If you've visited KIN on Kloof recently, we know your heart would have been completely captivated by the tiny creatures living in their own little worlds inside
Flagg's beautifully made dioramas. "What is a diorama?" you ask - loosely defined it's an encapsulated 3D scene which re-creates a specific instant in time. In Flagg's neatly boxed moments, each character is lit with tiny LED's and caught mid-thought, illustrating her brilliant sense of humour. From grouchy penguins to repenting sharks - it's almost impossible to pick a favourite!
Flagg
will be exhibiting her new work as well as an extra large diorama in
#KINonKloof's windows for the month of April 2015. This is definitely
something you have to experience first hand so pop in to 99B Kloof
Street to see these fresh wonders!
In the meantime, let's chat to Flagg...
Why did you start making your products?
I started making these dioramas because its something I personally wanted to see with my own eyes :) If someone else had been making them I would have gotten just as excited about buying their work. I've always been interested in the concept of "looking in". I like the idea of having a small static scene within an object, with only your imagination to bring it to life.
How did you learn to make what you do?
I had an idea of building a lit scene in a fish tank about 4 years ago. I just REALLY wanted something like that next to my bed. But like all good creative ideas I completely ignored it for a year and let it simmer. And then literally on the morning of my very first exhibition 2 years ago i decided that NOW was a good time to rush around and try and make one in the couple of hours before my show. I made a small scene of a dinosaur saying " Sugary drinks are for weekedns only" and boom, i just couldn't stop. In terms of "learning" how to make a diorama, its been a giant amount of trial and error. Lots of testing new methods, happy mistakes and hundreds of burns with the soldering iron.
What materials are your products made from?
This is a bit
of a hard one to answer as my work can often consist of what ever is
floating in my studio or in the bottom of the kitchen draw. I try to RE
USE things like old toys, found objects, recycled files, books, LED
strip lights, 9 Volt batteries, all kinds of fun toggle switches, clear
perspex for the screens, random christams cracker toys, and things that I
pick up off the floor.
Do you source your raw materials in SA, if not, where in the world do they come from?
Yes, all from Cape Town.
Which part of the country, and which city do you make your products?
I make all of the dioramas in a dark garage in Cape Town.
What is your favourite part of the process?
My favorite part of my process it to finally put the diorama together, clean and organise my studio, turn off the lights and turn the newly made diorama on. Best feeling in the world :)
