F O R M
child in all of us while simultaneously illuminating sophisticated and complex concepts.”
Unlike art media that have to
be explained to visitors, LEGO
bricks are familiar to nearly everyone, regardless of whether they have children at home.
Versions of The Art of the
Brick have traveled to a wide
variety of museums throughout the country, from Massachusetts to California—not all of
them exclusively devoted to art.
For example, the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, one of the
nation’s premiere science museums, hosted the show earlier
in 2015. While
Sawaya’s exhibition is on view
in Vero Beach,
a different version of the show
will be shown at the Powerhouse
Museum of Art, Sydney—one of
Australia’s major art museums.
Previously a corporate lawyer in New York, Sawaya was
the first artist to conceive of
LEGO toys as an art medium. His sculptural creations
are constructed from countless individual LEGO pieces,
and have become increasingly
complex since he began making them in 2002. Sawaya believes that “art is not optional,” and hopes that his work
will help make art a priority in
our schools and homes. O n V iew
opposite page
(top to bottom):
1. Nathan Sawaya poses
with his work, Grasp.
2. Green by Nathan Sawaya,
plastic bricks, 70 x 27 x 15”.
this page
(clockwise from top left):
1. Puddle by Nathan Sawaya,
plastic bricks, 22 x 43 x 15”.
2. Dog by Nathan Sawaya, plastic
bricks, 29 x 30 x 35”.
3. Balancing by Nathan Sawaya,
plastic bricks, 45 x 15 x 15”.
4. Yellow by Nathan Sawaya,
plastic bricks, 28 x 35 x 19”.
all Photos courtesy of
brickartist.com.