No, REALLY get the lead out
August 5, 2010 5:55 AM Subscribe
Pencil sculptures: miniature masterpieces carved into graphite by Dalton Ghetti. previous pencil art
Wow. That's seriously amazing.
posted by Xany at 6:13 AM on August 5, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Xany at 6:13 AM on August 5, 2010 [1 favorite]
I can't begin to imagine how he does this.
posted by DieHipsterDie at 6:13 AM on August 5, 2010
posted by DieHipsterDie at 6:13 AM on August 5, 2010
between my bad eyes and my shaky hands, the smallest material I can work on is a 2x4...this is amazing .. his comments about considering the ones that break as "dead" are interesting...
posted by HuronBob at 6:17 AM on August 5, 2010
posted by HuronBob at 6:17 AM on August 5, 2010
Timely post for me--this weekend, I'm going to see an exhibit (scroll down) that includes many of these pieces. It's at the New Britain Museum of American Art through the end of the month, if anyone in Connecticut or thereabouts is interested.
(Technically we're going to see the big Escher exhibit first and foremost, but that'll be there for months and I made sure we're going within August so we can see the Ghettis. I think my kids would be amazed.)
posted by dlugoczaj at 6:21 AM on August 5, 2010
(Technically we're going to see the big Escher exhibit first and foremost, but that'll be there for months and I made sure we're going within August so we can see the Ghettis. I think my kids would be amazed.)
posted by dlugoczaj at 6:21 AM on August 5, 2010
I can't begin to imagine how he does this.
From the page:
Dalton uses three basic tools to make his incredible creations - a razor blade, sewing needle and sculpting knife. He even refuses to use a magnifying glass and has never sold any of his work, only given it away to friends. He said: "I use the sewing needle to make holes or dig into the graphite. I scratch and create lines and turn the graphite around slowly in my hand"
posted by allkindsoftime at 6:28 AM on August 5, 2010
From the page:
Dalton uses three basic tools to make his incredible creations - a razor blade, sewing needle and sculpting knife. He even refuses to use a magnifying glass and has never sold any of his work, only given it away to friends. He said: "I use the sewing needle to make holes or dig into the graphite. I scratch and create lines and turn the graphite around slowly in my hand"
posted by allkindsoftime at 6:28 AM on August 5, 2010
Fuck wow.
posted by abc123xyzinfinity at 6:51 AM on August 5, 2010
posted by abc123xyzinfinity at 6:51 AM on August 5, 2010
I'll bet he never paid attention in class.
posted by mazola at 6:52 AM on August 5, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by mazola at 6:52 AM on August 5, 2010 [2 favorites]
This is just incredible. Two and a half years. Damn.
posted by EvaDestruction at 6:55 AM on August 5, 2010
posted by EvaDestruction at 6:55 AM on August 5, 2010
See also: pencil sculptures by Jennifer Maestre.
posted by oulipian at 6:56 AM on August 5, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by oulipian at 6:56 AM on August 5, 2010 [2 favorites]
Wonderful -- but I need a video of him at work.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 7:04 AM on August 5, 2010
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 7:04 AM on August 5, 2010
The first rule of graphite club is don't sell the products of graphite club.
They are pretty darned amazing, to be sure.
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:08 AM on August 5, 2010
They are pretty darned amazing, to be sure.
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:08 AM on August 5, 2010
The hammer is inexplicably hilarious.
posted by echo target at 7:11 AM on August 5, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by echo target at 7:11 AM on August 5, 2010 [1 favorite]
You know, I really don't see the point...
...and by that, I mean I'm seriously amazed. Awesome post!
posted by samsara at 7:11 AM on August 5, 2010
...and by that, I mean I'm seriously amazed. Awesome post!
posted by samsara at 7:11 AM on August 5, 2010
My mouth got progressively wider and wider and then I got to the hanging heart and just said "DAMN" out loud which was bad because I'm in a coffee shop.
