Davenport, Iowa (February 16, 2016) – Modern architecture will take center stage beginning Saturday in the second floor Katz Gallery at the Figge Art Museum with the opening of The Art of Architecture: LEGO Sculptures by Adam Reed and Photographs by J. Hunt Harris II.
Adam Reed Tucker, an architect by training, has made large-scale models out of LEGO bricks since 2001 and is one of only 11 LEGO Certified Professionals in the world. Tucker said, “I view the LEGO® brick first and foremost as an art medium. No different than, say paint to a painter or metal to a blacksmith. My creations are an artistic celebration, a sculptural exploration of architecture in its grandest , most impressive form – the skyscraper.”
The Figge exhibition will include 12 renditions of architectural masterworks, including the John Hancock Building, the Empire State Building and the St. Louis Arch as well as the world’s current tallest building, the 162-story Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Comprised of more than 450,000 bricks, this model stands 17 ½ feet tall. Tucker’s models will be complemented by a selection of black and white photographs, printed on metal, of Chicago architectural landmarks by Moline artist and Figge Trustee Hunt Harris. These photographs were created especially for the exhibition.
LEGO bricks were introduced in Denmark in 1958; the name is short for “play well” in Danish. While the company has created increasingly elaborate versions of its product over the years, Adam Reed Tucker uses only the simplest bricks and hinges, emphasizing the creative possibilities of simple materials. The project is “all about celebrating architecture and using plastic, interlocking bricks as my medium,” he said. “LEGO was the easiest three-dimensional medium to use because it doesn’t require gluing or cutting, it’s self-contained, interlocking, and everyone knows how to snap them together.”
This exhibition will be on view through May 29, 2016 and is sponsored by the John Deere Foundation. Supporting sponsor is Don and Connie Decker, contributing sponsors are the Wells Fargo Foundation, Hunt and Diane Harris Family Foundation, Barbara Leidenfrost and media sponsor is Quad-City Times.
Companion Events:
Exhibition Opening Reception
5:30 p.m. Thursday, February 18
7 p.m. Artist Talk: Adam Reed Tucker
In celebration of the exhibition, Chicago-based artist Adam Reed Tucker will speak about his process and the works on display. Free.
LEGO Family Fun
2-2:30 p.m. Sundays
February 28, March 6, 20, April 10, 24, May 1, 15
Join us for a series of two-minute LEGO Challenge build sessions that will stretch your imagination and creativity. Free.
FREE Family Day
Saturday, April 2
10 a.m.-1 p.m. Scheduled activities
11 a.m.-2 p.m. Figge Café open for lunch
Dive into the world of The Art of Architecture with activities, build challenges, movies and more! Sponsored by Quad-City Times.
Artist Talk with J. Hunt Harris II
7 p.m. Thursday, May 5
Harris will speak about his photographs on view in The Art of Architecture. Free admission.
Exhibition Tours
1:30 p.m. Saturday, March 5, 12
Free with paid admission or membership.
About the Figge Art Museum
The Figge Art Museum is located on the riverfront in downtown Davenport at 225 West Second Street. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and Sundays noon to 5 p.m. Thursdays the museum is open until 9 p.m. Admission to the museum and tour is $7. Admission is always free to Figge members and institutional members, and free to all on Thursday evenings from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The Figge Café is open 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and Thursday evenings from 4-7 p.m. To contact the museum, please call 563.326.7804, or visit www.figgeartmuseum.org.
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