MANSFIELD — Nathan Sawaya’s acclaimed art exhibition “Art of the Brick” is now showing at the Mansfield Art Center.
This exhibit, listed under CNN’s Top Twelve “Must See Global Exhibitions,” is a follow-up to the exhibit that first appeared here in 2013.
“The Excitement is Building!” reads the Art Center’s flyer for Sawaya’s exhibition of sculptures and portraits made entirely from LEGO bricks. The LEGO art resonates with a unique combination of the youthful giddiness of Sawaya’s medium and the sophistication of his inspiration.
At first glance, the collection as a whole can be a lot to absorb. Visitors to the exhibit are immediately struck with the vast, vibrant colors and huge conglomerations of LEGO bricks.
It’s enough pause for thought just to consider the time it must take Sawaya to put together these elaborate pieces, let alone the inspiration behind each one. Yet, as the New York Times put it, the “playfulness is contagious.”
George Whitten, of Mansfield Art Center, discussed how Sawaya buys most of his bricks by the color pallette, which is why many of Sawaya’s sculptures are monochromatic and titled as simply, such as “Green.”
However, there are two multicolored sculptures that stand apart from the rest, such as the looming “Xray,” for a special reason.
“(These sculptures) are made up of the LEGO bricks fans send in to Sawaya,” Whitten said.
Perhaps Sawaya’s most well known sculpture, “Yellow” is yet another piece that audiences can expect to see. But for those who visited the last time the exhibit was in Mansfield, this poignant sculpture of a man ripping open his chest should be one of the only pieces that looks familiar.
As Whitten clarified, this exhibition is not the same as the previous Art of the Brick exhibition, which showed in Mansfield from late September to mid-November of 2013, but rather the second installment of that showing.
Need more incentive to go?
Sawaya what he hopes people gain from going to see his exhibition.
“After visiting my exhibition which is made from a familiar children’s toy, I hope visitors find inspiration to make art themselves,” he said.
It seems integral to the lawyer-turned-artist that his pieces stir visitors’ imagination and, indeed, inspire them to be creative. There is also an interactive area with loose LEGO bricks for adults and children alike to make their own creations.
“Art is not optional,” said Sawaya, “it is necessary to our everyday lives.”
“Art of the Brick,” which opened May 7 will be shown at the Mansfield Art Center until Aug. 27.
Tickets are $5 for children (15 and under) and $10 for adults. Whitten also encourages those who can to come in tour groups, which will lower the cost of admission. To schedule a tour, call 419-756-1700.
The Mansfield Art Center is located at 700 Marion Ave., Mansfield. Access the Art Center online, as well, at http://www.mansfieldartcenter.org/.
Also, be on the lookout for Hugman, the small green LEGO man that’ll pop up various places around town to promote the exhibit.
