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The Art of the Brick: A Life in LEGO
Nathan Sawaya is renowned for his incredible, sometimes surreal, sculptures and portraits—all made from LEGO bricks.
The Art of the Brick is a stunning, full-color showcase of the work that has made Sawaya the world’s most famous LEGO artist. Featuring hundreds of photos of his impressive art and behind-the-scenes details about how these creations came to be, The Art of the Brick is an inside look at how Sawaya transformed a toy into an art form.
Follow one man’s unique obsession and see the amazing places it has taken him.
The Art of the Brick is a stunning, full-color showcase of the work that has made Sawaya the world’s most famous LEGO artist. Featuring hundreds of photos of his impressive art and behind-the-scenes details about how these creations came to be, The Art of the Brick is an inside look at how Sawaya transformed a toy into an art form.
Follow one man’s unique obsession and see the amazing places it has taken him.
248 pages, Hardcover
First published October 25, 2014
4 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
December 28, 2020
In 2013 we saw Nathan Sawaya's exhibit at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, and we loved every minute. This book is full of beautiful pictures of some of his creations, with content written by Sawaya explaining the origin of each piece and a little of what it means to him. I appreciate his willingness to be a normal guy talking about his passion for art—no pretense, no aloof attitude. He just wants to do what he loves and make connections with other people.
My parents bought this book for me for Christmas, with a note saying, "We thought this would interest you." They still know me pretty well. :)
My parents bought this book for me for Christmas, with a note saying, "We thought this would interest you." They still know me pretty well. :)
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December 29, 2015This spring and summer, Nathan Sawaya art was exposed in Paris. And I was really curious and tempted to go. Unfortunately, something was always distracting me when I was planning to have a closer look at his work.
And now, I deeply regret it! :-(
So when I've seen the book, after missing my chance to do it for real, I've decided to read it and enjoy his creations.
It's amazing since Lego is a toy, we all have played with at some point in our life. I've appreciated how the author explains why he has decided to build a skull or what he was thinking when creating Yellow and the way the meaning of this sculpture has changed over the time.
"Yellow is not about death at all, but about opening yourself up to the world without fear or reserve. It's about dropping the mask and the hundred of little compromises you make every day to show the world the true you, and letting life come at you as it may."
Nathan Sawaya's creations are impressive but in this book, i've really enjoyed the stories about his life, his depression, his work. It's direct, easy and really add something more to this art book. It's not boring, it's little bit of himself he is sharing to make us understand his art.
Cool artist!
The Red Dress is one of my favorite and Yellow too.
Don't hesitate to read this art book, it will do you some good to the heart and to your art. ;-)
Lucie
http://newbooksonmyselves.blogspot.fr...
And now, I deeply regret it! :-(
So when I've seen the book, after missing my chance to do it for real, I've decided to read it and enjoy his creations.
It's amazing since Lego is a toy, we all have played with at some point in our life. I've appreciated how the author explains why he has decided to build a skull or what he was thinking when creating Yellow and the way the meaning of this sculpture has changed over the time.
"Yellow is not about death at all, but about opening yourself up to the world without fear or reserve. It's about dropping the mask and the hundred of little compromises you make every day to show the world the true you, and letting life come at you as it may."
Nathan Sawaya's creations are impressive but in this book, i've really enjoyed the stories about his life, his depression, his work. It's direct, easy and really add something more to this art book. It's not boring, it's little bit of himself he is sharing to make us understand his art.
Cool artist!
The Red Dress is one of my favorite and Yellow too.
Don't hesitate to read this art book, it will do you some good to the heart and to your art. ;-)
Lucie
http://newbooksonmyselves.blogspot.fr...
January 14, 2015
I saw his exhibit in NYC, and it blew me away. This book did the same. It is just fantastic to read about the inspiration behind these amazing sculptures. Loved it.
September 5, 2024
Anecdotes about LEGO art, art in general, and various pieces or exhibits, along with superb pictures of the art. Many details are fascinating. There were a couple times I thought a fuller story would be welcome, or more photographs of the art were expected.
Lastly, the presentation is wonderful. Hardcover with glossy pages. Very nice.
Lastly, the presentation is wonderful. Hardcover with glossy pages. Very nice.
January 21, 2015
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 5.0 of 5
Beautiful.
Nathan Sawaya's, The Art of the Brick, is a truly beautiful book.
