Artist creates $94,000 microscopic Banksy work inside eye of needles

By Amy Reast via SWNS

An artist has created a microscopic replica of Banksy's artworks - inside the eye of three NEEDLES.

Micro artist David A. Lindon, 54, spent five months meticulously creating Banksy's "Flower Thrower Triptych."

The microscopic artwork, valued at more than £75,000 ($94008), was commissioned by a private individual.

The artwork, encased in a metal and glass viewing dome, is accompanied by a microscope.

It features flowers measuring just 0.5mm x 0.6mm, a main picture of 0.6mm and 0.8mm, and a tiny hand which is just 0.3mm x 0.5mm.

David, who lives in Bournemouth, England with his wife Jackie, has to slow his breathing in order to keep his heart rate down so his hands remain steady.

He said: "A single twitch from my fingers can wreck months of work.

"My hands still jump a little as my heart beats, so I work in a rhythm between each pulse.

"If I don’t concentrate all the time my fingers can accidentally flick weeks of work off from under the microscope and when it disappears from my sight, it will probably never to be seen again!

"My first Amy Winehouse is still somewhere in our bedroom carpet or stuck on the sole of my shoe, we never found her!

"Luckily my concentration has improved which enables me to sit still for long periods of time.

"There are certain “hazards” I try to avoid. Too often, I’ve lost a piece by accidentally squishing it while moving it around.

"I can accidentally blow it away, with a sneeze or a cough. Even a breath of wind from an open window can make it fly away and disappear for ever.

"Once a piece is lost, you can spend hours hunting around for it with a magnifying glass in your hand and still never find it!"

The artist has previously created micro versions of popular paintings such as "The Girl with the Pearl Earring" and Vincent Van Gogh’s "The Starry Night."

David left school at the age of 16 and joined the Ministry of Defence.

He then went on to work in the aircraft industry, working on everything from everyday passenger airliners to Spitfires.

Once his mother was diagnosed with dementia, David left the industry to care for her.

David’s passion for his art began through watching others.

He said: “I was first inspired by watching a TV program about miniature artists and the challenges they face- that changed my life.

“Having been trained to work on small complex devices I had developed steady hands and a good deal of patience.

“I knew then that I had to test my skills and challenge myself to create smaller and smaller things and eventually more complex creations than anyone else.

"After what feels like a lifetime of experimenting, I have managed to fit my work proudly into the eye of needle and then I never looked back!"

David added: “What keeps me going through the long hours is seeing my work finished and the look of wonder and astonishment on people’s faces, when they see my art in person for the first time.

“I get a huge sense of achievement having created something special, despite the many challenges working under such high magnification.

"It takes hundreds of hours and superhuman dedication to make a single piece of art but seeing the look on people’s faces and their reactions makes it all worthwhile."