Amsterdam was surrounded by a moat in the Middle Ages, known as the Singel, now the innermost ring in the city and giving it a horseshoe shape. Surrounded by its concentric half-circles of canals, this aerial view bas-relief centers on the Royal Palace. Mounted beneath plexiglass, the sculptural tile can hang on a wall or be displayed on a desk or tabletop. It also makes for singular gift.
Brit brothers Robert and Gavin Paisley painstakingly reproduce select cities and stand-alone buildings in resin plaster (free of toxic solvents) of a reassuring weight and cool smoothness, with fine details including window frames etched in metal. In their Sussex studio, the "Chisel" refers to traditional plaster-cast methods and the "Mouse" to the computer-aided design (CAD) technology and 3-D printing used to achieve the sculptural models.