LEGO is Latin for "I Put Together"

<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">LEGO<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">®, the Danish company that makes the colorful plastic building bricks, turns 80 years old this month. Last night I discovered <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdDU_BBJW9Y" target="_blank">a video on YouTube</a> that is narrated by the LEGO<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">® founder's grandson, who explains the company's history. After watching the video, I began thinking about artists who use LEGOs<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">® 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:</span></span></span></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7R_P_mHDZlVuAC7NE5CE7M_Lv133l85ewcPlhEfj7e88kl6nrAtNLHZLXT5jonihAZahg0Xhy19aQ2WN27SgGKJyjMMv2ypYVPHAQfVm6_ed_FenDzwXwvB6J5kiipqdEGT5FnvQZXc/s1600/brian-lego%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7R_P_mHDZlVuAC7NE5CE7M_Lv133l85ewcPlhEfj7e88kl6nrAtNLHZLXT5jonihAZahg0Xhy19aQ2WN27SgGKJyjMMv2ypYVPHAQfVm6_ed_FenDzwXwvB6J5kiipqdEGT5FnvQZXc/s400/brian-lego%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Brian Korte began playing with LEGOs<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">® as a young boy. He now designs commissioned LEGO<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">® art for <a href="http://brickworkz.com/" target="_blank">Brickworkz LLC</a> in Richmond, Virginia. Brian is sitting next to his Guiness World Record-breaking LEGO<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">® mosaic.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.brickworkz.com/" target="_blank">Brickworkz LLC</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5WzWtOTMI_j71EoEmKPDDKTxuVxb_1JROukz3b8nh5RJZJmM-xJACvpGT0aGh3qCAXpsiDfxcSNhoPirh0tvVEfIn9_HjbJ-ZWRGR-igQxw_RKsU_haJSGjrhXRV-bn94DJANLDzD1o/s1600/originaldandy%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5WzWtOTMI_j71EoEmKPDDKTxuVxb_1JROukz3b8nh5RJZJmM-xJACvpGT0aGh3qCAXpsiDfxcSNhoPirh0tvVEfIn9_HjbJ-ZWRGR-igQxw_RKsU_haJSGjrhXRV-bn94DJANLDzD1o/s400/originaldandy%5B1%5D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brian Korte started with this photo . . . </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.brickworkz.com/" target="_blank">Brickworkz</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRwFXJ5BF5GGL81mmhQRr9tFzMX1JGGklcFgr-bE_Rq-aatA-KS3Pyyi8X2xXfKUrpGJ37sperI93tftxanUnnREgbeTD1vDpzlh3qWEA8S3pcROIGxKSJ5XtLZzjDLkV_Jwv4GddP70c/s1600/lego-mosaic-dandelion%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRwFXJ5BF5GGL81mmhQRr9tFzMX1JGGklcFgr-bE_Rq-aatA-KS3Pyyi8X2xXfKUrpGJ37sperI93tftxanUnnREgbeTD1vDpzlh3qWEA8S3pcROIGxKSJ5XtLZzjDLkV_Jwv4GddP70c/s640/lego-mosaic-dandelion%5B1%5D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And ended up with this creation.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.brickworkz.com/" target="_blank">Brickworkz</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Roy Lichtenstein's "Kiss V 1969" was the inspiration for . . .</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4cumUytPn43oQPZrjmVAIbss41u0-MNiBY8ESRwfK8J_iXCE_aAkmcQ7vw66VOuxtfnGEfXyphYwpyAhzwJXYijObjWZmi_UJ9GANG4VStalMZRL8BwrpEa_Ra6I_Hy7iKsv2NvpgTyU/s1600/lego-mosaic-pop-art%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4cumUytPn43oQPZrjmVAIbss41u0-MNiBY8ESRwfK8J_iXCE_aAkmcQ7vw66VOuxtfnGEfXyphYwpyAhzwJXYijObjWZmi_UJ9GANG4VStalMZRL8BwrpEa_Ra6I_Hy7iKsv2NvpgTyU/s640/lego-mosaic-pop-art%5B1%5D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">LEGO Mosaic: "Pixel Kiss"</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">by Brian Korte</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">45" x 45"</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">20,736 