Matchstick Models
Words and materials by Chris.
Photography and Ice by Shana.
Here at the Dotsey.com Arts Centre we can turn our hand to just about anything. And we have recently become interested in the under-appreciated art of building models out of matchsticks. The three photographs on this page should give you a good idea of our newly discovered skills. Click on the thumbnail images to see slightly larger versions, if you wish to examine our work in greater detail.
Earthquake
The first picture shows a model of Lincoln Cathedral. The subject was an obvious one for our first model, as the cathedral is not far from where we live. As you will notice, the model is built to scale and represents the cathedral as it would have looked soon after the devastating earthquake of 1185.
Our second model was a more ambitious project. Before we could even begin the model we had to make our own miniature iceberg. We added simple household ingredients to the water before freezing, and this is what gives the iceberg its realistic appearance. The model shows the Titanic shortly after it sank in 1912. Even today, more than ninety years on, the fate of the Titanic continues to fascinate us.
Obstacles
Our third model shows the Channel Tunnel. As well as realistic looking track we decided to include both the British and French flags, to represent our two countries working together to build the tunnel. And we included part of the sea itself, to represent the obstacles that needed to be overcome before the tunnel could be built.
We feel that the completed model captures the essence of both the tunnel and the human condition: during our lives we may face many years of struggle in the darkness, but eventually we all emerge once more into the light.