Seriously, amazing!
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:18 AM on August 5, 2010
Seriously, amazing!
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:18 AM on August 5, 2010
Previous awesome pencil sculptures that will also make you say DAMN.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 7:24 AM on August 5, 2010
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 7:24 AM on August 5, 2010
First person to say "looks like he has too much time on his hands" gets popped in the jaw.
Why do people say that about people who do cool, artistic things?
posted by phunniemee at 7:26 AM on August 5, 2010
Why do people say that about people who do cool, artistic things?
posted by phunniemee at 7:26 AM on August 5, 2010
I saw some of his work at the Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore. It's quite astounding.
posted by HumanComplex at 7:26 AM on August 5, 2010
posted by HumanComplex at 7:26 AM on August 5, 2010
I love the easy-peasy clever subtext too - the words we create using this simple tool that makes us human can be hammers, or razor blades or a restraining chain - or can come straight from our loving hearts.
posted by Jody Tresidder at 7:40 AM on August 5, 2010
posted by Jody Tresidder at 7:40 AM on August 5, 2010
Sure, another post about the declining quality of our education system. I will admit though, this troll has a unique angle.
posted by blue_beetle at 7:47 AM on August 5, 2010
posted by blue_beetle at 7:47 AM on August 5, 2010
I dunno, these seem mostly like a technical gimmick and not interesting art. Except this cross, somehow its situation in the split pencil seems poetic.
posted by Nelson at 8:02 AM on August 5, 2010
posted by Nelson at 8:02 AM on August 5, 2010
Here's a nytimes piece from a few years ago with a little more biographical background on Ghetti.
posted by Rhomboid at 8:05 AM on August 5, 2010
posted by Rhomboid at 8:05 AM on August 5, 2010
Sweet! What a great artform...if you make a mistake, you can just start over again like *that*.
posted by Calzephyr at 8:21 AM on August 5, 2010
posted by Calzephyr at 8:21 AM on August 5, 2010
Why do people say that about people who do cool, artistic things?
Because they don't have the time to do cool, artistic things.
This is an absolutely glorious collection. I think I like the little mailbox the best for some reason. Just the way it's positioned on the tip of the pencil. Very neat.
posted by Spatch at 8:24 AM on August 5, 2010
Because they don't have the time to do cool, artistic things.
This is an absolutely glorious collection. I think I like the little mailbox the best for some reason. Just the way it's positioned on the tip of the pencil. Very neat.
posted by Spatch at 8:24 AM on August 5, 2010
I can't begin to imagine how he does this.
allkindsoftime : From the page:
Dalton uses three basic tools to make his incredible creations - a razor blade, sewing needle and sculpting knife. He even refuses to use a magnifying glass and has never sold any of his work, only given it away to friends. He said: "I use the sewing needle to make holes or dig into the graphite. I scratch and create lines and turn the graphite around slowly in my hand"
Yeah, but it's a wonderfully misleading misdirection, on par with an Olympic archer describing their craft as "I just shoot the arrows into the target..."
Technically a perfectly accurate description, and one that in no way describes the painstaking attention to detail and years of practice that went into perfecting their art. It's an awesome kind of understatement that I really enjoy.
posted by quin at 8:26 AM on August 5, 2010
allkindsoftime : From the page:
Dalton uses three basic tools to make his incredible creations - a razor blade, sewing needle and sculpting knife. He even refuses to use a magnifying glass and has never sold any of his work, only given it away to friends. He said: "I use the sewing needle to make holes or dig into the graphite. I scratch and create lines and turn the graphite around slowly in my hand"
Yeah, but it's a wonderfully misleading misdirection, on par with an Olympic archer describing their craft as "I just shoot the arrows into the target..."
Technically a perfectly accurate description, and one that in no way describes the painstaking attention to detail and years of practice that went into perfecting their art. It's an awesome kind of understatement that I really enjoy.
posted by quin at 8:26 AM on August 5, 2010
Wow.
