Theatre

Inside The Art of the Brick

We sent our resident LEGO fanatic Lucy down to one of our half term top ten picks to find out if there really is any art behind The Art of the Brick.

To say that I was looking forward to The Art of the Brick exhibition is a bit of an understatement. My love for Lego has burned brightly and unrelentingly since childhood and I’ll admit that even now mini-figures still grace my desk at work. I know that the LEGO wonderland that is LEGOLAND has been around for a number of years now, but I was intrigued to see what the humble plastic brick could become in the world of fine art.

man lego

The Art of the Brick isn’t your traditional, just have a wander exhibition; it takes you on a journey, similar to the one that its creator, Nathan Sawaya, might have taken. Sawaya has created and recreated a museum’s worth of sculptural pieces, from replicas of well-known artworks like Michelangelo’s David and the Mona Lisa to everyday objects on a massive scale and conceptual pieces that reflect the human condition. It’s rare that you can see such a range of different subjects in one exhibition and rarer still that they are all created from a single medium, LEGO.

david lucy

Michelangelo’s David in all his glory and Lucy’s own contribution in LEGO

I’d struggle to pick a favourite piece and I don’t want to spoil the fun you’ll have discovering each and every installation yourself by listing them all, but if I had to choose it would have to be one of the figures; it was quite incredible to see how the artist created the natural curves and lines of the bodies out of straight-edged bricks.

There’s still time to make it down to experience The Art of the Brick for yourself, book your tickets to the exhibition here.