a artist's view on model railroads


smiley

smiley

Member
As someone who does a fair amount of painting and writing, I've found that there is something beautiful about how model railroads can tell stories, especially stories of everyday life in America. Yet one rarely hears about model railroads in the art world, even the folk art world.

A theme I often see is one of reflection on changes in the landscape and the slow disappearance of a simpler time. In particular, as my job is in architecture and urban design, I find the depictions of neighborhoods and homes the most fascinating.

I love all the detail everyone here puts into their work, and once every couple weeks there's an image that just jumps out Among some of my favorites I've come across on this board...

Trailer park by Southwest Chief
This brings to mind the feeling of pride in homeownership, the young couple putting down roots for the first time, moving from trailer to a more permanent trailer. Even though they might live on the 'wrong side of the tracks' they keep their home well maintained and neat, enjoying the wide open space with a barbeque.
HOTrailerPark.jpg



Main street at night by GGP
The narrow street, warm lights, and general peacefulness of this scene give a sense of the street as a town's common living room. In particular, the lack of traffic or even a stripe down the center of the street says - 'this is a place for people to be in, and not just another thoroughfare'.
P1030048.jpg



Blackwood acid swamp by GrampysTrains
A reminder not to forget the people and places that get used up and swept aside... the trees are dead, the branchline is closed, and the last guy at the plant wondering where all the jobs went.
P1020287.jpg



A Diorama for Jessica by Trucklover
This is my favorite scene... more so than any other it shows how quickly times change and evokes nostalgia for a time just a few years ago. The odd combination of a family hosting a party at their house and an under-construction house next door says so much already, the content being a compromise between the artist and his girlfriend.

But there's more to the story! In the house party half, we've got the classic tale of upward mobility while keeping one's roots - the family's done well and spruced up the old farmhouse, added a fancy gate, bought new cars, built a garage, kids and grandkids all having a good time.
SL373716.jpg


Meanwhile, next door, the local builder's got his crew busy with a new home going up next door. Good times at home, good times at work, these pictures take me right back to happier times in the Central Valley of California in 2007, before the recession.
SL373728.jpg
 
Nice!!!

I really like the basketball court and slam dunk lol

Main Street is my second fav. Lots of talent here.
 
I have to post a comment here.......

It's hard to believe Model building isn't looked on as an Art form, By the elite Artist and what not:(! Smilie, as you mention we do have some wonderful 3D artist here and the art community should stand up and take careful notice of our 3D artist we have in this Hobby! I believe, some of the guys here are = to some the the most popular artest in the world! :)
 
Vato, I agree completely. I think one of the criticisms model railroads face from the art world is the idea that it's all about trains. While I don't disagree that trains are a big part of model railroading, trains are a big part of society. A lot of folks ride trains to work every day, and freight trains transport a large portion of the nation's goods. It only makes sense that trains have their own art form.

Similarly in the IT field there is a whole culture of "case modders" who build one-of-a-kind computer cases, fashioning computers that look like they were from the Victorian era, or have goldfish bowls inside; one particularly hilarious one made one out of gingerbread.

random thought: Still life painting often features fruit bowls but it's accepted as fine art, and not just something for food aficionados. Surprisingly, here in the food-conscious and fruit-producing Bay Area I see few paintings of fruit bowls in galleries and museums.

though three years ago at the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, I saw a short film called "Train", where the artist attached a camera to the front of a locomotive traveling through various rooms in a house, passing under sofas and into mousehole tunnels.

