As a child struggling with dyslexia and learning disabilities in the 1960s, British artist Willard Wigan found solace in creating art of minute proportions. As his career progressed, his sculptures became smaller – too small to be seen with the naked eye.
The Exceptional Children's Foundation (ECF) and The Caribbean Heritage Organization (CHO) are proud to host the first US exhibition of Wigan’s “Art in the Eye of a Needle” from June 11 to July 5 at ECF’s Downtown Art Center and Gallery, 828 S. Main Street in downtown Los Angeles. A special fundraiser reception benefiting ECF and CHO will be held on June 20 at the gallery (visit www.ecf.net for tickets).
London-based Wigan sculpts with unique tools, such as a shard of diamond drilled into the head of a pin, and he paints them with a single eyelash or a hair from a fly. The sculptures typically sit in the eye of a needle or on a pinhead and are exhibited in special cases fitted with viewing lenses.
His work consists of iconic figures such as the Statue of Liberty, Elvis, the Titanic and Henry VIII and all six wives. A sculpture of Mike Tyson was purchased by the boxer himself. Wigan was commissioned to create the Lloyd’s of London building - his most challenging project to date, requiring him to sculpt dust particles to create some of the building’s architectural intricacies. The finished piece is the size of a grain of sugar.
To create such miniscule pieces, Wigan enters a meditative state to slow his heartbeat, allowing him to reduce hand tremors and sculpt between pulse beats. Because the reverberation of traffic nearby can affect his work, Wigan often retreats to the English countryside or works during the night.
"At times, when I'm working on a piece, I might come to believe that I myself am microscopic”
For more details on Wigan and his work, visit www.willard-
Sponsors:
The Downtown Art Center & Gallery is a program of the Exceptional Children's Foundation, which has served people with disabilities of all ages since 1946. Its Art Center programs offer instruction in fine arts to adults with developmental disabilities and encourage and promote each artist’s maximum personal development. www.ecf.net
The Caribbean Heritage Organization chronicles the experiences of the expatriated Caribbean people, from the most recently arrived immigrants to leaders in American and European society; showcases and educates in the different aspects of Caribbean arts and culture in and outside the region; and conserves and celebrates the rich and diverse contributions of the Caribbean and its people to the international society. www.caribbeanheritage.org
