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.

Everything you need to be happy is right there, in your heart

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.

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Moebius inspired LEGO Sculpture “Colors in da head”

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!

Beauty always comes with dark thoughts

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.

The gift you should not have opened

I understand it is rude not to open a birthday present, but there have to be exceptions, right? Especially when you get literal hell in a box as a gift! Jme Wheeler tells us an idea popped up in his mind and he just had to build it. He also notes that it is his first attempt at building a skull, and I must say it is indeed a great start. The lighting and subtle editing makes for a powerful image that may or may not carry a deeper meaning.

LEGO Architecture 21035 Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum [Review]

As we reported from Toy Fair in February, the April 2017 LEGO Architecture releases include a redesigned Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (21035). The new LEGO Guggenheim includes 744 pieces and retails for $79.99.

This latest Guggenheim is a new edition of an earlier LEGO Architecture set released in 2009. We’ll compare the two versions later in this review.

Click to read the full review

Bricks, Bikes and a Book: a talk with German brick artist Aran Jistukawa-Hudson [Interview]

This week we talk with Aran Jitsukawa-Hudson (AKA Cole Blaq) about his art, philosophy and his life. Aran was born in Great Britain and grew up in Germany. He lives in Düsseldorf with his wife and three kids, is a cancer survivor, and attended university as an Art History student. We interviewed him 6 years ago here on The Brothers Brick, but there’s a lot to catch up on since then. He is currently running a Kickstarter campaign to publish an art book based on his Enter the Brick series. Let’s go explore the mind of a builder.

TBB: First of all, could you tell our readers a little bit about yourself? What got you into LEGO and what kept you there?

Aran: My real name is Aran Jitsukawa-Hudson, as some might know. My alter ego as an artist is Cole Blaq, which is a reference to a comic character and an adaption to Hip Hop language.

I am British by origin but mainly grew up in Germany. With my wonderful wife being Japanese, we’re a rich blend of cultures! Now I live in Dusseldorf, Germany, which is located at the river Rhine, north of Cologne.

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A little slice of LEGO serenity

Sometimes all you need to relax is to contemplate a beautifully-built LEGO model. This wonderful bonsai by ZiO Chao deserves your attention — chill out and soak up the serenity. The gnarled and twisted tree itself is nicely-done — with an interesting technique of inserting flower stalks into larger leaf pieces — but it’s the little rock and the display stands which elevate this into brick-built art. I want one of these for my house.

A theatrical build from Freedom Square

Dohodno Zdanie is an architectural masterpiece with over 110 years of history, art and culture located in the heart of Rousse, Bulgaria. This imposing Neoclassical building can be found in Freedom Square, within the city centre of Rousse, and continues to hold a busy events calendar of theatre, show and art. Thomassio has done an impressive job of capturing this stylish edifice in LEGO, with a host of detailed textures. I really like the tiled roof in between those arched segmental windows, the occasional use of a dark blue tile is very effective. He utilises a good variety of parts use to add texture to this build, Technic gears, 2×2 dishes, turntables and even some handcuffs.

There is a slight Dr. Who twist to Thomassio’s version as he has replaced the winged Mercury statue that appears on the top of the original building in Russia with a Weeping Angel, just don’t catch her eye!

Beer after wine, feel fine

At least, that’s the theory. I think. By the time I’ve had some wine I can never remember what I’m supposed to move on to next. Jimmy Fortel‘s latest might serve as some form of LEGO-mnemonic on my next night out. Regardless of its future usefulness, this creation sees bent tubing held in place with clips, giving a wonderful impression of line art.

This is a brick-built version of the logo of Jimmy’s local bar in Perpignan, France. Apparently they hosted a small exhibition of some of Jimmy’s artwork recently. As such, I think they deserve the LEGO community’s support — the next time you’re in that part of the world, swing past and buy some wine. And then some beer.

Great art cannot exist without great suffering

This creation of a flayed crucified person by Leonid An is inspired by the eerie works of the Polish surrealist artist, Zdzisław Beksiński. The symbolism is strong in this image, but still leaves everything up to interpretation. Who is this? Does it matter who it is? What happened?

The lines and curves of rotting flesh and sinew are captured very well with the use of minifig whip pieces, horns and more. There is a nice balance of simplicity and complexity in the build, too.

Is it time to create 1000 LEGO origami cranes?

Which one is plastic and which one is paper? Takamichi irie has made a lovely little LEGO crane in the same style as the origami version. Traditionally, it was believed that if you folded 1000 origami cranes, your wish would come true – according to the 1797 book Sen Bazuru Orikake, which translates to “how to fold 1000 paper cranes” and contains instructions for how to make these special objects.

Takamichi’s LEGO version closely resembles the paper one next to it, and is a great way to present this seemingly simple build. A closer look at where the wings and neck join the main body suggests that this was not as simple as it first appears, and I imagine creating 1000 LEGO cranes would be a similar undertaking to folding 1000 paper cranes.

The folded crane has also become a symbol of hope and healing during tough times and therefore is often known as the “peace crane”. The touching story of Sadakos legacy is worth a read if you have a few spare minutes.

Red Relativity

We’ve featured several LEGO versions of Relativity over the years, including a traditional staircase scene with great lighting and even a Star Wars version of M.C. Escher’s famous lithograph. But we’ve never seen a version quite like Lårs Kumpfert‘s monochromatic one.

By using only red pieces and intricate Gothic designs, Lårs created a creepy, gravity-defying LEGO scene that would be right at place in a Guillermo del Toro movie.