By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)
LEGO’s you can build it approach to recreating life’s greatest moments has achieved new heights as perhaps a model for high art, if not at least modern art. Photographer Mike Stimpson’s recreations are on special exhibit in Birmingham, England at the Old Joint Stock Theatre. He is showcasing iconic moments in photographic history by using LEGO Minifigures. It will be on display until December 21st, 2013.
With characters meticulously posed, the body of emotion expressed is all in the shading. With LEGO figurines, there is only a handful of expressions that can be created from stock head pieces and body parts. But with careful lighting, the feeling of wonderment and whimsy can be admired. That is what separates Stimpson’s works from others. In the past, he has been contracted by the company to photograph images for LEGO’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
From the famous V-J Sailor and Nurse Kissing to Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima, that is but a small sampling of what can be found in this exhibit. There is even the famous First Moon Landing and the Lunch Atop a Skyscraper. Stimpson’s ability to control the camera’s focal length to create a subtle center of focus shows what made the original images unique. To photograph it in LEGO only reveals what he appreciates about about these images. Another work worth noting is the subtlety in how he made Old Joint Stock’s Rent tiled poster.
Stimpson’s works have toured the USA, Europe and Australia, and hopefully they will make a stop in Canada. No plans have been made to indicate if this will happen in the future, and for LEGO enthusiasts, fans can only hope. With puny-sized Stormtroopers gracing Stimpson’s online portfolio of photos, the idea here is not to move along. For arts enthusiasts, there is something to see here.
