See the Mona Lisa, a dinosaur and One Direction rebuilt in Lego (pictures)
The Art of the Brick is a new exhibition featuring the Mona Lisa, a life-size dinosaur and One Direction -- in Lego!
Richard Trenholm
Welcome to the Art of Brick, a new exhibition in London featuring the Mona Lisa, a life-size dinosaur and One Direction -- in Lego! It took artist Nathan Sawaya 4,188 hours -- and millions of Lego bricks -- to build the 75 pieces in the show, which will be on display until January 2015.
Related article: Art of the Brick rebuilds the Mona Lisa, Jimi Hendrix and a dinosaur in Lego
Our tour will begin imminently.
This is what it's all about: the humble Lego brick, so small yet so mighty.
Seeing as we're in London, there's a few local touches like this full-size red phone box -- yes, made entirely out of Lego.
Artist Nathan Sawaya is the man behind the show.
Sawaya swapped the law for Lego to become a sculptor.
Here's a sculpture you might recognise: Rodin's The Thinker.
On each creation, getting up close reveals the detail of studs and bricks.
Each creation is explained by a handy tablet.
It's the Mona Lego-sa.
That famous enigmatic smile gets even more enigmatic in brick form.
Michaelangelo's David, and the Venus De Milo cast in Lego.
The original stands in the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence. More like Michaelang-Lego, amirite?
The original Aphrodite of Milos was created by Alexandros of Antioch between 130 and 100 BC. Don't worry, she's armless!
Edvard Munch painted The Scream in 1893.
The Lego version adds an extra dimension.
Tell me about it, stud.
The exhibitions involves a number of portraits too.
The portraits look like photos as you approach them...
...but remember this is what they are made of.
Excuse me while I kiss this guy.
Original sketches...
...and the results.
Wait...what's that noise over there...?
Aaaaaarrrrrgghhh!
This is the biggest sculpture in the exhibit: a man-size dinosaur skeleton.
Clever girl...
Speaking of clever girls.
The next section of the exhibition is dedicated to existential statues like this one.
Anyone got any Aspirin? I've got a splitting headache.
Band of skulls.
Is this what's under a Lego minifig's yellow bonce?
Bit "Alien," this one.
We've all had those days.
Happens to the best of us.
He's bricking it.
That's no way to get ahead.
Nnnnnnoooooo!
These faces stand several feet tall, dominating the wall.
What does it all mean?
At least these faces are cheerful.
Here you can see the scale of each piece and the number of bricks that go into them.
All mouth, this one.
Don't you just hate it when that happens.
Cut me, do I not bleed bricks?
Bricks in spaaaaace!
He's got the whole world in his hands.
I wish my monitor would stop doing that. It's very distracting.
Someone's an Apple fanboy.
You can almost taste the salt in the air.
Where else can you have all the world's greatest works of art in one room?
You've got to admire the brushwork. So... blocky.
Here we see the Lego version of Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring.
Well, we are in Britain -- so say hello to life-size versions of One Direction.
That's actually a remarkably accurate depiction of Harry's face when you get up close.
The Art of the Brick also includes a Lego play area so after you've enjoyed the show you can get stuck into the bricks yourself.
Well, quite.