David A. Lindon, a resident of Bournemouth, UK, with a background in engineering, has achieved a new Guinness World Record for the smallest handmade sculpture.
He has created a miniature red Lego brick that measures just 0.02517 millimeters (.00099 inches) by 0.02184 millimeters (.00086 inches).
“For this record he created a sculpture of a red LEGO brick similar in size to a human white blood cell,” said the Guinness World Records.
Moreover, it is approximately four times smaller than the previous record holder.
Lindon transitioned to micro art in 2019 after being inspired by the work of Dr. Willard Wigan MBE, who was the previous record holder, reported BBC.
Lindon has previously created several miniature artworks, including three microscopic recreations of Van Gogh paintings displayed on a watch mechanism, which was sold for around $115,000.
The creation of this microscopic Lego brick involved the use of specialized, self-made tools. These tools were designed for manipulating materials at a minute level.
Lindon explained that the process required immense patience and control.
“The challenge to create tiny objects that can’t be seen without a microscope is demanding both physically and mentally,” he told the Guinness World Records.
Lindon even trained himself to slow his breathing and work between heartbeats to minimize any movement that could compromise the delicate process.
“I have trained myself to slow my breathing and work between the beats of my heart. Even the pulse of my heart beating through my fingers creates too much movement,” he added.
Besides, he worked for six to ten hours each night to avoid the vibrations caused by daytime traffic that could disrupt his work.
Measurements were independently verified
The verification of this record-breaking sculpture involved scientific procedures. The team at Evident Scientific used a high-powered light microscope to measure the minuscule dimensions of the Lego brick meticulously.
This measurement was then independently verified by Spectrographic Limited in Leeds.
Lindon crafted three miniature Lego bricks: one with eight studs, another with four, and a third with a single stud.
The eight-studded brick holds the distinction of being the narrowest structure ever documented. The four-studded brick surpassed the existing world record for the smallest sculpture.
Remarkably, within just 20 minutes of achieving that feat, Lindon created an even smaller, single-studded brick, breaking his own newly set record.
Interestingly, all three sculptures are so small that they are completely invisible to the naked eye.
Future project includes ‘smallest zoo’
With this world record now secured, Lindon is focusing on his next project, “The Smallest Zoo in the World.”
This will be an exhibition, which is scheduled to open in Poole this summer. It will showcase a collection of miniature animal sculptures and continue Lindon’s exploration of the microscopic world.
Meanwhile, a German German engineer, Rudiger Koch, has set a new world record. He recently spent 120 days underwater. He emerged from his small underwater home in Florida, USA, and was officially recognized by Guinness World Records.
This breaks the previous record of 100 days held by American Joseph Dituri.