ARTIST INCREDIBLY RECREATES ICONIC ARTWORKS BY USING ONLY LEGO PIECES

Since their launch in 1949, LEGO bricks have been put to many creative uses that go well beyond their original intent. One individual who transforms these vibrant plastic bits into something amazing is Mexican artist Gerardo Pontiérr. He uses thousands of LEGO pieces to construct 3D, pixel-like artworks that mimic well-known paintings and portraits.

Pontiérr employs LEGO like that of a 20th-century Pointillism painter, except that each tiny splash of colour is represented by a single, carefully positioned brick. When viewed up close, the individual LEGO bricks are just basic colour blocks, giving the picture an abstract appearance. But when you take a step back, the whole picture becomes clear. Each brick functions as a pixel in a computer image, combining with the others to create intricate, well-balanced artwork.

From every perspective, Pontiérr's 3D artworks are impressive. The different heights of the LEGO "pixels" give the piece depth and perspective when viewed from the side, resembling a thickly populated cityscape. In his image of Vincent van Gogh, for example, tiny LEGO versions of Sunflowers and Starry Night are discreetly nestled into the 3D mosaic, demonstrating the artist's attention to detail.

Pontiérr tells My Modern Met, "Even after playing for over 30 years, I'm constantly amazed by how each piece can become anything." "Today, I see LEGO as a three-dimensional visual language—a wordless vernacular used globally that appeals to both adults and children through its infinite possibilities, geometry, and colours." 

The artist adds, “It’s a material where precision, imagination, and freedom come together to create worlds at your fingertips.”