The Artists Who Use Lego, Not Paint

How many of us haven't enjoyed playing with Lego (or a cheaper, knock-off variety). However, I bet you never considered it as the medium for your art as an adult! But the Little Artists, aka John Cake and Darren Neave, who do use Lego as their medium, have hit the 'big time'.

The Little Artists are having an exhibition at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, UK, running until 29 January 2005. The show, entitled Art Craziest Nation is a "bustling Lego gallery featuring an array of modern art masterpieces and their creators", including Tracey Emin's bed and Salvador Dalí's lobster phone.

The Guardian quotes Darren Neave as saying: "we'd made Damien Hirst's shark tank as students because we were very bored and we wanted to be on a par with someone as great as Damien Hirst who's done so much. We just feel like the owners of a contemporary art gallery now, with our Hirst, Koons and Dalí."

On their Little Artists' website the artists say "The creation of the Little Artists, two highly mischievous animated characters with a penchant for cheekiness and notoriety, has given [us] a stage on which to ultimately project their aspirations and concerns, with relation to [our] current position within the artworld."

The Guardian Unlimited says the artists "have laid themselves open to the familiar heckle of 'my five-year-old could do better than that'". Well, sure kids play with lego, but will they be familiar with the art at that age (unless they've an artist as a parent)?

I did laugh at the quote that Tracey Emin "loves her piece -- apart from the pillows which came from a Harry Potter Lego set". Maybe Lego should start producing a "famous artworks" series?!

• Read more about the Little Artists on the Guardian Unlimited
• The Little Artist's website
• Art Craziest Nation exhibition details
• Photo Inventory of Exhibition