I was wondering what takes him so long to make these, since there is obviously so little material to remove (although I'm sure he must remove it verrrry carefully).
He apparently only works on these for 1.5 hours a day.
posted by orme at 8:57 AM on August 5, 2010
I was wondering what takes him so long to make these, since there is obviously so little material to remove (although I'm sure he must remove it verrrry carefully).
He apparently only works on these for 1.5 hours a day.
posted by orme at 8:57 AM on August 5, 2010
Those interlinking ones are beautiful, like really tiny versions of the squares machinists learn on.
posted by shinybaum at 9:09 AM on August 5, 2010
posted by shinybaum at 9:09 AM on August 5, 2010
You are awesome, allkindsoftime, because I saw mention of this work a few days ago, but no links like the link you shared here. Thank you.
posted by rmmcclay at 9:26 AM on August 5, 2010
posted by rmmcclay at 9:26 AM on August 5, 2010
This is exactly the sort of thing I paid my 5 bucks for.
posted by bonobothegreat at 9:50 AM on August 5, 2010
posted by bonobothegreat at 9:50 AM on August 5, 2010
Very gritty - really love it! Not really traditional which is what I really like the most.
posted by interestedfilter at 10:05 AM on August 5, 2010
posted by interestedfilter at 10:05 AM on August 5, 2010
It's just... I'm... I can't... I wish... I...
posted by that's candlepin at 10:25 AM on August 5, 2010
posted by that's candlepin at 10:25 AM on August 5, 2010
One of my coworkers glanced over my shoulder as I was looking at this and said, "You find the weirdest things on the web...oh, WOW, that is so cool!" So thank you for helping enhance my 'weird' cred at work. And, it is so cool!
posted by agatha_magatha at 10:44 AM on August 5, 2010
posted by agatha_magatha at 10:44 AM on August 5, 2010
I can believe he did them. I don't believe he did them with his naked eyes.
posted by digsrus at 11:07 AM on August 5, 2010
posted by digsrus at 11:07 AM on August 5, 2010
"Yeah, but it's a wonderfully misleading misdirection, on par with an Olympic archer describing their craft as "I just shoot the arrows into the target...""
Right. Like Monty Python on how to play the clarinet: "Blow in this end, and move your fingers up and down on these keys"
posted by jetsetsc at 11:07 AM on August 5, 2010
Right. Like Monty Python on how to play the clarinet: "Blow in this end, and move your fingers up and down on these keys"
posted by jetsetsc at 11:07 AM on August 5, 2010
Reminds me of the
The Microminiatures of Hagop Sandaldjian permanent exhibit at the Museum of Jurassic Technology in LA... one of the most awesome and enchanting museums ever.
posted by Hairy Lobster at 11:56 AM on August 5, 2010
The Microminiatures of Hagop Sandaldjian permanent exhibit at the Museum of Jurassic Technology in LA... one of the most awesome and enchanting museums ever.
posted by Hairy Lobster at 11:56 AM on August 5, 2010
The first picture, the ones with the little letters on top of the pencils. For some reason that's making me cry. The idea they express, the wonderful form they take. They're just... I don't even know. Perfect?
Is this what it's like to be really moved by art?
posted by jacquilynne at 12:34 PM on August 5, 2010 [3 favorites]
Is this what it's like to be really moved by art?
posted by jacquilynne at 12:34 PM on August 5, 2010 [3 favorites]
Long tradition of micro carving, mostly in ivory and boxwood, and a whole lot more elaborate than this. The Wallace Collection in London has some good examples (not apparently, on line), but this gives you sort of an idea (and this is far from being the most amazing example. Your googlefu will be better than mine).
posted by IndigoJones at 2:53 PM on August 5, 2010
posted by IndigoJones at 2:53 PM on August 5, 2010
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posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:12 AM on August 5, 2010