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COLTC makes the Columbus, OH Dispatch
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lugnet.mediawatch
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Date:
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Thu, 4 Nov 2004 14:26:51 GMT
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http://www.dispatch.com/features-story.php?story=dispatch/2004/11/04/20041104-B1-01.html
Ok, so the guy said "Legos"...after cringing a bit, I read on...regardless of
the incorrect term, it's a good article...
THE ALLURE OF LEGOS
Exhibit underscores potential of plastic building blocks
Thursday, November 04, 2004
Julie R . Bailey
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Adults playing with Legos? When he tells others about his passion, David Lukens
inevitably has some convincing to do. ‘‘People look at me funny," said the Grove
City computer engineer, 28. Then he shows them pictures of his creations. ‘‘You
really have to see the photos. I tell people, ‘Look at the photos before you ask
me any questions.’ " Legos, the enduring plastic blocks of childhood, aren’t
just for the younger set. ‘‘Building with Legos can truly be an art if you do it
right," said Paul Janssen of Dublin, founder of the 15-member Central Ohio Lego
Train Club. The club, formed in February 2003, will seek to educate visitors
about the artistic potential of the blocks during ‘‘Lego Mania," a two-month
exhibit that will officially open Friday in the Groveport Town Hall Art Gallery.
"We want people to get an increased awareness that this is a fun hobby for
adults," said Janssen, an assistant professor of pathology at Ohio State
University.
The show features re-creations of Downtown buildings — the Franklin County
Courthouse, LeVeque Tower and Huntington Center, all built from thousands of
Legos — as well as a farm, moving trains, a medieval castle and more.
The club has unveiled displays at several train events throughout Ohio, Illinois
and Virginia.
The extended exhibit in Groveport, however, is a first — which members describe
as a slice of Ohio culture with a touch of fantasy.
Linda Haley, communityaffairs director in Groveport, expects visitors to be
impressed.
"We’re looking for jawdropping gasps," said Haley, who organized the show after
seeing some of the club’s works last year at the Mall at Tuttle Crossing.
The group — which communicates online and meets monthly to build, exchange or
just socialize — has become known for its large models, Janssen said.
Some of the buildings stand more than 5 feet high and call for more than 150
hours.
"We bring most of our buildings pre-assembled because it takes so long to make,"
he said. "You can’t possibly do it at a show or when setting up a display."
Janssen, 36, transports his skyscrapers in three or four sections, stacking them
inside a big box.
Finishing touches — such as trees, flowers, lampposts, utility poles and fire
hydrants — are built during the setup.
"I look at this as sculptures versus toys," said club member Mike Gallagher, a
computer consultant and an industrialdesign artist from Westerville.
"It’s just another medium."
For the uninitiated, believing often requires seeing.
"I don’t tell anybody I play with Legos now unless I have a photograph to show
them and they can understand," Gallagher, 32, said with a laugh.
"Just about everybody has played with Legos at one time or another. People just
think you build from sets, but it’s really whatever you imagine."
Adult interest in Legos has grown nationwide, Janssen said.
Five years ago, five train clubs existed, he said; and today, 30.
Playing with the blocks, said club member Carolyn Cheney, 49, makes her feel
young.
"I remember my grandfather buying me Legos for Christmas," the Olde Towne East
resident said. "He was German and didn’t know us very well and didn’t know what
we wanted. So he would just send us Legos."
She didn’t buy the blocks again, she said, until after she had a son 16 years
ago — "and I had an excuse."
Cheney enjoys putting together miniature scenes and houses.
"The truth is, if you can imagine it, you can build it with Legos."
jbailey@dispatch.com
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