LEGO is Latin for "I Put Together"

LEGO®, the Danish company that makes the colorful plastic building bricks, turns 80 years old this month. Last night I discovered a video on YouTube that is narrated by the LEGO® founder's grandson, who explains the company's history. After watching the video, I began thinking about artists who use LEGOs® to create art. "Lego" is Latin for "I put together", a perfect name for a perfect product -- one that has fed the imaginations of children and adults for 80 years. Here are the creations of three different artists:

 Brian Korte began playing with LEGOs® as a young boy. He now designs commissioned LEGO® art for Brickworkz LLC in Richmond, Virginia. Brian is sitting next to his Guiness World Record-breaking LEGO® mosaic.
Photo credit: Brickworkz LLC

 Brian Korte started with this photo . . .
Photo credit: Brickworkz

 And ended up with this creation.
Photo credit: Brickworkz

 Roy Lichtenstein's "Kiss V 1969" was the inspiration for . . .

 LEGO Mosaic: "Pixel Kiss"

by Brian Korte

45" x 45"

20,736 LEGO elements

5 colors
Photo credit: Brickworkz

Photo credit: Brickworkz

 Artist Sean Kenney created this "sculpture of an in-flight Tiger Swallowtail butterfly [that] is over 5 feet across and was built with 37, 481 LEGO pieces."
Photo credit: Sean Kenney

 Another view of the Tiger Swallowtail, which is part of Sean Kenney's "Nature Connects" show, which currently is touring the United States.
Photo credit: Sean Kenney

 "This scene [by Sean Kenney], installed in a real lake, is built entirely out of 57,132 LEGO bricks and features five giant lily pads, a jumping koi fish, a frog and a water lily (lotus bloom)."
Photo credit: Sean Kenney

 Says Sean Kenney: "The sculptures were assembled in my New York City art studio, then custom-crated in museum-quality exhibition crates for my new show, Nature Connects, which is currently touring the United States."
Photo credit: Sean Kenney

 "Google and LEGO have a fun and special history. . . . The Google founders, Larry Page and Sergey Bin, are both avid lovers of the LEGO brick, as are many of the company's employees. Sean [Kenney] was approached by the head of Google New York about bringing LEGO to their offices."

This Google logo is 6 feet wide and composed of 5,300 LEGO elements.

It was completed in April 19, 2007.
Photo credit: Sean Kenney

 "This LEGO sculpture of the Nintendo DSi [by Sean Kenney] was on display at the Nintendo World Store at Rockefeller Center in New York City for 6 months in 2009."

78" x 18" x 78"

51,324 LEGO elements.

Completed April 5, 2009.
Photo credit: Sean Kenney

 Brick Artist™ Nathan Sawaya is a full-time freelance artist based in New York. While growing up in Veneta, Oregon, he "drew cartoons, wrote stories, perfected magic tricks and also played with LEGO." He uses the same LEGO bricks anyone can buy at LEGO or any toy store.
Photo credit: brickartist.com

 Close-up view of Nathan Sawaya's "Building Bricks of Life".

May 2011.

83" x 16" x 22"
Photo credit: brickartist.com

 Nathan Sawaya's "Building Bricks of Life" "debuted as part of the X Prize Foundation's National DNA Day exhibit at the Saint Louis Science Center."
Photo credit: brickartist.com

 Nathan Sawaya was inspired by Van Gogh's "Starry Night".

45" x 36"
Photo credit: brickartist.com

 "Melting Man" by Nathan Sawaya.

38" x 16" x 16"

Says the Brick Artist™: "As the winter season approaches, I wanted to try my hand at ice sculpture, Out of LEGO. So I created this Melting Man sculpture completely out of transparent LEGO bricks. I also lit it from within, to give it a glowy-feel."
Photo credit: brickartist.com

 The title of this 42" x 26" x 22" piece by Nathan Sawaya says it all:

"Think!"
Photo credit: brickartist.com