The Fussy Eye: Crown of Nubs

Brian Miller

Details

Seattle Center, 305 Harrison St., 684-7200, seattlecenter.com. Free. 10 a.m.–6 p.m daily.

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More About

• Dan Parker
• Statue of Liberty

She's green, she's nine feet high, and she's got a lot of admirers down at the food court. Kids can't get enough of the Statue of Liberty installed last year at Center House. Part of the fascination for parents, too, is how something so large can be constructed from something so small: LEGOs®, to be precise. All children love the little plastic blocks, which originated in Denmark in 1949. Since then, and particularly for baby boomers, they've become a staple in American homes. No batteries or user's manuals are required—how many toys can you say that about today? Children seem to know instinctively how to use them; it's as if the bright modules operate according to the same genetic principles as our snap-together DNA. Made from some 30,000 pieces, the sculpture was created by Auburn artist Dan Parker, a "LEGO® Certified Professional," per the company's website. (These guys are the ninjas of the LEGO® world, the elite of the toy-snapping elite, only numbering a dozen worldwide.) He generally works on traditional forms, including railroad scenes and Christmas dioramas, but the statue suggests how other artists could adapt the blocks to more adventurous projects. (Is nude among the 100-plus official colors?) Every LEGO® is inherently edgy, not contoured or organic. When assembled into a large structure, the interchangeable, identical units give it a pixilated appearance—a robot copy of the living original. Miss Liberty is inspiring at the right distance, uncanny up close.