It's a small world: Artist creates quirky scenarios using miniature figurines

By Shannon Lane @shannonroselane

AN ARTIST creates a miniature world where a hiking group trek Mount Broccoli and two sumo wrestlers fight each other on a slice of pepperoni

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A Scottish artist creates a mini world with tiny figurines and everyday objects

Scottish artist David Gilliver is no stranger to playing God in his world of mini men and women.

Each little person stands around two centimeters tall, and the positioning can take from 20 minutes to an hour.

A tiny couple are shown around a potential new home by an equally tiny estate agent

The process requires patience as David carefully arranges the tiny world residents rock climbing a kiwi fruit or waterskiing in shark-infested cereal.

The size of this man is put into perspective as he plays golf next to a blade of grass.

The artist said: "More often than not, I place the figures in scenarios where they have a gargantuan task to complete, which sometimes invokes a sense of sympathy inside of me for them.”

The artist said: "I can’t tell you what this little fella was shouting through his megaphone, but what I can tell you is it wasn’t very loud"

David began to create these surreal dioramas over 10 years ago, whilst studying at the Glasgow School of Art.

Lost in the grass: A group of walkers pose for a photo on a matchstick bridge

He said: "Miniature figurines have always fascinated me and I take a lot of enjoyment from thinking up new ideas and how to inject humour into any particular scenario."

At only a couple of centimetres tall even a watermelon seed can seem like an immovable object to the little people

The artist usually gains his inspiration from either the tiny models themselves or a particular prop - but in the case of one of his newest works, it was a personal situation.

In this miniature world, even scaling a kiwi fruit is an impressive feat

In the scene, a tiny couple are shown a potential new home, a drinks can with a 'for sale' sign, by an equally tiny estate agent.

A tiny hiking group make their way over the infamous Mount Broccoli

He said: "I have had this empty can sitting in my studio for a few weeks now and I finally found a use for it.

"My wife and I recently bought our first ever house and so this was inspired by viewing countless properties over recent months.”

Next time you eat a pizza, watch out for the pepperoni to avoid any angry sumo wrestlers

These lighthearted, amusing scenes may have a deeper meaning as David hints that these tiny worlds are a reflection on how we perceive problems in our own lives.

The 36-year-old Scot said: “Most people who encounter my work seem to be able to relate to that feeling of being faced with a ‘Mission Impossible'-like scenario, as life can sometimes be like that.

Gilliver doesn't use Photoshop in his images, so patience is essential to balance the figurines

"This definitely helps make my work that little bit more accessible to most people, I think - and is what encourages me to dream up new scenarios for others to enjoy.”

To see more of David’s pocket-sized worlds, visit www.davidgilliver.com