I don't know where it is being exhibited now, but you can see still frames of it here: http://www.shoshanawayne.com/artists/OLIVERMICHAELS/1.html and http://www.shoshanawayne.com/artists/OLIVERMICHAELS/2.html
 
You make an interesting point about how modeling RR is an artform. I have a bit of an interest in what is frequently referred to as "folk art"---or "naive" art. The stuff going on here is exactly, to me anyways, what folk art is. It tells stories about ourselves as well---

Then again---I also have interesting tastes in music as I've been frequently accused of:rolleyes:
 
Interesting thread. I've always been fasinated by miniatures and consider myself a Scale Modeler more than a Model Railroader. The Art Institute of Chicago, one of the nations (if not worlds) finest art museums has a hall dedicated to the 'Throne Rooms'. These are miniature rooms designed by a women who had artists actually carve the statues and even weave the tiny carpets. They truly are works of art. On the other hand, they are very much Doll House rooms. Kind of an interior version of what are railroads are. I think the only other type of models that are considered seriously as art are sailing ships. Funny how that works!
 
Doll houses and sailing ship models are static, just like your typical sculpture or oil painting. Trains, on the other hand, move - so [non-mrr] people subconsciously view model trains and anything related to them as "toys".
 
smiley said:
... Yet one rarely hears about model railroads in the art world...
Click to expand...

what is this "art world "?
Art is not limited to painting or writing. it is every single time when a professional takes on task of his expertise. woodworker crafts quality item - that's a display of art. electrician or network engineer wires complex electric or networking closet neatly and to the specs - that's a display of art. hek, even when i review some of the code developed by our programmers down here, all i can think is "work of art". it simply amazes me every time looking at proffecional in process of creating something whatever it might be

in MRR world we talk MRR. Electricians will talk about their electricity world, PC enthusiasts will talk PC. its natural that writers or painters will talk about their own subject of passion and skip the MRR part (unless they happened to be into that as well).
 
I think the 'Art World' definitely sets up standards and limits in what they include in their
somewhat elitist world. Using and arranging pre-made items and items that have a heritage of being children toys help to keep us excluded from it. I personnally see some great art in it from a point of not only story-telling but workmenship also. I kind of hope we remain as we are, laboring away for our own pleasure, but perhaps getting a somewhat appreciation of our efforts.
 
I wonder if it's just a coincidence that I took four years of art in highschool? That's the same timeframe that I started building my first layout - with even some crude scratchbuilt items.

Charles
 
charles, this looks neat indeed.

you can edit your posts to include attachment instead of creating new one. you can also delete no longer relevant posts when needed.
 
Hmm....Malcolm Furlow. Jon Olson. Dave Frary. All artists, all model railroaders. John Allen, photographer. I'm sure if we think, we can come up with other modelers who are in the art/photography field for a living. Ahh...Mike Dannemann.
 
chicken wire

"A very nice inspiring scene. I especially like the chicken coop and the crops.'

Thanks.

I got the idea for the chicken wire from this forum a while back. Someone mentioned a type of ribbon avalible at Michael's. In HO scale it's much finer mesh than using wedding-vale material. Just airbrush with gray and rust and it looks great.

I need to add more on the inside of the fence to keep the chicks from running out onto the track. :eek:
 
Charles Smiley said:
"A very nice inspiring scene. I especially like the chicken coop and the crops.'

Thanks.

I got the idea for the chicken wire from this forum a while back. Someone mentioned a type of ribbon avalible at Michael's. In HO scale it's much finer mesh than using wedding-vale material. Just airbrush with gray and rust and it looks great.

I need to add more on the inside of the fence to keep the chicks from running out onto the track. :eek:
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info on the chicken wire!
I got the same problem with sheep and pigs.
One pig got away and got left behind. LOL.
 
West Virginia Midland Man said:
Hmm....Malcolm Furlow. Jon Olson. Dave Frary. All artists, all model railroaders. John Allen, photographer. I'm sure if we think, we can come up with other modelers who are in the art/photography field for a living. Ahh...Mike Dannemann.
Click to expand...

I met Malcom Furlow once and he took me out to see his layout, the San Juan Central. I had expected .. donno .. it to be 'housed' in a basement or some such .. but nope. Was in a dopey green Masonite-like shed that would be about right for storing your lawn mower. I swear .. looked like it had been pounded together by a bunch of drunken hobbits. Ha.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.



Back
Top