- Ego Leonard
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Ego Leonard Nationality Dutch Field Painting, Sculpture Movement Street Art, Performance Art Ego Leonard is apparently the name of a Dutch painter and sculptor, whose works prominently feature outsized Lego minifigures. The name is also sometimes applied to sculpture apparently made by Leonard which have been found on beaches in various locations in the world since the late 2000s. The sculptures are in the form of minifigures constructed from fibreglass up to two and a half metres in height, and have the message "No Real Than You Are" in capital letters written on their torsos. It is unclear whether Ego Leonard is an actual person or a fictional character.
Contents
Beach sculpture
The first oversized minifigure attributed to Leonard was retrieved from the sea off Zandvoort, The Netherlands on 7 August 2007.[1]. It had a yellow head and a blue torso.[2] It was suggested at the time that "No Real Than You Are" might become a meme similar to "All your base are belong to us".[3]
A second giant Lego figure was found off Brighton Beach, United Kingdom on 29 October 2008.[4] The green, yellow, and red sculpture again bore the words "No Real Than You Are" on its torso. A spokeswoman for the the Lego company stated that it was a surprise to the company, and may have been related to an exhibition in the next few weeks that "Ego Leonard" would have in London.[1]
Another similar Lego figure appeared in in the sea off Siesta Key Beach, Florida, United States on 25 October 2011.[5] The sculpture is about 2 metres in height and weighs about 50 kilograms. Its head and arms were yellow, with a red torso and green legs, and it had the message "No real than you are" in capital letters on its front and "Ego Leonard" and the number 8 on its back.[6] Local authorities have referred to the object itself as "Mr Leonard'.[5] Local newspaper Sarasota Herald-Tribune sent an email to Leonard, and received a reply. It purported to be from the the sculpture itself, and stated that it had been "a hell of a swimm" [sic], but that it was enjoying the weather and friendly people, and is "gonna stay here for a while." [7]The local cops had taken it and called for his owner. Most likely, if the owner doesn't show up, it is likely that he will be given to Jeff Hindman, who saw it first in the U.S.A.
Painting
Ego Leonard's painting feature outsized Lego figures with messages and similar to and including "No real than you are".[5] It has been reported that works exhibited in online art gallery prescriptionart.com were valued at between US$ 3 500 and $ 4 500.[5]
Identity
In reference to the 2011 appearance, Spanish newspaper El Mundo noted that "Ego Leonard" could mean "I, Leonardo".[8]. It has been reported that Ego Leonard may be associated with Dutch artist Leon Keer, who won second place in the 2010 Sarasota Chalk Festival and is due to compete again at the 2011 festival.[9] Keer has admitted to being a long-time friend of Leonard's and to have designed his website. He also expressed concern that the publicity may have an adverse effect on "a person like Ego, who just wants to bring some kindness in the everyday life."[9]
References
- ^ a b "Giant Lego man appears on beach". BBC News. 31 October 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/sussex/7702121.stm. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
- ^ "Sorry, It Won’t Fit in the Car". New York Times. 7 August 2007. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/07/world/europe/08lego.html?_r=1&ref=europe&oref=slogin. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
- ^ Denmead, Ken (10 August 2007). "You Should Have Seen The Lego Shark Chasing Him!". GeekDad. Wired News. http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2007/08/you-should-have/. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
- ^ "Pictured: The giant 8ft Lego man who washed up on the beach". Daily Mail. 30 October 2008. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1081751/Pictured-The-giant-8ft-Lego-man-washed-beach.html. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
- ^ a b c d Clarke, Susan (26 October 2011). "Giant Lego Man Washes Up on Florida Beach; Police Take It Into ‘Protective Custody’". ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2011/10/giant-lego-man-washes-up-on-florida-beach-police-take-it-into-protective-custody/. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
- ^ "Giant Lego Man Washes Ashore: Did Artist Ego Leonard Leave Toy Figure On Florida's Siesta Key?". The Huffington Post. 26 October 2011. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/26/giant-lego-man-florida_n_1032597.html. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
- ^ Ruger, Todd (25 October 2011). "Giant Lego man washes up on Siesta Key beach". Sarasota Herald-Tribune (The New York Times Company). http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20111025/WIRE/111029721/-1/news300?p=2&tc=pg. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
- ^ "Un muñeco Lego gigante, arrestado por 90 días" (in Spanish). El Mundo (Spain). 28 October 2011. http://www.elmundo.es/america/2011/10/29/estados_unidos/1319850262.html. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
- ^ a b Becnel, Thomas (27 October 2011). "Lego man linked to Sarasota Chalk Festival". Sarasota Herald-Tribune (The New York Times Company). http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20111027/ARTICLE/111029610/-1/sports?p=1&tc=pg. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
External links
- Official website
- Ego Leonard from www.st-artgallery.com
- Ego Leonard catalogue from www.prescriptionart.com
- Origin of Ego, the Artist behind the Lego Man from sarasotavisualart.com
Categories:- Living people
- Sculptors
- Painters
- Lego people
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