PREVIEW

AssetID: 31221683

Headline: Artist Creates Miniature Displays Of Contemporary Urban Buildings

Caption: IN PHOTO: Piece based on 23 Temple Street, Kowloon, Hong Kong These incredibly detailed models are miniature worlds mimicking the grit and grime of urban architecture. Working at 1:20 scale, artist Joshua Smith builds in-depth works that capture the layered existences of urban environments in cities such as Hong Kong, Sydney, and Los Angeles. Based in Adelaide, South Australia, his miniature buildings showcase the details and detritus left by the diverse population of each city, bringing in elements of the city’s workers, inhabitants, and street artists. The level of care in creating authenticity is evident in its painstaking detail. In one image, layers of posters crumble from the decaying facade, which shows an incredible level of wear - enough to make you think it’s been around much longer than it has. In fact, this is Smith’s goal. “I strive to create a reality,” he shares. “I take as many reference photos as possible to mimic every single streak of rust, grime, and chipping of stonework. I want viewers to be fooled, if I take a photo of the completed work in sunlight, to think it is the real thing.” Initially a Stencil Artist for 16 years as well as running an art gallery Josh turned to the world of miniature sculpture to try something new. With a passion and secret background in making model kits and customising Designer Vinyl Toys Josh although self taught picked it up very quickly. "I have been fascinated with miniatures and modelmaking ever since I was little and can remember making miniature things out of cardboard boxes ever since I was very young." explains Josh. Smith has been working on this series for the last two years, after stints as both a stencil artist and gallerist. Using several reference photos from a building’s actual site, he utilizes MDF, cardboard, and plastic to create the base of the work, and chooses paint and chalk pastels for the exterior’s details. Smith’s newest four-story work took him three months to complete, often working 8-16 hours a day. Smith has displayed his amazing work around the globe in galleries in London, Paris, Berlin, Melbourne and Hong Kong. To see more of his work visit his website http://www.iknowjoshuasmith.com and on Instagram under @joshua_smith_street_artist.

Keywords: feature,photo feature,photo story,art,creative,small,mini,building,tiny,photo

PersonInImage: