Do you enjoy the soothing sounds of moving water? How about the clatter of LEGO crystals jostling together? If so, you’ll love Jarren Harkema‘s perpetual-motion style fountain. Jarren says his creation was inspired by M.C. Escher’s Waterfall lithograph, which depicts water flowing uphill .
The crystal fountain’s gravity-defying effect was achieved by using two Power Functions L-Motors and six ladders held together with 40 gears. To see the fountain in action, check out the video below.
When I visited, I never got to see the top half of the Golden Gate Bridge due to the ever-present San Francisco fog. But now I feel like I don’t need to because Zio Chao has created an excellent “photograph” of the beautiful bridge. The builder uses forced perspective to his advantage to create a striking 2D image that really looks three dimensional. And let’s not overlook the little sailboat in the corner, which only adds to the effect as it sails into the bay.
What really makes the illusion work is that only one of the supports on each gate is connected, while the other one just floats a bit further back. This gives the effect that the road is actually going through the supports and not across them.
Celebrating the 20-year anniversary re-release of a 1997 Radiohead record, Anthony Wilson presents a LEGO rendition of OK Computer. Subdued color choices and good line placement using plates and tiles make Anthony’s build a great representation of the album cover.
I certainly couldn’t guess what’s on Timofey Tkachev’s mind with this sculpture, but I sure do know that I like it because it’s not your typical build but a peek into an artist’s own emotions. Over and above the mystery of the mind, the exterior shaping leaves you wondering about the techniques used to sculpt a 3D skull. Such a masterpiece indeed.
We are all born winners. Right from the start, we can say that we have won our first race. Kosmas Santosa has captured that first race in nature in LEGO using the Panel 4 x 4 x 13 Curved Tapered with Clip at Each End to shape the little swimmers’ heads. The grayscale palette and some nice lighting really help these fun little guys look their best on their big day.
If you watched PBS’s Joy of Painting back in the 80s and early 90s, you’ll probably recognize BrickinNick‘s most recent creation. If not, I’ll give you a few hints. This icon was known for his soft voice, his permed afro (which BrickinNick captured perfectly in LEGO brick), and his positive outlook on life. Bob Ross also taught me that there’s nothing wrong with having a tree as a friend.
What started out as a dare to find a use for the giant technic gears from LEGO’s 2003 Hailfire Droid set has turned into this charming LEGO representation of a picnic in the city. Inspired by fond memories of summer bike rides, Canadian builder Mel Finelli has made ingenious use of many unusual parts to create an almost photorealistic scene. From the reproduction vintage ’30s LaFrance bicycle, retro radio, wicker basket full of goodies and Kensington lamp post, every component of this build demands closer examination to truly appreciate the techniques and finer details. No wonder then that this build won Best in Show when it debuted at BrickCan 2017 in Vancouver last month.
Actually, this amazing recreation of a gourmet dinner is made by a Russian builder (and cook!) Timofey Tkachev, but the “Danish influence” is unmistakable. All the food is very realistic, with many subtle detailing that reveals Timofey’s professional background. His favourite drink is also obvious from the amount of effort put into the beer bottle and glass. Although the concave shaping of a dinner plate is infamously hard to build in LEGO, but the builder cleverly solved the problem by making the plates “fancy”.
There is a subtle detail in this creation, because when viewed from above, the scene spells the abbreviation of the Russian LUG (although in Cyrillic and very subtle, so not many casual viewers are likely to catch it).
It’s perhaps surprising we don’t see more LEGO building inspired by Cubist art. Bricks would appear to lend themselves perfectly to the style. This unique series of character models by Korean builder Amida Na are an unusual take on building which relies on perspective and point-of-view, creating an interesting intersection between confusion and beauty. This isn’t the first time Amida has messed with our heads: The “folded space” of his previous cubist train set was also the inspiration behind these new creations.
The build of Goku left me trying to process whether it was front facing or back facing – when it doesn’t really matter! In fact, the effect is strange. You immediately know what you are looking at, but are bewildered because it looks so odd. Then you are attracted deeper into understanding the model’s construction. The style is likely to evoke a different reaction in each viewer — but it rewards contemplation, seeming to yield up new details.
Amida describes the technique as eliminating the least important dimension, as many objects are distinguishable from their silhouette alone, especially character builds. What remains is a two-dimensional form, folded into itself to give it a sense of depth. The process of folding gives an aesthetic value of extruded facets, and from a practical standpoint it’s a good way of having the builds stand upright. Captain America is immediately recognizable, but also totally different from any other Cap’ model you’ve seen before.
Delving deeper into the artistic aspect of LEGO building, Timofey Tkachev follows up his previous build of a blood fountain with a strong image of spring rain, which has a very impressionist feel to it. The composition makes for a very powerful image, with contrast between colours and textures drawing the eye to the man holding his umbrella over the kneeling girl. The best part has to be the difference between the rain drops above and below the stone platform, which makes the rainfall look very dynamic. While the rockwork could be less repetitive, I think it blends in with the textured background well, making for a very consistent creation.
When you see a surreal and colourful sculpture such as French builder Pistash‘s “Colors in da head”, it will obviously catch your eye. But something else triggered in the back of my mind when I first saw it. There was a subconscious familiarity that drew me to it. Upon reading his description, I realized what that familiarity was. Pistash says that he was inspired by French artist Moebious — in particular, his Hendrix work — and as a teenager one of my favourite posters I had was Hendrix Voodoo Soup, for which Moebious did the cover art.
The Moebious inspiration notwithstanding, I think it is safe to say that as LEGO builders we can all relate to the feeling of ideas and inspiration pouring out of our minds when we build. It is certainly a more welcome feeling than the alternative…the dreaded builder’s block!
Russian builder Timofey Tkachev has been on a roll lately with some great creations, but now he follows up his two lighthearted creations of a man working out and a builder’s living room with this discomforting yet enchanting sculpture of a blood fountain, shaped as a girl.
The grace of the figure is both complimented and contrasted by the sinewy and visceral texture of its body, which may symbolize how close we really are to our darkest side. It is important to point out the stone base as well, which completes the creation and gives it a fantasy feel, reminding me of the aesthetic of Blizzard’s Diablo games.