AW2013
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At Universal Works we’ve decided to align ourselves with a new type of living, a sense of community and a commitment to bringing people together: friends, family, those in a club, or those in a team, to embrace a hobby that you may or may not have tried before. Issue one re discovers model making. A topic that allows you as the reader to return to a simpler way of life and go back to basics. Interesting, unique and interactive, our seasonal zine will accompany each collection and will allow you to get in touch with the young, more fun you. Inviting you to explore a world in which people are brought together by activity. So whether you already have a hobby of your own, or fancy partaking in something new, Universal Works would like to bring you a new zine to lighten your day, season and Universal life.
The team at Universal Works
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‘Model makers are problem solvers who combine their ability to adhere to strict the gap between concept and reality. model life saying, “I could make that” when they see something that sparks their interest.’
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KYLE BEAN
BRITISH MODEL MAKER & CREATIVE An individual that stands out for his innovative model making skills is artist Kyle Bean, a young and very talented creative. This season, the Universal team have been inspired by his Encompassing set design, illustration and sculpture, Kyle’s work is usually characterised by a whimsical and meticulous reappropriation
Kyle was a huge inspiration for our oragami clothing shoot featured within these pages due to his incredible work with paper. Universal Works: What is your favourite material to use when model making in particular?
is his use of unlikely materials that continue to fascinate us here at Universal Works only encouraging us to push our model making skills further.
like to use, mainly for its versatility and graphic
Kyle explains how, similar to us, his interest in model making began from a young age and continued to grow alongside his degree in illustration at Brighton University. Since graduating he has continued creating tactile illustrations and bespoke set pieces for a variety of clients the editorial, advertising and fashion industries. ‘I generally work alone or with a photographer. Occasionally, if a big project comes up I have a couple of assistants who help me with the making.’
project to another.
is by far the most accessible. It comes in so many varieties of colour, texture and thickness that it
models made from a range of materials from the young Englishman himself.
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‘THERE IS ALWAYS A BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN PEOPLE WANTING TO REALLY PUSH THE LIMITS OF TECHNOLOGY AND THOSE WHO PREFER TO WORK IN WAYS WHICH ARE MORE ANALOGUE. IT’S AN INTERESTING DEBATE AND FOR ME PERSONALLY, SINCE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IS OFTEN A MASSIVE SOURCE OF INSPIRATION IN MY WORK, WHICH COULD BE SEEN AS QUITE IRONIC.’
Insect made from Matchsticks.
Wooden toy phone made in collaboration with Thomas Forsyth. Paper suits created for a series of images showcasing LV accessories. Mobile Evolution: Miniaturisation in the style of a Russian Nesting Doll.
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‘DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE MOST SIGNIFICANT PART OF MY PROJECTS ARE MADE BY HAND, COMPUTERS ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF MY DESIGN PROCESS. I DO TRY TO KEEP RETOUCHING TO A MINIMUM. DESPITE THE FACT THAT MY MODELS AND ILLUSTRATIONS ARE MADE BY HAND, I’M STILL SPENDING ABOUT HALF OF MY TIME ON A COMPUTER AND THAT’S ENOUGH TIME FOR ME.’
Talking to Kyle about his work highlighted
The leap from concept to realization appears
and a love for using his hands to create things opposed to new technologies. We asked him his thoughts on trends going on within model making at the moment.
the like of Art Directors Club in New York and the International Design Biennial. Installations, window displays, editorial illustration and advertising, Kyle does it all and is incredibly successful at it.
UW: There’s been a rise in the number of artists and designers who are going back to rendering their work by analogue means - why do you think this is? KB: A lot comes down to personal taste, I remember at college naively thinking that in order for me to study illustration for a degree I was probably going to have to create imagery solely using adobe photoshop and illustrator because that is what I was seeing in books and on blogs at the time. It worried me a little as I love making things physically with my hands.
UW: what’s next for you professionally? KB: I am contemplating ways to develop a project more down a product or packaging design route. I would also like to do some more display work, as the majority of my work is smaller scale editorial. I’m also starting to think about preparing for an exhibition at some point, it would be good fun to show some of my physical work alongside prints.
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THE ART OF FOLDING INSPIREDBYTHEARTOFORIGAMI Photographs Josh Fisk
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TALENTS OF A MODEL MAKER
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A sense of scale.
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Ability to visualize in three dimensions.
