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This Artist Builds Realistic Tiny Pieces of Urban Architecture

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Tony Maples Photography

 

“I absolutely loved dollhouses as a little girl, not because I actually played with the dolls, I just loved the miniature world. I still get giddy looking at miniatures like these, and this just takes it to a whole new level. Awesome!” commenter Cakes wrote on Bored Panda’s post about Australian miniature artist Joshua Smith’s work. It’s easy to see how Smith’s work could fill her with excitement. Studying one of his miniature pieces of urban architecture is like opening up the possibility to a familiar, but fantastical world that borders dystopia and reality.

Interestingly, Smith started as a stencil artist and eventually created his own art gallery. When he pushed himself out of his creative comfort zone in 2015, he taught himself how to make miniatures. “His miniature works primarily focus on the often overlooked aspects of the urban environment such as grime, rust, decay to discarded cigarettes and graffiti perfectly recreated in 1:20 scale miniatures,” his website reads.

Now, his Instagram page has over 20,800 followers who can’t get enough of his detailed miniature world that highlights the dirt of urban living and our voyeuristic tendencies that make us want to take an up-close look at these realistic miniatures.

2 weeks ago I acheived my lifelong dream of having an exhibition in New York City. A dream I have always had ever since I started my art career all those years ago. Tonight is the game changer, I exhibit my work in the VOLTA Art fair in New York City, one of the biggest and best art fairs in the USA. This has been an incredibly surreal experience and has happened all so quickly yet has taken me 17 years of hard work to get to this point. I would not be at this point though without the support and encouragement by people such as my parents, Kab 101 and Sooz, Rah, Yasmin, Chris Tamm, Andrew & Jacinta, Ali & Garth, Daniela, Summa, Tsunami, Thanh, Jack, Sair, Catherine, Matt, Tom Buchanan, Blake & Ellen, Rae and so many others. To you all I say thankyou. To everyone I say thankyou for your support as I continue to move forward making all things miniature. My work will be on display at @murielguepingallery at the VOLTA Art fair, Pier 90 in Manhattan from March 1-5. Unfortunately I cannot be there in person as much as I wanted to be but please check it out if you are in the area. Photo credit: Andrew Beveridge/ASB creative @asbcreative_pro_photo

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Last chance to vote! Voting ends 12 hours from now! Can you help? The People's choice award for the Emma Hack art prize is still open and I have one of my miniatures in the running. If you think my work is worthy of the prize head on over to emmahackartprize.com and click on the People's choice award on the right hand side and select to cast your vote. Only 1 vote per person but please vote if you can! Photo credit: Andrew Beveridge/ASB Creative @asbcreative_pro_photo_pro_photo #miniature #miniaturist #urbandecay #urbex #graffiti #streetart #scalemodel #scratchbuilt #abandoned #abando #facade #adelaide #radelaide #southaustralia #graff #pasteup #throwie #throwup #grime #beautyofdecay #modelmaking #dollhouse #emmahackartprize #peopleschoiceaward #artprize #iknowjoshuasmith #joshuasmithminiatures #fuic #farmersunionicedcoffee

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