Incredible Urban Decay Modeling

[Bruce Bird]

Architects can and do the same thing, only without graffiti, and with their own scratch-built designs.  Probably get paid a lot more.  They just lack hot chicks, cookies and wine.  Usually neither one includes tracks of any scale.  I would guess the lesson here (if there is one) would be if you want chicks, cookies, and wine- do some urban decay modeling.

I seem to recall that Rod Stewart's layout had a fair amount of urban detail.  He probably has all the chicks, cookies and wine he wants, but it's not because of his modeling.

Bruce

[Scottl]

Pretty remarkable modelling to my eye.  He is trying to make a statement that is more than the literal appearance of the models, clearly.

No small irony to have push back on the art aspect amongst this crowd.  Lots of artistry posted in on this forum, no one would dare call it out in a similar way.

[Loren Perry]

I was a member of the Belmont Shore Lines N-scale club in San Pedro, CA back in the 1990's and at the time, we had a nicely diversified membership including Anglos, blacks, Latinos, Asians, and who knows what else. All of us were active modelers and we all had a great time together. When I built my first N-scale diorama of Skid Row (covered in an early issue of N-Scale magazine and eventually built into the club layout), a couple of young black club members were praising me for the detail and grittiness of the scene, but then quietly told me that at the same time it was depressing to look at. It reminded them of how they grew up. So I can understand the mixed feelings that result from this type of modeling.

Carrying the topic further, another club member told me of a layout visit he participated in during an NMRA convention back east where the layout's builder had chosen World War Two Germany as his railroad's locale and era. He modeled in HO scale and used Fleischmann, Roco, and other European models of German steam locos and cars. But he also reproduced urban scenes of Nazi Germany to the most infinite level of detailing and for that reason, our club member left with a very uneasy feeling. He said the quality of modeling was first rate everywhere he looked, but the subject matter completely negated that.

And around that same time, I received in the mail, for reasons unexplained, a copy of a Chinese modelmaking magazine published in English from someone I never heard of before or since. In that issue was a brilliantly executed 1/35 scale diorama of a city street scene in Nanking during the Japanese invasion in December 1937 - January 1938. We've probably all heard about the vicious atrocities committed against the Chinese populace by the Imperial Japanese Army but this particular modeler wanted to make sure his audience understood every last gruesome thing about it. He went into painstaking detail depicting the violence by fashioning beautifully proportioned and painted figures of civilian women, infants, and so on and then did the same with the invading troops including bayonets, rifles, and more. I considered the quality of modeling to be equal to best I have ever seen. The article that accompanied the photos was about 60% on modeling techniques and 40% emotional ruminations on the evil nature of the invaders and how their homeland was never properly held to account for that incident.

And then there was my visit to the Carol and Barry Kaye Museum of Miniatures on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles that I visited in the mid 1990's (it's now closed.) This amazingly upscale display of the finest in scale modeling included a collection of some very interesting dioramas by a talented black lady who used her skills to show what was INSIDE those "urban decay" scenes. She created typical everyday venues such as tenement living rooms, AME church meetings on Sunday, and even a fully equipped replica of the O. J. Simpson courtroom trial complete with furniture, television cameras, and every major character in accurate clothing and styles. She went so far as to reproduce the collection of hourglasses hidden behind Judge Ito's desk!

The Urban Decay modeling we're seeing on display here is another way a gifted craftsman can use a hobby or art form to share his or her feelings about life in general. We all seem to build models of what we know or what we grew up with. I think we as model railroaders can learn a lot of great scale modeling tricks from these fascinating people.

Not sure if your post was in response to my post, but I'll explain my answer. I'm personally not hostile against the modeling, I think the person did a great job. As for the people viewing it, well that is just as much a part of life as the Urban Decay being modeled. My point stems from actually living through the decline of the Steel industry here in the rust belt. Currently I live across the river from an empty lot that use to be Jones and Laughlin Steel, a completely integrated mill that was approx. 7 miles in length and half a mile in width. A integrated mill had the ability to produce steel from raw products. At peak employment, there were slightly over 15,000 people that worked in that mill. Before the mills closure, employment was approx. 10,000 people. When the mill went down, the town and two railroads followed. Now instead of a bustling town, there are empty lots and boarded up buildings. While the modeling is quite good, it reminds me of a painful era in the recent past. Just my 2 cents and your mileage may vary       

[Pesto]

Agree with previous commenters that that is some very excellent modelling.  For those who feel our hobby doesn't get enough respect, this is actual tangible proof that it can be considered art.

[GaryHinshaw]

I'm reminded a bit of Laurie Nix's post-apocalyptic dioramas.

Interesting post Loren.