LEGO elements</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">5 colors</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.brickworkz.com/" target="_blank">Brickworkz</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_NZYL91U-Vq0nzOZNaWU9AjW4entLnikOI4Fnb_ca5hkoM_UZqem3d7D6svGNzFLHSicvOS78FITTWWuZ9a_0xPritg0ZZZk9-G81JEydTwMpF4twptiVJwWjCGV_aHpSxYbCR_Ciko/s1600/finishingtouches%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_NZYL91U-Vq0nzOZNaWU9AjW4entLnikOI4Fnb_ca5hkoM_UZqem3d7D6svGNzFLHSicvOS78FITTWWuZ9a_0xPritg0ZZZk9-G81JEydTwMpF4twptiVJwWjCGV_aHpSxYbCR_Ciko/s640/finishingtouches%5B1%5D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.brickworkz.com/" target="_blank">Brickworkz</a></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9JQs3mQDp8zyMFyl31ATvXmDzPHfPOq8UFJ2NcyGtC3Epzb-XoN9eYq8kNsIAUbc1PicfqCo2So3FLMr7iZ53S67ZCkN2kOlThlkKomzxOYcS-pBZ8cfW0A6h1rLaB-d8aSJqZBuOzw/s1600/1338988396m_SPLASH%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9JQs3mQDp8zyMFyl31ATvXmDzPHfPOq8UFJ2NcyGtC3Epzb-XoN9eYq8kNsIAUbc1PicfqCo2So3FLMr7iZ53S67ZCkN2kOlThlkKomzxOYcS-pBZ8cfW0A6h1rLaB-d8aSJqZBuOzw/s640/1338988396m_SPLASH%5B1%5D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Artist </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.seankenney.com/" target="_blank">Sean Kenney</a> created this "sculpture of an in-flight Tiger Swallowtail butterfly [that] is over 5 feet across and was built with 37, 481 LEGO pieces."</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photo credit: Sean Kenney</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS8VeQ3DUwj2CE-bCpPful8kWsMWwVLvYQSAnI9UXAjaKJ1OAmxE3eKJRJkOE1kGijKtKtBPFg3OUKgiDu3TygRMMj-Jcgqy5_pT8fz_6J8zrHkWlfLJneFwfn6zmXbu68qul8E8FmFnY/s1600/1338988253m_SPLASH%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS8VeQ3DUwj2CE-bCpPful8kWsMWwVLvYQSAnI9UXAjaKJ1OAmxE3eKJRJkOE1kGijKtKtBPFg3OUKgiDu3TygRMMj-Jcgqy5_pT8fz_6J8zrHkWlfLJneFwfn6zmXbu68qul8E8FmFnY/s640/1338988253m_SPLASH%5B1%5D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another view of the Tiger Swallowtail, which is part of Sean Kenney's "Nature Connects" show, which currently is touring the United States.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photo credit: Sean Kenney</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUtIvadNwaq01T4IOw9CWxXOesCNXZruihrdUGzvikQKiVLl2TSEsBsTLK1XSu9uFPC7_dtrHIhAx81bwxpsddhoAQi7VVO2ajz1gg-xAp63xyn7hgkKLgGJXhOAZOPzHHACcGFGGUyWM/s1600/splash%5B2%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUtIvadNwaq01T4IOw9CWxXOesCNXZruihrdUGzvikQKiVLl2TSEsBsTLK1XSu9uFPC7_dtrHIhAx81bwxpsddhoAQi7VVO2ajz1gg-xAp63xyn7hgkKLgGJXhOAZOPzHHACcGFGGUyWM/s640/splash%5B2%5D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"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)."</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photo credit: Sean Kenney</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLtFsCkRzcfb_WwTZSGCm8zG9P-TPwP2rVTBPxFrhI_GfHtBx0CQvkp1ssQ4oQZAb5XERSpYupu1T_yppoYDsElBg_mWe6FjyK8BVnox_A1Ew1His2ngyuoofaarCPf1NSehzRo0jPQIM/s1600/1336649212m_SPLASH%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLtFsCkRzcfb_WwTZSGCm8zG9P-TPwP2rVTBPxFrhI_GfHtBx0CQvkp1ssQ4oQZAb5XERSpYupu1T_yppoYDsElBg_mWe6FjyK8BVnox_A1Ew1His2ngyuoofaarCPf1NSehzRo0jPQIM/s640/1336649212m_SPLASH%5B1%5D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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."</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photo credit: Sean Kenney</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-G17YL3LGwgDK0rmmJq4TpL96OAIumALHjll8hN_dg1i1uvVFUFag13V1z_uOESn-R8ThNCf45rz-D8eys_RY-lhz0zeAiGRuTQe46Ysfl-MslXRMjfAegsLy5hobOVNsfWlIT0GuQU/s1600/splash%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-G17YL3LGwgDK0rmmJq4TpL96OAIumALHjll8hN_dg1i1uvVFUFag13V1z_uOESn-R8ThNCf45rz-D8eys_RY-lhz0zeAiGRuTQe46Ysfl-MslXRMjfAegsLy5hobOVNsfWlIT0GuQU/s640/splash%5B1%5D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"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."