Imagine the grunge and jarring honesty of the New York City streets in Taxi Driver. Now, imagine that scaled down by at least a magnitude of ten. Artist Alan Wolfson’s Miniature Urban Sculpture is so amazing in its portrayal of the grimy reality of the city that the storefronts, subway scenes, and apartment buildings are eloquently poetic. The cold glow of fluorescents nearly flickers with gasps of life, and the graffiti-ed brick facades are just moments away from crumbling from age and weariness.
The ghosts of those who haunt the city streets leave behind clues for us to find: a newspaper here, a half-eaten hamburger there. Through great dexterity and vision – yes, both kinds – Wolfson weaves together a narrative of the city dwellers and the sculptural buildings out of plastic, metal, and occasionally wood, cardboard, and paper. All of the pieces are inspired by but not reproductions of actual locations, and manage to capture a flavor of the city that leaves an aftertaste of intrigue and wonderment.