Sawaya is an artist whose choice of media is the Lego®. You know...those little, bright-colored plastic bricks that kids (and kids-at-heart) play with? Yes...that is the medium for an incredible art form.
Sawaya's art is anything but childish. His ability to create form and movement with the solid squareness of the Lego® brick is remarkable, but it's the vision he has that makes the art. You need only look at the cover of the book, as depicted above in this review, to get a sense of what Sawaya does, but I promise that you'll want to look at more than this cover ... this is only the beginning!
How does one become a Lego® artist? Sawaya writes about this; from his leaving his job as an attorney to become an artist in a medium that wasn't recognized. He even had to battle with the Lego® company for a time (fortunately he had the background in law) to continue his work.
It is hard for me to pick a favorite work of art from this collection ... so many stand out as being quite exceptional ... but I would lean slightly in favor of "Red Dress" for its concept and realization.
As amazing as the work itself is (and it is amazing), it is fortunate that the photography captures the sculptures in ideal ways. This book owes much to these artists as well, and sadly their names only appear as an end note. Thanks to Jim Herrington, Erica Anne Photography, Dean West, Mitch Haddad, Suzanne Bauer, and Nelson Chenault for making Nathan Sawaya's art stand out!
But there is more to this book than fantastic brick sculptures photographed well! Nathan Sawaya writes about art, art in general and his specific art, very eloquently. It was almost like reading a book of artistic daily devotions. I didn't want the written parts to end, although I knew that when they did, it was to make way for the visual art.
I'm not sure that my rural area of the country will get the opportunity to see this art first hand and so I am grateful for this book.
Looking for a good book? The Art of the Brick is a book that every artist or art lover, should own.
Beautiful.
Nathan Sawaya's, The Art of the Brick, is a truly beautiful book.
Sawaya is an artist whose choice of media is the Lego®. You know...those little, bright-colored plastic bricks that kids (and kids-at-heart) play with? Yes...that is the medium for an incredible art form.
Sawaya's art is anything but childish. His ability to create form and movement with the solid squareness of the Lego® brick is remarkable, but it's the vision he has that makes the art. You need only look at the cover of the book, as depicted above in this review, to get a sense of what Sawaya does, but I promise that you'll want to look at more than this cover ... this is only the beginning!
How does one become a Lego® artist? Sawaya writes about this; from his leaving his job as an attorney to become an artist in a medium that wasn't recognized. He even had to battle with the Lego® company for a time (fortunately he had the background in law) to continue his work.
It is hard for me to pick a favorite work of art from this collection ... so many stand out as being quite exceptional ... but I would lean slightly in favor of "Red Dress" for its concept and realization.
As amazing as the work itself is (and it is amazing), it is fortunate that the photography captures the sculptures in ideal ways. This book owes much to these artists as well, and sadly their names only appear as an end note. Thanks to Jim Herrington, Erica Anne Photography, Dean West, Mitch Haddad, Suzanne Bauer, and Nelson Chenault for making Nathan Sawaya's art stand out!
But there is more to this book than fantastic brick sculptures photographed well! Nathan Sawaya writes about art, art in general and his specific art, very eloquently. It was almost like reading a book of artistic daily devotions. I didn't want the written parts to end, although I knew that when they did, it was to make way for the visual art.
I'm not sure that my rural area of the country will get the opportunity to see this art first hand and so I am grateful for this book.
Looking for a good book? The Art of the Brick is a book that every artist or art lover, should own.
March 11, 2015
"ART IS NOT OPTIONAL" This is how Nathan Sawaya begins his story. This book is about a man who dropped a career as a lawyer to reinvent himself as an artist. But not just any artist. He became the first LEGO artist. He received a lot of flak from peers. He even received flak from LEGO. But he quickly won people over once they saw what he was doing. And what he does is incredible. It is art in a form that makes your jaw drop and makes you whisper behind your hand, "How does he do that?"
This book is not just an art book. It is also the story of how Nathan Sawaya changed his life through art. He talks about how some of his art pieces came to be (both the trials and the triumphs). He shows the progression of a piece from start to finish. My favorite part of his life is when he was standing next to President Clinton and a little boy calls out, "I want to get my picture with you." The president thinks the little boy means with him but the boy replies to the president, "No, not you! With the LEGO guy!"
I never thought LEGO art could be infused with emotions, but Sawaya does just that with his work and tells these stories throughout the book. This book is recommended for ages 9 and up. I highly recommend it for anyone who loves LEGOs or loves art. You will want to look at the pictures over and over and over again.
