Strange Worlds

January 9, 2010 5:33 AM

Paprika Mars and other Strange Worlds by Matthew Albanese.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken (18 comments total)

These are good but are the subtitles supposed to be a joke?

Burning Room, Made of wood, nylon, plexiglass, purchased dollhouse furniture. The model was actually set on fire to achieve this effect. I am not afraid to take risks.

and

This one is a mixture of many different materials, tile grout, moss, bottle brushes (pine trees) Actual clippings from ground cover and was built on top of standard outdoor patio table (water glass). Bob Ross eat your heart out.
posted by billysumday at 5:41 AM on January 9, 2010

The models and photography are amazing! But why oh why are visual artists always so intent on writing things next to their work?
posted by damehex at 5:59 AM on January 9, 2010

The short lens effect makes it feel like I'm looking at the pictures through a Viewmaster.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 6:02 AM on January 9, 2010

At the very bottom of his page is a "Click it to appreciate it" button.
posted by Daddy-O at 6:21 AM on January 9, 2010

The short lens effect makes it feel like I'm looking at the pictures through a Viewmaster.

Yes! I couldn't figure out what seemed so familiar about this, but you've hit the nail on the head.
posted by specialagentwebb at 6:38 AM on January 9, 2010

Sure, it would take away the magic (Thomas Demand [previously] burns his paper models after shooting), but still I'd like to see a photo that reveals the structure of those models.
posted by quoquo at 6:47 AM on January 9, 2010

He oughta get some of those tiny tilt-shift people to run around in those landscapes.
posted by Shohn at 7:12 AM on January 9, 2010 [1 favorite]

are the subtitles supposed to be a joke?

I think they've been written by someone whose stronger talents lie elsewhere. Corny or not, I'm glad he included them. Without the annotations, I would never have believed this was anything but an example of Fun With Photoshop!
posted by Eumachia L F at 7:15 AM on January 9, 2010

I clicked to appreciate. I'm squinting, moving my head closer and further away from the screen, looking at it sideways. In most of those cases I can not, try as I might, see some of these as anything but what they're supposed to be.
posted by Dojie at 7:16 AM on January 9, 2010

Paprika Mars is the best stage name for a new sci-fi pop singer.

"Greetings Terrans! Let me hear your ululations!"

HAAAAAIIIIIYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

I hear she's popular across the whole system but not on Titan. Fancy that...
posted by fuq at 7:28 AM on January 9, 2010 [1 favorite]

Very nice. The skill to do this is certainly impressive, but so is his ability to see. I don't think I'm a close enough observer to recreate landscapes that closely, on either end. That is, I don't parse finely enough the thing that I'm looking at in the first place, nor do I look closely enough at the thing that I am making.
posted by OmieWise at 8:02 AM on January 9, 2010

Mars # 2. Again, Paprika, cinnamon, thyme, chili powder, charcoal, This is the first landscape I ever created.
posted by Anything at 8:31 AM on January 9, 2010 [1 favorite]

I thought these were amazing. Like Dojie, I couldn't make out the base materials in any of the pics, with the exception of the patio table glass water. Very interesting and fun use of perspective and lighting.
posted by gemmy at 9:13 AM on January 9, 2010

Wonderful pieces. I still love this corner of the Internet where you can be directed to this sort of imaginative work (and these pieces did take a lot of work!) instead of...um, cats in humorous situations.
posted by kozad at 9:30 AM on January 9, 2010

This guy does some really extraordinary stuff with forced perspective construction... a modelmaker as well, and a boatbuilder in the old ways. A remarkable combination!
posted by drhydro at 10:34 AM on January 9, 2010

Agreed: this guy has talents at making realistic dioramas, but should have someone else write his copy. The self-congratulatory OMGI'mSoImpressive! sheit is obnoxious.
posted by IAmBroom at 12:03 PM on January 9, 2010

It's probably unfortunate that looking at descriptions like "Paprika Mars. Made out of 12 pounds paprika, cinnamon, nutmeg, chili powder and charcoal" I find myself wondering how many pounds of spices I can buy in the local supermarket and wanting to clear the kitchen table to make models of mars. It would only result in creative disappointment and sneezing.

It's really neat stuff. I didn't guess the base materials either. I Appreciated.
posted by the cat's pyjamas at 12:41 AM on January 10, 2010

Huh... I wonder if this is the same Matthew Albanese I went to school with in NJ.
posted by Eideteker at 10:02 PM on January 10, 2010