A graphic designer has created a George Michael “tribute with a twist” by using roughly 12,000 screws to pay homage to the Last Christmas singer on the anniversary of his death.
Darren Timby, who is also a screw artist, spent approximately 90 hours depicting the late star in his unique way, complete with the signature feathered mop-top he donned when part of pop duo Wham! alongside Andrew Ridgeley in the 1980s.
The striking tribute has been made used thousands of zinc (silver), gold-coloured and black screws supplied by Timco, set against a white canvas, to mark the singer’s death on December 25, 2016.
“George Michael’s music has always been a guilty pleasure of mine and I wanted to create a tribute with a twist to remember him as he passed away on Christmas Day eight years ago,” Mr Timby, who is based in Sunderland, told the PA news agency.
Recently, Wham! made chart history as their hit Last Christmas became the first song to be crowned Christmas number one two years in a row.
“From a nostalgia point of view, it’s the standout song for me because I was born in the early 1980s and I was growing up listening to it,” Mr Timby said.
“You can’t get through a day in December without hearing Last Christmas.”
Mr Timby started the process by working out logistically what a “sensible size” would be for the art – in this case, it is approximately three feet wide by four feet high.
“There’s a lot of maths and measuring that goes on in working out the size of canvas that I need to hold the weight of the metal and ensure I get in all aspects of the art,” he added.
“I then pinpoint where I want the screws to go and it is so satisfying when I start adding them in.
“I started with the eyes because as soon as they become recognisable as the subject, I know that the art is going to work.”
Mr Timby – who started creating screw art in 2020 – said replicating the Wham! star’s thick locks was a challenge but “so appealing as it’s such a striking feature of his looks” and he knew it would translate well in his chosen medium of screws.
“With George, you have to a good job on the hair and do it justice – sometimes a little squiggle here or a straight line of screws there can change the highlights and the contrast,” he said.
“Sometimes just one or two extra screws can really make a difference and the hair takes up the majority of the piece.
“Selecting the different coloured screws for the hair also helps to lift and balance the face, improving the overall image contrast, because you’re only working in four tones.”
When creating the screw tribute, he listened to the singer’s songs including Faith and Father Figure, which led to him getting “lost in the moment”.
“I also had to have faith in the process so I listened to Faith on repeat,” he added.
“The nostalgia, the memories come flooding back – you get to the end and it feels like you have relived your childhood.
“Towards the end, I even start to slow down because I didn’t want to finish, I didn’t want to end because I find the whole process so therapeutic.”
He has been sharing updates on the tribute across various social media platforms – including Facebook and Instagram – which has proved to be a hit.
“I am so appreciative for the interactions I get on my posts and when people guess who it is when it is in the early stages because it’s reassuring people think it’s a true likeness,” he said.
“It blows me away that people see these inanimate, lifeless objects and can see a human likeness from it.”
His artwork is currently sitting in his workshop but he hopes it “finds a home where it will be appreciated” at either a gallery or even with a George Michael superfan.