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The pursuit of art.
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The ability to sense materials when they “talk� to us.
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Ability to link abstract or unrelated ideas.
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Ingenuity.
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Search and dig like an archeologist.
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Interpreter of information.
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Ability to balance all factors.
Illustration Stefanie Sword Williams
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THE MATCHSTICK MAN
PATRICKACTON
If there is one model maker that captured our attention here at Universal Works, it is Patrick Acton. The man behind some of the mindblowing, highly detailed matchstick sculptures you’ll ever see. Though as a child he always had a penchant for woodworking, it wasn’t until he was fresh out of college when he built a small model of a country church and then one of the USS Constitution that he found that passion. For nearly 10 years he would painstakingly cut the Ohio Blue Tip Company to see if they might sell the matches without the sulfur tip. It was
he was able to work much faster. It became the turning point where he started working with not just hundreds of matchsticks but hundreds
The Iowa-based artist has now glued 3.5 million ordinary wooden matchsticks into more than 60 currently reside in the Ripley’s Believe It or Not museums in North America, Australia, Asia, and Europe. “Although his techniques for building models have improved, the basic process has remained the same; that is, gluing one stick at a time,” he writes.
not only Harry Potter’s alma mater, but also the epic island of Minas Tirith from Lord of the Rings. Made from 420,000 wooden matchsticks, the carved out mountainous island depicts the set from Lord of the Rings 3: The Return of the King. Acton also takes on famous historic architecture around the world. His rendition of the Notre Dame in Paris is complete with steeple. The United States Capitol Building is also represented, using 500,000 matchsticks to create the complex and world famous dome.
Aside from architecture, the artist has honed his skills to replicate the space shuttle, The USS Iowa battleship comes complete with matchstick rudders, mast and on-deck planes. Acton’s next challenge will be to recreate the new World Trade Center in New York, which he plans to complete in 2013.
Photographs Patrick Acton Words Ellena Barron
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PATRICK ACTONSTECHNIQUE For matchstick model making
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matchsticks into many pieces to form curves and shapes, he discovered that he could crimp and bend individual matchsticks into curved shapes using a needle-nosed pliers.
2 pieces of plywood, are used for various model substructures.
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Although his techniques for building models have improved, the basic process has remained the same; that is, gluing one stick at a time.
MATCHSTICKING TAKINGACTIONFROMACTON
Photographs Josh Fisk
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DAVIDKEYTE
ON MODEL MAKING Founder of Universal Works, David, talks about how this season of Model Making relates to him and reveals some of his personal tricks and tools of the trade.
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Model making needs a lot of planning and designing, what is the
where the last season ended. It’s about moving things on and adapting. So that is the life of those things. It is also very much led by the fabrics we choose. So instead of saying ‘I really want to make that sweater’ I might say ‘I really want to use this yarn or this stitch. I really like the way this fabric falls, so what garment will that work in well?’ It’s about understanding what is working and how to take it forward.
Good question. There is very rarely just a clean sheet design. You tend to say ‘well I’ve got those shapes, where am I going with them?’ For me, also I’d say a huge part of it is understanding menswear and where its all come from. Having the knowledge about the design is the biggest tool. And sometimes it is just travel and building research of where things come from.
Although a lot of what we have done can be perceived as heritage fashion as it has an understanding of its traditions and has that blue collar type of feel, but I really like working with new modern sports fabrics as I think they can be great with not just only sportswear. I think technically advanced fabric is really interesting. So we are doing a couple of our more ‘traditional’ pieces in really mad tech fabrics this season which I love as its probably not what people expect.
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When I was younger I used to make a lot of such as planes and tanks. If I’m honest I think the thing I liked the most was the painting as you would get all of the parts to put together and instructions on how you are meant to paint it but I used to like not painting them how you were meant to. You could have more fun with it that way and it was more my own interpretation of it.
Selvedge that is published 6 times a year it may not be people that would have done anything massive or been particularly successful, they may just have done this
almost a level of government intervention of textiles and ceramics where we have is a much more commercial end of the
I would say I’d probably be interested in something architectural. So if I had another lifetime to come back I’d want to build things and therefore design those things that you build. I think the nice thing is in the last 5 or 10 twee thing that funny people do to being looked upon as a great thing which is nice.