</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">This Google logo is 6 feet wide and composed of 5,300 LEGO elements.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">It was completed in April 19, 2007.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photo credit: Sean Kenney</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLAMciDOd8HABtbjV3wjBadhrG9r6ziOwmpliMy1c2moYo-6tMAj2-66niEXO_Uzjp4rFxD3rkVajhBo5RvARLC7LgX7ZFEM8XL-cb_9cSxBtQmqN2gg6dOIjG_J6GhKYM6LFqYsAEgSc/s1600/splash%5B1%5D+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLAMciDOd8HABtbjV3wjBadhrG9r6ziOwmpliMy1c2moYo-6tMAj2-66niEXO_Uzjp4rFxD3rkVajhBo5RvARLC7LgX7ZFEM8XL-cb_9cSxBtQmqN2gg6dOIjG_J6GhKYM6LFqYsAEgSc/s640/splash%5B1%5D+(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"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."</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">78" x 18" x 78"</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">51,324 LEGO elements.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Completed April 5, 2009.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photo credit: Sean Kenney</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJnokbyfw2rljctg5fUNi9Q-kIy-SfORMZSh3dYlOF4vhzbw80NFCu4A_EOJFJ1PH287vl1hia4Umm61pJlMfg5kkw2QJeILcZfJbfBTdHq_k_R936GWTADnVXcxLMe-lwFht8mDwjLc4/s1600/nathan-bio-2%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJnokbyfw2rljctg5fUNi9Q-kIy-SfORMZSh3dYlOF4vhzbw80NFCu4A_EOJFJ1PH287vl1hia4Umm61pJlMfg5kkw2QJeILcZfJbfBTdHq_k_R936GWTADnVXcxLMe-lwFht8mDwjLc4/s640/nathan-bio-2%5B1%5D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brick Artist<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">™ <a href="http://brickartist.com/" target="_blank">Nathan Sawaya</a> 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 <a href="http://shop.lego.com/" target="_blank">LEGO</a> or any toy store.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photo credit: <a href="http://brickartist.com/">brickartist.com</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNgNfiWUVsAg7IAye38q_FePy7qBU9M3AopEqiX9tvvqNzg-0W0G5KJExTER0L_IobIOkKwhvmfDIODgaaGGbZG6NzJjcdQL_81LM9FuOjytX1DI62-GjG93ln8UYccXBwB7hA3Z4nlk/s1600/dna-1%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNgNfiWUVsAg7IAye38q_FePy7qBU9M3AopEqiX9tvvqNzg-0W0G5KJExTER0L_IobIOkKwhvmfDIODgaaGGbZG6NzJjcdQL_81LM9FuOjytX1DI62-GjG93ln8UYccXBwB7hA3Z4nlk/s640/dna-1%5B1%5D.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Close-up view of Nathan Sawaya's "Building Bricks of Life".</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">May 2011.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">83" x 16" x 22"</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photo credit: <a href="http://brickartist.com/">brickartist.com</a></span><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2tqhE5QvHdPVUoY8QhirLrNWhjzj2GtCCw5maU97ePFowPMJHDh9rUm8M-doMH1r9ydTw51V-KBKhz8RQKcyqMjcXmh-7F7swqTQ92Nbo7T3btY0qnJ28jbZ1GaZwO9LBaaLU2cc5T8/s1600/dna-2%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2tqhE5QvHdPVUoY8QhirLrNWhjzj2GtCCw5maU97ePFowPMJHDh9rUm8M-doMH1r9ydTw51V-KBKhz8RQKcyqMjcXmh-7F7swqTQ92Nbo7T3btY0qnJ28jbZ1GaZwO9LBaaLU2cc5T8/s640/dna-2%5B1%5D.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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."