An artist has spent years replicating the dirt and grime of city life.
Some people love to build intricate model ships, while others like pristine model railways and towns.
But artist Joshua Smith builds in-depth works that capture every minute, grimy detail of living in the world’s most populated areas.
Working at a 1:20 scale, Australian-born Smith was inspired by the less refined areas of cities like Hong Kong, Sydney and Los Angeles, creating what looks like a dolls house for the 99%.
Some models, which show posters falling from crumbling walls and fading graffitti, are enough to make you think the model buildings are as old as their real-life counterparts.
‘I have been fascinated with miniatures and model-making ever since I was little and can remember making miniature things out of cardboard boxes ever since I was very young,’ he said.
Smith has displayed his amazing work around the globe in galleries in London, Paris, Berlin, Melbourne and Hong Kong.
He’s been working on this series of urban eyesores for the last two years, after stints as both a stencil artist and gallerist.
The artist starts by taking several photos of his chosen spot to pick up on the details that make it unique.
Then, he uses MDF, cardboard, and plastic to create the base of the work, and chooses paint and chalk pastels to bring the exterior to life.
He even recreates posters, graffiti, and discarded cigarettes that catch his eye.
Creating these mini city scenes takes a lot of time and patience. His latest model took three months to create, while he worked between 8-16 hours a day.
The models aren’t as pretty as some plans for London’s glassy, modern skyscrapers, but Smith’s goal is to ‘strive to create a reality’ with his models.
‘I want viewers to be fooled,’ he said, ‘if I take a photo of the completed work in sunlight, to think it is the real thing.’
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