Tuesday, 23 November 2010

Work in Progress

I have recently completed a new "stage set" - the first to come out of my studio in Montlaur (a small village in the Corbieres region, south of Carcasonne)


This diorama takes as its starting point the notion of Renaissance perspective in which all lines (orthognals) appear to come together at what we call the vanishing point - represented in the detail below 
by the human eye


The method used in these dioramas is to select images, paste them onto card, cut them out and assemble them within a large wooden box

Starting from the back, each layer is supported by hidden armatures made of light wood glued together

Much of the material used is derived from 17th Century architectural guides, used at the time by young architects studying their craft

In the above picture I have piled together simple boxes - an preliminary design model used by aspiring architects in order to master the laws of perspective


The overall design is entirely mine. As a Surrealist  I enjoy adding components together in complex ways.
The gateway, which forms one of the focal points
of this work, 
is a good example of this technique.


The above section is made up of no less than eleven separate components, each one built on top of the other.
The aim here is to create a three-dimensional structure.


The work is very rewarding but both difficult and time consuming.

This particular model has taken about two months to complete. 
With its frame it will measure about 3 x 2.5 feet


 There are no human figures in this strange city - only predatory animals!

The above section contains about 25 separate components


And this (minus its frame) is the finished diorama - currently on the market for £2,250 
Offers please to mike.healey@fsmail.net

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