KEYNOTE: The imagined city of Elgin Park, a magically realistic evocation of a midcentury American town, has captured the hearts of millions of web visitors and now appears in book form. You won't find the town of Elgin Park on a map, but you will find it all over the web and in the media. Called an ?Internet phenomenon? by the New York Times, Michael Paul Smith's Flickr site has received over 20 million hits since he first posted his convincing yet dreamlike photographs of an imaginary town, inspired by the small Pennsylvania one he grew up in. Viewers of all ages from across the world will respond to the memories and feelings evoked by his perfectly executed miniature street scenes with model vintage cars, which are photographed outdoors against actual backgrounds. Without digital manipulation, Smith creates wondrously realistic scenes, which are beautifully reproduced in this exquisite volume. Gail Ellison, a longtime colleague of the artist, explains Smith's ingenious methods and also uncovers the themes of his art. AUTHOR: Michael Paul Smith was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His model-making skills are the accumulation of numerous jobs he has had, including textbook illustrator, wallpaper hanger, housepainter, and architectural model maker. He lives in New England. Gail K. Ellison teaches at the University of Florida College of Medicine, works as Writer-in-Residence with the Shands Arts in Medicine program, and offers workshops for caregivers and students. ILLUSTRATIONS: 125 illustrations
