Beautiful LEGO: Building art out of toy bricks

Beloved by children -- and adults -- the world over, Denmark’s signature LEGO bricks can be found in virtually every home that a child is living in. But LEGO’s reach has transcended its original design as a humble construction plaything and developed into a vibrant form of artistic expression all its own. In the new book, “Beautiful LEGO” (No Starch Press), internationally acclaimed LEGO artist Mike Doyle collects a stunning array of photographs of all manifestations of LEGO art. Here are just a few.
"LEGO Desserts" (2010): Artist Eric Constantino's colorfully counterfeit confections look good enough to eat.

"Westie" (2012): Huang Shin-Kai's depiction of a pocket-sized West Highland white terrier gazes up expectedly.

Mike Doyle's "Three Story Victorian with Tree" (2011): "I enjoy turning this simple, familiar toy into expressive works of art. There is a shock of seeing this toy, so familliar to most, executed on such a serious level. The puzzlelike challenge of overcoming a strict, rule-based system to create works of beauty and meaning is especially attractive to me and always keeps me coming back for more." - Mike Doyle

"New Holland Honeyeater" (2011): Delicately still on a plastic perch, Gabriel Thomsion's little bird seems ready to fly away at any moment.

"Harley Davidsons" (2011): Dennis Glaasker's miniature motorcyles are dizzyingly faithful to the original vehicles, down to the minute details.

"Temple of Jugatinus" (2012): Artist James Pegrum lends his LEGO creation a historical air with an architectural study of an ancient Roman temple on a rough-hewn mountainside.

Arist Iain Heath pays tribute to late Queen vocalist Freddie Mercury with “Fried Chicken!” (2011). The title is sly nod to the final lyric of Queen's 1986 hit "One Vision."

The cover of "Beatiful LEGO" features another Mike Doyle piece, "Contact 1: The Millennial Celebration of the Eternal Choir at K'ai Yne, Odan (2013)
"Why LEGO? It is a medium that offers instant gratification. No matter how large a project is, at the end of the day, I can look at the section I've built in its finished state. LEGO is a one-step process; there's no gluey mess, sanding or painting to worry about. I just build. This give me the opportunity, after each session, to assess visually how the piece is working as a whole." - Mike Doyle
From "Beautiful LEGO" by Mike Doyle. Copyright © 2013 by the author and reprinted by permission of No Starch Press.