Photographer Mike Stimpson lives and works in Birmingham, by day he is a video games programmer but his passion is macro photography with a difference.
Specialising in creating whimsical scenes using LEGO mini-figures, his most popular works are recreations of iconic photographs using LEGO, such as Lunch Atop a Skyscraper, V.J Day in Times Square and Dali Atomicus.
Mike’s work has been programmed for exhibitions at LEGOLAND California, and he has been commissioned many times by the LEGO group to work on events, advertising and internal promotions, including work for LEGO’s 50th Anniversary.
His photography has appeared internationally in newspapers, books, magazines and on TV and his work has even been used to illustrate topics as diverse as German political culture and Brazilian business news. Mike has exhibited in galleries from Alaska to Australia, but never in the UK. ‘The work is very popular internationally but I’ve not really been approached by galleries in this country, and I don’t go out of my way to get the work exhibited,’ Mike says.
This will change this Christmas when Mike’s work, including his famous recreation of ‘Lunch Atop a Skyscraper’ are displayed in the UK for the first time, at The Old Joint Stock Theatre Gallery in his hometown of Birmingham. A studio theatre, production house and pub venue overlooking Birmingham Cathedral and housed in a Grade II-listed building which was once The Midlands Stock Exchange, The Old Joint Stock is a fittingly offbeat venue for Mike’s first UK exhibition which is taking place 1st November to 21st December.
‘The theatre approached me and were so enthusiastic about working together, plus it’s a lovely setting and I’d already been there a few times and seen what good work they do. They plug away, making great productions and not really being noticed, so it was nice to get involved.’
Mike’s involvement has extended to creating a special commission especially for the Old Joint Stock’s December production of Rent, for which the company have the exclusive rights this Christmas. The production will take Rent back to its roots, with a full production and live orchestra in a 70-seat black box studio. To publicise the production, Mike has recreated the famous Rent ‘tiled’ poster in Lego, and the theatre will be selling prints of all the pieces at the theatre box office throughout the exhibition run.
Mike discovered his love of photography in 2006 and quickly got a taste for macro photography, experimenting with small-scale lighting and conjuring up comical situations featuring LEGO Stormtroopers, Darth Vader, Hans Solo and other Star Wars LEGO characters.
‘I started taking photography seriously when I upgraded my compact camera to something more substantial. Six months after that I upgraded to a real DSLR after discovering that macro photography was what I was interested in.’
‘I was born in the 1970s, so I grew up with Star Wars (and LEGO, of course). Like many boys born around that time, I’m still a massive Star Wars geek, and I love taking photos of the LEGO Star Wars sets. It’s like the two best things combined.’
‘It’s great to be bringing some of the iconic photographs that I love to a new audience with my artworks.’
For more info, please visit www.mikestimpson.com or www.oldjointstocktheatre.co.uk.Â
Article source: http://petapixel.com/2011/07/28/how-nasa-modifies-the-nikon-d2xs-dslr-for-space/
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World renowned LEGO photographer holds first UK exhibition
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