In two projects entitled, Ephemicropolis (2010) and Low-Rise (2006), late artist Peter Root used stacks of staples broken into various sizes to create miniature metropolises.

For Ephemicropolis, Root used approximately 100,000 staples over a floor area of 20 x 10 feet (600 x 300 cm). The installation took a very steady hand and roughly 40 hours to create. You can see a timelapse of the build below. Low-Rise, which is a smaller overall installation took approximately 30 hours to build. You can also find a timelapse of the project below.

Tragically, Peter and his wife Mary Thompson (both 34) died in a road accident in February 2013 in Thailand, while the couple were on a round-the-world cycling odyssey. The couple met in art school and had spent six years saving money and planning their journey. The couple had been posting photos and details of their trip on the website Two on Four Wheels.

To see more of Peter’s artwork you can visit his website at peterroot.com