LEGO exhibit opens at NY Hall of Science
BY TAMMY SCILEPPI
“Leggo my Lego!”
That’s what some highly
competitive Lego fans may
be saying when they show off
their extreme building skills
at the New York Hall of Science
this fall and winter.
The Art of the Brick, the
world’s largest exhibition of
Lego art – now on display at
NYSCI through Jan. 26, 2020 –
offers an exciting new interactive
zone called “Science of the
Brick,” where kids and grownups
can get creative with different
Lego brick building
challenges and games, while
enjoying a free play area.
The collection features
contemporary artist Nathan
Sawaya’s 100-plus art forms,
created from over 1 million
little Lego bricks. Take a gander
at his incredibly imaginative
original works, as well as
re-imagined versions of some
of the world’s most iconic
masterpieces, such as Michelangelo’s
“David,” Van Gogh’s
“Starry Night” and Da Vinci’s
“Mona Lisa.”
“As an artist, I want to elevate
this simple childhood toy
to a place it has never been before:
into the fine art galleries
and museums,” said the Los
Angeles-based Lego addict,
who has more than 10 million
bricks (all sorted by shape and
color) in his art studio.
“After spending 22 years in
New York City, I am so excited
to bring The Art of the Brick
to NYSCI. It is a perfect match
since the Lego art has aspects
of both art and science (especially
engineering), that goes
into a lot of the larger works
of art.”
Sawaya also conjured up
a 20-foot Tyrannosaurus rex
skeleton – comprised of 80,000-
plus Lego bricks – that has
taken over the exhibit.
“Seeing Nathan Sawaya’s
creations up close is an irresistible
experience. We expect
visitors to be surprised, delighted
and inspired by what
they see,” said Dan Wempa,
the chief operating officer at
NYSCI.
And don’t miss fan favorite,
“Yellow,” a life-size sculpture
of a man ripping his
chest open with thousands of
yellow Lego bricks cascading
from the cavity. “Yellow” has
gained pop culture fame, appearing
on fashion labels, album
covers and even in Lady
Gaga’s music video “G.U.Y.”
In some ways, Sawaya’s
“obsession” with spatial perfection,
drives his unique ability
to transform simple Lego
pieces into thought-provoking
sculptures, elevating the toy
to the realm of contemporary
art. D
uring a recent interview,
he provided some interesting
insight into his artistic wizardry.
So why are Lego so cool?
“They let me create anything
I can imagine. They
are a great medium for art because
I can use them to build
countless ideas,” Sawaya said.
After practicing corporate
law in NYC, Sawaya changed
course when the Lego bug bit
him.
“When I came home at
night, I would need a creative
outlet. Some nights I would
sculpt. One day, I challenged
myself to sculpt out of this
toy from my childhood: Lego
bricks. I started doing largescale
sculptures. It felt good
after a long day of negotiating
contracts to build something
with my hands,” he said.
Sawaya said his creative
A 20-foot long T-Rex dinosaur skeleton made of 80,000 LEGO
bricks is just one of the more than 100 sculptures at The Art of the
Brick exhibit at the New York Hall of Science.
Courtesy of The Art of the Brick
process starts with an idea.
“Inspiration can come
from many places,” he said.
“Fortunately, having multiple
exhibitions touring the globe,
I get to travel a lot. I am often
meeting new people, visiting
new locations and experiencing
different cultures. I use
all of this for inspiration,” he
continued.
While he’s working, the artist
actually glues together individual
pieces. “That means
if I make a mistake, I have to
use a hammer and chisel to
chisel apart the glued bricks,”
he explained. “It can be heartbreaking.
You definitely have
to have a lot of patience for
this job.”
Sawaya enjoys seeing people’s
reactions to artwork created
from something that they
can relate to, he said.
“The Art of the Brick takes
Lego somewhere you wouldn’t
expect and shows you things
you have never seen before,”
he added. “The goal with this
collection of art is to demonstrate
the potential of imagination
and the power of creativity.”
Entry to the exhibition
costs $7 per person, plus NYSCI
admission. Museum members
can enter for free. For
more info, visit www.nysci.
org.
Tues. & Wed. $1895
1 1/4 lb. Lobster, Clams, and Mussels
Served with Corn on the Cob
and Baked Potato
with Purchase of 2 Cocktails,
2 Wines or 2 Beers
40 TIMESLEDGER, OCT. 4-10, 2019 BT QNS.COM
/www.nysci
/www.nysci
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