Willard Wigan News
Artist Info

Atlanta Art Gallery Presents Microscopic Sculptor Willard Wigan, MBE
“Art in the Eye of a Needle”
January 28, 2010 – April 3, 2010
Opening Reception, Thursday, January 28, 2010
6:00PM - 9:00PM
Following the success of his three-year European tour, appearance on America’s ‘The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien,’ and garnering the front page of the September 30, 2009 Wall Street Journal, The Atlanta Art Gallery will be home to the work of the celebrated micro-sculptor, Willard Wigan, MBE. Willard makes the smallest works of art on the planet. His work, which has only recently been released for sale in America, has been described as ‘The Eighth Wonder of the World’. The exhibit will run from January 28, 2010 – April 3, 2010.

This is an exhibition not to be missed. Wigan will be exhibiting 16 pieces of micro sculptures released into the American market with which to mesmerise the people of Atlanta. The works, which are small enough to fit in the eye of a needle, will include Charlie Chaplin on the end of an eyelash, The Simpsons on a pinhead, King Henry VIII and his Six Wives and Mahalia Jackson within the eye of a needle. The sculptured pieces are housed in cases incorporating microscope lenses focused on the work. An appreciation of the size of the work is only achieved by viewing ‘in the flesh’.

Bill Dixon, gallery owner, states, “This is a must-see exhibit, featuring work that pushes the limits of creativity and innovation by an artist who refused to accept the opinions of those who would have him settle for less. Wigan’s work is utterly unique and is a special opportunity for the people of Atlanta and our patrons to witness first-hand the meeting of art and science.”

Willard Wigan, MBE
Born in 1957 in Birmingham, Willard Wigan, MBE began his artistic life at a tender age. Suffering from dyslexia and learning difficulties, he struggled at school, finding solace in creating art of such minute proportions that it virtually could not be seen with the naked eye. Willard’s gift has been recognized by the world leading Technology, Entertainment, Design institute where Willard appeared as a guest speaker at the July 2009 world conference in Oxford, U.K. Previous speakers at the conference have included iconic world figures such as Bill Clinton and Al Gore.

“It began when I was five years old,” says Willard. “I started making houses for ants because I thought they needed somewhere to live. Then I made them shoes and hats. It was a fantasy world I escaped to where my dyslexia didn’t hold me back and my teachers couldn’t criticize me. That’s how my career as a micro-sculptor began.”

Links:

ABC Local News
CBS Sunday Morning
CBS Sunday Morning Video
Fifth Generation Journal
Global Atlanta
GoodDay Atlanta
PBS NewsHour
Reuters
TED Conference
The Tonight Show
The Wall Street Journal

Atlanta Art Gallery

Atlanta Art Gallery, located at 3005 Peachtree Road, NE, Suite B, Atlanta, GA 30305-2214, opened in 2002 with the goal of bringing the best in representational fine art to Atlanta for a new generation of collectors. The gallery specializes in contemporary, representational art from expressionism and impressionism to trompe l’oeil by regional, national and internationally recognized artists. The gallery also buys, sells, and accepts consignments for 19th and 20th century paintings and sculpture.

The Art in the Eye of a Needle U.S. tour is presented in association with the Caribbean Heritage Organization, Inc. (www.caribbeanheritage.org ) and the Institute of Caribbean Studies-DC (www.icdsdc.org).

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