The subjects of Wigan's work range from popular culture to architecture and the sculptor often refers in his work to other artists and historical events. Amongst his most famous works are a minute reproduction of Michelangelo's David, carved out of a single grain of sand and a miniature version of the Lloyd's Building in London. Wigan has recently created a miniature sculpture representing the Obama family and has carved a statue of astronaut Buzz Aldrin in the eye of a needle, in celebration of the fortieth anniversary of the lunar landing. Other works include a microscopic Betty Boop and a copy of the FIFA World Cup trophy, both about 0.005 mm (0.0002 in) tall.
[edit] Materials and techniques
On average it takes Wigan about eight weeks to complete one sculpture and there is an enormous personal sacrifice involved in his working process. Because the works are so minute, the pulse of the artist's finger could easily destroy the entire work. Wigan therefore has to control his nervous system to ensure he does not make even the tiniest movement. Wigan, when working, enters a meditative state in which his heartbeat is slowed, allowing him to reduce any hand tremors and work between heartbeats.
To carve his figures, Wigan uses surgical blades or hand-made tools, (some of which are custom made out of a sharpened microscopic sliver of Tungsten), which he makes by attaching a shard of diamond to a pin. The sculptures themselves are made of a wide range of materials. Wigan uses for instance nylon, grains of sand, dust fibres, gold and spider's cobweb, depending on the demands of the piece he is working on. To paint his creations, Wigan often uses a hair from a dead housefly, whilst making sure no flies are killed during the artistic process.
[edit] Exhibitions and American Tour
A necessarily small, but incredibly successful touring exhibition of Wigan's work visited several cities in the UK in 2007 and 2008. The display included a piece especially made for Liverpool's year as Capital of Culture.[2]
Wigan is currently on tour in the United States where he has had several exhibitions in Los Angeles and Chicago and was honoured at the Hollywood Salute to the Arts. From 3 October until 8 November 2009, his work will be on show at the Gremillion Gallery in Houston, Texas. From 20 November 2009 until 23 January 2010, his work will be exhibited at the Parish Gallery in Georgetown, Washington, DC.
In August 2009 Wigan appeared as a guest on the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, attracting more than 32 million viewers all over America. To view footage of the show please visit the following website: [2]
In the U.K. Wigan recently appeared as a guest speaker at the [TED] conference in Oxford, reaching an audience of 10 million worldwide. To view Wigan's talk at the TED conference please use the following link: [3]
In London, a regularly updated exhibition of Wigan's work is currently on display at My Little Eye Gallery [[4]] in London, within 5 minutes walking distance from the British Museum.
For more information on the London exhibition or the American tour schedule, please visit Willard Wigan's official website: www.willard-wigan.com [5]
[edit] Notes and References
[edit] External links
- Willard-Wigan.com - Official site]
- BBC Birmingham biography
- Snopes page with images
