To LUGNET HomepageTo LUGNET News HomepageTo LUGNET Guide Homepage
 Help on Searching
 
Post new message to lugnet.generalOpen lugnet.general in your NNTP NewsreaderTo LUGNET News Traffic PageSign In (Members)
 General / 8128
8127  |  8129
Subject: 
Art? (was Re: LEGO as Art)
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.general
Followup-To: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Thu, 30 Sep 1999 06:41:09 GMT
Reply-To: 
johnneal@uswest.net^StopSpammers^
Viewed: 
605 times
  
Ian Sinclair wrote:

Lego bricks have been used to create some very controversial art by a Polish
artist, Zbigniew Libera. For details, see the Concentration Camp web page
below.

http://users.erols.com/kennrice/lego-kz.htm

Hello Ken;

I want to thank you for posting this message.  I joined the LEGO
community in the last year, RTL later than that, and have not seen the
web site before.

I gather you first posted this link some time ago, and it most likely
generated a great deal of discussion.

I hope it isn't off topic to add my own thoughts.

I found the article very engaging.  This is the most thought provoking
use of LEGO I have `ever' seen.

Very powerful stuff.  The imagery and depictions I've seen of the
concentration camps in photos or film were instantly brought back to
memory.

I can understand why LEGO was appalled.  But I am glad they backed
down, realizing a court battle would generate more controversy for
them and their brand name.

I hope The LEGO Group has also come to realize that this exhibit will
not typically be seen by children.  The exhibit has little to do with
LEGO and more to do with the innocence of childhood vs. the realities
of the real world.

When I think of the slaughter humans are capable of; and there are
plenty of recent examples like East Timor, Rwanda, and the former
Yugoslavia; it makes me wonder if children, who are also exposed to
the daily news every day, do need to come to grips with the modern
world, and the acts committed in it, a lot sooner than most adults
realize, hope, or prey they didn't.

The artist has made a profound statement with his work.  That is what
artists do.  He has made me think.

I got into a big debate in RTL a while back regarding the piece of "art"
entitled "LEGODEATH" and what constituted Art and I'm not particularily
interested in starting another, but I will say that I *seriously* question the
use of LEGO as the medium for Libera's work.  It's a toy for God's sake; what
does it have (seriously) to do with the Holocaust?  And if it doesn't have
anything to do with it, then why in hell use it?!  What next?  Minifig porn?  To
me, He *trivializes* the Holocaust.  If you want to be impacted by the
Holocaust, go to Yad Vashem in Tel Aviv or at the least see Steven Spielberg's
brilliant Shindler's List.  They will make you more than think; they will make
you cry.  All Libera did was shock me into wondering what kind of an idiot would
construct such an exhibit.

-John



<ICS>

Cross posted to Lugnet for those who have not seen this site before.



Message has 6 Replies:
  Re: Art? (was Re: LEGO as Art)
 
Hello John; I certainly don't want to get into a huge debate with you... :-) But I would be happy to participate in a civilized discussion. I am not one who normally goes to art exhibitions or one who has a passion for art; both viewing and (...) (25 years ago, 30-Sep-99, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
  Re: Art? (was Re: LEGO as Art)
 
John Neal: [ About Zbigniew Libera's Concentration Camp model: (URL) ] (...) I think that is the whole point. Even the "sweet" toys we give kids can be used to depict horrible things. AFAIR Libera also created scenes from mankind's dark side with (...) (25 years ago, 30-Sep-99, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
  Re: Art? (was Re: LEGO as Art)
 
John Neal wrote in message <37F305FB.3B2896F5@u...st.net>... (...) the (...) what (...) porn? To (...) Spielberg's (...) make (...) would (...) I don't know whether anyone can truly say what is and isn't "art", but I strongly agree with the idea (...) (25 years ago, 30-Sep-99, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
  Re: Art? (was Re: LEGO as Art)
 
(...) John, I both agree and disagree with parts of what you say here. First of all I do believe that LEGO is an art medium. We all build things and many of us put them up for display either on the internet or elsewhere. In my oppinion just the fact (...) (25 years ago, 30-Sep-99, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
  Re: Art? (was Re: LEGO as Art)
 
(...) What does it mean that you question it? My personal take on art is that it can be in any medium. (...) So, if someone epoxied Hot Wheels together in the form of a rhinoceros, it would be somehow inappropriate? (...) Lego, per se, doesn't have (...) (25 years ago, 30-Sep-99, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
  Re: Art? (was Re: LEGO as Art)
 
(...) I'd say that you were in the right and TLG was in the wrong. (...) In .debate ?!? Are you kidding? ;-) (...) This has been discussed here before: (URL) summary, Libera's motive was to make an *issue* of the recent trivialization of the (...) (25 years ago, 30-Sep-99, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

Message is in Reply To:
  LEGO as Art
 
(...) (URL) Ken; I want to thank you for posting this message. I joined the LEGO community in the last year, RTL later than that, and have not seen the web site before. I gather you first posted this link some time ago, and it most likely generated (...) (25 years ago, 30-Sep-99, to lugnet.general)

18 Messages in This Thread:







Entire Thread on One Page:
Nested:  All | Brief | Compact | Dots
Linear:  All | Brief | Compact

This Message and its Replies on One Page:
Nested:  All | Brief | Compact | Dots
Linear:  All | Brief | Compact
    

Custom Search

©2005 LUGNET. All rights reserved. - hosted by steinbruch.info GbR