</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photo credit: <a href="http://brickartist.com/">brickartist.com</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_bvuvh4MGSPjADoH7ptP4j9K9j0vtxAVmhPLfDMbzMOZjq6wYujucEU4s7EdoC1RuTAVt4egJIOQ3-Wr1IUQtkWf2Cb6dbUNtn2eMAXZw8MhCt6dxnUZXe9ObMDe8eZq_zml3Hv2kNVU/s1600/van-gogh-starry-night-2%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_bvuvh4MGSPjADoH7ptP4j9K9j0vtxAVmhPLfDMbzMOZjq6wYujucEU4s7EdoC1RuTAVt4egJIOQ3-Wr1IUQtkWf2Cb6dbUNtn2eMAXZw8MhCt6dxnUZXe9ObMDe8eZq_zml3Hv2kNVU/s640/van-gogh-starry-night-2%5B1%5D.jpg" width="640" /></a> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nathan Sawaya was inspired by Van Gogh's "Starry Night".</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">45" x 36"</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photo credit: <a href="http://brickartist.com/">brickartist.com</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSZ0UVFPTOLC2h2MRGXyNhmosb2tq5G8mRu8hOzP7kAgCjfuqXb-jq2Nyz8xXTcYW7ZCxvOP3QUAV2PhPB3v6i1epOUiD2S_n5XopfPs4YhPiAi7qHaho0_M_s86bqULFtA9kRpxvHqMY/s1600/melting-man%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSZ0UVFPTOLC2h2MRGXyNhmosb2tq5G8mRu8hOzP7kAgCjfuqXb-jq2Nyz8xXTcYW7ZCxvOP3QUAV2PhPB3v6i1epOUiD2S_n5XopfPs4YhPiAi7qHaho0_M_s86bqULFtA9kRpxvHqMY/s640/melting-man%5B1%5D.jpg" width="338" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Melting Man" by Nathan Sawaya.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">38" x 16" x 16"</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Says the Brick Artist<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">™: "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."</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photo credit: <a href="http://brickartist.com/">brickartist.com</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmUD4aTcxAYm2_zGyaICz2HzXmwS_1JGiwqWHkxQOSs8zXJG1yUPS-YcLdZ0C6NnvJdlUd9bWVB-1pGQ_8mZ_7SUHHqWug46PqVWAZffyYIFPSPbJ2KRPeNu-wQpw1LnS1vNTEbjoeeWo/s1600/think-1%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmUD4aTcxAYm2_zGyaICz2HzXmwS_1JGiwqWHkxQOSs8zXJG1yUPS-YcLdZ0C6NnvJdlUd9bWVB-1pGQ_8mZ_7SUHHqWug46PqVWAZffyYIFPSPbJ2KRPeNu-wQpw1LnS1vNTEbjoeeWo/s640/think-1%5B1%5D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: blue;"></span></span></span></span></span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The title of this 42" x 26" x 22" piece by Nathan Sawaya says it all:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">"Think!"</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial;">Photo credit: <a href="http://brickartist.com/">brickartist.com</a></span></div>

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 ...

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Stars and Stripes

<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Olympics have inspired me to compile some images of the American flag.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhep8-mrhiIXLGzBt5ty0C5ZiUc62pv2YJDweZZysUsdBBmnMfg_zc7Ik3qkMZSm7zFAV4we7qqgdejP4BQD-IR7bi3RyqEF9jjwvIUOtJSdbkUJ99hEsl_D1GlT5lq3c6GjtYztvpapn4/s1600/Three_FlagsbyJasperJohns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhep8-mrhiIXLGzBt5ty0C5ZiUc62pv2YJDweZZysUsdBBmnMfg_zc7Ik3qkMZSm7zFAV4we7qqgdejP4BQD-IR7bi3RyqEF9jjwvIUOtJSdbkUJ99hEsl_D1GlT5lq3c6GjtYztvpapn4/s400/Three_FlagsbyJasperJohns.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Three Flags" by Jasper Johns (1958).</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Whitney Museum of Art.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVpwS2ZQ9e8eiTa51IXY9f3wJrPFaQh8y043V0X5HF43zttFtbajvIUT4Y6iCH3_hEGr0FcUbj6eXK_I4_RmIvsnY4ueUYNpoB6pnWUeQRqIvIhjWNUJEjfyAkYuwlDxltN0i279yUuHo/s1600/2406_7_slide%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVpwS2ZQ9e8eiTa51IXY9f3wJrPFaQh8y043V0X5HF43zttFtbajvIUT4Y6iCH3_hEGr0FcUbj6eXK_I4_RmIvsnY4ueUYNpoB6pnWUeQRqIvIhjWNUJEjfyAkYuwlDxltN0i279yUuHo/s400/2406_7_slide%255B1%255D.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Flag" by Jasper Johns (1960).