Arthur Gugick, 1960-2019

Hi all, I know this blog has been dormant for a long time, but I just saw a notice on Facebook that Arthur Gugick died in a car crash a few days ago. Arthur was a father and math teacher and, the reason I'm noting him here, an AFOL. You may remember him primarily for microscale recreations of world architectural landmarks, also amazing mosaics, along with other MOCs that you can see in his Flickr stream. I've featured his work here on multiple occasions as he has made several mosaics based on famous artworks. Indeed his last posted MOC was also a mosaic, an experiment in tiling patterns that to me comes out looking like a quilt, which as a form of folk art has a proper home here in this blog.

Art of War contest

You be the artist! The Art of War contest challenges you to depict a violent scene in an artistic and stylized way. The contest sponsors point you to the movie Hero as an example.

Architecture Studio

Set 21050, Architecture Studio is a new official LEGO set that encourages you to explore design and architecture. The fact that it uses all white bricks reminds me very much of Olafur Eliasson's Collectivity Project, that I'll have to feature here sometime soon. Anyway, LEGO is teaming up with Barnes & Noble bookstores for a series of launch events at 450 different bookstores this weekend. Follow the link to find an event near you. From the press release:

The LEGO Architecture Studio event will feature local architecture experts discussing and demonstrating the parameters and design process in architecture using LEGO bricks to educate and inspire the hands-on building that follows. Participants will have the opportunity to reference the LEGO 250 guide book, experiment and create original architectural designs with more than 1,200 monochromatic building pieces, and learn a few architectural concepts such as scale, mass and density, symmetry, modules and repetition, space and section and surface.

Comic-Con panel

Via BrickNerd - This Saturday at Comic-Con International in San Diego, there will be a panel discussion, LEGO as an Art Form:

BrickJournal presents a unique look into how artists are using LEGO bricks to construct amazing works of art and how building with the toy has gained popularity among adult artists worldwide. Jump into the world of LEGO-built art by joining top builders Joe Meno (BrickJournal), Nathan Sawaya (BrickArtist), Brandon Griffith (BrickStuds), and Tommy Williamson (BrickNerd) as they explain how they take an idea from conception to design and build amazing art completely made of LEGO bricks.