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A truck driver spent 20 years making a scale model of every building in NYC

smithsonianmag.com

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Re: A truck driver spent 20 years making a scale model of every building in NYC

#51

Post by matusp »

dyauspitr wrote: post #48
noisy_boy wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe after a few thousand buildings, he built specialized tools to quickly build the templates in bulk. Still incredible.

Like what though? Every building is a little different and the fastest way I can think of is laser cutting or CNC which is still pretty slow. Unless he was whole hog CNCing entire city blocks that is. Though the article mentions “balsa wood cut with an X-Acto knife”. If that part is true, this is utterly incredible and I have no idea how he pulled off more than 100 buildings a day.

Looking at the pictures in the article, the level of detail is not particularly great in some parts. It seems like many building have very simple shape and color. With some modeling skill, I can imagine carving and painting 100s of these in a day. Although I can't imagine doing it for 20 years.

I would however like to know what his research was like. Was he just following Google Maps/Earth? They were released in 2005 and 2001 respectively and NY has had coverage from the get go.

Re: A truck driver spent 20 years making a scale model of every building in NYC

#52

Post by OJFord »

'Truck driver' here serving only to put him down, because the feat wouldn't be expected of such a person?

Seems to me like papers' infamous (at least in the UK) references to victims' or alleged perpatrators' house prices, to instruct our sympathy, when it's not otherwise at all relevant.

Re: A truck driver spent 20 years making a scale model of every building in NYC

#53

Post by nopakos »

OJFord wrote: post #52

'Truck driver' here serving only to put him down, because the feat wouldn't be expected of such a person? Seems to me like papers' infamous (at least in the UK) references to victims' or alleged perpatrators' house prices, to instruct our sympathy, when it's not otherwise at all relevant.

Artist who spent 20 years making a scale model of every building in NYC, makes a living as a truck driver.

Re: A truck driver spent 20 years making a scale model of every building in NYC

#54

Post by xyzal »

OJFord wrote: post #52

'Truck driver' here serving only to put him down, because the feat wouldn't be expected of such a person? Seems to me like papers' infamous (at least in the UK) references to victims' or alleged perpatrators' house prices, to instruct our sympathy, when it's not otherwise at all relevant.

'Artist' would be more fitting.

Re: A truck driver spent 20 years making a scale model of every building in NYC

#55

Post by hdgvhicv »

OJFord wrote: post #52

'Truck driver' here serving only to put him down, because the feat wouldn't be expected of such a person? Seems to me like papers' infamous (at least in the UK) references to victims' or alleged perpatrators' house prices, to instruct our sympathy, when it's not otherwise at all relevant.

“Normal person with normal job”

This isn’t someone working as a full time artist, this isn’t someone living off a trust fund, this isn’t someone selling their creating for millions for the money laundering. This is just a “man in his shed” with a blue collar job doing something awesome.

It says “anyone can doing something awesome”, you don’t need a fancy upbringing or million dollar backing.

Re: A truck driver spent 20 years making a scale model of every building in NYC

#56

Post by gsinclair »

xyzal wrote: post #54
OJFord wrote: post #52

'Truck driver' here serving only to put him down, because the feat wouldn't be expected of such a person? Seems to me like papers' infamous (at least in the UK) references to victims' or alleged perpatrators' house prices, to instruct our sympathy, when it's not otherwise at all relevant.

'Artist' would be more fitting.

Depending, of course, on how many artworks he’s sold.

Re: A truck driver spent 20 years making a scale model of every building in NYC

#57

Post by sidpatil »

omnimus wrote: post #30
rkuska wrote: post #28

There is a miniature of Prague from around 1830 by Antonín Langweil. He dedicated his all free time to finish it in a hope of making money for his daughters. Langweil never found a benefactor for his work and he died poor. Pretty tragic story. https://www.muzeumprahy.cz/en/visit-langweils-model-of-pragu...

Unfortunately the museum itself is pretty lame. I don't recommend.

Why?

Re: A truck driver spent 20 years making a scale model of every building in NYC

#58

Post by mikkupikku »

OJFord wrote: post #52

'Truck driver' here serving only to put him down, because the feat wouldn't be expected of such a person? Seems to me like papers' infamous (at least in the UK) references to victims' or alleged perpatrators' house prices, to instruct our sympathy, when it's not otherwise at all relevant.

Putting him down is your judgement revealing your own biases. Personally, I saw it as a put up. He's not some privileged prick, he's a normal guy!

Re: A truck driver spent 20 years making a scale model of every building in NYC

#60

Post by ninalanyon »

gsinclair wrote: post #56
xyzal wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

'Artist' would be more fitting.

Depending, of course, on how many artworks he’s sold.

Artworks sold by artist is a very poor way to define who is and is not an artist. Look at Vincent van Gogh who only sold one painting.
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