</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Encaustic and printed paper collage on paper laid down on canvas.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Once owned by author Michael Crichton, who died in 2008.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Sold by <a href="http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=5313636" target="_blank">Christie's</a> for $28.6 million in 2010.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Christie's auction catalog called the piece, which sold within two minutes, "one of the greatest icons of modern art alongside Picasso's 'Guernica' and Andy Warhol's 'Marilyn'."</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEFBJaevNQtZ2e47ikiaaUTcxjMSk4nKgFEsfqTUUGot_zMnvlwojCQNDv6yu2m67fkk5rBMfmOmPIzKwlPv8_O1cHGwGWFy6xpCc8tGCuqNlOnSnhboGGEzjvkyyKy4xxXrUcLwq5XWU/s1600/6522273_1_l%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEFBJaevNQtZ2e47ikiaaUTcxjMSk4nKgFEsfqTUUGot_zMnvlwojCQNDv6yu2m67fkk5rBMfmOmPIzKwlPv8_O1cHGwGWFy6xpCc8tGCuqNlOnSnhboGGEzjvkyyKy4xxXrUcLwq5XWU/s400/6522273_1_l%255B1%255D.jpg" width="297" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"La Nouvelle Chute de L'Amerique" by Roy Lichtenstein (1992).</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Etching aquatint.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYZQPVrGnVgf6zFyUHeSEpY6pADVZ3gryCMK6NzMxP-1EFvV1Vpu1d10JIrZ92ENWj9BsI1zX8YrjHscIAXWgrcMzLMrEeUT9lDZN-ro64LOQURj0qPbofPQ3mLksQd866Dp9LS0lNvaI/s1600/KeithHaringAmericanFlag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYZQPVrGnVgf6zFyUHeSEpY6pADVZ3gryCMK6NzMxP-1EFvV1Vpu1d10JIrZ92ENWj9BsI1zX8YrjHscIAXWgrcMzLMrEeUT9lDZN-ro64LOQURj0qPbofPQ3mLksQd866Dp9LS0lNvaI/s640/KeithHaringAmericanFlag.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keith Haring.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1cRTkI3zgnymIukxSuEVkDKn-1LSMZ0whurxHfgwRfEWdl2_H1g14CWizVgGWlpHWEVb_75ZaKQyCk_OUTZPWa6_92RTQQY3SNF-RO1DGCcgBV-gGd4B4LtlhsQXv7qLVDC4gJBR6kg/s1600/d4002362x%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1cRTkI3zgnymIukxSuEVkDKn-1LSMZ0whurxHfgwRfEWdl2_H1g14CWizVgGWlpHWEVb_75ZaKQyCk_OUTZPWa6_92RTQQY3SNF-RO1DGCcgBV-gGd4B4LtlhsQXv7qLVDC4gJBR6kg/s640/d4002362x%255B1%255D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"American Flag" by Andy Warhol (Executed in 1976-1986).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Four stitched gelatin silver prints.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Sold by <a href="http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/andy-warhol-american-flag-4002362-details.aspx?intObjectID=4002362?intObjectID=4002362" target="_blank">Christie's</a> for $41,825 in 2002.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Blh06kylrCt91r0hQyRIwL4hQKON02z_izcDi7wyeq-WMx1NNrIZMgHpBm9FQbivk9sofFeOHat4czdwy0-TylMxsTxnoCy58HKS527BmRXcG0Txp4lU509SdVUGZmTY9W8_gKIl_Tk/s1600/d3893229x%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Blh06kylrCt91r0hQyRIwL4hQKON02z_izcDi7wyeq-WMx1NNrIZMgHpBm9FQbivk9sofFeOHat4czdwy0-TylMxsTxnoCy58HKS527BmRXcG0Txp4lU509SdVUGZmTY9W8_gKIl_Tk/s640/d3893229x%255B1%255D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"American Flag" by Robert Mapplethorpe (1987/1989).</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Gelatin silver print.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Sold by <a href="http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/robert-mapplethorpe-american-flag-3893229-details.aspx?intObjectID=3893229" target="_blank">Christie's</a> for $8,963 in 2002.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>

Stars and Stripes

The Olympics have inspired me to compile some images of the American flag. "Three Flags" by Jasper Johns (1958). Whitney Museum of...

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