The artful LEGO creations of Mattia Careddu are more than they first appear to be. Two forms stand on opposite sites of a mirror – an elegant robot and a black fantasy monstrosity. Which is truth and which an illusion? Mattia’s build is striking, both as three separate models and as an evocatively staged tableau. I love the retro robot with a slight tip to its head. The mirror frame is simple but effective, especially at this large scale. But it’s that shocking red background contrasting with the sand green and inky black that turns the scene into dreamy technicolor phantasmagoria.
Tag Archives: Black Fantasy
Hang a left at the giant anemone
LEGO fan themes come and go, waxing and waning with the tides. But sometimes they burst back up from the ground like the nightmarish worm they are. The Black Anemone by Sebastian Arts (Aliencat!) harkens back to the simpler times when the old gods roamed the Earth. This build features organic curves, a splash of red in the extended tongue(?), inverted LEGO tires…everything you could ask for in a subterranean monster. But there are two small details that make this build fun for me. First is the LEGO minifigure skull cradled in the rings of the beast like a tiny teddy bear of death. The second is the road sign advising a hard left hand turn. That’s one detour that I think most people would be happy to take.
It’s been a few years since our last spotlighted Black Fantasy creation. Could this be the beginning of a revival? If so, is that a good thing? I’m honestly not sure.
And you thought getting caught by modern day police was bad...
Nobody wants to be pulled over by the authorities, even if there is nothing to worry about. Now imagine them looking like a mix between the Matrix sentinels and the Xenomorph from Alien. Leonid An imagines this eerie and mysterious floating thing without much description, except to indicate that it seems to be investigating something.
The repetitive use of robot arms with horn pieces attached is a popular technique for organic (and spooky) textures and Leonid has used it to great effect here. With that, the pink highlights, a wheel piece and some Bionicle pieces, the build is actually quite simple in overall design, but I can’t imagine any addition that would make it better in what it is. Another great thing about it is that the builder has digitally edited out the bricks suspending the creation in the air, so we do not have to suspend our disbelief.
Death-dealing strider in lush scenery
I guess we’ve all missed seeing some impressive Black Fantasy creatures for quite a while. All of a sudden Leonid An, a talented young builder from Moscow, Russia, bridges this gap. His strider is not only remarkable for a wide range of classic build techniques, but also completed with a stunningly landscaped base. Who could knew that typically girlish pieces from Clikits sets could complete such an ominous creature so perfectly.