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Photographs Stefanie Sword-Williams Words Alice Hammerton
BEHIND THE SCENES We recently invaded the home of childhood friends (and model-making enthusiasts) Liam and Tommy, to join in with one of their creative weekend sessions. We thought we’d give you a as well as their process of joining forces over AW13’s featured hobby: Model Making.
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1. Photographers Jack and James adjust the lighting. 2. Stylist Alice gets involved. 3. Shooting from all angles. 4. High angle shot
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MODERN MODEL MAKING
Words Alice Hammerton Model Making has taken many shapes and forms of late. From the old LEGO, CLAY, PAPER, school methods of LEGO building bricks, to futuristic new techniques 3D PRINTING using 3D printing, model making has never been so diverse, or so
experimental. We’ve put together the best of the best for you to enjoy. Take a gander, and be amazd.
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ADAM BEANE CLAY Adam Beane is quite a unique sculptor. Since beginning sculpting in 2002 he is known for dynamic compositions, action poses, nuanced drapery work and his ability to capture likenesses with expressions. For the work he uses CX5, an extremely versatile material developed by Beane himself, which handles like clay when warm but is as hard as plastic when cool. He has made minitaure scupltures of many players, many of which were made for toys companies and may even be available in your local supermarket! If you look hard enough (they’re pretty small).
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TERADA MOKEI PAPER A slice of life shrinks even smaller with the miniature design line, Terada Mokei. Architectturned-modeler Naoki Terada’s Architectural Model Accessories Series is a monochrome microcosmic representation of everyday life. Terada adopted a 1/100 scale ratio for the series, that adorably scales down the largeness of reality to one-hundredth the size. Populating the paper environments, Terada’s version of the modern man and his archetypal family consist of featureless cookie-cutter Each series places a variation of the family in obsequiousness, all packaged in single-colored sheets of pre-cut parts, reminiscent of model die-cuts.
TERADA MOKEI PAPER A slice of life shrinks even smaller with the miniature design line, Terada Mokei. Architect-turned-modeler Naoki Terada’s Architectural Model Accessories Series is a monochrome microcosmic representation of everyday life. Terada adopted a 1/100 scale ratio for the series, that adorably scales down the largeness of reality to one-hundredth the size. Populating the paper environments, Terada’s version of the modern man and his archetypal family consist of featureless cookie-cutter silhouettes of male, female and from park activities to earthquake-disrupted packaged in single-colored sheets of pre-cut parts, reminiscent of model die-cuts.
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EXTREME LEGO This Volvo XC90 made of LEGO bricks was built by an elite team of talented artists, called the LEGO Master Model Builders, at LEGOLAND California. Made from 201,760 pieces of LEGO, it of LEGOLAND California’s Manager, Peter Rochetti, it was sneakily put in place of the real Volvo SUV in the car park, much to Rochetti’s confusion at the end of the day. Aside from the prank’s comedy value, it was noted as one of the top-three most gratifying projects of its kind by the Master Model Builders!
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3D PRINTING Aiming to replace the ubiquitous photobooth, another Japanese wonder-company, Omote 3D, have conceived a miraculously innovative process, that reproduces personally detailed miniature action camera and printer to process and scan users, creating custom scale reproductions. The user must keep still for 15 minutes while the scanners capture all the necessary data, then your very own mini-me is ready to be printed! 2
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MONEYGAMI
BYYOSUKE HASEGAWA Photographs Yosuke Masegawa Words Alice Hammerton
Japanese graphic designer and origami expert Yosuke Hasegawa has turned his very talented hand to a new kind of origami. Hasegawa gives currency, but turning the notes into depictions of the world leaders and important historical With intricate folds, the artist has succeeded in making bills from around the globe into art.
even a sailor cap. With these animate pieces, Yosuke Hasegawa has given each political indulgent amusing aspect to the notes. While the authorities on our money may still look unamused and uninterested, it’s still a step up from their original photos, and makes them all the more interesting and amusing. The designer says that his intent was to create an aspect of fun: “I want to make people happy
twist to the money. Yosuke Hasegawa’s process
to spend.”
thirty minutes.
In order to share the folding fun, Hasegawa has even created a free Moneygami app that teaches people how to make Abraham Lincoln in a
Lincon sports a cap, Ghandi a top hat and Queen Elizabeth a variety of turbans and a
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DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL MONEYGAMI APP AT: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/moneygami01/id378712972?mt=8
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