[GaryHinshaw]

[extreme_drift]
Straying even further afield I am reminded of our former neighbor in Maryland, Clarke Bedford, a self-proclaimed faux-artist who made pieces that combined considerable craftsmanship, knowledge of art history, and more than a touch of whimsy.  Little gems such as these:



He's best known for his awesome collection of art cars and helmets which can often be seen in and around DC:



and his booklet about William Tecumseh Sherman (played by himself) living out the post-war years in the suburbs:



  [/extreme_drift]

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Man Loren, that is a cornucopia of scenes I would never touch. I always thought modeling war scenes is a bit in poor taste. It just seems to either belittle the tragedy or try to evoke emotion that the model itself should produce, not the subject matter.

I can totally understand why people would model it... interesting times. But personally, I choose to avoid war, poverty and social injustice. My layout will reflect the best of humanity.

Oh... something just occurred to me. Many modelers choose to model the 50's and 60's but I have not yet seen any scenes of civil rights protests. I wonder why that is.

[Rossford Yard]

In the early years of forums, I recall someone showing (it may have been for sale) someone with an N scale model of the Auschwitz concentration camp entry, which most agreed was poor taste or inappropriate. I am sure the artists would beg to differ, if the intent is to show a slice of life, no matter how unpleasant.  It is what it is and their right to do it, even if it makes me feel queasy. Perhaps that is the point of art, at least some art.

[jwb]

As long as we're mentioning art, context and audience are both important. A detailed, well-executed model of Auschwitz would be perfectly appropriate, say, in the Holocaust Museum and wouldn't make anyone uncomfortable except in its intended message of saying something about the Holocaust. The same might apply to a well-done model of a bombed-out German city in a historical museum. Neither outside of those contexts would be in good taste, and a sensible editor wouldn't put them in MR -- why borrow trouble?

Some folks here don't feel completely comfortable with artsy-craftsy fashionable people sipping wine around urban graffiti cityscapes where they'd never think of walking down the street. I think there might be a context there, too. Good modeling is good modeling, but that doesn't cancel out problems with context or audience. I agree the models are good, but in the context of radical chic, not necessarily in the best context.

[C855B]

"Context" is an excellent point, although I find no issue with the expression of truthful grittiness in art salon settings. Good art is simply pleasurable to experience, great art makes you think and elicits emotion. The deep-urban scenes are most certainly in the latter category. 3D representational art is actually a very rare medium in traditional art. However, we call it "modeling".

This recalls a recent trip where we browsed a gallery exhibiting an artist with beautiful technique and balance, great use of color and really appealing form... except the depictions were very dark... dying and death, or otherwise very Goth in tone. We couldn't get past the subject. We tried hard to find something we could hang on the wall or in the studio, and just couldn't. As in the context discussion, this was also taking the "thinking and emotion" thing to the limits.

FWIW, my professional artist spouse was and is one of those attractive gallery patrons being castigated here. But maybe she redeems herself because she doesn't sip wine, and always passes the M&M cookies my way.

[strummer]

And just for the record....

Some of our best friends are "artists"....and we ( my wife and I) like both wine and M&M cookies...

Mark in Oregon

[OldEastRR]

FWIW, my professional artist spouse was and is one of those attractive gallery patrons being castigated here. But maybe she redeems herself because she doesn't sip wine, and always passes the M&M cookies my way.

WHOA! So it IS possible for dorky model rails to get hot chicks! Maybe guys should post pix here of their wives instead of their layouts (snark).

Seriously, the detail that brings out the most realism in the models are the trashed and littered roofs. Not many of us depict model roofs, especially old ones, that  accumulated decades of dirt, dead animals, trash, rotted newspapers and all the other stuff that collects there.

[jimmo]

That's all N. I was able to spot DPM, Life-Like, Kato and To mix buildings. Vehicles were Bachmann, Tomytec and CMW. The donut store, hotel and several others were pretty much stock with some additional painting.

The donut store is an HO scene, those police cars are a dead giveaway. Nobody has Crown Vics in N-scale except Willmodels and they are solid resin.

Some of the vehicles were Wiking.

The overall effect (at a distance) is pretty good, but up close I think the weathering and decay is a little heavy-handed, typical of a lot of modelers that attempt this effect. But then we get back into the "exaggerated for clarity" discussion...

[Philip H]

The overall effect (at a distance) is pretty good, but up close I think the weathering and decay is a little heavy-handed, typical of a lot of modelers that attempt this effect. But then we get back into the "exaggerated for clarity" discussion...

Jimmo,
Not true. There are several place in DC no more then ten minutes drive from me that would match his work exactly. His would even be a tad cleaner in a couple of cases.

[jimmo]

Jimmo,
Not true. There are several place in DC no more then ten minutes drive from me that would match his work exactly. His would even be a tad cleaner in a couple of cases.

Phillip, I suppose if I stated it as a fact that this level of urban decay was non-existent (thus unrealistic) then one could say "not true." It was only my opinion concerning the model work.

I've seen plenty of urban decay in my 60+ years of existence and modeling 1/160 ever since it's introduction. If you are convinced that it looks real then (in your eyes) it's a great model. I'm not as easily convinced.