Making New York City miniature with Claude

Danny Cortes is a miniature artist from Brooklyn who has been creating detailed 1/12 scale replicas of New York City since 2020. His work focuses on capturing everyday urban objects and deteriorating structures that most people overlook as they walk through the city. His subjects include tags, mailboxes, dumpsters, ice boxes, and storefronts—elements that make up the fabric of the New York City he loves.

Cortes uses Claude AI as a tool to enhance his craft, uploading photographs to get precise dimensional calculations needed for accurate 1/12 scale replicas. This technology allows him to approach his miniatures with more obsessive attention to detail and helps him understand the craft more deeply.

A core philosophy of Cortes's work is capturing the aesthetic of decay and deterioration—the rust, corrosion, and weathering that tell stories about time and neglect. He views these imperfections not as flaws to fix but as the essential elements worth preserving. He explains that people walk past these objects without truly seeing them, but through his miniatures, he reframes them as art worthy of appreciation and study.

Ultimately, Cortes sees his work as a way to freeze time and lock feelings forever. By creating these miniatures, he preserves moments and stories that might otherwise disappear, allowing viewers to see everyday urban landscapes through a new lens. He describes himself as a big kid with an artist's imagination, turning toys and materials into narratives.