basic building blocks

Having realized I haven't posted on artists in a very long while, I'm going to share some of my recent findings over the next little bit.  First up: Legos.

Nathan Sawaya does what I wish I could do--build amazing things out of Legos.  I mean, my 6" spaceships are cool and all, but they aren't really art.  From renderings of photographs to cutesy sculptures and signs to compelling pieces, this fellow takes a simple child's toy and runs with it.

I think working with Legos would be similar to the balloon work I've done in the past--it's a fairly restricting medium, but you can still do "anything."  The art comes from what you do within those restrictions, incorporating them or using them to explicitly make a point.  The image I've included, for example, would be very different if made of clay, bronze or wood.  It takes a piecewise medium to have the same effect... you could do something similar with woven branches, brick, or balloons.  Legos are especially interesting because they are supposed to fit together and because they are so commonly associated with children.