Stippling, defined as the act of marking a given surface with numerous dots and small pecks, is one of art's most tedious techniques. For one Miami-based web developer/stipple enthusiast, it's also the ticket to Internet stardom.
Miguel Endara, a self-described "non-stop thinker," has gone viral after a Vimeo video of him recreating a Xeroxed picture of his father using 3.2 million dots started picking up steam. While the art work, "Hero," took 210 hours to complete, you can watch the whole thing go down in less than three-minutes.
We recently caught up with Endara and talked about Art Basel, viral videos, and the inspiration behind Hero, his dad.
New Times: As an artist, inspiration hits you when you least expect it. Given that you've known your father your whole life, what was it about him that made you get to work on "Hero" at this particular time?
Miguel Endara: I've always wanted to pay tribute to my father's greatness, and found my art as a perfect medium to do so. He's a great man, in every aspect, and I look forward to emulating his personality as I grow older.
The latest post on your website said "You should be doing Art Basel things." What were some of the Basel-related events you went to?
I went just about everywhere during Art Basel! Convention Center, the Rubell Family Collection, Scope, Primary Flight, the walls of Sixth Avenue, and various Wynwood galleries.
Who taught you how to stipple?
I did not learn how to stipple from anyone to be honest, I picked it up on my own during some of my boring classes in college. Instead of taking notes, I was stippling on the back of my notebooks.
You're a self described "non-stop thinker." What were you thinking about before you read this message?
Love this question! But a hard one nonetheless. I can't seem to recall exactly what I was thinking, but these past three days I can tell you for certain that I have been thinking constantly about how to thank every single person who has sent me such a kind email congratulating me on my work. And I continue to do so.
I'm writing this and you're at about 2 million views on Vimeo. (a) Kudos for not using YouTube, those corporate bastards and (b) Do you think you'll reach as many views as you used dots?
3.2 milllion views will certainly be a great milestone. If I do reach it, I most certainly will have a private dance party with my wife and two dogs. Yes, YouTube is not the place to showcase my art for several reasons. All I have experienced through being a member of Vimeo is that it is made up of such a respectable community, and ambitious visualizers who genuinely appreciate the art scene. Speaking of which, YouTube already has at least ten stolen videos of my work. Bastards.
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