Artist Nathan Sawaya continues to take LEGO® where it has never gone before by doubling the size of the show CNN claims is one of the “must see exhibitions” in the world.
The critically acclaimed collection of creative and inspiring art constructed using only LEGO® toy bricks by renowned contemporary artist Nathan Sawaya is coming to New York after enjoying record-breaking runs to sold-out crowds in Singapore, Taiwan and Australia.
“I want to have the broadest impact possible to inspire people to change the way they view the world and the way they think about art,” said Sawaya. “What better way to do that than in the heart of New York City, at the crossroads of the world – Times Square.”
The Discovery Times Square collection will be the world’s biggest and most elaborate display of LEGO® art ever. Sawaya will be creating brand-new, never-before-seen works exclusively for this New York City premiere with more than 100 works of art made out of millions and millions of little LEGO® bricks.
“This will be my largest showing of artwork to date and I’ve got some very exciting surprises in store for New York, of course, being it’s my hometown,” said Sawaya. “Discovery Times Square is known for bringing epic collections of unique and immersive exhibits to New York so to be able to have my collection of sculptures exhibited here has profound meaning to me.”
Guests will have the opportunity to get an up-close and in-person view of the iconic, pop culture fan favorite, Yellow, a life-size sculpture of a man ripping his chest open with thousands of sunshine yellow LEGO® bricks cascading from the cavity. In addition, visitors will be able to walk under a 20-foot-long T-Rex dinosaur skeleton made out of bricks and come face-to-face with a giant LEGO® skull.
“At Discovery Times Square we celebrate man’s greatest achievements both throughout history and in contemporary times. What THE ART OF THE BRICK® does by raising this simple children’s toy into an art-form is ingenious and is in line with our past exhibitions, providing a truly unique experience,” said James Sanna, President of Discovery Times Square. “The scale of this exhibit and the creativity that Nathan Sawaya brings to his work makes for an outstanding show. We are also thrilled that Nathan, a hometown phenomenon, has chosen Discovery Times Square to unveil his newest masterpieces.”
THE ART OF THE BRICK® is the first major museum exhibition to use LEGO® bricks as the sole art medium. Sawaya transforms them into tremendous and thought-provoking sculptures, elevating the toy to the realm of art. Sawaya’s ability to transform this common toy into something meaningful, his devotion to spatial perfection and the way he conceptualizes action, enables him to elevate what almost every child has played with into the status of contemporary art.
“These works are very personal to me, since they reflect my growth as an artist as I strove to discover my creative identity,” said Sawaya. “THE ART OF THE BRICK® exhibition is accessible because it engages the child in all of us while simultaneously illuminating sophisticated and complex concepts. Everyone can relate to the medium since it is a toy that many children have at home. But my goal with this exhibition when it first debuted in 2007 was to elevate this simple plaything to a place it has never been before.”
THE ART OF THE BRICK® at Discovery Times Square runs until January 5, 2014.
Talking about LEGO, here’s the trailer for what looks like the coolest movie of 2014. How can a film starring Superman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 1980 something space guy and the 2002 NBA All Stars not kick ass?
