Perfection in modelling
By Mario Covalski
Who dares to state this is not the best mankind technological time ever known?. In my opinion, the scientific advances and the leading-edge technology along the last 35 years, are by far, more important than those ones reached during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. And the increase of this tendency has turned much more evident during these years of the 21st century.
Here, I won’t say anything new, ethics and moral of mankind as a whole, have progressed, but at hesitant steps. Perhaps, we might assert that, at the time knowledge became computerized, when it’s possible to contact somebody’s else just at that very moment, no matter the distance…it seems that lasting peace and understanding are beyond the bounds of human spirit.
Plastic modeling has much in common with this society’s behaviour. When I was in my teens, we used to build models with the few things we could get on those times, we were easily satisfied, recessed panels and wonders of modern technology, typical of the space age were less than a dream…pure fiction.
Nevertheless, the happiness a modeler could feel when building a straight from the box Monogram in 1/48 scale, many times hand painted, was not so different to what a young modeler feels when constructing a 300 hours super project, spending hundreds of dollars on aftermarket, for a kit with an incredible technology of design.
It was usual that one of those models were weekend projects, in fact I gathered a huge collection in a couple of years. Perhaps, you may think those models were not worth, and probably you’re right, but I enjoyed them a lot…maybe more than the ones I build today.
Then, which is the difference? Knowledge; the modeler like the man has accumulated knowledge. Now, he knows everything about recessed panels, PE buckles, resin engines, or about super detailed kits…and this knowledge, conditions his way to do and see modeling.
It’s such a long way off when all this was a game…for kids and adults, today this must be one more sample of human perfection. Perfection that human beings don’t have, but at times, believe they are in possession of, and seems they would need to show in nearly each of their actions.
The person who devotes time to modeling, has not evolved more than the rest of the society, and comes across such a high level of technology that probably may give an erroneous turn to modeling in itself. For instance, when taking a look to an Eduard’s , Aber’s or any other catalogue, you’ll realize at once, that something wrong is happening if such kind of perfection is needed to enjoy a couple of hours with the hobby.
Perhaps, it’s time to go over the modeling sources of inspiration, using the skills we have by nature, looking for pleasure in doing and not in perfection…we can always search after it, in our hearts and behaviours, not in our works, this way my dream, maybe yours too, will come true: we’ll be leaving our grandchildren a better world to live in!!!.
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