Tag Archives: Art

Some LEGO builders elevate the form to fine art in its own right, while others enjoy reproducing famous works of art with the brick. Find beautiful and thought-provoking LEGO artwork right here.

A bright bathroom with a dark story

At first, second and maybe even the third time one looks at this realistic bathroom scene by Johan Alexanderson, it appears to be a simple interior scene, possibly a little messy with a broken piece of the mirror above the sink. The title “Despair” on the builder’s Flickr photo page might shift your focus a little, though. Was the mirror broken in a moment of emotional torment? Who is the figure seen in the mirror? Did they break the mirror? Johan had initially written a backstory for the build but has decided to remove it and keep the image open to interpretation, without being distracted by the LEGO artist’s own idea.

While this build is an artistic composition, it is also a great LEGO creation and I always love to look deep into techniques and part usage. The differently coloured wheels at the sink are particularly inspired, as are the uses of the small ball joints as towel hangers. The tiled walls are masterfully done, down to the damaged tiles and the incorporation of a heater. But the best and most realistic details are definetely the toothpaste oozing from its tube and the whole mess in the corner.

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Home isn’t always where the heart is...

Had it not been for the clear bright sunshine outside of the doorway, I’d pass this build as something that wasn’t made with LEGO. Builder why.not? provokes our emotions by recreating an unfortunate and desolate abode. The dark roof reeks of an eerie feeling with spiders and cobwebs. The detailing is simply amazing – the cracks on the left of the door aren’t just painted but made up of a cleverly positioned assortment of sloped bricks, and a similar technique makes the words on the other side of the door. Who lives here? Why is it so dark and lifeless?

The key is the piece of graffiti scrawled across the wall, proclaiming “Hate.” When in the depths of hatred, you close yourself off to the world and fill it with your own refuse. However, there’s always a gleam of hope, through the door. Only by stepping outside can you begin to feel the light.

Cube art, but without the Cubism

Creativity and art are closely related concepts, and there are few things that promote creativity as much as LEGO bricks. As a result, LEGO fan creations often turn out to be the subtlest works of art, as builders express themselves without the pressure of being serious or conveying some deeper meaning or emotion. But in other examples, like this one by Anthony Wilsonn, the main purpose of the creation is indeed to carry an artistic meaning.

The creation seems to be a composition of different, seemingly unrelated pillars and statues set in a natural environment that connects them to a coherent whole. The most impressive parts are set in the centre of the image — the square “arch” and the blossoming tree growing around it. Anthony provides a bit of story to the build, but he still leaves it vague enough that the creation remains open to our interpretations.

Getting to the heart of the matter

In this enigmatic piece, builder why.not? creates a heart from the negative space formed in a wall of black bricks. Acting like a window it draws our attention towards the red and white quadrants behind. Two opposing figures face off across the coloured fields, separated by rugged chains. As a builder myself, I find the use of the imperfect connections between elements to create glowing cracks particularly effective. As we’ve seen before, why.not? is careful not to give too much away, leaving the work untitled, but this shouldn’t stop us pondering the turmoil of the heart it passionately expresses.

Kick back and relax in this stylish loft apartment

“I would love to live there!” This was the first thought that entered my mind upon seeing this warm and welcoming loft apartment, built by Heikki M. Thanks to the iconic large open space and towering windows, this living space looks like it’s straight out of Manhattan. The composition of the entire scene is excellent, with the carpet, table and couch drawing your eyes to some impressive-looking masonry. I like how the furniture feels simple but modern, with each piece playing off of one another to form a cohesive still life. Even the portrait of Michael Jackson is well-placed; his side-turned head makes it look as if he’s admiring Heikki’s pad.

Imprisoned in dreams of terrors

This Medusa-like character is eerie and sinister while at the same time beautiful and terrifying. One can only wonder what would inspire Timofey Tkachev to build such an unsettling mythical creature. The curvature on the female form and its detailing through the careful parts usages for the eyes and lips amplifies the realism. What draws the viewer to the scene subconsciously is the impressive effort of tessellation with steering wheels that complements the scene.

Red hot brick is extra-cool

Summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and the UK is currently in the grip of what our press is calling a heatwave (although folks from other countries would probably describe it as “mildly warm”). And so, this great little melting LEGO brick from Chris Maddison totally fits the mood. The curved slope parts employed, and the effortless SNOT (studs-not-on-top) construction techniques, create a fabulous impression of a classic red 2×4 brick slumping and spreading in the heat. Just looking at this thing is enough to raise the temperature. Hot stuff.

The art of painting with bricks

I love how LEGO bricks can be used to express and build subjects other than the usual way we see 3-dimensional stacks of bricks. Sheo pulls this off very well with a portrait entitled “Evelyn.” When I first had a look at this, it reminded me of an art form that’s so very familiar yet I still can’t put my finger on it — elegant and polished with clever use of tiny accessories or parts that seem to just blend in like that cutlass forming the bridge of her nose.

While the portrait of Evelyn enchants, the Trickster featured below hints at an evil, mysterious character.

The Life of a Sentient Machine or is it all a Dream?

This piece of digital art was painted with LEGO elements that we’re familiar with — Technic gears and System tiles. Anthony Wilson provokes thought and makes one peek deep into the depths of the machine. What is the machine? Who is the machine? A still of a slender wanderer perhaps, navigating an endless journey. What is he searching for? The sharp and protruding edges give a sense of evil and danger ahead. Do the elements rearrange themselves to hinder the wanderer or do they give heed to his commands? Or are these the dreams of the toiling, tired and weary LEGO fan in preparation for tomorrow’s brick convention?

A picturesque portrait

We see a lot of LEGO models that attempt to create very life-like scenes seen through an almost documentarian lens. Rarer, however, is the build that takes a more artistic approach, such as this pair of ballet dancers by Nicolas PICOT. Using a flat style with lots of curved bricks across a few planes of depth, Nicolas has emulated a photograph, and the dancers’ frozen-in-motion pose is conveyed perfectly.

I’ll take what’s behind door number two please

Doors are always full of unknowns, and far too often it’s a gateway into another world. Every door that you open up for the first time is a surprise, a world that you’ve never seen before. Everywhere you go, doors are meant to be opened, with the exception of this one — it’s meant to stay closed for a very good reason. While what’s behind this door by why.not? is curious enough to tease our imaginations, I’m actually more intrigued by the mysterious technique used to create the door arch at the top. It’s a puzzle worth solving more than what’s behind the door.

The very beginning of eggsistence

Many people see LEGO building as art, me very much included, but there are examples of creations which take this a step further and fully embrace their artistic potential. Often depending on composition and built for one perfect picture, builds like this symbolic image of the beginning of a new life inspire many builders to keep improving and create stunning art from what is, in essence, a toy. Sad Brick has generated a great deal of interest with his latest creation and it would not be surprising seeing it serve as inspiration for the next generation of LEGO fans.

The build itself is very simple, as there are no more than three bricks connected into any of the elements here, but simplicity is sometimes exactly what we need to portray a message. Of course, this is not a simple image of a microscopic view of conception, because all the cells are replaced with different shapes of eggs. This adds a layer of ambiguity to the picture, and since the builder does not provide a description, only you can decide what the symbolism means!