For this research task, I was asked to find examples of artists that use 'paper models' in their work, document examples and think about how they use them. I was given a list of suggested artists, but I also spent some time exploring this area myself.
I have been creating models; painting miniatures and dioramas, since I was nine. It's still a big part of my life, and firmly remains the 'hobby' aspect of my creative expression. I have noticed how skills in this area and my image-making interact and improve with each other in the past. However, I have not considered how my interest in model-making could be used as part of my creative process.
I am not sure that I want it to, at the moment - I don't want to turn around one day and realise that I have 'lost' my hobby because it's become subsumed into my image-focused creative endeavours. I'm hoping that looking at these artists will allow me to identify areas that I can explore without sacrificing my hobby outlet.
Suggested Artists
Seth (Cartoonist)
I really like the way that Seth has used the creation of the town buildings as a hobby, keeping them intentionally simple so as not to become a chore [8]. They have a charming quality and match his cartooning style well. I can see a lot of practical benefits in creating a space like this physically to understand the layout of a town to keep things consistent over time.
He doesn't have an audience for these models other than himself. I think that a project like this could be useful as a source of inspiration to imagine potential new stories and locations within the town he has created.
If you are going to be 'living' in a location for some time (like creating a long-form comic) then this is a great way to keep things interesting and fun aside from the actual artwork itself. His work almost feels like it borders on obsession - that it takes on a life of its own. Perhaps similarly to how a model railway or Lego enthusiast might build up a large setting over time, the sunk cost fallacy creeps in - sucking them in to add more and more, never letting it be 'done'.
Steve Monger
I like what Monger is doing combining photography with model making. He seems to experiment with different ways of exploring architecture through the modelling process, and I was interested to see how he has experimented with using 3D modelling software and then 3D printing to create buildings as an alternative construction method.
I am not sure I am drawn to the 3D printing element as part of my general process, but I can see how it might be useful to create maquettes in the preparatory work for a larger painting, for example. Something I have seen artists like James Gurney do in their imaginative creative work.
Out of all of Monger's work, I think I liked the Dorville Hotel the most. I love the moody lighting, sense of tension and melancholy. It really reminded me of one of my favourite illustrators, Katherine Lam, whose subject matter often deals with the interaction of people and buildings. She has a distinctive colour palette, often using pinks and peaches explicitly or as underpaintings. She, like me, is heavily influenced by the American realist painter Edward Hopper. In the image below you can see a similar interaction of light, shadow and architecture to the Dorville Hotel image above.
The audience for Monger's work is the viewer - they are models designed to be photographed, so contain an impressive amount of detail and accuracy. I think the draw to this work must come from the creation of the models - I think by spending time creating a model you gain a much better sense of its space and proportions. You understand it more. I think that this would allow Monger to know how best to photograph the model to get the final result he's looking for.
Thomas Demand
Demand's models are seriously impressive. They are incredibly details, and I would posit that they are made out of materials other than just paper. What I find most impressive is the way that he photographs them - he manages to get the sense of depth and focus just right. For many of the images on his website [3], I had a difficult time realising they were models at first! This must take a great deal of time and attention to achieve the correct lighting and focus.
His audience, like Monger, is the viewer. The differentiator is that he destroys his models. Almost the antithesis of Seth's 'collector' approach, he creates a sense of worth from the impermanence of his work. Only the photos remain. Given the realism of the photos, it almost feels to me like Demand is presenting a challenge to the viewer: prove that they are not real.
Amy Bennett
At first, I was a little dismissive of Bennett's work: when making cursory views of her images you can often notice that they are renditions of miniature models. When I then looked closer, I saw the painterly elements (especially in peripheral features like trees and backgrounds).
I initially thought it was interesting how she painted over the photograph of the model to incorporate it into a finished image. Then I realised that it was not a composite, but a high-fidelity re-render of the model's photograph. It's all one painting, done in its own context. Then her work really made me curious. It manages to not be hyper-realistic yet have a distinct sense of realism.
I think this is especially true with her interior work. Some of those definitely get the sense of being a model, accentuating the artificial feeling of a model railway while depicting American suburbia. The image below was a departure from this. It definitely deals with the mundanity of everyday life in the same way, but I find it very hard to tell that this was taken from a model. If no one had told me that was the process behind the image, I wouldn't be able to guess.
I think the thing that appeals to me again, is how Hopper-esque this image feels to me. It seems to share a lot in common with Hopper's series of paintings exploring light. The way light comes in at a shallow angle creates stark shadows. The large windows in Bennett's painting create a similar feeling of transition between the inside and outside. Even the lone female figure gives that similar sense of loneliness I feel in Hopper's work.
The models that Bennett creates are not for the viewer, they are for her. They give her a starting point by which she can create her paintings. It allows her to work in the context of the image she is trying to create. To change, add or remove elements if needed. It feels like she is trying to create images that have a reverse 'tilt-shift' effect. She wants it to feel like reality has been turned into a model, but she approaches this process from the micro to the macro. This is opposed to making a photo of reality look like a model, as in this image that I took while in Spain:
Personal Research
Ivor Wood
My oldest memory of paper models being used in art was in Children's TV shows during the 1980s. One of my favourite paper models was the puppet "Fingermouse", which is an example of the paper model being the performance itself. But perhaps a puppet is not really a model?