This book is not just an art book. It is also the story of how Nathan Sawaya changed his life through art. He talks about how some of his art pieces came to be (both the trials and the triumphs). He shows the progression of a piece from start to finish. My favorite part of his life is when he was standing next to President Clinton and a little boy calls out, "I want to get my picture with you." The president thinks the little boy means with him but the boy replies to the president, "No, not you! With the LEGO guy!"
I never thought LEGO art could be infused with emotions, but Sawaya does just that with his work and tells these stories throughout the book. This book is recommended for ages 9 and up. I highly recommend it for anyone who loves LEGOs or loves art. You will want to look at the pictures over and over and over again.
June 2, 2015
I have exactly one word for this book.
Glorious.
That describes both the art, and the photography. I am so utterly and completely blown away by Nathan Sawaya's talent. I want to own a sculpture by him. I want a green bunny in Legos. I want, most of all, to watch him work.
I don't care if it's 4 hours of watching him in silence. I want to see this process, this long process of combining and gluing.
I couldn't pick a favorite if I tried, but the Pop-Up Book is definitely top 5. And the ones with deeper meanings, or even those that weren't meant to have deeper meaning, but people inserted their own self into the meaning. Those are breathtaking.
I want a copy of this book, and I want to go to one of his exhibits. Glorious.
Glorious.
That describes both the art, and the photography. I am so utterly and completely blown away by Nathan Sawaya's talent. I want to own a sculpture by him. I want a green bunny in Legos. I want, most of all, to watch him work.
I don't care if it's 4 hours of watching him in silence. I want to see this process, this long process of combining and gluing.
I couldn't pick a favorite if I tried, but the Pop-Up Book is definitely top 5. And the ones with deeper meanings, or even those that weren't meant to have deeper meaning, but people inserted their own self into the meaning. Those are breathtaking.
I want a copy of this book, and I want to go to one of his exhibits. Glorious.
Want to read
May 14, 2016*I received a free digital copy of this book from Edelweiss.
November 11, 2024
I thought I was just gonna be flipping through a book of LEGO creations, but Nathan Sawaya really enhanced the collection by adding the story behind each piece, as well as some history on his family (Lebanese-American!), education, and past career as a lawyer. It was really interesting learning about the traditional path he followed as a son, student and career man before giving it up to do what he loved. His pieces are absolutely stunning. I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, interesting read and some pretty pictures of artsy art, as well as die-hard LEGO fans!
January 7, 2022
Beautiful souvenir to accompany the exhibit (go see it whenever and wherever you have a chance) of amazing sculptures made from the world’s favorite building toy. This book has wonderful photos that give you a sense of the art, combined with autobiographical recollections that tell the artist’s life story (so far) as well.
July 3, 2020
I have had the privilege of seeing Nathan Sawaya’s LEGO art exhibit twice (several years apart) and really enjoyed each visit, so it was fun to read more about the thoughts/inspiration behind his work!
June 26, 2021
Loved the exhibit, loved the book, and loved how this will always make me think of the really special and wonderful time I had experiencing this with my bf on a Ferris Bueller style adventure through the city.
July 5, 2025
Usually I read Lego books for interesting ideas, beautiful works and nice brick usage. In this case the builds are secondary. I don't care so much about the stories behind famous people, but the thoughts about art.
August 7, 2020
Genius! Go see Nathan Sawaya's exhibit in a museum if you can.
Want to read
March 29, 2021Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.
May 3, 2021
More then just lego
February 28, 2024
I read this book after seeing Nathan’s exhibition at the museum of science and industry in Chicago. He is a former NY lawyer and is now one of the top Lego artists in the world. He created an absolutely stunning body of work and has an interesting and inspiring story too about following one’s dreams.
April 27, 2015
This was a very interesting look at the man behind some of the coolest LEGO art I have ever seen. It's definitely worth a read, even if you just look at the pictures!
August 24, 2015
Gave me a whole new respect for Legos.
August 31, 2015
I saw The Art of The Brick exhibit in Philadelphia, PA. The exhibit was fabulous. The book was inspiring.
January 4, 2017
Excellent insight in the mind and motivations on an unorthodox artist.
January 26, 2017
Saw his amazing exhibit in fall of 2016. Essays accompany the photos and document his journey as a LEGO artist.
November 2, 2023
Really interesting. He made Lego sculptures of Conan O’Brian. He made one post Katrina about New Orleans, which is disappointing.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews