Friday 14 October 2011

Creating the dream Warhammer 40000 work and display space : part 1

For quite sometime I've dreamt of having the extra space to create the perfect (for me) hobby set-up.

The brief I've set myself is part practical and part philosophical, a great whole that genuinely sets the mood right when starting work on the models and turns the display of geeky hobby into visiting an almost magical little world of miniature art. I want the level of care in choosing every single tool and part and piece for this whole to be so impeccable and beautiful, that it resonates with everyone who is fond of crafts and beauty, whether you care for plastic miniatures or not. Something that Gregor Eisenhorn might appreciate if he happened to spend his free time creating and painting miniatures.

I have less and less time for the hobby, and the models take more and more effort and consideration. I want this space to be a celebration of my realities. It will also be part of our home and should fit our big picture too.

I'm somewhat obsessed with the wider context of objects, all the way down to detail. The story behind a product, what it is for, why it was conceived, how it was built, the interaction you have with it, it all adds up to something you either suffer or love. I believe it matters if the tool something was created with is beautiful or not.

This project begins from finding the right desk. After visiting a dozen great secondhand furniture outlets, we found the perfect desk, the centerpiece, framework and foundation for creating this magical set-up. I haven't got quality pics yet - just a teaser!, proper pics will have to wait until it's delivered next week, but these will give you and idea. It's an old oak draw top. Made here in San Francisco many decades a go! It's in excellent condition and bears the past uses with pride, like a knight's armor really. Every single drawer works perfectly, and there are dozens! It will house all the tools and paints I need, and also integrate the lighting and display solution I have also been hunting parts for. It will also be my new photography set up, with solutions for both the wip picture language with iPhone / oak backdrop and the proper pics with the new g3, with special waxed paper backdrop.

On the wall just above it I will hang two very very special works of art.

More to follow - stay tuned!



Post Scriptum,

In respect to the hobby, my fresh friendship to J.B. has opened a new, wider appreciation on the fabric that makes Warhammer 40000. I feel that John's work has a totally unique component to it - I call it elemental, perhaps for a lack of better term. Great discourse with JRN over the years has been another great inspiration to make a big leap in how I approach the hobby.Thirdly, in 2006 I went to my first GD and realized those events are not for me, totally different content and motivation makes me tick. I do love the fact that people more talented than me disagree and I get to enjoy the pics from said events every year.


migs

14 comments:

  1. That looks like an excellent space for you to enlighten us with your visions and skills. I cannot wait to see what you dream up next. Please let me know if you are ever near the East Coast of the US. I wood give anything to spend a little time in your presence and see what your hobby genius is like in person. Your work is the reason that I have slowly been creeping back into the hobby after several years of inactivity. Seeing your work has inspired me to pick up the hobby tools and take my first baby steps back on the modeling path.

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  2. More photos please! can't wait to see those "Very Special" works of art ;)

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  3. Nice Desk migs , it has that old world quality that JB often alludes to in his works , Personally a big fan of found art , and a victorian photo album of embossed leather has been sitting in my desk drawer waiting to display some art like this for a while.

    There are plenty of aspects of the hobby that get me excited but its the idea that there is something dark within all humanity that we tap into ,The brothers grimm, david lynch, terry gilliam and JB understand this inherently. Creativity with the shackles off. These artists have opened up a world to the unspoken parts of our souls.

    saw this last night and it had the same effect Jb's work does on me.
    http://www.gilliamfaust.com/

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  4. That desk is envy-inducing, Migs; it looks a real beauty.

    I think these are the posts that I love the most as they really get me thinking, and open up areas of tangential inspiration; they're a joy to read.

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  5. It’s good to know I’m not the only one out there with more esoteric ideas like this. I have often dreamt of building a house to a style that old Gregor would be fond of. Something with lots of wood panelling, thick carpets and patina.

    I’ve found that as I have replaced old tools and bought better ones they can imbue the work with something. It’s hard to describe but it’s definitely there. It’s not just the benefit of quality though.

    The sort of atmosphere you describe that is created by the many facets of the Warhammer 40,000 universe is something I try to explain to people that ask about what I do. I find it hard to explain though. I guess you have to have it as part of your life for a while before it really has significance.

    I’m glad you are posting this stuff. It’s really interesting to explore beyond the miniatures themselves.

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  6. Thanks guys! It's great to finally have the space to carry out this project. Also good to know many of you find it an interesting subject. More to come.

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  7. Wow! I am really keen on things which expand our experience of the hobby, but I had never considered workspace. This is fantastic - can't wait to see more.

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  8. Looking forward to seeing more of this!

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  9. This is excellent! I have an old desk like this...might have to convert!

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  10. there is an old mansion near by - caulke abby - its in the hands of the national trust who keep it exactly as it was left room bi room as the crewe family declined - rooms were locked up and left full of the stuff and collections during the early part of the century and not opened until recently - its jammed packed with paintings, taxidermy, and items of everyday life plus peeling paint and all sorts of surface patination - a headache to keep in this permanent state but fascinating to see .......

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  12. Widening your area of creativity from the subject to the surroundings can have major impact to the overall feeling to what you're creating, that's for sure. This is something most of the artists take for granted yet most of the hobbyists ignore totally...

    The surface of the desk looks absolutely fabulous! I tried to hunt something similar for my hobby workplace but ended up being too cheep and penurious for such luxury... Antiques in Finland are so overpriced.

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  13. Good stuff. And you so deserve it!

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  14. Hi, I came across your site and wasn’t able to get an email address to contact you. Would you please consider adding a link to my website on your page. Please email me.

    Thanks!

    Joel Houston
    JHouston791@gmail.com

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