The other program that I remember fondly was the original Paddington Bear animation created by Ivor Wood. I loved the way that he combined the three-dimensional stop motion animation of Paddington (and the things he interacts with) with the two-dimensional sets and supporting characters. When combined with the stop-motion their animation is much more traditional and would have required numerous key frame illustrations to be created for each character.
The models in this case are also the final subject matter, even if they are intended to be subservient to the star of the show! To me, they were the most important thing, and I often imagined how they must have set up the miniature recording sets. Their audience is children and they work in a delightful way that makes kids feel like they are watching book illustrations come to life.
Natsko Seki
I found this book during my research. It's both a concertina book and a paper model in its own right. The book can be opened and laid out into a square to give a model-like feeling of the market. All of the characters are wonderfully diverse, with simply stands that make them feel like the Paddington animation, above.
This work has multiple audiences, and it is not restricted by age. Young and adult readers alike can get something from this work. To all readers, it celebrates the colourful multicultural mixing pot that is Broadway Market and allows the audience to decide how they want to interact with the work.
Andry Dédouze
Finally, is the work that I find most exciting and intriguing. I randomly discovered this artist some time ago. Whilst their style is an acquired taste (it sometimes gives me Mobius vibes), what I was most intrigued with was how their practice has evolved to convert the idea of 2D paper models and animation, and transfer them into a hybrid 3D space, like the one you can see in the example below:
Blender is a free 3D tool that I have wanted to try for some time. I investigated doing so as part of the 3.4 practical exercise but the learning curve was too steep for me to accomplish the task in good time. However, this is something I want to explore more. When I see overviews of the process like the one below, it gives me so much inspiration and curiosity.
There are a number of ways that I can see how working in a 3D world could be beneficial. The main way I had planned to experiment with this technology was to create rough 3D environments for comics, so that I could literally position a camera around a scene, rather than solely relying on my visual working memory (which typically I have problems with - a common ADHD trait).
However, I see interesting options where a tool like Blender could be used for all of the artists above.
For Seth's work, you could create a digitised Dominion, allowing you to move around the town in the same ways, and (assuming you enjoy the process) take joy in each new building you create. They wouldn't have to be realistic either - Desouze's work shows how you can create very stylised objects in the 3D space.
For Monger's work, it feels like the natural extension of his CAD work, to place the buildings in a 3D setting where light and camera angle can all be controlled and manipulated. Whilst he still may want to make a model (3D printed or otherwise) I think it could be a useful way to plan out the final shot and allow him to experiment and vary things without having to make painstaking adjustments in real life.
Thomas Demand makes multiple studies and preparatory work for his models. Using a 3D tool could allow him to work out camera positioning and lighting more efficiently.
The ability to create whole landscapes in Blender would allow Bennet to create her scenes more fully, and take her photos as a camera snapshot from inside the computer model, which could then be used as a basis for the paintings as normal.
All in all, I see a lot of potential for exploring this tool more and seeing how it might influence my own practice. The natural extension from the 3D space is then to consider how you could import paper objects into that space, and then make them available for interaction through VR or AR.
This immersive Van Gogh experience was very inspiring:
Right now it might feel like an uphill struggle, but I think with practice you can become very efficient and productive with tools like Blender. The combination of 2D objects, 3D space, and animation is very appealing and I think would give me a distinct capability to explore many different aspects of my visual communication.
References
Dédouze, A., 2022. Dedouze - Instagram post. [online] Instagram.com. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CbQRI3oIsnY/ [Accessed 15 June 2022].
Dédouze, A., 2022. How this 2D/3D animation was made - Introduction to Blender grease pencil and tips for beginners. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saIFT8_j0LQ [Accessed 15 June 2022].
Demand, T., n.d. Thomas Demand | Now. [online] Thomasdemand.net. Available at: https://thomasdemand.net [Accessed 16 June 2022].
Fever, 2021. Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience - Exhibit Reviews. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib34WI0H4qI [Accessed 15 June 2022].
Flickr. n.d. Seth: Dominion City. [online] Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/13244105@N08/sets/72157606187676243/ [Accessed 16 June 2022].
Monger, S., n.d. Works : Stephen Monger. [online] Stephenmonger.com. Available at: http://www.stephenmonger.com/ [Accessed 16 June 2022].
Petit, Z., 2020. The Cartoonist Seth Has Built a Real Life Entirely Around His Fictional Work. [online] Eye on Design. Available at: https://eyeondesign.aiga.org/the-cartoonist-seth-has-built-a-real-life-entirely-around-his-fictional-work/ [Accessed 16 June 2022].
Roalf, P., 2015. Seth in New York City. [online] Ai-ap.com. Available at: https://www.ai-ap.com/publications/article/15736/seth-in-new-york-city.html [Accessed 16 June 2022].
Seki, N., n.d. Books — Natsko Seki. [online] Natsko Seki. Available at: https://www.natsko.com/books#/broadway-market/ [Accessed 16 June 2022].
Space Ranger Roger - WildBrain, 2013. "Paddington Bear Film Fair 110 - A disappearing trick". [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIHmJKGlZdQ [Accessed 15 June 2022].
VideotapeFTW, 2022. Fingermouse: Guitar (1985) - FULL EPISODE. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INY_01fpbg4 [Accessed 16 June 2022].
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