There’s something about a model that instantly captures our fascination. It aims to give a true and faithful representation versus an illustration that can be fudged. Architects, hospitals and research institutes proudly show off models as works of art. It is a way to interact with an audience, giving a 360-degree perspective and allowing tactile engagement. Builders attract buyers. Industries showcase products and factories. Ideas sell. No small wonder then that model makers are sought-after for their lifelike scaled down impressions of architecture and products. Interestingly, model makers from Chennai to have a niche following, even called to other cities for their specialised art.
As good as real!
V.S. Thangamani once made a water pump model with intricate details for designer Rajesh Mirajker, so realistic, that his clients asked, “Does it have a motor?” Mirajker’s relationship with his model-maker is over 30 years. When he recently wanted to add some panache to his bike he promptly went to Thangamani, “We sat together and came up with this design for a swanky fender.” In a day or two, Thangamani had the pattern ready, moulded fibreglass and fitted the fender to match the details on the cycle. No one imagined it was put together, thinking the fender was available as an accessory off the shelf.
At 68, Thangamani is a doyen with considerable pride in his craftsmanship. Trained as a civil draftsman, he joined M.V. Gopalan of Modern Agencies in 1965, continuing working for his son, M.P. Manohar into the 1990s. Gopalan was a pioneering force in the toys industry, models and interior systems, and Thangamani was on the team that made the early model for the Gemini Flyover — the longest flyover in the country when it was built in 1973. “Gopalan used to say he had five pillars, and I was one of them.” Armed with front-management experience, Thangamani started Best Model Makers in the 1990s, making models for Larsen and Toubro, the Highways Department and hospitals. The more recent, elaborate miniatures of ITC Grand Chola and research and underwater equipment for NIOT stand out for their seamless finish. Thangamani’s teammates trained with him since they were young boys. In a compact space, each works in his specialised capacity — screen-printing, cutting and assembling with polystyrene and plastic. Thangamani affirms, “There are no employees here. We all share the profit. We all work with our hands.”
In the 1970s when there were no readily available exhibit structures, Narayana Swamy innovatively addressed the need for a corporate presence in exhibitions and expositions and produced displays, banners and models: many young artisans learnt the trade from him.
Access to art
Model-making, a closely guarded specialisation in Chennai, was passed on by chief artisans to worthy practitioners. Likewise, N. Chandrasekaran attributes his fundamental understanding to old-timer A. Fidelis, responsible for his transition to making models to scale. “He trained many of us in an art otherwise not easy to access. Today, trees, lawns and car models come ready-made,” says Chandru who learnt to colour sawdust green to mimic a lawn and squeeze bits of foam into rolled copper wire to make trees. With a degree in Visual Communication from the Government College of Fine Arts, Egmore, Chandru’s first models were stall designs for advertising agencies. His strength as a visualiser complements his design-cum-deliver strategy. Aside of models, he creates mementoes, stalls and point-of-purchase displays. “In a way, I am like a carpenter — similar processes, different materials,” says Chandru who works independently. “I should be able to see through any project. That’s my motto,” he says showing me a model of DNA for schools and a map of India with miniature lighthouses.
Hari Baskar who has been commissioned by Hyundai and TVS says that a model is ideal for a company chairman and board members to visualise aspects of architecture that cannot be seen from the ground. “It takes time to drive around a large factory. Models give an immediate overview.” The profession involves detailed work, a penchant for perfectionism and patience, and Baskar, a civil engineering diploma holder, says very few take on the challenge. Primarily, explains Baskar, this never developed as an organised industry. While model-makers outsource cutting, the small entrepreneur cannot afford the greater investments towards advanced machinery, which would give the benefit of quick turnaround. For instance, when designer Mirajker found contouring for a faucet hard to replicate manually, he chose rapid prototyping.
Even as we compress experience at the desktop, the digital age must open new avenues to reconnect hand, head and heart, bringing greater enterprise to hobbyists and professionals to make models. The human touch will continue to aid and enhance the experience of these little worlds, with different tools.
